Monday came, like Mondays always do. Meg lay in her bed long after her alarm sounded. She stared up at the lengthening shadows on her ceiling. It had been a long, sleepiness night. Her brain had been chugging overtime, imagining possible scenarios, but she couldn’t figure a way out of this mess. Lucy was most likely grounded for the rest of her natural born life, and it was all Meg’s fault.
Lucy had given Meg a simple task, and Meg had failed her.
It didn’t make sense to lie. Lucy might believe that one phone line had been shut off, but two? Even Elena would have trouble believing that. The truth was out of the question too. Lucy was still her best friend. Admitting she wanted to get her into trouble, all because she was jealous about Ian? That would ruin their friendship forever.
She folded back the covers and placed her bare feet on the cold floor. The dread washed over her, but she stood up and started getting ready for school. There was no use putting off the inevitable. She had to face Lucy. She had to try to make amends.
When she arrived at the bus stop, Meg looked around but didn’t see Lucy. She couldn’t help but feel a bit relieved. She started to walk over to where Elena and Zach stood. They both looked uncharacteristically unhappy. She swallowed. Her mouth had grown very dry. She forced herself to smile as she neared them and told herself they were probably just arguing again.
“Hey,” she said. Her smile was so wide; it felt like it was going to split her face in two. “Have you heard from Lucy?”
Zach gave her the dirtiest look Meg had ever seen. She didn’t think it was possible for him to look uglier, but when he contorted his mouth and twisted his nose, he looked like a gremlin.
Elena spun around. Meg never realized how tall she was, how imposing she could be, until that very second. She didn’t see Elena’s arm whip around, but she felt the sting as it spread across her cheek. The force of the slap sent her flying backward, crashing into the bus shelter.
Elena was trembling.
“You’re a horrible person,” she said, before dissolving into tears. Flynn walked over and put his arm around her shaking shoulders. Zach stepped forward, crowding Meg so that she was backed up against the shelter.
“How could you do that to her?” he said. She’d always thought of him as something pathetic, with his oversized limbs, and bad teeth. But he was scary as hell when he stood over her. “Her father just died,” he said. “She thought she could talk to you. She thought you could relate. But you’ve been lying all time? For what, sympathy points?”
Meg looked around, desperate for a friendly face. Johanne was sitting on the bench. Her history textbook was open on her lap, but she wasn’t reading it. She was looking over at Elena, her mouth a small, surprised O.
Elena had to crouch to lean against Flynn. Her sobs had turned into wails, but Flynn just rubbed her shoulder and shook his head at Meg.
Lucy must have told Elena the truth about Meg’s father. If she was willing to let that story slip, she must be very, very angry. Meg wanted to bolt out of there, but there was nowhere left to run away to.
“Stay away from her,” Zach warned. “Don’t talk to her again. Ever.”
Meg rubbed her sore check as she moved away from them. She looked back and saw Zach holding out his arms to weeping Elena. He held her tight, and rocked her, as she cried and cried.
Congratulations, Zach. Meg watched as he gently kissed Elena’s forehead. You finally deserve her.