But every time he says it, I also can’t help but hear the moment I failed to man up in the worst way: when Rue needed me to defend her in that hallway, and instead, I said nothing.
I open social media. It’s been at least a year since I looked at Rue’s page. I scroll until I find a photo of her I’ve seen before. Thankfully, her profile is public, so I haven’t had to follow her and risk her catching on that I’ve checked her page in the past. The picture that lights up my screen is of Rue at a cafe table. It’s probably taken by one of her friends. Meredith, or Mabel, maybe. There’s no way it was taken by Carlton, because if she smiled into the camera at him like that, it would be impossible for him to look away and go for someone else instead.
I love the way her smile looks secretive in this picture, but one of her eyebrows is arched with attitude, like she’s calling out the person behind the camera. She’s wearing a green tank top, and her curly hair is down, parted right down the middle.
I scroll through the rest of her photos, finding some of her in drama club, some with her trusty friend group, and others with that new girl, Dot Bennett. I even find one of just her and Carlton. It’s impossible to miss the way she’s gazing at him while he smiles into the camera, like he’s the only guy she’s ever seen. The dude is overhyped in my opinion, and kind of a player. But I have no room to judge. My own dating history is a graveyard of short-lived almosts. It’s just that no relationship feels right to me, and I hate the feeling of stringing girls along when I know it’s not going to last.
I glance over at my desk and see my laptop still open and waiting. My basketball is also resting on the ground at the foot of my bed. I was going to either finish playing or shoot some hoops, but after seeing Rue…there’s no way I can focus on anything. Istill can’t believe how Carlton treated her at the party. Part of me still regrets not going back in there and teaching him a lesson.
Something flashes across my screen and breaks me from my thoughts. I blink through my dark room at the brightness.
And then my eyes widen.
It’s a Little Birdie notification.
No way. Someone’s already been chosen? I thought the app said tomorrow night.
Though I try not to get sucked into gossip, even I can’t deny what a big deal this is. All of Fallbrook has been waiting on the edge of their seats for Little Birdie’s return since it was announced. And now it’s finally here.
The post reads:
Hello, fledglings!
Did you miss me chirping in your ear? I know it’s been a quiet month, but I assure you it shall not be quiet again. No, your eyes do not deceive you. It really is me, the one and only, but new and improved Little Birdie. How, you might ask? How could this new bird be better than the last? Well, I’ll tell you!
This faithful flapper caught sight of the massive uproar at the home of Dot Bennett, Fallbrook’s newest It Girl. Among that uproar, as you might have guessed, was our sweet wallflower Rue Sullivan, and the magnetic Meredith Evans. Their scuffle was merely verbal, I assure you, but it was still audible to even the weakest of ears. To the untrained fledgling, one might have thought the two were fighting over Carlton Peters, but the truth is that our quiet friend, Rue, is already taken!
Here’s where the last birdie failed! Never would a random Fallbrook student be mentioned. Not someone unrelated tothe dearest drama club. But here I am, covering ALL bases for my darling flock.
Basketball captain, Ezra Davis, was seen with his arm around Rue at Dot’s home and even claimed to be her boyfriend! Could it be true?
You know I’ll find out.
You might be wondering, my dearest flock, why I’d mention someone so far removed from my favorite circle. The truth, my sweet fledglings, is that no one at Fallbrook is safe now.
Sleep tight, my dears. Next week will be full of worms.
Yours Truly,
Little Birdie
Chapter 6
Rue
I stare at my phone.
My first post displayed on the Little Birdie admin console lights up my screen. Even with nominations being a thing, I never thought I’d actually get chosen.
Who signed me up, and why? Do I really have to do this now?But the rules are staring me back in the face, taunting me.
Welcome, Little Birdie.
You have three months as the new admin. In order to fulfill your duty, you must post at least twice weekly. Your deadlines each week are Wednesday and Sunday at 8:00 PM. One blast each week may be a repost of a piece of gossip from your inbox, but the other must be an original observation from you. Failure to comply will result in your identity being exposed and a new admin being selected.
Sure, I could have just never posted at all and let myself be outed immediately and passed right over. But as soon as I realized my regular Little Birdie app interface had transformed into the admin console, andI’dbeen the one selected…I don’tknow. It sort of felt like a golden opportunity. One I’ve never had before. One I should at least try.
Maybe Meredith was right. Maybe all this time, I’ve just been wanting someone to finally pick me.
