chapter thirty-four
hani
Can I come over?
The text from Ishu has been sitting on my phone for a couple of hours now, but I only see it when I take my phone out of my locker at the end of the day.
Now?I type back, and the three dots indicating that she’s typing show up immediately. Like she’s been waiting for me to text her back.
Yes,comes her reply.
I had made plans with Dee and Aisling but considering Ishu left school after her interview, without a word, I assume that this is important. And I’m not going to leave her hanging.
I’ll be home in twenty,I quickly text Ishu, before stuffing the necessary books into my bag and turning to Aisling and Dee.
“Hey … something came up. I have to go home.”
“Everything okay?” Dee asks, as Aisling folds her arms over her chest.
“Is this about your girlfriend?” she surprises me by asking.
“What?”
“Look …” Aisling takes a deep breath and nervously tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “I didn’t want to be like … weird about it or whatever, but … I kind of reported her to Principal Gallagher. Ishita.”
“You reported her? For what?” I suddenly feel like I’ve entered into a parallel universe. This whole conversation feels surreal. The way Aisling is acting—closed off and nervous—feels like she’s a whole different person altogether.
“Well. She kind of cheated off me in our biology class, so … I don’t know.” Aisling shrugs. “I had to say something, didn’t I? It’s not exactly fair. Who knows who else she’s cheating off of? It’s probably how she’s top of the class. I mean, it wouldn’t exactly be difficult for her. She can probably get most answers off of her sister—”
“Ishu doesn’t cheat,” I say.
Aisling finally meets my gaze, a frown tugging down her lips at the edges. “Well, then explain why she was copying off my test.”
“If she was, why didn’t you tell Ms. Taylor when it happened?” I ask.
“Because she’s your girlfriend?” Aisling says. “Because … I thought she was my friend?” Aisling takes a step back and shakes her head. She glances at Dee, like she’s searching for support. “I … talked to her about it, obviously. Before I went to the principal but … she wasn’t going to turn herself in. I’m sorry, Maira. She’s not good for us.” Except she doesn’t sound sorry at all.
“Why are you only telling me now?” I ask. “Why have you spent all this time pretending to be her friend? Why—”
“I was just trying to spare you,” Aisling says, with pity in her eyes. “I knew it would hurt you and I was hoping she would come clean about it herself. Look, are we really surprised?” She glances at Dee once more, who shakes her head like she was expecting this all along. “Ishita has always been weird and abrasive and … whatever.”
“She was never going to be Head Girl,” Dee says. “She was playing you this entire time, Maira. She was obviously taking advantage of the fact that people like you. And she picked the best time, when you’re still figuring out your sexuality or whatever.”
“I’m not …” I begin, before stopping myself. It’s pointless. My head is swimming with so much stuff that I don’t know where to start. I can feel the pounding of a headache starting. “I have to go, okay?”
“You believe me, right?” There’s a desperation in Aisling’s voice that I’ve never heard before.
“See you guys tomorrow.”
Ishu is sitting on the ground by the front door when I arrive. She has her head buried between her knees, and she doesn’t look up until I’m right next to her.
“Hey …”
“Hey.” She glances up. Her eyes are puffy and red like she’s been crying.
“Um … you know you could have gone inside?” I ask. “My mom is in there. If you’d just rang the doorbell—”
“I wanted to wait for you.” She gives me a weak smile.
