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“Let me finish. I’m only telling you this because you’re my best friend and I don’t want you to get hurt.” I take a deep breath before letting it all come out in a rush. “Sarah’s dating Joel West, and she’s using you because she thinks you’re AFL career is going to be her ticket to the high life. She’s also the one that’s been making my life hell at school.”
“I… wait, what?” Oliver’s brows narrow. “What are you talking about?”
I hang my head, wishing I was anywhere but here right now. I don’t want to be having this conversation. “It’s true. Sarah’s been making snide comments to me at school since last year.”
“Are you serious?” The disbelief is clear in his voice. He shakes his head. “You never said anything before the other week. I didn’t even know… you never said her name.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I… jeez… I don’t…” Standing up, he paces back and forth, massaging his temples. “Unbelievable,” he mutters to himself.
“Oli–”
He turns to stare at me, and his pained expression makes me forget what I was going to say. I reach for his hand, but he pulls away.
“Sarah said she doesn’t even know you.” His voice is quiet, his words uncertain.
“I have no reason to lie to you, Oli. She goes to my school. Her friend Tiana is the one who is working on the magazine with me. She told me everything.” I blink back tears.
“She had no idea who you were when I…” His voice trails off.
“When you what?”
“Nothing.” He winces. “Why are you telling me all this?”
“I told you, I don’t want you to get pulled into her games. You deserve better than that.” I bite the inside of my cheek, focusing on the pain there rather than the one that is starting to settle into my chest. “You know what hurts the most?” I ask quietly, continuing before he even has the chance to respond. “That you would believe someone you just met over me, someone you’ve known almost your whole life.”
“I… I, um…” Oliver looks like he’s going to throw up. Shaking his head again he walks over to the door. “I think I should go.”
“Oli–”
“I’ll talk to you later, Han.” He walks out, shoulders slumped, head down. The front door closes a minute later.
I bury my head in my pillow and cry.
∞
Faking illness for the next two days isn’t hard. My appetite is non-existent and I manage to convince my parents I’m coming down with something. It only gets worse on Wednesday though when Ashley rings me after school.
She doesn’t even say hello when I answer.
“There’s rumours going around school.”
“Yeah?” I’m not interested in hearing whatever hurtful things Sarah’s spreading about me or Oliver anymore.
“Did you know Oli was at JD’s on the weekend?”
I sigh. “Uh huh.”
“And that he hooked up with Sarah?”
Something twists inside my chest, and I curl my free hand around my stomach. Hearing the words out loud makes them feel more real, and I’m struggling to pretend I don’t care anymore. I’m struggling to pretend that kiss at his birthday didn’t mean more to me than I realised. Sniffing, I don’t even need to answer Ashley’s question.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Her voice is small.
“You weren’t at school on Monday, Ash.”
“It’s called a phone. It’s what we’re talking on right now.”
