Dirty Little Secret

The weather suited my mood; dark, cold, and unwanted. I didn't want to be at school, I didn't want everyone to look at me. I didn't want to be labeled as that girl that cheated on her public boyfriend with a secret boyfriend and cheated on her secret boyfriend with her public boyfriend, then get in the middle of their fight. This wasn't what was supposed to happen but then again nothing that has happened this year was how I pictured ending my four years of high school.

I tied my sweater tightly, grabbed my bag and headed into the mass of people that were filing into the school. I braced myself for the glances and glares but nothing happened as I entered through the large metal doors. I walked further into the hallway and still nothing, it was as if nothing happened.

Allie and Courtney were at my locker waiting for me. "Hey guys. I was all ready for everyone to give me the third degree but nothing, I'm amazed."

"Well duh, they don't know what happened. They all just think that you tried to stop a fight. No one really knew that you and Eric broke up until we spread around the story of him cheating the whole relationship and you caught him in bed with his mom. So now everyone is talking about that instead of about why Tate and he got into a fight," Courtney smiled devilishly.

"What would I do without you?" I giggled, taking books out of my locker.

"So how are you feeling?" Allie asked quietly.

I haven't allowed myself to think much. At least not about Tate. It was hard though, everything reminded me of him. I shrug my shoulders and they don't budge.

"Want to hang out with Aliyah and Sophia tonight or this weekend?" Allie said after we said good bye to Courtney and headed to our first class.

"You and Court really hit it off with them, didn't you?" I say surprised. They were nothing alike.

"Yeah, they're so funny and down to earth. I can eat in front of them and they won't care."

"You can eat in front of me, you know?"

"I could if you ever saved some food for me."

School was a good distraction for right now, while both Tate and Eric were away on suspension. I knew that it would be harder once were trapped in the same building as each other, with Eric and I sharing the same circle of friends and Tate and I still being lab partners.

I needed something to focus on and I had the perfect thing; prom. I gladly took the reins on 'Project Prom' and Courtney, Allie and I began planning immediately. I screwed up so much this year; I wasn't going to let my senior prom go down in shambles.

**

It had been ten school days since the fight and Eric and Tate were back at school but I had managed to avoid them all morning. I knew that sooner or later I would run into them.

I saw Eric first; we passed each other in the hall no more than strangers. His black eye is now yellow and only a bit swollen and his nose was slightly crooked. I couldn't help but to smile, Eric claimed to be so macho but left the fight with more wounds than Tate did.

I was at my locker when I looked up and saw Tate at his. We made eye contact and the air in my lungs turned to ice. I tried hard to act normal as Tate shut his locker and walked towards me. It wasn't easy, especially when he stopped in front of me, staring down at me with his perfect blue eyes peering out of the curtain of shaggy blonde waves.

"Hi," I stutter out.

"Hey," Tate said coolly.

I look at him dumbly, I'm not sure what exactly to say or why he is even standing here but I don't dare ask him in fear that he'll come to his senses and leave. "Your lip healed nicely."

"Yeah, my mom was pretty pissed. She went ballistic that I got into a fight."

"I bet, but she's just worried about you."

"Yeah," Tate gave a small half smile. "I just wanted to tell you that I did the last project and went ahead and put your name on it."

"We haven't gotten assigned to it yet though."

"Yeah, well Mr. Tregus gave it to me because he thought it would give me something to do."

"Well thanks, I guess. You didn't have to. I would have done it, or we could have done it together."

"No," Tate says harshly.

I look down; I didn't want to show Tate that I was hurting.

"You look beautiful today," Tate says sincerely.

I play with the ends of my teal blouse and smile. He still thinks that I'm pretty. I look back up and smile kindly at Tate. "Thanks, you need a haircut."

"I'll see you around," Tate says and starts to walk away.

"Tate," I call after him, a wave of confidence washed over me. He paused and turned to face me again. "Are you ever going to forgive me?"

"No Cori."

I nod, afraid to talk. I quickly walked into the bathroom and into a stall where silently I let the tears fall once again.