Boy Trouble (13 page)

I
t was time to face the music, and in this case the music was playing to the tune of two very mad BFFs. I'd purposely kept my phone off all night, hadn't gone on Instagram, and hadn't even checked my email. I'd known that both Sheridan and Kennedi would be calling me and going off, but I needed to give them time to calm down before we could talk. I guess I'd hoped that if they were a little more rational, they'd understand why I had done what I'd done. But judging from the fury on both of their faces as we stood outside of my first-period class, it was obvious there would be no understanding from these two.

“Really, Maya?” Sheridan screamed.

“I can't believe you did that!” Kennedi added.

Sheridan shook her head. “I've seen you sell out some of everybody, but I just never thought you would do it to us. Not like this!”

“Would you two let me explain? Can we go somewhere else and talk about this?” I said, motioning around to the crowd that was starting to gather, several of whom already had popped their phones out, no doubt ready to record and send it to one of the blogs.

“There's nothing you can say that will explain this,” Kennedi replied. “I just don't even know what to say. This is a low, even for you.”

“Can we just please go in the bathroom and talk?”

Both of them looked around at all the people and thankfully followed me into the girls' bathroom. This girl named Jasmine followed us in as well, but I stopped her at the door. “Excuse me, can we get some privacy?”

“Um, this is a public restroom,” she said. “I have to pee.”

“Go use the boys',” I replied, as I pushed her out and locked the door.

“Talk,” Kennedi said, once I turned back to them. Both of them looked completely disgusted with me. Good thing we weren't fighters, because a different set of friends would be scrappin' right there in the girls' bathroom. “I said, talk,” Kennedi repeated when I didn't say anything. “Although I don't know what you think you can say to make this all right.”

“I just don't believe you,” Sheridan added. “It's one thing to sell out everyone else and to put everyone
else
on blast, but you do
us
like that and we're supposed to be your best friends?”

“Look, let me explain.” I let out a heavy sigh. “I just didn't want what happened to Mynique to happen to you guys, too.”

“Oh, now you care about Mynique?” Kennedi snapped.

“You didn't even like her.”

“No, I didn't,” I replied. “But I didn‘t want her dead.” I looked at both of them pointedly. “And I don't want either of you dead either.”

“Seriously, Maya? Because I had a little fight with my boyfriend, that means I'm going to end up dead?” Kennedi said.

“Any time a man puts his hands on you it's not a
little
fight,” I replied. “Demond started fighting with hands. He ended with a gun.”

“Kendrick isn't Demond!” she screamed.

“And how did
I
get dragged into this?” Sheridan added. “Javier has never put his hands on me.”

“Okay, so you're not being abused physically. But you're verbally and emotionally abused. And that's just as bad,” I told her.

“Oh, give me a break,” Sheridan said.

“You don't see that what he's doing to you is abuse,” I continued. “How he treats you is abusive. Both of you have lost your minds behind these guys and you wouldn't listen to anything I said.”

“Oh, and I guess you're the expert on guys,” Kennedi said. “Tell me again, what's your boyfriend's name? Oh, that's right, you don't have one.”

“That's because she's too busy wrecking everyone else's relationship,” Sheridan said, tightening her lips as she glared at me like she hated me.

I knew they were mad, but they weren't even trying to hear my side.

“I just want you to see these guys are no good for you,” I told them.

I don't think I'd ever seen Kennedi this angry. “And you think by putting us on Front Street on national TV, that's the way to do it?” Kennedi yelled.

“I tried talking to you,” I replied.

“You got all this success and money, but you're just a lonely, jealous gossip girl who gets off by wrecking other people's lives,” Sheridan said.

“Why don't you try this novel idea—minding your own business,” Kennedi said.

“Oh, she doesn't know how to do that. She's Queen Maya who gets to say and do what she wants,” Sheridan added. “She has no business of her own so she has to make her life all about other people's business.”

Kennedi started pacing back and forth across the bathroom, almost like she was trying to calm herself down. “My parents didn't see your stupid show, but when they hear about it, they're gonna go ballistic. I swear if they give me a hard time, you are so gonna regret it,” Kennedi added.

I had to tell myself that they were angry and therefore give them a pass, but they only had a couple more times with all the threats and degrading comments. “Well, one day you'll thank me for it,” I said.

“Oh, so now you're our mamas?” Kennedi snapped, actually stepping in my face.

I didn't back down, even though the fury in her eyes had me a little scared. “Look, I just wanted to do something drastic to give you a wake-up call.”

Sheridan nodded as she headed out of the bathroom. “Oh, this was a wake-up call, all right. Come on, Kennedi. She isn't worth it.”

Kennedi moved toward the door. “I couldn't agree more. This was a wake-up call to let us know who our friends truly are and aren't.” They stopped at the door and stared at me. “And Maya Morgan, you are definitely no longer our friend.”

They stormed out, leaving me standing there. I told myself they were just angry. We'd make up.

At least I hoped we would.

I
wanted to cry. And believe me, I didn't cry often. But this was my third time calling both Sheridan and Kennedi and neither one of them would pick up the phone. I'd given them all day to cool off and although neither one of them had had two words to say to me at school, I knew all I had to do was give them time. But, it had been two days now and I was beginning to think they were serious about ending our friendship. Sheridan had unfriended me on Instagram and blocked me on Kik. Kennedi must've blocked my number because every time I tried to call her, I got a message that said, “This phone is not receiving calls.” I couldn't believe they were really refusing to talk to me. I couldn't help it. I felt a pain in my heart. I hadn't talked to Alvin since that whole mess with Marisol, and I missed him so much. Shoot, I needed him right about now.

“Forget Marisol,” I said, picking up my cell to dial Alvin's number. The phone rang three times, and just when I thought it was about to go to voice mail, someone answered.

“Hello,” I said, when no one said anything. “Alvin?” I repeated.

“No, it's not Alvin.”

I debated just hanging up but didn't want her to go around wagging her tongue, so I just kind of paused.

“I know this is you, Maya,” Marisol snapped. “I see your freakin' name.”

“Of course, it's me,” I finally said, hating that this chick now knew my number. And I definitely hoped that Alvin had changed how he had me listed in his phone. He had me as
My heart Maya
. We always joked about it, but he wouldn't change it. “Can I speak to Alvin?”

“No, you cannot,” she replied.

This chick had definitely gotten a little cocky. The first time I'd met her she'd been like most people, enamored to meet me. But now she was trying to jump bad.

“Girl, put Alvin on the phone. I don't have time to deal with you,” I said.

“Look, I tried to play nice with you,” she said, trying to sound all tough. “But you need to get your own man and leave mine alone.”

“I thought Alvin told you,” I said firmly. “We're just friends. Really good friends and it's nothing you can do about that.”

“Oh, really,” she said. “I've already told him that he needs to end his friendship with you and he agreed.”

That caught me off guard. Even though I was mad at Alvin, I couldn't imagine that he would actually kick me to the curb just because his girl said so.

“Why do you think he hasn't talked to you? Why do you think he didn't call you to apologize and clear things up? You know why? Because he promised me,” she said, not giving me a chance to answer. “And as you know, Alvin is a good guy. He keeps his promises so he has agreed to stay away from you, because I don't like your relationship.”

“Why do you feel threatened by me?” I couldn't help asking.

“I told you, I don't feel threatened by you. I just don't like you. And Alvin's attention needs to be focused on me, not you.”

“Put Alvin on the phone,” I demanded.

“Obviously,” she said, her voice getting louder, “you don't speak English. So,
ese hombre es mi novio, pierde su número.
Lose my man's number.” She spoke slowly, as if she wanted to make sure I got it. “Stop hanging on to him. I told him you're not doing anything but leading him on and using him. You don't want him, but you don't want anyone
else
to have him.”

I couldn't say anything to that because that was the truth. He had even told me that once before. “Look, I don't have time to deal with you. Just tell Alvin I called.”

“No, I will not,” she repeated. “As a matter of fact, I'm erasing your number from his phone and don't put him on the spot by making him have to choose, because I guarantee you, sweetheart, he'll choose me.”

And before I could say another word, this tramp hung up the phone in my face. I wanted to scream. Not only was I hurt by what she had just said, especially if there was any truth to it (I'd have to catch up with Alvin another time to know for sure), but what was painful for me right now was that I was starting to believe maybe, just maybe, there was some truth to what people were saying. I was losing people I cared about left and right. My cousin Travis was gone, my best friends were gone, and now my best guy friend was gone. Yes, I had a few girls I could call and hang out with, but no one like Sheridan and Kennedi. And definitely no guy like Alvin. I had tried to do the right thing, and now I had never felt so alone.

S
o this is what it must feel like to be an outcast. Well, technically, I could never really be an outcast since I still had friends and I was still the It Clique, even if I was the only one in the It Clique, but it felt kind of strange to have my girls completely ignoring me. But that's exactly what Sheridan and Kennedi were doing. What was so tripped out about that was the two of them barely even liked each other but now they were acting like best buds.

“Hi, Maya.”

I looked up from my Caesar salad at Nelly Fulton, this girl who had transferred to our school a few months ago. I wanted to ask her why she was even speaking to me, but to be honest I was tired of sitting over here at the lunch table by myself, especially because I could see Shay across the room eating it up. I had plenty of other people I could've sat with, but I wasn't in the mood for anyone asking me a whole bunch of questions about me, Sheridan, and Kennedi.

“Hey, what's going on? Nelly, right?”

She nodded. “Mind if I sit with you?”

I shrugged and motioned toward the seat in front of me.

“So, you're pretty new here, right?” I asked.

“Well, I've been here about a month,” she said, sitting down across from me at the cafeteria table.

I shrugged nonchalantly. “So you like it here?” I asked, only because it seemed like the natural question, but honestly I really couldn't care less. I wasn't in the business of making new friends. And yes, this Nelly girl looked like she came from money and had it going on, but right now that's not where my mind was.

“Yeah, I'm liking it a lot,” she replied.

“You're a singer, right?” I asked her.

“Yeah, I won
The X Factor
, but my mom insisted that I finish school. Still working on my album and everything.”

“Cool,” I said. I side-eyed Kennedi and Sheridan, who were sitting across the room laughing like one of them had just told the funniest joke ever. Nelly's eyes made their way over to see what I was looking at.

“Aren't those your friends?” she asked.

“They were.” I took a sip of my bottled water. “But whatever.” I shrugged, trying to act like it was no big deal. I sat with Nelly and made some more small talk until the bell rang.

The rest of the day was pretty much the same—very few people were speaking to me. That, I was used to. It happened every time a major story broke on
Rumor Central
, but I'd always had Sheridan and Kennedi to have my back. Not anymore.

“All alone, huh?” Bryce, my ex, said, approaching me.

I took a deep breath, folded my arms across my chest, and gave Bryce major attitude.

“And you're talking to me because?”

He tried to smile. “I was just checking on you.”

We hadn't really talked since our last breakup. I'd never let on how much that had hurt me, but I definitely wasn't in the mood to deal with him.

“Is there a reason you're invading my personal space?” I asked him. He'd been waiting outside my fifth-period class like some kind of stalker.

Bryce let out a small laugh. He looked over at Sheridan and Kennedi laughing as they walked down the hall. They didn't even like each other like that. They were just acting like that to get to me.

“Figured you could use a friend.”

“Whatever. Go be friends with your busted girlfriend,” I mumbled as I walked off. I was so over Bryce, and forget Kennedi and Sheridan, too. If they were going to be mad at me for trying to save them, then whatever, it was their loss.

I made it through the rest of the day without anyone else working my nerve. Right after the dismissal bell rang, I dipped in my fifth-period teacher's room to pick up the instructions for my make-up essay. (It felt like I was forever making up a bad grade.)

After I listened to Ms. Clark's “you can do better” speech, I thanked her, promised to have it in tomorrow, and hightailed it out of her room. I threw my messenger bag over my shoulder and headed to my car. I had barely rounded the corner when I saw Kennedi and Kendrick going at it.
Why is he always at our school?
My first instinct was to head over there because they looked pretty heated, but I'd done my part. I'd exposed him for the abuser he was, and if Kennedi still chose to stay with him, there was nothing else I could do. I kept it moving, just pretending that I didn't see them.

But I had barely reached the edge of the parking lot when I heard Kendrick shout, “Maya!” I ignored him and kept walking.

“Maya, you hear me!” Kendrick yelled at me again. I could hear his footsteps as he took off in my direction. I looked around to make sure that people were around because if he laid his hands on me, he would definitely be going to jail and I needed witnesses.

“Kendrick, just leave it alone,” Kennedi said, coming after him.

She didn't need to worry about protecting me; she needed to worry about protecting herself. I was good. I took my phone out, ready to call 911.

“I just got back in town and saw that mess you did on your show! You think you know everything,” he said, stopping in front of me. I just stared at him, still not speaking.

Kennedi pulled on his arm. “Come on, Kendrick. Don't even talk to her. She's a non-factor.”

I'll admit that hurt, seeing my friend there, the way she was acting, basically dismissing me.

Kendrick took another step toward me. I pressed the nine and the one on my phone.

“You always up in somebody's business like you know everything,” he said, jabbing a finger in my face.

“I know you'd better get your finger out of my face,” I calmly said. When he dropped his finger, I continued. “And I know you think it's cool to put your hands on a girl. What's the matter, Kendrick, you can't handle dudes your own size? What was your previous arrest for? Oh, yeah,” I said, not waiting for him to answer. “Because you get your jollies by hitting girls.”

He glared at me, nothing but hate in his light gray eyes. “That case wasn't what it seemed. I got railroaded.”

“Of course you did,” I said, turning up my lips.

“You know, while you're trying to put me on blast all on your stupid show, you need to be getting the
real
story.”

“Oh, I got the
real
story,” I said, waving him off. I dropped my phone back in my purse, since it looked like nothing was about to jump off. Besides, we had enough people standing around watching that if he tried something, I'd be safe.

“Kendrick, leave it alone,” Kennedi said again. “Let's just go.” She grabbed his arm.

“You're supposed to be the person that we can count on to bring the truth to the people,” he sneered, still glaring at me. “You want to tell everybody's business and you think you're doing your report to make me look bad.” He laughed. “But if you gon' tell it, tell it right. It's your girl you need to be doing the report on. She's the psycho abusive one.”

Kennedi's lips tightened and her nostrils started flaring. I looked at him, and then back at her.

“B-But I saw bruises,” I stammered.

“Yeah, because she was trying to hit me with a friggin' baseball bat and hit her own self in the face.”

That was the lamest excuse I ever heard, but the look on Kennedi's face told me he was telling the truth.

“She's the one with the bad temper. She's the one that needs anger management,” Kendrick continued.

The fact that Kennedi didn't deny any of what he was saying, made me ask, “What is he talking about, K?” She ignored me and pulled his arm again. He snatched it away.

“Get off of me, Kennedi!” He turned back to me. “Your girl is psychotic. She's violent and she's crazy and the reason I don't want her behind is because I'm going to catch a case messing with her.”

Huh? What in the world was he talking about? I had known Kennedi almost her whole life. Yes, she could get really mad, but that was rare and I couldn't believe she'd get so mad as to hit someone. “Kennedi, what is he talking about?” I repeated.

She completely ignored me as she glared at him. “I can't believe you. How are you going to say all that stuff about me?” Kennedi spat at Kendrick.

“Because it's true! You're crazy!” he yelled at her.

This time she actually pushed him. Hard.

“Do you see what I mean?” Kendrick yelled, struggling not to lose his balance. “She's psycho! The bit—”

Saying
that
sent Kennedi over the edge before he could even get the words out. Then, it dawned on me the last time I had seen her like this was that night at the club when Kendrick was supposed to be out of town and we caught him with Bambi.
She
had been the one smacking him, and he had never hit her back. Was Kendrick right? Was Kennedi the violent one in this relationship?

By the way she was screaming as she pummeled him (I don't know who grabbed her and tried to pull her back but thankfully, someone did), I knew I had this all wrong. The two of them were abusive to each other.

Now, what was I supposed to do?