Chapter 19: Fake Smile.

Chapter 19: Fake Smile.

The bake sale is running smoothly. After I got home I baked my own set of sugar cookies and they are selling out fast.

Hannah is helping Stephanie out at her station.

At my station, it's just me and Adam.

Zachary stares at me and I flip my hair.

"This is insane, you can't avoid him forever." Adam says, throwing his hands in the air, being extra dramatic.

"Two hours isn't forever." I point out.

"Date him already." Adam pesters on.

"Been there, done that. He's expecting a baby, remember?" I tell him.

"I'd like a sugar cookie please." Courtney demands as she stops at our table.

"Sorry, we're all out." Adam tells her.

She frowns at him.

"There's a whole tray staring at me right now." Courtney screams.

"You're correct. We're not out, we just don't sell cookies to bitches. Try Stephanie's stand." I tell her, giving her a fake smile.

"Screw you, Valarie." She says, before walking away.

"Be my guest." I yell.

"I hate her." Adam says in disgust.

"Oh, I know." I reply, slightly amused.

"Okay guys, the bake sale will close in thirty minutes. The winner will be the person that earns the highest." Mr. Dalton announces.

Chaos begins as soon as he says that. Everyone is running around trying to find customers. While some people are running to various vendors to get baked goods.

"I'll take ten." A cheerleader says as she reaches my table.

"Coming right up." I tell her, as I package her order. I dust icing sugar on the cookies and I hand them to her. She hands me twenty dollars and I give it to Adam.

"We're all sold out." He rejoices.

"Yay." I say, clapping my hands.

"Drama approaches you." Adam says, staring straight ahead.

"What are you talking-" I turn around and I see Spencer walking down the hall.

"What is he doing here?" Adam asks me.

"I don't know." I reply.

"Valarie, can we talk for a second?" Spencer asks me.

"Hmm." I gulp.

"Can we talk outside?" He asks again.

"Um, sure." I tell him, as I stand up from the chair I am sitting on.

I trail behind Spencer as he leads me outside.

We stop at the parking lot and I stare at him, waiting for him to speak.

"I'm leaving Langston. My dad's done with the business he came here for and there's no use staying." He tells me.

He can stay for me.

"Oh, that's so sad. I thought you weren't going back to Ravenswood?" I ask him.

"I wasn't going to leave because you were my reason to stay, but now that you're hung up on Zachary, I'm no match for him." He tells me.

"That's not true and you know it." I tell him.

"Does it matter Vee, you're never going to want me." He says in a low tone.

"I can try. I mean, we used to love each other." I tell him, cupping his face in my hands.

"I just wanted to say thank you." Spencer says and I stare at him in confusion.

"For what." I mutter.

"For loving me." He says before he walks away.

He gets into a red sports car and drives away.

My heart breaks at the sight.

We're really done.

For good this time.

I don't even notice when a tear rolls down my cheek. I wipe my face and I enter the school building. I walk to my station and I stack empty boxes on top of each other.

"Look, Val, we won." Adam says, flaunting dollar bills in my face.

"Won what?" I ask him.

"The bake sale." He says, staring at me. "Are you good?" He asks me after a while.

"Yeah." I lie.

I continue to arrange the boxes when Adam touches my shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'll get them. Have a seat, you don't look too good." He tells me and I just nod.

I sit down on a plastic chair that's beside the table. I watch as Zachary helps Stephanie get up from her chair. He rubs her back and he helps her carry her purse.

Why can't I have that?

Why can't I have him?

This whole thing is just so frustrating. I just want to graduate already.

"We're all set, let's go." Adam tells me.

"Okay." Is all I say, as I stand up and walk to the nearest exit.

***

"And Cody went "I really like you" and I told him "I really like me too"." Sasha tells her posse and they all laugh.

I couldn't help but overhear the whole conversation since she was sitting at the table next to mine.

And her loud voice wasn't really helping either.

I stab a piece of lettuce with my plastic fork.

"If you hit that plate any harder, you'll break the table." Adam tells me.

"I'm sorry I'm just paranoid." I tell him.

"About what?" He asks me.

"My SAT score." I tell him.

"Yeah right. You're the smartest person I know." Adam tells me.

"You don't know many people." I say, shoving a tomato into my mouth.

"Hurtful." He says and I am immediately reminded of Woody from the Suite Life on Deck.

I laugh at him as I drink half of my cherry cola.

"How are things with Spencer? Have you talked to him recently?" Adam asks me.

"Not really." I tell him.

After my talk with Spencer before he left, he's been distant.

We don't talk anymore.

"Aww. I guess that chapter's over." Adam says and I nod.

The bell rings and I internally groan.

God, I have PE.

I hate my life.

Coach Vernon is so rough, she makes me do impossible things with my body.

"If they are impossible, how are you doing them?" My subconscious asks me.

Oh, shut it.

I kiss Adam goodbye before I head to the girl's locker room.

The girl's locker room is thriving with gossip. Teenage girls squeal at each other as they reveal their secrets to one another.

I hate girls.

"Oh, look who the cat dragged in." Courtney says, dressed in a red hot bra and gym shorts.

Chuckles are heard around the room and I stare daggers at Courtney as she smiles at me.

"Save your insults for someone who cares." I tell her as I brush past her.

Courtney takes a fist full of my hair and drags me to the floor. She gets on top of me and starts slapping me.

"Get off." I tell her, as I struggle to topple her over.

Courtney grabs my neck and I hit her in the gut. She falls over from the pain and I get up. Everyone is staring at me at this point and I just ignore them.

I walk to my locker and I grab my pair of red gym shorts and a white shirt.

The school's colors.

I change into my gym clothes and I head out the door, ignoring the murmuring behind me. As I walk into the gym, I am met with a ball in my face. I fall to the floor and I cover my eyes.

"Ow!!!" I exclaim, holding my nose.

"Miss Stone, you're late. Give me a lap." Coach Vernon's loud voice booms across the gym.

I scramble off the floor and I start running.

Pushing my body to its limit as I take on a sharp turn. I look to my right and I see Zachary running beside me.

Ugh.

Stay away.

I quicken my pace as I run past him but Zachary is too quick and he catches up to me in a second.

"Hey." He says, waving his hand.

I don't respond, I just keep on running.

"You can't avoid me forever." He tells me.

"Yes, I can." I reply, sprinting ahead.

"Oh, come on." Zachary groans behind me.

I smile as I hear him fall over. I stop running and I stare at Zachary, who is sitting on the floor.

"Are you okay?" I ask him, giving him a hand up. He gets up and dusts himself, letting go of my hand in the process.

"I am now." He says, smirking.

"Okay Trouble, go on now." I tell him.

"Hey Romeo and Juliet, are you done?" Coach Vernon yells at us. "Because I have a class to teach." She adds.

"Sorry Coach." I yell as I strut back to the middle of the gym.

***

Soft drops of rain hit my bedroom window as I put my shoes on.

The benefit ball is today and my stupid date is Ashton.

Yay.

Fun.

I can't tell my mother about what he did to me the last time we hung out, because she'll obviously say something like "He's your boyfriend, so you shouldn't have stopped him."

I decide to keep the ordeals of the past in the past.

It's safer that way.

I grab my gold clutch and I put my phone inside.

Time to pretend like my life is perfect in front of a thousand strangers.

I put on a fake smile as I walk out of my room.

"You look stunning." Ashton says as I reach the last step of the staircase.

No shit.

"You look nice too, I guess." I tell him.

"My car's up front." He tells me before he starts walking towards the door.

I trail behind him, wallowing in my own self-pity.

Why can't I be with Adam right now?

Watching Disney movies and stuffing our faces with kettle corn.

Ugh, I hate my life.

I get into Ashton's car and we leave for the event.

"So, your boyfriend tried to break my face." He says and I roll my eyes.

"You deserved it." I tell him.

"Harsh." He says as he turns the steering wheel to the left.

"What do you want me to say? Huh?" I ask him.

"I don't know. Anything but 'you deserved it'. That hurts." He tells me.

"Sorry, not sorry." I reply.

"We're here." Ashton says after a while, stopping the car at the front of the venue.

I get out of the car and Ashton hands the car key to the valet.

"Be careful with it." He tells the teenage boy.

I just smile at him as I walk past Ashton.

I walk into the hall and the orchestra is playing a nice rendition of "O Fortuna" by Carl Orff.

I smile as the music blesses my ears.

Ashton puts his hand on my waist and I fake a smile as we walk towards the dance floor.

***

This benefit ball is the worst one yet.

My parents have been telling stupid jokes all night and the guests are all in their fifties.

Zachary isn't here yet and Ashton is boring me out of my mind.

"Would you like some wine?" He asks me.

"No, thank you." I tell him and he groans.

"You know if you don't wanna be here you can just say it." He tells me.

"I don't wanna be here." I tell him, as I lean into my seat.

"Fine then." He says, standing up.

"Where are you going?" I ask him.

"I am going home." He replies.

"You're my ride." I tell him.

He can't keep doing this.

"Your parents are here, they'll take you." He tells me, walking away.

"You know what screw you, Ashton." I yell at him.

"Anytime." He yells back.

Asshole.