DAMNN

The sound of my mom's voice was what woke me up. And not in the gentle, "Rise and shine" kind of way — more like the "I'm about to kill someone" tone.

"Billie Parker!" she shouted from downstairs.

Crap.

I sat up so fast my head spun, last night rushing back in pieces. The party. The drinking games. Nate's confession. My very ungraceful exit right after. My stomach twisted all over again just thinking about it.

But whatever I'd done, it couldn't possibly be as bad as the storm brewing downstairs.

I grabbed my phone off the nightstand and checked the time — 7:42 a.m. Too early for this level of parental rage. Then I noticed the group chat notifications:

Tim: Bro, where'd you go? You missed the flip cup championship.

Nate: You okay? You left so fast. Call me?

Bill: …

Just those three dots. That's it. Which was somehow so much worse than actual words.

I barely had time to panic before my mom's footsteps pounded up the stairs. My door flew open, and she stood there, arms crossed, looking one hundred percent done.

"Do you want to explain to me why your brother was brought home by the police at four o'clock in the morning?"

I blinked. "Wait — what?"

"Oh, don't 'what' me, Billie!" she snapped. "What happened to watching out for each other when you go out? Or did you forget you have a twin brother last night?"

"I—" My mouth opened, then closed. What was I supposed to say? That I'd been so freaked out by Nate's drunk confession that I bailed without even thinking about Bill? That I'd been selfish enough to leave him behind without checking in once?

There was no version of this that wouldn't make me the world's worst sister.

Mom didn't wait for an answer. "You're grounded. Both of you. And if you think I'm letting you go anywhere near another party anytime soon, you can think again."

She stormed out before I could even try to defend myself. Not that I had much of a defense.

I flopped back onto my bed with a groan, covering my face with my hands. This was a disaster.

And it was only going to get worse.

---

Avoidance Mode: Activated

By the time I finally dragged myself downstairs, Bill was already at the table, looking like absolute death. His hoodie was pulled over his head, sunglasses on — inside — and he was shoveling cereal into his mouth like it was the only thing keeping him alive.

He didn't look up when I sat down. Didn't say a word.

Which was fine. Totally fine. Avoidance was my new favorite strategy anyway.

"Rough night?" I asked, trying for casual.

Bill made a noise somewhere between a grunt and a groan.

"Don't suppose you wanna tell me how you ended up in a police car?"

Another grunt. Then, finally: "Lost my ride. Got picked up walking home. It's not a big deal."

Not a big deal? Our mom had literally grounded us. But I didn't push, because I had no right to. And because I was too much of a coward to face the conversation we actually needed to have.

So I did what I always did when life got too messy: I distracted myself.

*-*

[Pink Savage Exclusive]

Mood? What Mood?

To everyone worried about my last post — relax. A girl's allowed to get in her feelings sometimes.

But don't worry, your favorite gossip queen is back on the case. And word on the street? The MIA Girls are up to something big. Stay tuned — you know I'll find out. 💋

—Pink Savage

---

I hit post and dropped my phone, trying to ignore the guilt twisting in my stomach. I could avoid Nate. I could avoid Bill. But sooner or later, I knew the truth would catch up with me.

And when it did? It was going to wreck everything.

*-*

The only good thing about being grounded was that it meant I didn't have to face Nate or Bill at school. The downside? My phone was blowing up like I'd just set off a gossip bomb — and I had no idea why.

Buzz.

Buzz.

Buzz.

My notifications were a frenzy. Comments flooded my last post, and they all had one thing in common: me and Nate?!

@QueenBee99: OMG Billie and Nate??? SAY IT AIN'T SO.

@DramaLama: Heard they left the party together. 👀 Spill the tea, Pink Savage!!

@HoopsHottie: Soooo Nate's into Billie now?? Poor MIA girls, they never stood a chance. 😂

My heart sank.

What the hell was happening?

I scrolled faster, my stomach twisting tighter with every post. Rumors about me and Nate were everywhere — and the worst part? They all expected Pink Savage Exclusive to know the truth.

Except Pink Savage had been hiding in her bedroom, avoiding the very people at the center of this mess.

Before I could even think about how to handle it, the door to my room burst open.

Bill stood there, phone in hand, eyes blazing. "Are you kidding me right now?"

My throat went dry. "Bill, I—"

"Is it true?" he demanded, stepping inside and shutting the door behind him. "Did you and Nate—" He broke off, running a hand through his hair. "You left the party together, Billie! Then you posted that… whatever that was about heartbreak! What else am I supposed to think?"

I stared at him, my pulse pounding. "It's not what you think."

"Then what is it?"

I opened my mouth — and lied.

"I left because I finally figured it out," I said quietly. "That Nate… will never like me. For sure. And I didn't wanna stick around and watch him flirt with someone else."

It was half the truth. Enough to satisfy Bill without giving away the part I had no right to tell.

His shoulders relaxed a fraction. "Billie…" He sighed, sitting on the edge of my bed. "You could've just told me."

I couldn't, though. Not when the truth wasn't mine to share.

He glanced at his phone again, frowning. "You know how this stuff spreads. Nate's probably losing it right now."

My heart clenched. "He'll be fine. They're just rumors."

"Yeah, well, rumors get dangerous when Pink Savage Exclusive starts feeding into them," Bill said pointedly. "Promise me you won't post about him."

The guilt was instant. "I wouldn't do that," I said quickly.

But the thing about guilt? It makes you reckless.

And when I saw the next comment — one that painted me as some desperate girl chasing after Nate — something inside me snapped. Damnit !