I wake up early, still unsure what to make of everything that happened yesterday. I hope none of the neighbours saw or heard anything and told Mum. That would be a disaster. I figure nobody’s reported anything yet, otherwise she’d have been here or at least called me.

  Then I remember. After Oliver left with his parents, I turned my phone off.

  Where is it even?

  I sit up in bed and pat around the sheets. It’s not there. I check the study table. No luck there either. I crouch down and peek under the bed. There it is, flipped over on the floor. I don’t remember how it ended up there. There’s a small crack on the screen. I don’t even know if it’s new or old. I haven’t been gentle with it the past few days; I’ve thrown it around in frustration more than once. I pat the crack, make sure it’s not too bad, and turn it back on.

  There are two missed calls and a message from Selena, all around one in the morning, asking me to call her. That means she stayed up really late last night. That doesn’t sound good. I try to guess what must have happened at their house once the parents took him back. From the way they dragged him out, I can assume it wasn’t good. There must have been an argument, maybe even a fight, especially between him and his dad.

  Mr. and Mrs. Hill are generally nice people. As far as I know, they don’t have any issues with me. Whenever I go to their house, they treat me kindly, especially Mrs. Hill. She’s even asked me to stay for dinner a few times, which I always politely decline. Partly because I feel awkward eating in front of people, and partly because Selena has never asked me herself. It’s always her mum.

  So I don’t see why there’d suddenly be a problem just because their son has feelings for me. He’s a teenager. It shouldn’t be a crime for him to develop an interest in someone from his class. But Selena seems to have taken it to another level, and I don’t know what she told her parents. Maybe they don’t like the idea of their popular son being interested in someone quiet, introverted, and plain like me. Selena once told me she prefers me over Emily, but I think she was just being nice. Emily is her close friend, and they naturally fit together in personality and lifestyle. That’s why she’s so opposed to him having any interest in me. She was kind of rude to me last night, and I still don’t understand why she suddenly wants to talk to me now.

  I don’t want to call her, especially after the way she questioned me last night. I didn’t like that accusing tone in her voice. She softened a bit when I told her I didn’t let Oliver into the house, but that doesn’t erase what she did before.

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  I decide not to call.

  After brushing my teeth, curiosity gets the better of me. I really want to know what must have happened at their house during those early hours, so I give in.

  She picks up immediately, like she’s been waiting.

  “Listen,” she says, already sounding like she’s about to cry, or maybe had been crying all night. “It’s not good. There’s been a lot of tension here.” Her voice breaks. “Dad and Oliver had a huge fight last night. Everything was fine before this... before he got involved with you. Please stay away from him. Don’t break our family like this.”

  I can’t believe what I’m hearing. She’s putting all of this on me. Anger hits me fast. “You think I’m chasing him?” I ask. “I’m not. He came to my house. I didn’t invite him.”

  “I didn’t mean it like that,” she says quickly. “I’m sorry. It’s just… Dad was furious. He hit Oliver. Really badly.” She pauses. “He’s never done that before. They used to be so close. Oliver didn’t even fight back. Dad just kept going, like he wasn’t himself.” She takes a breath. “I feel sick about it. If I hadn’t taken you home so often, maybe Oliver wouldn’t have developed these feelings. This is all my fault.”

  My blood boils.

  She’s literally saying she wishes she had never brought me around. Like I’m the problem. Like I ruined everything.

  “It’s not like I’m into Oliver or anything,” I say, controlling my anger. “But I want to know why your dad has such a problem with him liking me. He’s a teenager. He doesn’t even get the freedom to choose who he likes. Or is there something else I don’t know?”

  There’s a pause. Then she answers.

  “You know he’s seeing Emily. Mum and Dad think of her like family. Her parents also come here, and we go to their house all the time. Even though she’s my best friend, it was Oliver who introduced her to my parents, not me. And she’s already worked her way into their hearts. Dad is angry because Oliver wanted you while he was still seeing Emily. He doesn’t want Emily or her parents to get hurt, and none of us wants to break the great relationship we have with them. That’s all. There’s nothing against you, not from my parents, not from me.”

  “I’m sorry this is happening,” I say. “But this isn’t my fault. I did nothing wrong. And don’t worry. I’m not about to wreck your perfect little home.”

  I end the call without saying goodbye. I still can’t digest it. She just called to tell me to stay away from Oliver. My anger spikes, and even though I feel like tossing the phone, I set it on the bedside table, not wanting to damage the crack any further. I clutch the sheet in my hands, squeezing it tight while sitting cross-legged in my bed, and let out a scream. It feels like all my anger has poured out of me in my voice.

  Then I decide. I’m going to school today.

  I’m done hiding. I didn’t do anything wrong. If anyone should feel ashamed, it’s him for being such a terrible person and his family for raising him this way.

  I get up and throw on my best outfit, a black top and blue fitted shorts that hug my curves. I curl my hair a bit with the hair dryer and a round paddle brush, leave it loose, and add a light touch of makeup.

  Once I’m happy with how I look, I head to the bus stop a little earlier than usual.