ARIA’S POV
The next morning at school, I spot Camile at her locker and walk over, hoping we can finally talk about everything that’s happened.
“Cam,” I say as I approach.
She glances at me, then immediately looks away and starts shoving books into her locker more aggressively than necessary.
“Can we please talk?”
“I’m busy,” she says without looking at me.
“Come on, don’t be like this.”
“Like what?”
“Like you’re mad at me.”
She finally turns to face me, and I can see the anger in her eyes.
“I’m not mad at you, Ari. I’m disappointed.”
“Disappointed in what?”
“In the fact that you lied to me.”
“I didn’t lie.”
“You didn’t tell me you were seeing someone. That’s lying by omission.”
“I was going to tell you.”
“When? After the whole school saw you naked?”
Her words sting, and I feel my own anger starting to rise.
“You’re supposed to be my best friend. You’re supposed to be there for me no matter what.”
“I am your best friend. But best friends don’t keep secrets like this.”
“I wasn’t keeping secrets. I was figuring things out.”
“For how long?”
“What?”
“How long have you been seeing this mystery guy?”
I hesitate. “A few days.”
“A few days? And you were already sleeping with him?”
“It’s not like that.”
“Then what is it like?”
People are starting to stare as our voices get louder, but I don’t care anymore.
“It’s like I finally found someone who makes me feel good about myself. Someone who doesn’t make me feel like I need to apologize for existing.”
“And you couldn’t tell me about him?”
“I was scared.”
“Of what?”
“Of what you’d think. Of what you’d say.”
“What I’d say? Ari, I’m your best friend. I want you to be happy.”
“Do you? Because right now it feels like you’re judging me just like everyone else.”
“I’m not judging you.”
“Yes, you are. You’re treating me like I did something wrong.”
“You did do something wrong. You lied to me.”
“I didn’t lie!”
“You did! That night when I saw you getting out of that guy’s car, I asked you about it. I asked if you were seeing someone, and you said no.”
I remember that night. I remember her question and how I deflected it.
“I said it was probably someone else you saw.”
“Because you knew Miles didn’t sleep with you or see you naked, and you were sure it wasn’t Miles who shared those photos.”
I look away, unable to meet her eyes.
“You knew,” she continues. “You knew it wasn’t Miles, which means you knew exactly who it was and who you’d been with.”
I nod slowly, not trusting my voice.
“So you lied. You looked me in the eye and lied to my face.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry doesn’t fix this, Ari.”
“Then what does?”
“The truth. Finally.”
We stare at each other for a long moment, and I can see the hurt in her eyes underneath the anger.
“You’re a terrible friend, Camile,” I say quietly.
She stops mid-turn, her eyes widening. “WHAT?”
She snorts in disbelief. “Did you just call me a terrible friend?”
“Yes.”
“Are you kidding me right now?”
“No, I’m not kidding. I am the victim here, and you’re treating me like everyone else is doing. That makes you a terrible friend.”
“How am I treating you like everyone else?”
“Because if I were in your shoes, I’d be by your side. I’d be supporting you and trying to help you get through this. But just like everyone else, you left me on the sideline again.”
“Ari—”
“No, let me finish. When has anyone at this school ever stood up for me? When has anyone ever made me feel like I mattered? And now, when I need my best friend the most, you’re too busy being mad about some stupid secret to actually care about what I’m going through.”
I turn to leave, but before I can take a step, Camile’s arms wrap around me from behind.
“I’m sorry,” she says, her voice thick with tears. “I’m so sorry.”
I feel myself deflating, all the anger leaving my body.
“I was just so hurt,” she continues. “I felt like you didn’t trust me enough to tell me about something this important.”
“I do trust you.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me?”
I turn around in her arms so I can face her.
“Because I was scared it wasn’t real. I was scared that if I said it out loud, it would disappear.”
“What would disappear?”
“The way he makes me feel. Like I’m beautiful. Like I’m worth something.”
Tears are streaming down both our faces now.
“You are worth something, Ari. You’re worth everything.”
“I know that now. He helped me see that.”
“And then someone shared that photo and ruined everything.”
“Yeah.”
We stand there hugging for a moment, both of us crying.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you yesterday,” she says. “I was just so shocked and confused.”
“It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. You needed me and I let you down.”
“You’re here now. That’s what matters.”
She pulls back to look at me. “So tell me everything. Who shared the photo? And who is this person you’re secretly dating without telling me?”
I take a deep breath. “The person I’m… I was with wasn’t the one who shared the photo.”
“Then who did?”
“His friends.”
Camile’s eyes narrow. “His friends? Who are they? Who are you dating that has friends who would do something like this?”
I hesitate, knowing this is going to be a shock.
“Xander,” I announce.
“Xander Reed?”
“Yes.”
Camile gasps, her hand flying to her mouth.
