3
They both looked terrified.
I felt sick to my stomach.
I knew Max and her mom were trying to trick
the Bradfords, so I wondered if I should tell
Sam.
But before I could, Max played a trick on me.
She asked me to meet her and explained that it
was all her mom’s idea.
Her mom was sick and thought she didn’t have
much time left, so she just wanted to find Max.
a good match.
<
It was all her mom’s idea, and she’d just been
going along with it to make her mom happy.
She begged me not to tell Sam.
I believed Max, and I reached out to help her.
But she grabbed my hand, and we both fell into
the lake.
I knew how to swim, so I struggled to shore and
called for help.
But Max couldn’t swim, so she almost drowned.
When they pulled her out of the water, she’d
swallowed so much water that she had to stay
in the hospital for days.
When Max woke up, she accused me of
pushing her in the lake, of trying to kill her.
She said I was jealous that Sam was helping
<
5:45 A
her.
Of course, I didn’t admit to it.
I told Sam that Max had pulled in.
ΠΑ
88
I thought Sam would believe me, but he
frowned and looked at me: “Sunnie, just tell me
what really happened. Don’t lie to me.”
“I didn’t. I’m telling you the truth. Max pulled me
in.”
“Sunnie, Max can’t swim, but you can.”
Sam thought that I was lying because I knew
how to swim and Max didn’t.
“She knew I’d call for help, Sam. Max and her
mom are plotting to seduce you so that they
can get rich…”
I had to tell him about Max and her mom’s plan,
<
but Sam sighed: “Sunnie, what do you want me
to say? I know you like me, but you can’t just lie
and accuse other girls. I don’t like that about
you.”
Sam didn’t believe a word I said.
He told me that just days before, Max had told
Sam that I hated her.
Then Max’s mom, not wanting to ruin things for
Max, had told Sam’s grandpa that they were
going to move out of the apartment.
They’d already rented a tiny, run–down.
apartment.
Sam’s grandpa had asked them why they were
moving, and Max’s mom had stammered that
she didn’t want her daughter to cause a
misunderstanding between Sam and me.
She was implying that I was bullying Max
<
5:45 P
because of Sam.
88
Max and her mom had moved out, which proved their innocence.
And now, when I told Sam about their plan, he thought I was just jealous and that I wanted to get rid of them.
Sam didn’t believe me, and in the end, because of Max’s little show, he had her and her mom move back into the original apartment.
Sam said it was because I’d hurt Max.
I was speechless.
I’d become a scheming person with no
sympathy.
I never thought I’d be outsmarted by Max and
her mom, and I wasn’t willing to accept it..
5:46
I wanted to prove that Max was two–faced.
But Max and her mom were too clever.
Instead of proving that they were hiding
something, I was tricked again and again.
4
[88
Max was locked in the bathroom and claimed
that I was the one behind it.
She had diarrhea after an exam and said that
I’d given her laxatives in her milk.
I couldn’t compete with Max.
Her methods were vicious, and no matter what I
said, Sam didn’t believe me.
Then Max stole photos of my dead parents and
ripped them up, trying to get a rise out of me.
<
I slapped her, and Sam saw it with his own
eyes, thinking I’d been bullying her all along.
Sam was so disappointed in me that he kept threatening to break up with me because of
Max.
And I kept begging him not to, trying to find a
chink in Max’s armor.
But Max was too skilled.
She knew that I’d been planning to go to the
same college as Sam, so she tried to get rid of
my entrance permit.
She followed Sam to my house and sneaked
into my room, stealing my entrance permit.
I found out and replaced it, but it was still a
close call.
Max was despicable, using countless shady
<
tactics behind the scenes.
But on the surface, she knew how to put on an
act.
She was always teary–eyed, talking about her
tragic background and her sick mom who was
working so hard.
I don’t know if Sam was in love with her or just
felt bad for her.
I just knew that Sam was hurting me over and
over for Max, and I was embarrassing myself
trying to win him back.
I really couldn’t bear to let go of my feelings for
Sam.
I wanted to show Sam that Max was a bitch.
But I never succeeded.
5:46
<
88
I was just pushing Sam further away.
For ten years, Sam had been looking out for
me, and he’d become an indispensable part of my life.
It would be a heart–wrenching to break up.
So when Sam scowled at me and threatened to
break up with me, I backed down and apologized again and again.
But this time, after hearing the annoyed, careless tone of Sam’s voice in Max’s voice
message, I finally realized how pathetic I was.
Sam didn’t believe me because Max was so clever.
It was because Sam was sick of me.
He’d been against me because he wanted to
get rid of me.
<
If that was the case, then so be it.
I wouldn’t apologize this time.
I wouldn’t change my application to college!
5
I didn’t change my application back to the
college Sam and I were going to attend.
Instead, I called the professor at UCLA who’d
offered me a spot.
“Professor, I’ve thought about it, and I’m
accepting your invitation to go to UCLA!”
The professor was happy: “That’s great. Your situation is unique, so we’re going to give you a special scholarship. That way, you won’t have
to worry about tuition.”
After changing my application to UCLA, I felt
5:47
relieved and went to sleep.
88
That night, I slept well.
I wasn’t worried about Sam not coming home,
and I didn’t call him to ask where he was.
The next morning, I saw Max’s post.
“The dude got drunk and I took care of him all night! I’m so exhausted!”
The photo was of Sam passed out in Max and
her mom’s bedroom.
Sam was shirtless, sleeping soundly in Max’s
bed.
It stung a little, but I felt better than before.
I got up, washed my face, got dressed, and
went out.
I came back with bags and bags of stuff, and
when I opened the door, I heard Max’s voice.
Max and Sam were sitting side–by–side on the
couch, watching something on a tablet.
When they heard me, they turned around.
Sam looked at me and turned away.
But Max stood up and said, “Sunnie’s back! Did
you buy all this stuff? Let me help you!”
Max reached out to take the bags, but I avoided
her touch.
She fell to the ground, and Sam stood up and
glared at me: “Sunnie, what the hell is wrong
with you? Why would you push Max?”
“I didn’t.”
“Don’t lie! If you didn’t push her, why would she
>
fall?”
“Is this about me taking Max out last night? Is this about me getting drunk and staying at Max’s? If you’re pissed, be pissed at me. What’s wrong with you?”
“I didn’t even touch Max, and she fell! If you
don’t believe me, you can check the security
cameras.”
After I said I wanted to check the security
cameras to prove that I didn’t do anything, Max
finally spoke up.
“It’s okay, Sunnie. I just tripped. Ow!”
Sam had been suspicious of me, but now he
helped Max up.
“Your hand’s scratched. Let me put some
medicine on it.”
5:48
<
I rolled my eyes and went upstairs.
