The Backup Girlfriend (Grove Valley High #2) - Emma Doherty Page 0,21
thinking about what a mess I’ve made of everything and how pathetic my life really is, how ultimately I probably deserve all the snide comments and looks I’ve been receiving and people’s happiness at my expense.
I’ve been a complete bitch at times over the last couple of years, and I probably deserve everything I’m getting.
I cry for a solid ten minutes, full-on, heart-wrenching sobs as I think about everything I’ve done wrong and how ultimately I’m still the pathetic loser I was when I was a freshman, only now I’m three and a half years older.
The door bangs open, making me freeze and hastily wipe at my eyes as I stand stock-still.
Hopefully it’s just one person who will quickly do their business and go, but knowing my luck, it’s probably a group of girls who are going to do their makeup and gossip in the mirror to pass the lunch hour, probably gossip about me and add to my humiliation.
“Abigail?”
I straighten up.
“Abigail, you in here?”
Sophie?
Is that Sophie Steele?
She starts banging on the stall doors, and I hear them swinging open.
What is she doing here?
While I’m under no illusions about what Sophie thinks about me, I wouldn’t think she’d track me down to rejoice in my misery. It’s just not her style. To be honest, I don’t think she cares enough to do that. I’m not even a blip on her radar, just an occasional annoyance.
She’s banging on my door now.
“Abigail, come out.”
I don’t reply.
She lets out a noise of irritation.
“I know you’re in there—I see your shoes.”
I still don’t reply.
She lets out another frustrated noise, and I hear her take a couple of steps on the tile floor then the stall door next to me bangs open again.
“Seriously, hiding in the bathroom?”
I jump at her voice coming from above and turn to see her peering over the dividing wall.
I want to throttle her. I really want to throttle her right now. Why she can’t just leave me in my own misery, I don’t know, but one thing I have learned about Sophie over the last few years is that she’s tenacious. If she’s decided she wants me out of the bathroom, sooner or later that’s going to happen, and I might as well give in to her.
“Fine.” I open the door and step out. “What do you want?”
“I was looking for you, obviously.”
I glare at her as she emerges from her own stall, making a face as she looks at her hands and heading over to the sink to wash them.
“How did you know where I was?”
She snorts. “Please. This is the bathroom everyone goes to when they want to disappear. It’s always empty.”
That makes me stop. Sophie never wants to disappear. Her life is perfect. She’s pretty and she’s popular, but in the same way Chase is—because people actually like her. “You’ve wanted to disappear?”
She smirks at me. “Of course. This is the perfect hook-up spot during school hours.”
I roll my eyes as she dries her hands. Of course that’s what she means, and I shouldn’t be surprised. I seriously doubt Sophie’s ever had to disappear to cry, but she’s definitely hooked up a bunch of times at school. Hell, even I’ve done it, and she’s right—it was always in this bathroom. The teachers never come around here.
“If you’re here to go off at me for Livy then forget it.”
She snorts. “For Livy?” She shakes her head. “Livy can’t say anything about unrequited love. She was obsessed with Jessie for years.”
Unrequited love? I guess that’s what it is. Chase definitely doesn’t feel the same way back.
“I really don’t think that’s any of your—”
“Oh, cut the crap, Abigail. I was there Saturday night. I know what happened.”
I can feel my face burning with humiliation.
“Look, Livy really doesn’t need to send you—”
“I already told you—forget about Livy.”
“She’s not pissed?”
She shakes her head. “I actually think she’s worried about you.”
I scoff, shaking my head. Of course she is. Livy Chapman is too damn nice for her own good. No wonder Chase is crazy in love with her.
The last thing I want is her pity.
Sophie takes a step closer, looking closely at my face. I scowl and turn away as the bathroom door bursts open and a group of freshman girls appear in the doorway. They stop dead at the sight of us and hastily retreat back out the door.
Sophie doesn’t manage to keep silent for long. “Seriously…Aaron?”