"Oh my god."
"Insane right?"
"Oh my god."
"Look at all those likes and comments. Especially the comments! They're hating on him hardcore."
"Oh my god."
"Can you say something else besides oh my god?"
"I can't believe she did this. That recording wasn't meant to be heard from anyone but her and her two friends."
"Yeah well I'm clicking on her profile and she's got like a thousand and something followers, plus her account isn't private so anyone can see it."
"Oh my god what the hell did I do?"
"Well you proved to everyone that Aaron Reeves is not romantic at all, in fact you proved that he is a total douchebag. Geez that must suck going from one day to everyone loving him and to the next day hating him."
"This is not what I wanted to do. I just - holy shit Sage, what the hell am I going to do?"
"Nothing," says Sage. He sits beside me on my bed and shrugs. "There's nothing you can do. What's done is done. There's no going back. I thought you'd be happy, at least now when we go to school nobody will fawn over him."
"I mean, in a way this is a good thing, I guess. Exposing his true self so that everyone isn't deceived by his looks anymore. But what if I made a mistake in doing this?"
"Honestly I don't know why you're freaking out so much. It's not like you're the one that uploaded this. Besides this is a voice recording not a video so no one knows that the girl talking is you."
"No one but Aaron Reeves."
"That boy talked to so many girls last night I highly doubt he'll remember it was you."
"I'm not sure whether to be grateful or offended by that."
"Grateful obviously."
"Let's sure hope so."
I get to school extra early on Monday morning. I stay close to Giana's locker, searching for her in the halls but as time ticks she is nowhere to be found. I sigh as I check the time for what seems the hundredth time and grab my bag that I had left on the floor. I decide to go to the bathroom since there is only fifteen minutes left before class starts and check my makeup and hair.
When I enter the bathroom there is another girl washing my hand and as I go to the mirror I can see another person enter the bathroom from the corner of my eye. The girl who was washing her hands turns off the sink and grabs a few paper towels to dry them before walking away. I set my bad on the sink, making sure it is not wet and grab my makeup bag, opening it and take my cherry flavored lip balm and apply it to my lips.
From the corner of my eye I can sense the person who entered the bathroom after me staring and I see that they're trying to be discreet but obviously failing at it. I cannot see the girls face because she has a cap that hangs too low from the front.
"Um," I say, watching her from the mirror, "I can see you staring. It's creepy."
"Good," she replies only it's not a she it's a he. I can tell because his voice is much too deep to be a girls. My eyebrows furrow and I put the tap back on my lip balm and turn around.
"What the hell," I voice, "This is the girl's bathroom. Get out!"
The guy takes off his cap.
"Not until you and I talk," replies Aaron Reeves. His hair is a mess-and not the kind where its hot but an actual fucking mess. He has bags under his eyes that it makes me wonder if he even slept for the past three days. He's not wearing his usual bad boy outfit but rather black Adidas sweatpants and a light gray hoodie.
I am taken aback and I have to blink a couple times just to make sure my eyes are deceiving me.
"W-what do we have to talk about?" I say trying my best to keep my cool but my words come out in stutters and I can't help but gulp knowing very well that what is about to happen won't be any good.
"Don't act innocent," Aaron spits out. He is angry, his face suddenly red and he is raging.
"I have no idea what you mean," I reply, this time my voice coming out stern-which I am thankful for-and I fold my arms.
Aaron rolls his eyes.
"I know it was you who was recording me. And I don't know how that Giana girl got ahold of it but because of you everyone hates me."
"First of all how do you know it was me huh? It could've been anyone and secondly it is not my fault everyone hates you."
"Not your fault? Of course it was-" his voice cuts off when we hear the bathroom door open and in comes in a freshman. She stares at us awkwardly, obviously knowing we're having a heated conversation. Without a word she quickly vanishes from the bathroom leaving us alone.
Aaron rubs his face, annoyed and walks over to the bathroom door and locks it just as the bell rings.
"Hey, wait. I have to go to class!"
Turning around he shakes his head. "Not until I find out why you did it."
"Did what?" I cry. "I didn't do anything."
"Yes you did," he replies stubbornly. "You recorded me Lux."
The fact that he remembers my name makes me speechless. Because if he actually does remember who I am then he know that it was me who recorded him.
"Let me out," I say finally.
"Why did record me?"
"I didn't!" I lie.
Aaron chuckles. "I'm not stupid you know. I know it was you and you're not leaving until you tell me why? Did I break your heart or something? Not call you after a hookup? What did I do for you to ruin my reputation?"
"Break my heart and not call me after hookup? Are you fucking kidding me? I'm not hopelessly in love with you."
"Well if you didn't do it because of that, then why?"
"I did it because you're a self-centered asshole that thinks everyone is in love with him. Which they were-everyone at school treated you like you were some celebrity. But you're not. And you know what the worst part was? That you didn't even care about those people. You just care about being and your bad boy image. Which by the way is as phony as all the rumors you have made others believe. You're a fake and that's why I did it."
"You don't even know me."
At that I laugh. "No one does," I say, "Because you much prefer to act like something you're not and make up some bogus fairy tale life than be your true self."
Aaron is quiet and for once I can tell that he is completely stunned.
And when he doesn't speak I ask, "Why do act like someone you're not."
And just like that his face is blank.
"Listen Lex," he replies, saying my name wrong on purpose and instead of correcting him I let it slide as I listen to what he has to say. "For a person who isn't hopelessly in love with me you sure spend a lot of time making up ideas as to why I am the way I am. But let me tell you this. Whatever you think I am, whether that a phony or whatever, you're wrong. I don't give a fuck about you and I sure as hell don't give a fuck about others. I get into fights with people who mess with me, I smoke cigarettes and ride a motor cycle as I wear a black leather jacket. People call me a bad boy-I didn't give myself that nickname but somehow it stuck with me. You think I'm a phony because I'm conceited and I sleep with a lot of girls, well I'm not. I think I'm hot and there's nothing wrong with that just like I love having sex. So if you have a problem with that go write it in your secret diary. But what you did was fucked up and you're gonna pay. One way or another you're gonna pay and you're gonna regret what you did to me."
"What are you gonna do huh? What's done is done."
"You're right," Aaron replies and then smiles a wicked smile. "But like you made everyone else think-bad boys are not romantic. And Lux-whatever-your-last-name-is, I'm gonna prove you and everyone else the hell wrong." With that said Aaron unlocks the door and walks out, leaving me completely and utterly dumbstruck.