Chapter seventeen

Alina and Lizzy, super embarrassed, slowly lifted their heads and awkwardly sat back down.

Kendra stood in front of them, arms crossed, eyes blazing with anger. She waited for them to speak, but they both stayed silent.

She pulled up a chair and sat down at their table, facing them. "You guys seriously aren't gonna say anything? 'Cause I have a lot to say."

Alina and Lizzy still didn't say a word.

"So, really, you're not gonna talk. Okay, fine, I'll do the talking for all of us. First off, why are you both avoiding me so hard that you have to hide under the table just to dodge me?"

"Who said it was because of you that we were under the table?" Lizzy snapped. "Our spoon fell, and we were just picking it up."

"That's just dumb. You expect me to believe that?"

"Well, believe whatever you want," Lizzy shot back, snarky.

"You know, I really don't care about you. Me and you, we're not close anymore 'cause I wasn't even asking you those questions."

"Does it matter?" Lizzy cut in. "I answered them anyway."

Kendra rolled her eyes and looked at Alina. "Alina, you're hiding something from me. I thought we were friends, but now we don't even talk, let alone hang out. What happened to us?"

Alina sighed. "I'm not the only one to blame. Honestly, you started it. As soon as you started dating Evan, you never had time for me, and I was always the one asking to hang out. But the reason I haven't bothered you lately is 'cause I have a lot going on. I didn't want to bother you with my problems since you're busy dating."

"Like what?" Kendra asked.

"Like a lot," Lizzy retorted. "She has a lot on her plate."

"I'm not talking to you," Kendra snapped at Lizzy.

"And I don't care if you're talking to me or not. I just answered your dumb question."

The girls glared at each other, eyes shooting daggers.

"Girls, girls, stop it. Let's not fight," Alina said, trying to defuse the situation.

"Wait, Alina, let me talk. I'm not done," Lizzy interrupted. "Who are you, Kendra, to ask Alina why she's keeping her distance or keeping secrets from you? Last time I checked, like Alina said, you dumped us first."

"After you started seeing Evan, you rarely hung out with us or even talked to us. You only remember we're your friends when you need a favor." She scoffed.

"She thinks we're stupid," she murmured to herself.

"All of a sudden, you think Alina is your friend and owes you an explanation?" She scoffed again. "Well, I beg to differ."

Kendra sighed in frustration, running her hand through her hair. She glared at Lizzy. "What's your problem? I said I wasn't talking to you. And what the hell are you on about? Just mind your own business. This is between me and Alina," Kendra said, irritated.

Lizzy laughed. "What did you just say? That it's between you two? You're a liar. It was the three of us before, but you ruined it when you betrayed us and dumped us for cooler friends, according to you. You stole Alina's first love and always act like you don't know the truth."

"What do you mean I stole Evan from Alina? I asked Alina if I could date him and if she was okay with it before I started dating him," Kendra retorted.

"Come off it," Lizzy replied. "You knew she was always going to tell you to go for him. And to top it off, you never liked Evan. You just wanted him for yourself 'cause you couldn't stand that someone chose her over you."

You can't stand the fact that someone wasn't head over heels for you. You're manipulative and took advantage of Alina's good heart. If Alina's too naive to see that you're a snake, well, I'm not. You knew Evan was into Alina before you got involved," Lizzy said.

Infuriated, Kendra slammed the table. "Shut the fuck up. You don't know anything," she yelled.

Equally furious, Lizzy matched her energy. "Don't take that tone with me. You just can't stand someone telling you the truth."

Kendra turned to Alina. "Why are you staying silent? Is that what you think too?"

Alina sighed. "I don't have anything to say now." She stood up, holding her tray. "When everything's settled, we'll talk." She turned to Lizzy. "Lizzy, let's go."

Kendra stood up too. "You can't go yet, Alina. I'm not done. I still have something important to ask you. Are you interested in Marcus?"

Alina shook her head and looked away as Lizzy scoffed and answered, "Why do you want to know? What's your business?"

"I thought you wanted to leave. I didn't ask you to stay. And again, the question is for Alina, not you."

Turning to Alina, she continued, "You haven't answered my question. Are you interested in Marcus? 'Cause I thought it was Evan you liked."

"What do you mean by that?" Evan's voice echoed behind them.

They all turned and saw Evan standing with a bottle of water, looking confused. He glanced at each of them until his eyes settled on Alina's, who turned red from embarrassment.

"Do you have feelings for me, Alina?" he asked.

Alina panicked and quickly ran away as Lizzy followed, yelling for her to wait.

Evan turned to Kendra. "What do you mean? Is what you said true?"

Kendra looked away, refusing to answer.

"Look at me. I'm talking to you. What do you mean Alina has feelings for me? Weren't you the one who told me she wasn't into me, that she didn't even find me attractive?" He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Kendra! Kendra! Answer me!"

She forcefully removed his hands and faced him, unafraid. "Yeah, I said it. So what? Do you still like her? Go for her. Like I care. You both deserve each other. Just tell her to stay away from Marcus if she doesn't want any problems with me," she said, storming out of the cafeteria.

Evan sat down, stunned. He couldn't believe what he'd just heard. Alina liked him? This was news to him.

He'd always wanted to ask her out. The only reason he didn't was because of Kendra. He always knew there was something between them and thought Alina felt the same way about him.

But after he got paired with Kendra for a science project, he asked her to help him with Alina.

Kendra promised to help but then told Evan that Alina wasn't into him, that she only saw him as a friend and would turn him down if he asked her out, which would affect his popularity.

Kendra seduced him into dating her. Well, that's not entirely true since he was also using Kendra in his own way, but nevertheless, he was hurt that Kendra had come between him and Alina.

Evan had mixed emotions. He felt stupid and used for being manipulated by Kendra.

But he was also happy because Alina felt the same way he did. Now, he wouldn't let anyone come between them. He'd confess his feelings and tell her how much he cared for her.

His only obstacle now was Marcus. There was something between Alina and Marcus, and Kendra's actions just confirmed it.

He wouldn't let it develop into anything. Whatever it was, he'd make sure it ended. Alina was his, and no one would come between them.