January Dreams Carrigan Richards (the mitten read aloud TXT) 📖

Why would he go for someone like her?

I hear their whispers and rush out the door.

“Wait, Megan!” Casper calls after me.

How does the entire school know I stayed at Casper’s? I know Cherry didn’t say a word. Angry or not, she would never hurt me like this. Though, she did tell Vincent. Vincent hates Casper, but he wouldn’t hurt me like this either. Did Casper seriously tell his friends we slept together?

It’s freezing outside, but somehow, it’s not as cold as it is around that crowd. I need to get out of here. I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I jump. I turn around to see Trinity Taylor. She has a frown on her freckle-filled face and her large brown eyes are sad.

“Are you okay?” she asks.

“I’m fine. Why?”

“Is it true?”

“Is what true?”

“Did you and Casper…you know?”

I’m so appalled. “No. Why does everyone think that?”

She takes a deep breath. “Casper told everyone at lunch. He practically gloated.”

No. She’s lying. Casper wouldn’t do that to me, would he?

“Look, I’m really sorry. He did the same to me.”

“Why are you being nice to me?”

“Because I know what it’s like to have rumors spread about me. Amber’s out to get you, too.”

“Aren’t you friends with her?”

She bites her lip. “Not really. I put up with her because we’re on the dance team. I pretend to be who she wants.”

“Why does she have it out for me? I haven’t done anything.”

“She’s with Casper. Sorta.”

“I gotta go.” There’s a pang in my chest and a lump forms in my throat. I’m sick of these people. Why are they so cruel? I turn around and almost jog to my car. I wanted a normal day. I needed to return to normal, but it’s impossible.

Tears blur my vision, but I can still tell there’s something black on my car. As I move closer, I slow down and gasp. I realize the black is spray paint. I drop my books. In black paint, slut, is scrawled across the side, the hood, the roof, everywhere on my car. Tears roll down my cheeks. To make things worse, my tires have been slashed. This is a new low for Amber. I can’t believe she attacked me like this. So…violently.

I can’t handle this anymore. I pull my phone out of my pocket and dial Vincent.

“Hey you.”

“Vincent.” That’s all I can say before I break down.

“Megan, what’s wrong? Where are you?”

“I’m at my car.”

He hangs up and I lean against my car.

“Megan, are you—what the—?” I hear Casper behind me.

I twist around. “Your psycho girlfriend.”

“Amber did this?”

“Who else would?” I bite my lip. I hate that he sees me crying. I hate that even after all that happened, it hurts to tell him this. “Casper, I really appreciate everything you did for me Saturday. I really do. But I can’t. I can’t…” I shake my head and swat the tears away.

“I didn’t tell a soul about Saturday. I swear I don’t know how anyone found out. Brad just told me he heard it through the rumor mill.”

“Stop lying. Trinity just told me you gloated to them about it at lunch.”

“What?” His face reddens and veins pulsate in his neck. He shakes his head. “I’m so sick of this.”

“She said you and Amber are together.”

His face displayed a mixture of disbelief and disgust. “This is ridiculous.” He softens. “Megan, I never said a word. I would never do this to you.” His brown eyes are pleading.

“We can’t be friends. Even if you didn’t say a word, these things are going to continue to happen because you don’t set anyone straight. You say you don’t care, but you’re still friends with the same people who are doing this. You’re no better than they are.”

I want to leave and forget him. But the strangest feeling overcomes me. It feels like a magnet pulling me to him, wanting to be near him or his arms around me. It terrifies me because I don’t know why I should feel this way. He is nothing to me. Nothing but a liar. I have to overpower this extreme sensation.

“You’re right. I will make this right. I promise. As for your car, I’ll take care of it.”

I want to believe him, but I can’t. All this drama with Casper is getting old. Cherry and Vincent know the real Casper. So, what if we share dreams. It doesn’t mean anything. I have to let one of them go. I can’t have both.

“You should go.”

“Megan, please. I care about you.”

“I don’t know what to believe anymore.”

“What’s going on?” Vincent says from behind Casper.

I run past him and into Vincent’s arms. He holds me close and Casper walks away.

“Who did this to your car?”

“Amber.”

He meets my eyes, wiping my tears with his thumbs. “We’ll fix this. You deserve so much more than this. Come on.”

“I can’t leave my car.”

“I’ll handle it. Come on.”

Vincent turns down the street to my house and I’m disappointed. “Why are we here?” I ask.

“You live here.” He pulls into the driveway.

“I don’t want to be here. I want to be with you.”

He frowns. “I have things I have to do tonight.”

“Like what?”

“It doesn’t matter. Just things I have to take care of.” He looks away.

What’s up with his elusiveness? Is he doing drugs again? Is that why he’s hot one minute and cold the next? A tear falls down my cheek and I wipe it away.

“Please don’t cry.” He squeezes my hand.

And that’s when I break down again. I’m tired of people hurting me and it seems to be happening a lot lately. Doesn’t Vincent want to be around me? Am