I slowly pull away from her, glancing around the room, noting the curious gazes as people blatantly watch us. “Want to talk somewhere private?”
She shakes her head. “I’d rather pretend none of it is happening.”
I want to argue with her, tell her that’s probably not the healthiest way to handle this situation, but I don’t know what it’s like, what she’s going through. She has to be overwhelmed.
And I don’t think she knows about the Natalie part of her and Fig’s equation.
“I’m going home this weekend,” she tells me as we make our way to the back of the line. “I need to talk to my mom.”
“Are you going to tell her?”
“Not everything,” she whispers. “Just this part.”
She waves a hand in the general vicinity of her stomach.
I can’t imagine telling my mother I was pregnant while still in high school. She’d freak out—in the most elegant way, of course. “Won’t she be curious about who…”
“I’m going to tell her it’s Franklin.”
Wait a second—now she’s going to lie? I’m sure she can see the shock on my face.
“I don’t know what else to do. I don’t want to get Fig in trouble,” Maggie stresses. “We’ll figure it out. Eventually.”
I don’t tell her about Natalie being with Fig. That would devastate her, and I don’t know how to break it to her. What if she doesn’t believe me?
I’ve gone through high school blissfully unaware of all the drama. Ignorant to the problems people are facing daily. Now I’m neck deep, and it’s…
A lot to take in.
“Are you upset with Crew?” She makes a sympathetic face and I realize she’s referring to the Crew and Natalie situation.
The gossip has settled down from twenty-four hours ago, but there are still whispers in the halls and giggles in the classroom. Psychology was torture yesterday, with Natalie in there with us. She spent all of her time glaring at the two of us from across the room, completely ignoring poor Sam, who was trying to engage her in conversation. Ezra kept dropping insults here and there, all of them aimed at Crew.
It was a nightmare.
One I’m going to have to face again, but at least I always have Crew by my side, glowering at all of them. He’s so intimidating when he’s angry.
It’s kind of hot.
I shouldn’t find something like that attractive, but I do.
“It’s not true,” I tell Maggie, hating how she frowns. “He wasn’t with Natalie that night. They ran into each other.”
“Oh, Wren. Is that what he told you?”
She feels sorry for me, I can tell. Which is kind of hilarious, considering she’s pregnant with our English teacher’s baby.
“I have my reasons for believing him,” I say, my tone a little snotty. I feel defensive, and I don’t like that. “Just like you have yours for your situation.”
That renders her silent for the rest of the time we wait in line. Once I order my coffee and muffin, I go stand beside her as we wait for our names to be called.
“You think I’m dumb, don’t you?” Maggie says, looking anywhere but at me.
“What do you mean?”
She turns toward me. “What you said, how I have my reasons for believing him. My situation is different from yours, Wren. I’m in love with him. Things are serious. Our whole lives are changing, while you’ve got the meanest boy in class chasing after you like he’s trying to corrupt you,” she explains, her nose wrinkling.
I’m offended. The last thing I want to do is fight with her, but I can’t believe she said that.
“I know that you’re going through a lot, but that doesn’t mean you can belittle my problems,” I say.
“Mine feel a little bigger than yours,” she retorts.
“And what, is it a competition? There is so much going on that you don’t even know,” I tell Maggie. “I can’t explain it all now, but later I will.”
“Whatever.” The barista calls her name and she marches over to the counter, grabbing her coffee. Decaf, I might add. She turns to look at me, a pitying expression on her face. “Hope you have fun getting your heart destroyed.”
I almost say, right back at you.
But I keep my mouth shut.
Crew didn’t show up to English, and when I tried texting him, he didn’t answer, which hurt.
Made me angry too.
I’m probably being too sensitive, but I’m worried. Scared. Where is he? What’s going on? Has anything changed?