“You what…” I back away from her.

“No Poppy, I know it sounds bad but it’s actually not that bad. I mean I like you and you like me; because of me we finally got a chance to know each other. What we have is real, I know you feel it too. We were practically made for each other. Zoey is a bad friend anyway—”

“You used her? To get to me!? Hilary! What is wrong with you!?” I back up even more.

“You did the same thing!” she points out.

“That’s different. I did that for my friend! You… You ruined my friendship with Zoey! I didn’t even know you! If you would have just left us alone none of this would have ever happened.”

“I did it for us because I really like you.” She steps closer to me, trying to make me understand with her pleading eyes.

“Then why didn’t you just talk to me like a normal person!”

“Because!”

“Because?”

“You never even looked my way no matter how hard I tried. It was like there was this wall you built to block me out and no matter what I did you just didn’t look my way. All of my crowing of achievements were to impress you, I wanted you to see me. But all it did was push you farther away from me. So… I did the only thing I could think of. I was desperate. I’m sorry.”

“How long have you liked me?” I can’t keep the disgust off my face.

“Poppy,” She reaches for me.

I jerk away.

“Poppy please.”

“Answer the question,” I demand.

“Why are you being like this? I thought… I thought you would understand.” She says with a sad look on her face.

I want to feel nothing for her, to be done with her, but seeing her like that makes my guts all twist together. I have to look away from her.

“I know what I did was wrong, trust me I know. But what you did was worse, and I don’t even think you see how wrong it is or even feel sorry for doing it.” I say.

She takes a step towards me and I back away again, wrapping my arms around myself.

She tries again and again I jerk away.

“Poppy,” her voice wobble, and her eyes water.

“Zoey is my best friend, and yeah, lately she’s been awful. But she didn’t deserve this, she didn’t deserve what either of us did to her. And I have to make this right. Just… leave us alone.” I push past her to leave but she grabs my arm.

“I know you like me too, I know you do. This was real. How I feel about you is real.”

“How long?” I don’t turn to look at her.

“Poppy please, just calm down.”

“You’re an awful person.” I pull free from her grasp and run out of there.

The first thing I do I look around for Zoey, hoping she hasn’t gotten too far. But she’s nowhere to be found so I call her, she ignores my call. So I call Wes.

“Hello?” He answers.

“Wes, I fucked up.”

“Really?” he sounds smug.

“Just shut up and listen. You were right about the whole Hilary thing coming back to bite me. I was wrong about her. She’s awful. She betrayed me and Zoey. She used Zoey to get to me. Zoey knows now and we have to find her. I have to make this right. Please, I need your help.”

“Holy hell, Karma went overboard this time. Okay, I’ll see if she’ll answer my call. Go to her house, I’ll meet you there.”

“Okay,” I wipe my tears and start jogging out of the park.

“We’ll find her, don’t worry.” He assures me before hanging up.

I wish I had my bike.

But before I can get far Alvin pulls up in front of me. I’ve never been so happy to see his has been face.

“Poppy? What are you doing? Aren’t you supposed to be on a date with Hilary?”

“Alvin! I need a ride! Please.” I beg.

“Okay. Hop in.” he shrugs.

“Take me to Zoey’s house, now!” I demand.

“Can I ask what happened?” he makes a u-turn.

“No,” I say.

“Okay. But no more free subs at work.”

I glare at him.

“I don’t make the rules.” He says.

“Fine, Hilary is a liar. She used Zoey to get to me. Zoey found out and now I have to find her and make this right. I was so stupid, I let my stupid feelings get in the way of my friendship. Zoey didn’t deserve that, any of it.”

He sighs but drives me to Zoey’s house.

Wes isn’t here yet so I run-up to the door and knock loudly.

Jacky opens the door.

Jacky is like the taller, more mature version of Zoey. They look almost the same except Jacky is curvier and has longer hair. She looks older but not in her body, in her eyes. Like she’s just tired and has seen it all already.

“Poppy? Alvin?” she eyes us.

“Is Zoey here?” I ask.

“No, she just left.”

“Where!?” I demand.

“What happened? She looked pretty upset.”

“Please Jacky, I fucked up and have to make it right.”

“Help the kid out,” Alvin says.

She sighs and says, “Fine, but if Zoey asks, it wasn’t me who told you. She said she was going to go to a party. To blow off steam. Have any ideas?”

“Hailey.” I declare.

“Hey, what’d I miss?” Wes jogs up to the house, out of breath.

“We have to go to Hailey Queen’s party, now!” I grab his scrawny arm and drag him towards my house.

Jacky sighs and watches us go.

“So…” Alvin says.

“No.” She slams the door in his face.

Ouch.

Poor guy.

“Can you at least explain what happened?” Wes asks as we walk to my house.

“I don’t want to talk about it…” I sigh.

“So you’re done with Hilary then?”

“Yeah, whatever.”

“Poppy?”

“I don’t know what you want me to say! She’s awful, I fucked up, now Zoey’s hurt because of it.”

“I’m just asking if you’re officially done with all this Hilary stuff.”

“Yeah, I have to be.”

“So, you don’t have any feeling for her anymore?”

“Wes! Can we focus please?”

He sighs in defeat.

When we get to my house I hop on my bike and let Wes barrow LaShawn’s bike then we take off. Wes luckily is actually pretty well connected with things and knows where the party is. So I don’t have to wander around aimlessly. Although it is a pretty big bike ride.

We pull up to the house, and I see Zoey’s bike there. That makes me feel both relieved and terrified.

“Okay, we can split up and conquer more. I’ll text you if I find her first, you do the same. Got it?” Wes asks.

“Got it, don’t approach her, let me.”

“Okay.

We park our bikes out front and head inside. It’s almost identical to the party I went to when I was spying on Hilary. Hailey’s house is a lot less wow factor though. As usual, people mingle around and I look from group to group to find Zoey.

I make my way out back and my heart stops when I see her sitting alone on a lawn chair, looking into her still full drink.

I only take one step when,

“Look out!”

I whirl around and get tackled into the pool.