Read Online Rumors by Erica Kiefer - Free Book Online Page A

pressing
against me with determination. I staggered backwards in surprise,
pulling away from the sneak attack.
    Shane
grinned back at me.
    “ What was that for?” I asked, looking around in embarrassment
to see if anyone had noticed. I really didn’t need the extra
attention. As expected, kids slowed their pace, rubbernecking when
they walked by, as if trying to catch a glimpse of a car accident.
With the rumor going around that I cheated on Shane, they were
probably hoping for a dramatic end to our relationship—especially
the younger girls, like Taylor’s friends, who were always gawking
at him with lovesick eyes.
    Shane
laughed. “Just trying to eradicate the rumors, or at least one of
them.” His face twisted into a mock-scowl as he pointed his finger
at me. Speaking louder, he said sternly, “And don’t cheat on me
again!”
    I grabbed his finger with one hand, using my other to push
his chest backwards until he knocked into a locker. “Stop it!” I
hissed. “That is the opposite of helping!”
    Shane
chuckled, grabbing both my hands with his. He looked down, his
perfect smile diffusing me—until he spoke again. “Oh, people need
to lighten up. Let’s be honest—why would you ever cheat on
me?”
    My mouth
gaped open as I folded my arms across my chest. “You are
unbelievable.”
    “ Thank you.”
    “ That wasn’t a compliment.” I broke free from his grasp. “You
really are more attractive when you’re not talking. I’ll catch up
with you at lunch.” I steered away from Shane, hearing his arrogant
laughter trailing behind me.
    Tara and
I finally ran into each other at lunch. We sat in the senior quad
with our usual group, including Austin, Tonya, Ben, and Landon.
This was the first time all of us were together again since Friday
night’s fiasco. She greeted me with a tight squeeze before jumping
into her apologies again.
    “ So what happened to you guys after we split?” I
asked.
    “ Austin and I stuck together,” Tara said, Austin’s arms
wrapped securely around her waist. That didn’t surprise
me.
    “ We turned the corner and ran half a block before we circled
back to the cars,” Austin chimed in. “We wanted to wait for you and
Shane, but were afraid the cop would return and start asking
questions.”
    “ Austin and Tara picked us up,” Tonya said, gesturing at Ben
and Landon, “when they saw us sneaking around Shane’s car, waiting
for you guys to get back.”
    “ We kept driving by until we saw Shane return. We were so
scared when we realized you weren’t with him!” Tara said, her hand
touching her heart. “Give us the details! What
happened?”
    I gave
them a brief rundown of the evening, including twisting my ankle,
the overzealous cop chasing me down, and the mellow cop intervening
and giving me a break.
    “ It’s a good thing you were caught and not us,” Landon said with relief
in his voice. While I’d had the same thought—understanding that
their consequences would have been more severe than mine with
alcohol on their breaths—I didn’t appreciate the statement coming
from him. He was the dummy who had brought the beer in the first
place.
    “ Is that your way of saying ‘thank you?’” I asked, not hiding
the annoyance in my tone.
    Landon
seemed taken aback by my response. “Why would I thank you? I got
away just fine. You’re the one that apparently couldn’t jump the
fence.” He indicated my swollen ankle.
    “ If you hadn’t brought beer, that cop wouldn’t have bothered
chasing us in the first place!” Fuming, I glared at him. “I could
have turned you in—any of you—” I added, my gaze circling, “—but I
didn’t.”
    “ Not turning us in should be a given , not a favor,” Austin piped
in. “That’s what friends do. Look, if you want a ‘thank you’—”
    “ Austin, quit being an idiot,” Shane interrupted.
    Both Austin and I ignored him. “No, that’s not the point. I
just…” I let out a huff of frustration, unsure what