Fallen Fourth Down

“Yeah, right. Everyone knows.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s pretty obvious that he never loved you. Look,” she dropped her voice, making it softer, “I’m being a friend when I say this, but you were never taken seriously. We know when Logan loves someone. He loved Tate, and sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but most people think he loves Sam too.”

“What?” A guttural groan came from Kris. “Sam’s like family to him.”

“There’s been distance between them this year, which makes sense. He’s got a girlfriend, but trust me, he definitely loves her, whether it’s as family or something more, but it’s there. Both of them love her.” She groaned. “The bitch doesn’t know how lucky she’s got it, and when you and Logan break up, he’s going to be all over her. Trust me. You won't be defending her when that happens.”

Every word Kris’ friend said felt like a knife stabbing into me. Tate’s words came back to me, and I pressed my hands over my ears. I didn’t know if it was to block Kris and her friend out or block Tate’s words from haunting me. Biting down on my lip, I shook my head. Silence. I tried to calm the storm unleashed in me, but it didn’t matter.

“Logan’s in love with you. Now you have to deal with it.”

Tate’s words slammed back, full force, and they almost drowned out what Kris and her friend were saying.

I tried to clear my thoughts and strained to hear when her friend added, “Look, you need to prepare yourself. You have to end things with Logan. You’re free pussy to him. It’s why he’s keeping you around, but he doesn’t love you. As your friend, I’m telling you that you look like a fool.”

Logan loves you.

STOP! I screamed in my head and it worked. For a split second, the storm went away, and I could hear someone softly sobbing from inside the bathroom. Kris was crying.

She said, “You’re being really hurtful, Jen.”

“No. I’m preparing you. You should also be prepared that Logan’s going to sleep around. That’s how he’s been the last two years, until you. He’s going to go back to it and everyone at school will go nuts. Girls don’t think right when it comes to Logan. They just want to jump him. They don’t care about the consequences.”

Gritting my teeth, I decided I couldn’t hear any more. I flushed the toilet, ignored the shocked gasps, and walked out. Kris’ friend was Jen Conly. I shouldn’t have been surprised. She was the top ‘it’ girl in their grade. Kris turned away, pressing into the towel dispensers. If she could’ve walked through them, I had no doubt she would’ve. As I washed my hands, I held Jen’s gaze the entire time. I was cold, angry, and wanted to rip into her. I let her see, but she didn’t look away. She held my gaze, swallowed nervously, but lifted her chin.

I smirked and held my hand out for a paper towel. Kris pulled two out and handed them to me. As I dried my hands, I shook my head. “Shame on you.”

“Sam,” Kris started.

I talked over her, “You’re pressuring her into breaking up with Logan, and I’m betting that you’ll be one of those girls all over him the second she does.”

Kris sucked in some air. “Jen?”

Her friend didn’t look away from me. As I had spoken, a cockiness came over her. A defiant look entered her eyes and she lifted a shoulder. “So what? You can’t deny it. Logan Kade is fucking hot. Yeah. I probably would screw him if I had the chance, but I’m not going to lie to myself. He’s not coming to me for a relationship. He never would. I’m not going to waste my time and have feelings for him, but he’s Logan Fucking Kade. I wouldn’t turn down a screw with him. It’s more like a status thing, especially when he’s going to be messed up after getting dumped.”

“Oh, god.” Kris choked back a sob, then rushed from the bathroom.

As the door swung shut, I lifted a finger and waved it back and forth in the air. “Tsk, tsk. That wasn't a very friendly thing to do.”

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “No, it wasn’t, but my job was to break them up. I think I just did that.”

“I hope, for your sake, that she tells him exactly what happened in here.”

“She won’t,” Jen taunted me, her eyes darkening. “Same reason you won’t either. I know Tate. We were neighbors before she moved, and we got caught up when she came here last year. I know everything you know, and I also know that you haven't said a word about Logan being in love with you. There’s a reason. I know that’s why you tried to distance yourself from him too. No, no. You’re not going to say anything to him and neither will Kris.” She gave me a bright, beaming smile, and went around me to open the door. “Oh, and the other reason she won’t say a word is because she knows it’s true. You didn’t see the look in her eyes when I said those words to her. It was priceless.”

“You’re such a bitch.”

“Yeah, but I’m not a dumb bitch like Kris. I’m helping her out in the long run. She won’t be so naïve anymore, and hey, she might develop some claws of her own.” She skimmed me up and down. “Lord knows you had to.”

I hated her, and I hated the fact that she was right.

She left and the door started to swing shut behind her, but I caught it. I wasn’t the type to go after someone, but this girl deserved it. I was going to obliterate this junior.