Page 81 of Broken

“Later,” we replied, digging through our lockers once she walked off.

“So, how was dance class today?” I asked cautiously, forgetting to ask in all the chaos of the rumors at lunch.

Izzy closed her locker door and leaned her head against the red, chipped metal, a look of emotional exhaustion across her face. “Horrible. I had to sit up in the bleachers and watch the whole time. Ms. Teiger didn’t call attention to me or anything, but everyone was still watching. I couldn’t even try to pass it off as being sick or hurt for a few days thanks to all those rumorsstarting up. I don’t even know how they knew,” she said in exasperation. “I’m not showing enough, and the office can’t tell.”

I frowned. She had a point. “Well, someone started it. I wonder who.”

“Does it really matter? It’s out now. There’s no going back,” Izzy said as we headed down the hall.

“I guess not…” But I was still skeptical. “Are you going to hang out at Tucker’s today before the game or do you have practice with Leo?”

“No practice on game days, remember? Plus, I’ve still got some stuff to tell Tucker.”

“It’s killing me that you won’t tell me,” I complained. Izzy had been so ecstatic earlier. It had to be good.

“Later. I promise. I want to tell Tucker first.”

“Okay. Fine. I get it. But as soon as you get home.”

“Deal.”

We shared a grin, walking slowly, neither of us thrilled about going to another class after such a long day. But when we reached the main split in the hall where we would have to separate, a group of girls chatting nearby looked away with nervous glances.

I frowned, prepared to pull Izzy away from any more drama, until I saw a flip of strawberry blonde waves at the center of the group.

“Oh, Iknow…” Lisa dragged out the word. “I couldn’t believe it either at first, but trust me. It’s true!”

My eyebrow raised.

“How do you know? It’s probably just a rumor,” Bev countered.

A triumphant gleam touched Lisa’s eyes. “Because I saw it. This morning in the parking lot. Her stomach isnotflat under that top. She had her hand pressed against her middle, and you could so tell.”

My eyes shot to Izzy, feeling her stiffen by my side.

“Maybe she’s just getting fat? It’s not like she’s in athletics like Annie,” someone argued.

“But shedoesdance,” another chimed in. “And she’s pretty hardcore about it.”

“Look, I swear,” Lisa insisted. “I even heard her tell Jet that she felt the babymove. She’sdefinitelypregnant. The office even called her in.”

Izzy cringed, turning pale, and I realizedthismust have been her big news.And I just bet this bitch couldn’t wait to run her mouth off about it.My eyes narrowed, turning back to Lisa just as Trisha walked up with an exaggerated eye roll.

“All this coming from the girl who faked a pregnancy to try to get Tucker in her clutches.”

Thank you!I knew I liked Trisha.

“Please.” Lisa flipped her hair again. “That was just to try to save him from her. I knew she was bad news. And now look. I could never understand why Tucker decided to stay withher. Miss too-good-for-any-guy-ever. I bet she’s just been drooling over him all these years, waiting for him to bother to notice her, or even just takepityon her. I mean, at leastIwasn’t desperate enough to try to trap him into a relationship by getting myself knocked up.Iwould never do that to him.”

“No, you’d just fake it,” Trisha cut her off again.

“Tosavehim.” Lisa sneered. “I’d never do it for real. Tucker had too big of a future to be stuck with an unwanted baby. He could never be happy like that. If she really loved him, she would’ve known that.”

I watched as Izzy’s shocked stare turned into one of pure pain, and every protective sister instinct I had came flaring out with my claws. Lisa had now gone too far. Making people think IzzytrappedTucker? Like the baby was on purpose?

Yeah. I was done.

“Izzy, why don’t you go on to class?”

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