Page 106 of Confessions of a High School Guidance Counselor

“Is that... Dax?” Mara asked.

“Yes!” I frantically rolled the chip bag shut and shoved it underneath my towel. Then I brushed off my chest, making sure there weren’t any greasy crumbs there.

“You look great,” she said. “You can hardly even tell that you’ve been crying.”

“Great,” I muttered. Of course I had to see Dax on the worst day of my life. But what I saw beside him was even worse.

The girl he’d left me for had a baby bump. It was obvious by the dress she wore. She had to be at least in her second trimester...

Dax and I had only broken up a couple months ago. She’d been wearing an oversized dress then...

“Is she...” Mara asked, not even finishing the sentence.

I nodded slowly, because they were close now, and Dax had seen us.

His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, but he said, “Hi, Beatrice, Mara.”

“It’s Birdie,” I said, my words coming out like venom. He had never called me that before. It was like looking at a complete stranger.

His new girl looked from him to me. “How do you two know each other?” His new girl clearly didn’t recognize me, and that hurt even more. I wasn’t just disposable; I was forgettable.

My lips parted, but what was there to say?

Beside me, Mara said, “He fucked her over and hung her out to dry.” She got up and grabbed her towel and bag. “Come on, Birdie. We’re getting out of here.”

I stood, numbness threatening to slide over me and keep me from speaking, keep me from feeling, but I wasn’t ready to leave yet. A look of recognition crossed her fact, but Dax only seemed... uncomfortable.

I’d thought of what I’d say if I ever met him again, but frankly, all of it fell short in reality. All I really needed to say was, “Thank you.”

Confusion overtook his features. “Thank you?”

I nodded. “Thank you for sparing me a lifetime of being disappointed by you.”

With my head held high, I picked up my towel and followed Mara to the truck, where I promptly broke down and cried.

60

Cohen

Ollie’s forehead creased and his lips were set in a hard line as he walked to my car. What had happened in school today? Worry flooded my mind, and I begged he wouldn’t tell me Birdie had been fired. Or that today was his last day coming home with me.

I had my apology ready for the second he opened the door, but instead, he said, “Dad, we’ve got to do something.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

He shut the door behind him, turning toward me. “They fired Birdie today.”

I felt like I was going to throw up and pass out at the same time. “They did what?”

“I saw it this morning—she came out of the office looking really sad, and then Ryde and his mom came out after. I asked him about it and...” He swallowed hard. “He did it. He was the one who did it, Dad, and I feel so guilty. He never would have seen you and Ms. Melrose if I hadn’t brought him out there.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” I said, my mind reeling in an attempt to pick up all the pieces. Birdie lost her job. Ryde told the secret. Ollie was sorry. “We’re on the same team?”

The person behind us laid on their horn, and with a frustrating grunt, I whipped out of the spot and parked.

Ollie said, “I’m pissed at you for lying, but I’m on your team. This isn’t right.”

I shook my head, gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white. “What can we do? The next board of trustee meeting isn’t for another month.”

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