Page 34 of The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back

"He must think I'm a total nutjob."

Ella sat down on the floor next to me, which was impressive given her strong aversion to germs and general dirtiness, and put her arm around my shoulder. My shoulders stiffened in response. I didn't normally like being touched. Ella didn't seem to notice. "If he thought you were a nutjob he wouldn't have almost kissed you."

"He didn't almost…"

"Yes, he did." Ella cut me off firmly. "I thought something like that might happen if you two could spend some time alone. That's why I pretended to not have a working key."

My mouth dropped open in shock. "You had a key the whole time? You did this on purpose?"

"Not the sketchbook part, but the rest of it, yes."

Ella rested her head on my shoulder and it felt nice to be comforted. I thought about what Jake had said; how I rejected people before they could reject me. Ella wouldn't reject me. She was here with me, caring about me. Even when I had resented her or felt jealous of her, she hadn't changed. She still loved me and wanted a relationship with me. I let myself relax into her hug.

I had also started to doubt my own instincts because while it seemed like Jake would kiss me, and despite what Ella thought, he hadn't and then my world exploded with a nuclear mortification bomb.

"So, any ideas about what we're going to do with Mercedes?"

Jake had told me that Mercedes had given him the book. I had been so focused on the fact that he had the sketchbook that I completely blanked the part where that horrible wench had given it to him. She must have stolen it in study hall. Such a foul and heinous thing to do, that I couldn't even think of something that would make Mercedes understand how badly she had made me feel.

"I'm guessing breaking into her house and burning all of her clothes on the lawn is out of the question?"

Ella nodded and said, "Personally, I think you don't have to worry about this. Mercedes has always wanted Jake. She's only with Scott to be close to Jake."

"Did she tell you that?"

"Of course not. But I could tell. So the absolute best revenge you could have on her is to be with Jake. But in order for that to happen, you have to put this behind you. Pretend like it's no big deal. Don't bring it up, and if he does, just act like it's nothing."

She made sense. It was logical, even. But logic and I were not currently on speaking terms. I wasn't sure I could do it. "I don't think I can ever face him again. How can I get into a car with him tomorrow morning and not obsess about this?"

"That's easy enough." She pulled out her phone and typed something quickly before putting it back in her purse. "There. I texted Jake to tell him I'm borrowing your dad's car and driving you tomorrow and we'd see him at school."

"I'm going to see him eventually. I will have to talk to him. We're not done with our project for English yet." I held my arms straight out. "I'm still wearing his letterman's jacket!"

She put both of her hands on my shoulders and turned me toward her. "You listen to me, Tilly Lowe. You are one of the strongest people I know. You will be fine. You will act like this is all just silly. And above all, you will never, ever let stupid Mercedes Bentley know how much this affected you. Got it?"

Wow, so much for the meek and demure Ella. "Got it."

"Now you're going to get up off this disgusting bathroom floor and come home with me and help me decide what to wear tonight because I have a kind-of-date with Trent."

I had totally forgotten about her Pepperdine wannabe poet reading with Trent. I was so focused on my drama that I wasn't being a very good sister to her despite all the things she kept doing for me.

And she was right. I was stronger than this. I would get up off that floor, and I would pretend like none of this bothered me. I definitely didn't want to give Mercedes the satisfaction of knowing she'd hurt me.

And things had been going so well with Jake. I couldn't freak out and ignore him and give in to my girl drama. I would be confident and fine, no matter how I felt inside.

Starting now.

I gave Ella a smile. "Sounds good. Let's go home and get you ready for that date."

I figured at least one of us should be happy.

* * *

I lay on Ella's bed, and it looked like her closet had thrown up all over her room. Or like the local Forever 21 and Charlotte Russe stores had brought over their entire inventory and tossed it on Ella's floor. Normally I would have been doodling in my sketchbook, but I couldn't imagine doing that again in the foreseeable future. Instead I had my phone out while I played Angry Birds.

I didn't know why she wanted my opinion. Everything, and I mean everything, she put on her looked amazing. Like she was about to walk the runway for Ralph Lauren. I told her that, but she didn't believe me.

"Not this one either. Why is everything I own so hideous?"

---