Page 88 of The Fake
He keeps talking, but I hang up on him and turn to face Wes and Joel. They’re hovering like two mother hens.
“Chloe has it.”
“Maybe she tossed it and didn’t wanna tell you about it. That’s what I would have done if he’d given it to me,” Joel says reassuringly.
I shake my head. “She doesn’t know.”
I read the judgment loud and clear on their faces. Fuck, I should have told her.
“Don’t panic. It’s probably just in her dorm. It looks like a normal textbook unless she opened it.” Joel might believe that, but I don’t. My gut tells me everything.
She knows, and I’ve already lost her.
30
Chloe
Head leaning against the window,I find some solace in the cool glass. The promise of night and the end of this shitty, shitty day.
I’m sitting in the very last row of the bus all by myself. The seats across and in front of me are both empty. A glance up and across the aisle finds Sydney watching me with worry in her dark eyes.
The day was a success, at least regarding volleyball. Valley came out on top and the team looked good. The bus ride home should be filled with excited chatter, but instead it’s quiet and an impending doom hangs in the air.
After Coach confiscated the textbook and informed Emily she’d be paired with Liz, I was dismissed to the sidelines.
Bri’s gone back to hating me. She hasn’t even attempted to speak to me. Emily either; I think she was more shocked than anyone. I’d nearly forgotten what it was like to live with people who were repulsed by my existence.
The silence around me is a reminder of what my life was like when I first got to Valley and how much things have changed. Gradual change feels like it isn’t change at all until you compare it to where you started.
Two months ago, I wasn’t sure who I was or what I was capable of. I couldn’t reconcile which parts of my life had been earned and which had been bought for me. Now? Now I know I deserve to be here. I feel it deep in my bones and with every fiber of my being. Having something taken away when you’ve earned it hurts so much worse than when it’s been bought.
My phone vibrates in my hands and I look down to see Nathan’s name flashing on the screen. I’d been replaying the conversation with Frank over and over in my head all day for clues. Why was Frank giving Nathan a textbook filled with drugs? And why had Frank used me as a proxy? And the last one that bothered me the most, did Nathan know?
He’d called at least a dozen times, which was enough to doubt his innocence. Then there was the single text that told me everything and nothing.
Nathan: I’m so sorry. I can explain.
I sit up straight as the bus pulls into the parking lot outside Ray Fieldhouse. Sydney offers me a reassuring smile that I try and return. Everything is going to be okay. I didn’t do anything wrong. I repeat those things hoping I’ll believe it by the time I face Coach. But when it’s just me and her left, I give up on hope and force myself into action.
Silently, I follow Coach inside and through the locker room to her office. She flips on the light illuminating the small space in a fluorescent haze.
She drops her shoulder bag on the desk and removes the sunglasses and visor from her head. I take a seat while she gets settled in. I interlace my fingers in my lap and squeeze to let out some nervous energy. When she finally sits down, I brace myself for the worst but am prepared to fight to stay on this team. I deserve to be here. I know that now, but I also know that some things are out of my control. There are consequences for every action, fault or not.
“Chloe, I don’t know where to begin. I didn’t expect this from you.” She sighs. “Aside from the obvious infraction of possessing illegal substances, you put the team at risk. The type of scandal and bad press this could bring to Valley is the sort of disruptive PR that can kill a program.”
She gives me a look that says I, of all people, should know better and she’s right. I should. It’s not the first time I’ve brought scandal to a team.
“It’s not mine. I know how it looks, but I need you to believe me.”
Her pinched expression tells me she doesn’t and why should she?
Everything I’ve worked for—transferring schools, the extra workouts, the dedication and determination I put into it all—it’s disappearing before my eyes.
“Wait.” Sydney pushes into Coach’s office unannounced. She’s breathless, hair wild, still in her team colors. Emily is two steps behind her and then, astonishingly, Bri appears.
“Ladies, this is a private meeting.”
“That wasn’t Chloe’s book,” Sydney insists, totally disregarding Coach’s not-so-subtle hint to get out of her office.
