Page 55 of Becoming Cinderella

This is bad. So, so, bad. I can’t help but feel mortified at the words about me. Are there other articles saying similar things about me? Based on the cold reception I’m receiving here at school, I’m guessing there are several articles. My mortification switches to fear, because what if Liam has seen this? Is he going to believe it? He’s going to think I’ve used him if so.

Wide eyed I look up to come face to face with Jared. His skin is ashen like he’s going to be sick. He pulls me out of the river of bodies to a row of lockers.

“I didn’t know,” he says, his voice slightly breaking.

A tight band of panic cinches around my chest at his words.

“The guy yesterday at the store. I didn’t know he was a reporter.” If possible, Jared’s face pales even more. “I didn’t mean to say anything. I didn’t even say anything, not really anyway.”

“You’re the close source?” I feel tears start to prick my eyes. “You told him I was Liam’s biggest fan?” Dizziness hits me as several emotions slam through me at once.

Fear. Guilt. Worry. Anger. Panic.

“I didn’t know he was a reporter! We were just talking and…I don’t even know how you guys came up. I’m really sorry.”

“What else did you say?” The words come out harsher than I intend, but I’m too upset about what else he might have said to care.

Penn eyes Jared sympathetically before turning back to me. “There’s another article claiming you were trying to sell one of his used water bottles,” she breaks this news softly as she takes her phone back.

“I never said that, I swear.” Jared finally looks at me, his eyes pleading. “He asked what you thought about dating Liam and I just said how you were probably thrilled since you’ve been such a fan. But I didn’t tell him anything else, I promise. When he kept asking questions about you and Liam, Anna kicked them out.”

The bell rings and I know I should go to class, but I can’t right now. Not with all this panic I feel. Without a word to Penn or Jared I turn away from them and quickly retreat into the bathroom where I lean against a sink for support. Seconds later Penn comes in behind me, putting her hand on my back to try to soothe me.

“I can’t believe this is happening.” Tears pool up in my eyes and I suck in a shaky breath to try to steady my emotions. “I need to go and see him. I need to talk to him, like, right now.” I start pacing the length of the bathroom. “I’ll go up on set, wait for him outside of his trailer.” I stop and spin around so I’m facing Penn. “Maybe he’s not even on set right now. I don’t remember when he is supposed to be on set next.” I hold my head in my hands. “Why can’t I remember? Did he even tell me? Why would he tell me? We don’t have a dance lesson today.”

“Whoa, okay, slow down.” Penn takes my hands and pulls them away from my face.

“They’re posting lies, Penn.”

“I know they are. But you can’t go up on set right now. What if you get photographed going up there? It will blow everything up even more.”

“You’re right. Yeah, you’re right.” I pull out my phone and bring up Liam’s name. “I'll call him instead.”

I quickly hit his name and bring my phone to my ear. The phone starts to ring, the rings seem louder than normal, like they’re haunting me with each second he doesn’t pick up.

It continues to ring, and each time it does it feels like a hammer to a nail in my coffin. Liam’s voicemail picks up and I end the call to try it again.

“Alright,” Penn takes my phone before I can. “Let’s give it a couple of minutes before we try to call again, okay?”

I slide down to the floor, ignoring how gross it is. I pull my knees to my chest, resting my head on my knees. I feel like my heart has been ripped out of my chest and ran over multiple times over. I just need to talk to him. This can all be sorted out if he’ll just answer his phone!

Penn bends down next to me, balancing on her heels so she doesn’t have to touch the floor. “I’m sure everything is going to work out.”

A girl walks into the bathroom and stops when she sees us.

“This bathroom is occupied. Go to the one in the math hallway.” Penn shoots her a look that makes the girl leave without a fight.

Penn hands me back my phone where I pull up the article only to see that every celebrity news outlet already have their own version of the story. In a not fun turn of events, E! News has screenshots of tweets I’ve posted over the past few years to back up their story.

@CARTER_ADAMS: Liam Taylor? More like Li-YUM Taylor, am I right?

@CARTER_ADAMS: Don’t talk to me today unless you’re Liam Taylor

@CARTER_ADAMS: Every time Liam Taylor smiles I gain five years on my life

@CARTER_ADAMS: I would do just about anything to confirm my theory that Liam Taylor has the most kissable lips in Hollywood

I close out of the story. I can’t read any more, I’m going to be sick. My tweets are making their claims look much worse than it is. The tweets were supposed to be harmless, sent out to the void about my celebrity crush. I only have seven followers on there that were even maybe going to see them! They were just simple tweets in the sea of fangirl tweets. They weren’t even thirst tweets like Liam’s had to read for a Buzzfeed interview.

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