The next day, Katie came late to school so that she could skip the morning car ride to school with Zac, Morgan, and Taylor. She came right before fourth hour, and as she walked down the hall, her imagination started to get the best of her.
Are those girls looking at me funny? Why is everyone looking at me like that? I wonder what they're whispering about? Is it about me? Do they know? Where's Zac? Could it be true?
Katie finally rushed to her locker, turning her padlock carelessly. She had to do it a few times before it opened. She threw open the door, slamming it on Jeremy's locker.
"Sorry." She mumbled.
"Hi Katie."
"Hi Jeremy." She muttered, digging for her math book.
"I heard."
"You heard what?" Katie was instantly interested.
"About the rumors." He said. "I'm sorry."
Katie glared at him, then her expression softened. "That's okay." She said.
"So are they true?" He asked.
"No." Katie said.
"Did Zac start them?"
"I don't know." She stated.
"Do you trust him?" Jeremy asked.
Katie stopped and looked at him. Jeremy was starting to freak her out.
"Yes." SHe said quietly. The were silent for a few moments until Jeremy spoke.
"You look really pretty today."
"Um...thanks." Katie said. SHe had on jeans, tennis shoes, and a sweatshirt, and her hair was pulled up into a ponytail. What was this kid thinking? She asked herself.
She slammed her locker and tried to get by Zac's without him noticing her, but no such luck.
"Katie!" Zac exclaimed, walking up to her. Katie looked at him, and he looked at her as if everything were normal.
"Hey." She said quietly.
"Feeling any better?" He asked.
"Yeah...a little." She said.
"Great." He said. He glanced at his watch and raised his eyebrows. "We gotta get to class."
"Oh...Yeah." She said. As they walked through the hallways, Katie began to look at people. Were they giving her strange looks? Or were they just looks she had never noticed before? Katie hated this. She made a pact to talk to Zac that evening.
Katie threw open the door to her house, slammed it shut once she was inside, stomped up the stairs, opened her door, and then slammed that shut too. She threw her bookbag on her floor Thursday night, two days later. The rumors had not been forgotten- In fact they were getting worse. Everyone knew, and everyone asked her about them. Katie was beggining to dread people all together. She flopped on her bed, just wanting to forget everything.
Judy opened her door. "You okay?"
"Huh?" Katie was drawn out of her train of thought.
"Are you feeling alright?" Judy said slowly.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Okay. Do you want to talk about it?"
Katie looked at Judy with a perplexed look. Judy never offered to talk things over with them. They were lucky if Judy even noticed.
"No. I just need to be alone." Katie said.
"Okay." Judy said. With that, she turned and walked out the door. Katie couldn't take it anymore. She reached for her phone, and dialed Zac's number.
"Hello?"
"Zac? Listen, we need to talk. No, you need to explain." Katie said sternly.
"What?"
"Don't act stupid, Zac. You've heard the rumors going around school."
Zac sighed. "Katie, I didn't say them."
"Well who did?"
"I don't know." He said. "I started hearing it too. I swear I didn't have anything to do with it."
"Well, how did this get started? It just wouldn't happen out of the blue." She said.
"I don't know. I didn't start them."
"How do I know?"
"What? Katie, don't you trust me?"
There was that word again. Trust. Katie sighed. "Yeah, but this whole thing is so strange."
"I know. I have no idea how they got started."
"Well why didn't you say anything to me?"
"Well...I didnt' want to worry you."
The whole thing sounded weird to Katie. She wasn't sure what to think.
"Still, you should have told me."
"I know, I'm sorry."