Hashtag.
1100 Words
Immediately I slipped into the car beside Michael. He shot me a look.
“What?”
"Were you and Cole Hayman making out? You got two brothers in one night? Damn. "Teach me your ways, Sally." He started the engine.
“Ewww no! We weren’t making out; in fact, nothing went as planned today.”
He honked again for the couple in front of us to walk faster before pulling out of the curb.
“Oh-oh, what happened?”
“I caught him in a dare or something kissing Matilda."
“Ouch, Matilda.” He grinned. "To be fair, she’s hot."
I glared at him. “Not helping, Mike."
He reached for my palm and gave it a little squeeze. "No matter what, Sis, I am always here for you."
His hand on mine eased the arch in my chest a little. Sometimes, I forget he is my junior brother. He just got into college, and I couldn’t be happier that I had someone like him around, most especially to cover for me with my parents. Who, by the way, doesn't give me breathing space.
I pulled my hand away. "That's enough."
He chuckled.
"So!…What were you and Cole talking about?”
I shrugged. "Nothing much." Just school.”
“MmmMmm. Didn’t seem like it to me. I don’t understand your attraction to the Hayman brothers, but Cole’s a no-go area; he breaks hearts. I know this for a fact because he belongs to the frat I am trying to join."
My eyes rolled. "Who doesn’t know about Cole? I can assure you, there is nothing of the sort. We aren’t even friends."
He turned the corner. "If you say so, Sally."
My phone rang in my pocket. It was mum. She was calling for the third time this evening to know where I was. She didn’t know I was coming for the party.
She would have freaked out. I told her I was going for a study session with my group.
I didn’t pick; I laid my head back on the headrest and tried to push back the image of Justin kissing Matilda. His hands on her thighs, just the way I had imagined them on me. The way he held on to her, he never looked at me like that.
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from crying.
My chest twisted. It hurt so bad.
*****
Monday felt just like any other Monday. I never bothered with looks, and today I didn’t even bother at all. I had stayed up all night staring at the Polaroid pictures.
I wore baggy jeans and a baggy sweater and slung my bag lazily over my shoulder. I was meeting my story group at the cafeteria, where we met in between our classes in a few minutes.
I just wanted today to be over; Justin definitely had no idea how I felt after last night, and I wasn’t going to tell him.
I walked out of literature class and made my way down the hallway, keeping my head low.
“Sally!”
I spun around to see Justin walking towards me. And Matilda was beside him, wearing what I knew was definitely inappropriate for a school day. I had seen them walk into the class earlier, intentionally late, and it took all my willpower not to make an excuse and walk out.
“Hi Justin. Hi Matilda."
"Hi," Matilda waved to me. She put her hand on Justin's arm and leaned in to him.
“Emmm,” Justin rubbed the back of his neck. "I just wanted to know if you were able to do the literature review."
“Um, yeah. It's right here," I said, reaching into my bag.
I pulled out the papers and handed them to him, but Matilda took them instead.
"Aww, thank you, Matilda. What would we do without you?”
My face went hot. We? Is that why he had told me to make it double? For Matilda?
I looked at Justin, but he wasn't looking at me; he was looking at Matilda.
“It’s fine," I muttered.
“I am hungry, Justin. And I need to update my followers about today." She tugged at his arm.
“I will see you later today, right?”
I nodded.
He blew me an air kiss before walking away.
We met after school at the library every evening to study. I didn't think I would be able to do that today.
I sighed and walked to the cafeteria. The group was already sitting round the table, having lunch. Probably talking about why the earth revolved or something of that sort.
I joined them quietly. But the conversation stopped suddenly.
I glanced up, and they gazed at me.
I rubbed my face, wondering if there was bed poop on it or something.
“Are you okay?”
The red-haired Nora asked me.
Roderick, the loudest in the group, leaned forward. "You could talk to us."
"What's wrong with you guys really?”
Sophie and Nora glanced at each other.
“She hadn't seen it?”
My heart skipped.
“Seen what? Show me!”
“Errr, I don't think we should," Nora said.
“She has to see it." Rodrick stretched his phone screen towards me.
I stared at the screen, and my eyes widened at what I was seeing.
It was a video.
Me.
Standing there at the party, holding the stupid box, frozen in place.
Someone had zoomed in on my face—right at the moment Justin kissed Matilda.
My mouth is slightly open.
My eyes are glossy.
They had slowed it down.
And added cartoon tears streaming down my cheeks.
The caption at the top read:
“When you really thought you had a chance 💀."
My stomach dropped.
Below it:
@MatildaOfficial: “Dress better next time, babe.”
A laughing emoji.
Hundreds of likes.
My chest tightened.
The comments kept scrolling.
“Who even invited her?”
“She looks like she came to return a library book. 😭”
“Not her thinking she could pull Justin Hayman.”
“Girl needs a stylist and a reality check.”
"Secondhand embarrassment is crazy.”
My fingers went cold.
The likes were climbing.
The shares too.
I couldn’t breathe properly.
That's when I noticed the stares from other tables.
People laughed into their palms.
Bile rose in my throat.
“So sorry, Sally,” Nora whispered.
I shoved Roderick's phone back to him.
“Excuse me," I managed to say before pushing off the chair and half-running to the girls' bathroom.
- Writer
