BEAUTIFUL LIAR

CHAPTER 3

My soul drifted away from my body, floating up into the clouds. I only managed to score seventy percent on my chemistry exam. If it weren't for Emma's help, I probably wouldn't have even made it past fifty. Ugh! I hate chemistry.

"How'd it go, Vivian?" Emma asked as she walked up to me. I had my face planted firmly against the desk, contemplating smashing my head into it repeatedly. I'd been too busy obsessing over Tyler to actually focus on studying.

I lifted my head just enough to look at her with the most exhausted expression ever. I probably looked like a sleep-deprived zombie. Meanwhile, Thomas, on the other hand, looked completely unbothered. That guy was a freaking genius—aced every single subject, despite sleeping through most classes. Guess it ran in the family; both his parents were doctors.

His twin sister, Galatier, though? Yeah, she definitely didn't inherit the brainy genes. Unlike Thomas, she was barely scraping by, failing nearly every subject. Chemistry, in particular, was her sworn enemy.

"I totally bombed it. I'm gonna fail, I swear. Ugh, I just wanna die," Galatier groaned, gripping her hair in pure frustration.

"Why didn't you just get Thomas to tutor you? You guys live in the same house," Emma asked, baffled.

"Hah! I begged him—literally got down on my knees—but he completely ignored me like I was invisible," Galatier shot Thomas a glare, crossing her arms in a huff.

"If you spent more time studying and less time sticking your nose in everyone's business, maybe your grades wouldn't suck so much," Thomas deadpanned, his voice icy cold.

Galatier let out a dramatic gasp before flipping her hair and storming off.

"I'm going to cheer practice with Emma!"

Emma couldn't help but laugh. The sibling drama between those two was honestly pretty cute. Sure, Galatier was a drama queen, but she was a good friend.

After Emma and Galatier left for practice, Thomas and I were about to head home when we bumped into Tyler in the hallway.

"Yo, what's up?" Tyler greeted Thomas with a casual grin. My heart instantly started pounding. Stay calm, Vivian. Keep it together.

"How was the exam?" Tyler asked.

"It was fine," Thomas shrugged, clearly unbothered. Then, Tyler turned to me.

"What's up, little lady?" He smiled. HE SMILED AT ME.

Oh god. What do I do? How do I react?!

"S-sup..." I stammered like an absolute i***t.

Tyler chuckled. "You're kinda shy, huh? No need to be nervous, I don't bite."

Oh, but I was already combusting on the inside. My face was heating up so fast, I probably looked like a damn tomato.

"She's not shy," Thomas cut in. "She has a full-blown phobia of men."

I shot him a glare. Yes, I did have a fear of men, but Tyler was different. I tried to communicate my frustration through eye contact, but Thomas just smirked.

Tyler frowned, confused. "Wait, what? A fear of men? But... you're always hanging around Thomas—"

Oh. Oh no. Did Thomas never tell Tyler he was gay?!

"That's because I'm special," Thomas smirked.

NO! That's not what this is! He's just gay! I wanted to scream it out loud but held my tongue. If Thomas hadn't told Tyler yet, it wasn't my place to out him. But god, the way he phrased it made it sound so misleading.

Tyler tilted his head, clearly trying to figure it out. "Huh... Interesting."

NO, NOT INTERESTING. JUST A HUGE MISUNDERSTANDING!

Before I could explain, Tyler waved us off. "Anyway, gotta run. Hockey practice. Later!" He gave me a quick wink before jogging off.

NO. NO, NO, NO.

I watched in horror as he disappeared down the hallway.

"What the hell, Thomas?! Now he's gonna think I like you or something!" I whined, smacking his arm.

Thomas, the smug bastard, just laughed. "I mean... I wasn't lying. I am special to you, aren't I?"

I glared at him. "You didn't tell Tyler you're gay, did you?"

He shrugged like it was no big deal.

"Why not?" I pressed.

He just gave me a blank stare. "You ask too many questions."

And with that, he turned on his heel and walked away, leaving me standing there, absolutely fuming.

As I was about to follow Thomas out, my eyes landed on Megan and her group of girlfriends standing a short distance away. Their expressions were anything but friendly—cold, irritated, and full of barely contained jealousy.

She must have seen everything that just happened. Tyler talking to me with that smile? That must've pissed her off.

And how do I know? Easy—because Tyler never looks at her like that. He's always distant, indifferent, almost bored when she clings to him like a desperate leech.

Not that there was anything to be jealous of. Tyler was just being polite because of Thomas. If it weren't for Thomas, I doubt he'd waste a single second on me.

Megan's glare was intense enough to burn holes into my skull, and for a second, it looked like she was about to march over and confront me.

But—

"Vivian, let's go."

Thomas's voice cut through the tension like a blade. He didn't even have to yell—just that calm, firm tone was enough to freeze Megan in place. The way he glanced at her? It wasn't just a look. It was a warning.

I didn't need to be told twice. I hurried after him, falling into step beside him. Close, but never touching.

"Can I come over today?" I asked, slightly breathless from the short sprint.

Thomas's house was practically my second home. We usually spent time playing games, watching movies, or just hanging out. My own house was empty most of the time, so being alone got... dull.

"Yeah." His answer was short, like always.

We hadn't known each other for long—only six months—but somehow, we just clicked. Thomas wasn't exactly the talkative type. When he did speak, his words were sharp as knives, cutting straight through bullshit with surgical precision.

But girls were weird. They loved that brooding, cold, bad-boy energy.

That's why, despite his blunt attitude and complete lack of warmth, Thomas was somehow more popular than Tyler—the golden boy, the walking sunshine, the so-called Prince Charming.