Cinderella Was A Lie                                                            36
November turned to December, December to January,
January to February, and February to March.
I kept Clara and Cecelia in check with various blackmail,
and Christian was the same as ever if not sweeter.
 Erin and Mac were now “an item.”
I was sitting in AP English on a Friday in late March,
staring out the window, wishing I could go outside.
It was one of those rare
sunny, warm days in March
when you would just kill to get out.
The bell rang, making me jump, and I shoved all my books
into my bag and met Christian by my locker.
He greeted me with a quick kiss and offered to carry my bag.
I denied, but followed him out the door to his car. We had plans to study at my house.
We pulled into my driveway and he parked, but didn’t make a move to get out.
I watched his face, trying to detect what he was thinking.
After a few minutes when he didn’t say anything, I did.
“What are you thinking?” I asked.
“Just…I just love you.”
I smiled. “I love you too.”
I leaned over and kissed him lightly. “Come on, we should go in,
I have a lot of geometry.”
“Yes ma’am.” We got out and went in.
I spread my stuff out on the kitchen table with Christian’s next to me.
Cecelia walked in, and over to the cupboard.
She and Christian were friends, they always had been, but I didn’t mind. I trusted him.
She eyed the table with her muffin in hand.
“Study group?” she asked.
“Yeah,” we said at the same time.
“Hmm. I think I’ll study too.”
Oh, great.
I knew we couldn’t say no because she would just go tell Diana,
so me and Christian just exchanged
a look as she went to get her books.
She plopped herself to the left of Christian and flipped open her history book.
They were in the same history class.
“Christian,” she whined after a few minutes, “who is Napoleon Bonaparte?”
“He was the guy that took over and became the dictator of France after the revolution,” he said.
“Thanks,” she said,
batting her eyes. He frowned back and shook his head a little.
I rolled my eyes and finished the problem I was on.
* * *
When Christian left I went up to my room and signed onto AIM. I started chatting with Erin.

Drawthatshizz: hey Erin
CherryGarcia: oh hi there(:
Drawthatshizz: whats going on?
CherryGarcia: talking to Mac<33…and you.
Drawthatshizz: wow thanks :|
CherryGarcia: I'm just kidding, you know you’ll always be first to me merebear(:

Cecelia burst into my room just then.
“Meredith, did you wash my white leather jacket? I need it, I’m going out,” she said melodramatically.
“Yeah, yeah, it’s hanging in your closet.”
“Good.” She left and a few minutes later I heard the door slam downstairs. I went back to Erin.

Drawthatshizz: I have to go make dinner.

I wanted to get it done before Diana yelled at me.

CherryGarcia: ok, ttyl!
Drawthatshizz: definitely. Bye<3
Drawthatshizz has signed out.
 
I got up and went downstairs.
I noticed Christian had left his jacket on the chair; I had to bring it to him,
it was his favorite. I would do it after dinner was ready, I figured.
I pulled the salad ingredients out of the fridge, and the chicken I had cooked
in advance the night before.
I put the salad together
and whipped up the dressing in a matter of thirty minutes
and put it all on the table.
Then I called to Clara and Diana that is was ready, and I had to go return something to Christian.
I skateboarded to his house,
and left my board on the doorstep
and went in. I didn’t need to knock, Annie had told me
I could just go in every time.
As I stepped inside I saw a white leather jacket on the table. There was no mistaking it, it was Cecelia’s- no one else I knew had a white leather jacket like that in this town.
I felt dread enter the pit of my stomach and my hands started shaking as I glanced towards the stairs.