As soon as the day begins, I plot how I'll be able to gather Allison and Juliet with us at lunch. They've been ignoring us, or mostly me, and while I don't expect them to sit with us out of their own volition anytime soon, I need to find a way to talk to them without making it seem like I'm tracking them down to tell them off.

I explain what I have heard to Abigail and Hazel in the morning. Thankfully, they both honestly tell me they were sworn to secrecy by me and have not told a soul.

"What rotten people they are," Abigail murmurs.

"That's crazy. You think they told?" Hazel asks.

"It wouldn't surprise me. I'm not sure if it's one or both," I admit.

"I'm sorry, Callie. I haven't heard many rumors," Abigail says.

"Wait, yeah? How did you hear there were rumors circulating?" Hazel asks. Shit. I remember that I still haven't told Hazel I'm semi-in-a-relationship. But judging by the way that rumors spread so quickly at this school, it's easy to think of a fib.

"Someone in a class brought it up to me," I state.

"That's awful," Hazel complains.

"But I want to get them together at lunchtime. I want to figure out if it really is them causing the rumors. It wouldn't surprise me if it was. I'm just struggling thinking of how to get them there," I say, tapping my foot as I try to think.

"I can handle getting Allison to lunch," Hazel suggests.

"You can?!" both Abigail and I exclaim.

"She liked me the most. No offense," Hazel says. "I bet I can convince her to stop by for a few moments. If I mention you won't be there, Callie, well, I feel like she'd come sit with us."

"All right," I agree. "I think I can handle Juliet."

"What about me?" Abigail asks.

"You get to witness me confront them, I suppose." 

With the plan in motion, we head out to our morning classes, and I spend the majority of my time during various lectures staring out the window and thinking of how to confront Juliet. I suppose I could wait by her locker before lunch starts. Then, during passing periods, I spot her waiting for a classroom to open up. Quickly, I rush to her, and feigning enthusiasm as best as I can, I say, "Hey, I baked brownies today! You should come get one at lunch!"

"Oh, uh, that's really nice, but I have a meeting," Juliet murmurs.

"Just for a few minutes? You can just grab one and go. I have so many, I don't know what to do with them," I admit, feeling poorly luring Juliet with sweet treats that I will never present to her.  She seems uncomfortable, awkward, but also...guilty.

"Well, okay. I really can't stay long though," she says.

"Great! See you later," I say, heading off to class. I shoot a text to Hazel, letting her know the plan is in motion. Hazel replies that all she merely had to tell Allison was that she missed her and that I wouldn't be at lunch today, and Allison quickly gave in. Engines set and marked.

My heart is pounding, my fingers are shaking, and my stomach is twisted in knots when we're dismissed for lunch. I'm not a very confrontational person. The idea of attention makes me feel sick. To this day I am not sure how I was able to speak to Aurora so forcefully when she was avoiding me back in February. Perhaps it was because there was a possible positive outcome from such a conversation. With my friends, however, if I do find out they're guilty, then I'm not too sure how I will react. All I know is that I trusted them to keep their mouths shut, and now that I suspect they haven't, I'm ready to break off ties.

Allison is already sitting with Hazel and Abigail when I approach. Hazel feigns enthusiasm well. I wonder if she'd be interested in acting in any of the plays here at school. Hazel talks to Allison as if nothing is changed, as if she's not fuming over the fact that Allison let such a large secret slip. Abigail, meanwhile, is silent and looks as if she's about to sick when she sees me.

"Callie?" Allison says.

"Hey, my meeting got cancelled," I explain to Abigail and Hazel.

"You know, I have something I need to print," Allison murmurs. She begins to slowly rise, but Hazel's firm hand brings her back down.

"Aw, just stay for a few minutes. I still have another story to tell you," Hazel says before launching into some wildly made up story from her weekend.

Hearing footsteps behind me, I see Juliet, looking confusedly at all of us.

"I thought you had brownies?" Juliet asks.

"Ugh, some girls ambushed me for them my last period," I admit. "But take a seat for a second, I have something to say."

Allison goes quiet, and though Juliet could run at any time, she awkwardly takes a seat beside me. Hazel lets the conversation die, and the others stare at me. For a moment, I try to think of how to formulate what I'm about to say to them, but I realize whatever I think in my head won't translate well into speech, so I just start to let whatever words I can think of flow out of my mouth.

"I've been hearing rumors...about myself," I admit. "About stuff that was told in secret."

The others remain quiet.

"So?" Allison asks.

"I think I have reason to believe that one, or both, of you let it slip," I say a bit more forcefully, realizing I'm losing my calm faster than expected.

"What about Hazel and Abigail? You told them too," Allison states.

"I've known Hazel and Abigail for a much longer time, and I think I know them to be better, more trustworthy friends than the likes of you two," I growl. "Because ever since I spoke up, all you two have done is avoid me and treat me differently. So," I say, turning my body to Juliet. A fire shines in my eyes that I never quite knew I possessed. "Did you say anything to anyone?"

"I didn't," Juliet answers.

"Did you say anything to anyone?" I ask again, a little more aggressively.

"I swear, I didn't!" Juliet exclaims, waving her hands. "I-I know I've been distant. I'm sorry, Callie. This is weird for me. I don't know you that well, and to hear that...it threw me off. But I didn't tell anyone. I hoped you would think I was a better person than that, even if I've been distant."

I sigh. Either Juliet is a good liar, or I believe her. I never quite suspected Juliet to begin with, even with her distance. What she says is exactly what I expected her reasoning behind the distance to be.

"Fine. You can go," I say.

Juliet awkwardly stands up, brushes her skirt off, and leaves without any of the brownies I promised, but I rest a little easier knowing that she kept her mouth shut.

"What about you?" I say to Allison. "You've been dropping slightly homophobic remarks for months, so it's no surprise you treat me differently. And it wouldn't be a surprise if you were spreading rumors around either."

"So I let it slip to one or two people. What's the big deal?" Allison asks.

"You—" I nearly lunge myself at her before Abigail pulls me back with one arm. Hazel grabs my other arm, and though I struggle against them, I know it's best that I probably do stay back, or else this conversation is going to capture the attention of everyone in the area.

"You're a bitch," is all I manage to say to Allison.

"It's not that big of a deal," Allison murmurs.

"That wasn't your place to out me, Allison," I growl. "That's supposed to me my choice, and you ruined it for me. I'm sorry if I make you feel uncomfortable or awkward. Believe me, you're the last girl I would have a crush on with your attitude."

I can tell I've hit a nerve in Allison. Her eye twitches in frustration, and she clears her throat.

"Well, I'm sorry, but I just can't find myself supporting you. Besides, you owe a lot to me. Your Homecoming date, the social aspects of this group...I think a part of you has always been jealous of me."

I think maybe this is true...maybe when I just wanted to date a boy in order to ignore my sexuality, but I would never be jealous at this point of someone as cold-hearted as Allison. My friends are loosening their grips on my arm as I release a deep breath. I could just launch myself at her, pull at her hair, dig my nails into her skin, but I realize I'm bigger than that, that that's what something she would do.

"I don't want you around anymore. I don't want you to talk to me, or sit with me, or make eye contact with me in the halls. And if I hear you spreading anything else about me, I'll really let loose."

Allison lets out a huff of anger as she rises.

"Fine. I wasn't planning on spending much more time with you anyway. And if your other friends want to stay close to you, then good on them, but I don't need any of you. I have plenty of friends and a committed boyfriend," she says before stalking off.

There's a moment of silence, and I sit back and let out a deep sigh.

"Jesus, Callie, why'd you ever decide to be friends with her in the first place?" Hazel asks.

"I have no idea," I admit, but I feel relieved knowing that Allison will be out of my life now, and my friends seem pretty satisfied by this choice as well. And though I am relieved knowing Juliet was thankfully someone who chose to keep my secret, I am unsure if she'll be back. I have a feeling I scared her off for the rest of junior year.

I pray to not see Allison the rest of the day, but I still do. Luckily, she keeps her distance, and I keep mine. I come home from school that day still angered, which quickly captures the attention of Oliver.

"What's wrong?" he asks.

I direct him to my room, lest my mother overhear.

"You know Allison?" I ask.

Oliver nods.

"She's been outing me to people at school. I cut ties with her today, which I feel good about, but I'm still pissed off about it," I grumble.

"I'm sorry, Callie," Oliver says. "Girls are mean, huh?"

"I feel like I'm living a day in Olivia's life," I tease. "Though I wish this were just trivial middle school drama."

"What about you and Aurora?" Oliver asks quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"Does anyone else know?" he wonders.

I shake my head. "I never told Allison. In fact, the only person I told was Abigail. Aurora was still nervous though. She's the one that heard the rumors about me to begin with, which is how I found out."

"How have you two been?" Oliver asks.

"Fine." There's not much else to say. It feels like Aurora and I don't see each other much these days. She cancelled on walking home with me to study, which is reasonable. We are getting deeper into April and closer to AP tests and finals. I feel like this is how it will be from this point forward, and onward into the future, because soon, Aurora will graduate.

My stomach is upset just at the thought of it.

"I guess I should get started on homework now. Thanks for listening," I murmur.