Chapter 163: Chapter 163 - Terrible Way To Announce
By Thursday afternoon, Roxie had heard the word pregnant so many times she almost wondered if it was true.
Sarcasm.
The word followed her in the hallway.
In the bathroom.
Near the vending machines.
Beside the lockers, whispered badly by girls who suddenly cared about her stomach more than their own grades.
By the time school ended, Roxie wanted to wear a sign across her waist that said empty.
Then someone announced a pre State party.
Briarwick loved turning pressure into music, cheap lights, and people yelling over each other in someone’s backyard.
Roxie was going to skip it.
She had finals review. She had a cheer bag half packed. She had a mother somewhere near Route 9, a Prescott mother who knew too much, and a boyfriend she could barely touch in public.
Then she heard Bianca near the lockers.
"I mean, she can deny it all she wants," Bianca said, laughing softly. "But Prescott’s mom talked to her. That says everything."
Roxie shut her locker hard.
Angela stepped closer. "What are you planning? I want to be there this time."
"Nothing." Roxie adjusted the strap of her bag. "I can’t touch her even if I want to drag her face across the floor."
Karen stared at her.
Roxie lasted two seconds.
"Fine," she said. "I’m going to the party."
Angela blinked. "That’s the whole plan?"
"With Ethan."
Karen’s mouth opened. "Fairmont’s quarterback? If you’re cheating, this is the worst way to announce it."
Angela’s face went still.
Roxie looked between them. "I told you. He’s a friend. And this is the perfect solution."
Karen grabbed Roxie’s arm and pulled her away from the lockers before she could keep talking. Angela followed, already worried.
They stopped near an empty trophy case.
Angela lowered her voice. "You are secretly dating Zac Prescott."
"Thank you for the update."
"And you want to show up to a football party with Ethan?"
"It’s a pre State party. Everybody will be there."
"Roxie."
"What?" Roxie folded her arms. "People think Zac got me pregnant. If I show up with someone else, they start doubting it."
Angela pressed her lips together. "That is messy."
"Yes," Karen said. "And I love messy when it ruins other people. This one ruins you."
"It won’t."
Karen laughed once. "That was adorable."
Angela touched Roxie’s wrist. "Have you told Zac?"
Roxie looked away. "He doesn’t need to know."
Karen groaned. "Meaning you know he’s going to flip. Fantastic. Perfect. Full disaster package."
"It’s just walking in with Ethan," Roxie said. "I’m not kissing him."
Karen’s eyes narrowed. "You say that like Zac is going to clap politely from the snack table."
Roxie’s stomach twisted.
She knew Zac would hate it.
She knew.
But she also wanted the rumor to stop for one second. One minute. One hallway. One room where people looked at her and wondered if maybe they were wrong.
Angela’s voice softened. "You’re trying to survive it."
Roxie looked at her.
Angela looked sad now, which Roxie hated more than Karen yelling.
Roxie forced a shrug. "I’m trying to be practical."
Karen crossed her arms. "No. You’re trying to hit the rumor with another rumor."
"Exactly."
"That wasn’t praise."
"It sounded useful."
Angela sighed. "What does Ethan think?"
Roxie looked down at her phone.
Ethan had texted back ten minutes ago.
Ethan: You want me to walk into a party with you so people stop saying Zac knocked you up?
Roxie: Basically.
Ethan: This is stupid.
Roxie: Yes.
Ethan: What time?
Roxie had stared at that answer for a long time.
That was why she asked him.
Ethan would call it stupid, then help anyway. He understood the assignment without acting like she owed him something for it.
"He knows," Roxie said.
Karen made a face. "Great. So even he knows this is stupid."
Roxie lifted one shoulder. "He still said yes."
Karen stared at her for another second, then pointed toward the gym doors. "I’m drinking tonight."
Angela’s head snapped toward her. "Karen."
"What? If Roxie gets to make destructive choices, I want one."
Roxie narrowed her eyes. "Mine has a purpose."
"So does mine. I plan to be annoying."
Angela rubbed her forehead. "I hate both of you."
The party was at Tyler Brooks’s house, because apparently football players had an endless supply of parents who left town at the worst possible time.
By the time Roxie arrived, the music was already loud enough to shake the front windows. Cars lined both sides of the street. People spilled across the yard in Ravens hoodies, letterman jackets, cheer jackets, and outfits that had clearly been chosen to look accidental after an hour of planning.
Ethan parked his motorcycle near the curb.
Roxie climbed off and handed him the helmet.
He looked at her outfit.
Low waisted jeans. Black fitted top. Leather jacket. Hair down.
She had chosen everything with violence in mind.
Ethan lifted his brows. "Subtle."
Roxie adjusted her jacket. "I look normal."
"You look like you’re declaring war on gossip."
"Good."
"You know Prescott is going to hate this." Ethan hung the helmet on the handlebar. "If I get punched, you’re taking my Sunday shift."
Roxie rolled her eyes and looked toward the house.
Through the front window, she could see bodies moving under colored lights. Laughter burst through the open door. Someone shouted Zac’s name from inside.
Her stomach tightened.
Ethan studied her for a second. "You sure?"
Roxie smiled without feeling it. "No."
"Honesty? Is this what people call progress?"
"Walk beside me."
He offered his arm like an idiot.
Roxie stared at it.
Ethan lowered it. "Too much?"
"Very."
"Cool. Normal walking it is."
They went in together.
It worked faster than Roxie expected.
Two girls near the entryway stopped mid conversation. One of them looked at Ethan, then at Roxie, then back at Ethan.
A football player Roxie vaguely knew blinked. "Ethan?"
Ethan lifted two fingers. "Hey."
The guy looked at Roxie. "You brought a Fairmont?"
Roxie smiled. "He wants to congratulate the Ravens."
The guy laughed awkwardly.
Behind him, a girl whispered, "Wait, I thought it was Prescott."
Roxie heard it.
Ethan heard it too.
He leaned closer just enough for the room to notice. "You’re enjoying this too much."
Roxie kept smiling. "I am enjoying it the correct amount."
They moved deeper into the party.
The house smelled like chips, soda, perfume, sweat, and something sharp somebody had poured into red cups in the kitchen. A group of football players shouted over a game on the living room television. People stood on the stairs even though somebody kept yelling at them to get down. The dining table had been turned into a snack station, already destroyed by hands, wrappers, and half empty bottles.
Karen was near the kitchen island with a red cup in hand.
Angela stood beside her, already concerned.
Caleb was on Angela’s other side, smiling politely at something Mason said. He looked comfortable, handsome, and clean in a way that made Roxie understand why Angela kept glowing at her phone.
Karen saw Roxie with Ethan and raised both eyebrows.
Then she drank from her cup.
Angela’s eyes widened.
Roxie ignored both of them.
She had barely made it past the kitchen when the air changed.
She felt Zac before she saw him.
That was annoying.
Then she turned her head.
Zac stood near the back doors with Dylan and two other football players. He wore a black Ravens hoodie with the sleeves pushed up and a State Championship cap turned backward. Someone had been talking to him, but he was no longer listening.
His eyes were on Roxie.
Then they moved to Ethan.
Then back to Roxie.
His face did nothing.
That was how Roxie knew he was furious.
Dylan noticed a second later. His gaze went from Zac to Roxie to Ethan. His mouth tightened like he had just watched someone light a match in a room full of gasoline.
Roxie looked away first.
Ethan muttered, "He saw."
"I have eyes."
"He looks calm."
"That means run."
Ethan gave a low laugh. "Great."
The whispers started changing around them.
"Is she with that Fairmont quarterback?"
"I thought she and Prescott..."
"Maybe that was fake."
"I don’t know."
Roxie took a drink from a soda can she found near Angela and let people look.
It felt ugly.
It also felt like relief.
For the first time in days, the story was moving in another direction.
Karen drifted toward her, cup already half empty.
"You look smug," Karen said.
Roxie leaned against the counter. "It’s working."
Karen looked at Ethan. "Hi, Ethan. Worst time to meet you again."
Ethan coughed to hide a laugh. "Feels accurate."
Angela came up behind Karen and gently took the cup from her hand. "Maybe slow down."
Karen turned to her. "I’m pacing."
"You finished that in four minutes."
"A fast pace is still a pace."
Caleb smiled carefully. "Want water?"
Karen looked him up and down. "You’re too helpful."
Angela gave Karen a look. "He is being nice."
"That’s what I said."
Roxie looked at Angela. "She already drank?"
Angela nodded, worried. "A little before we got here."
Karen reached for her cup again. Angela lifted it out of reach.
Karen gasped. "Don’t forget I let you drink your fill that one time."
Angela went red. "This is different."
Karen grinned and took the cup back before Angela could stop her.
A second later, Roxie’s phone buzzed.
Zac: Hallway.
Roxie stared at it.
Ethan glanced down at the screen. "That looks like my cue to be elsewhere."
Roxie looked at him.
He held up both hands. "I’m useful, not suicidal."
Karen leaned closer, squinting. "Who texted?"
Roxie locked her phone. "Nobody."
Karen pointed at her. "It’s your funeral, babe."
Angela’s face tightened. "Shout if he starts making it worse."
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