Chapter Seven Continued...

It's a photo of Ari and me from this morning. It's us as we pull up late to school in the Tesla. The Roadster's top is down and both of us are laughing and wearing Ray Bans; she'd let me borrow a pair.

We actually look really cool. It's definitely not the worst picture of me. I kind of want to save it to my Instagram. Next to the photo is another one. It's a picture of Ari and me together, it's from weeks ago. Taken after the photo of her and John were leaked.

We are holding each other in the hallway. Our bodies are closely pressed together and my arms are wrapped around her waist. Ari's hand is caressing my cheek and she is staring at me with her intense grey eyes. Most of my face is hidden by her hand and my hair, but it's definitely me.

The moment is of her comforting me after I'd started crying while trying to console her. Nothing else. But it looks very much like she is about to kiss me. Below the photo it reads:

"Is Aurora switching teams in the game of love? Words out they did more than have a friendly sleepover. Does Aurora's new femme know this princess doesn't play fair." - Anonymous

I sigh in relief. The post is so absurd I want to laugh. I'm not a lesbian, girls have sleepovers all the time. And we were just hugging. Anonymous was stretching it. Katie mistakes my reaction for a sigh of distress. 

"I told you to be careful..." She says and rests a hand on my shoulder. I remember how seriously Katie took the posts. To her it wasn't just gospel, it was evidence.

"...and now you're on the Dirty like her. She's going to hurt you and I don't want to see you get hurt." 

Her eyes are filled with sincerity. Before I can reassure her the post is fake, she briskly walks away. There hadn't been any double meanings behind her words, but words of caution. She's truly worried about me.

I contemplate the post as I watch her go. Why hadn't the anonymous tipster posted my name? A twisted attempt to protect me? I squint my eyes at Katie as she turns the corner down the hall and disappears. No. She wouldn't have? Would she? 

Fridays are always my short day and I only have one more class. It goes by smoothly no one points me out or whispers obscene comments. People probably didn't recognize me from the photo. The post was barely a blip on my classmate's radar. They didn't believe it. Again I'd dodge another bullet.

After my last class, I head to the gymnasium for dance practice. I go to the locker room and change, I leave on Cameron's joggers. I prefer the baggy look when dancing, it helped loosen me up for the more fluid dance form.  

When I approach the team, James calls out. "Hey, Ballerina girl."

I think James knows my name but I'm really not sure at this point. He's called me Ballerina girl or variations of it since the first day I'd shown him my ballet routine. He jogs up to me with a grin on his face. 

"Where's your lover?" James pretends to look behind me. 

What is he talking about? Cameron? He wasn't picking me up till after practice today. Then it clicks. James is teasing me about the Dirty post. The heat rises in my cheeks, but I force it down and try think of a witty reply.

"Just kidding." He pats me on the shoulder, "Besides you know what this means?" 

I shake my head no.

He shakes his head at my naiveté. "It means your gossip cherry has been popped."

It wasn't my first today. I think but I don't say it.

He grins, "Means you're worth talking about."

Courtney walks over. "Don't let him bother you girl. He's buggin' cuz you stole his girlfriend."

And there it was, the sassy one-liner I'd been looking for. 

"Dude, whatever." He groans.

It's easy to see the comment had embarrassed him. He tries to play it off and he playfully nudges Courtney with his elbow. She gives me a knowing look and wiggles her eyebrows.

James sees the exchange. "Okay, miss-know-it-all, I've had enough of you."

He picks her up and throws her over her shoulder, then starts to tickle her. Courtney kicks and squeals, but her exclamations are closer to delight then anger.

"Put her down." A voice says behind me. It's Ari. She walks behind me and loops her arm in mine. 

"Hey baby, how's your day going?"

Confused, I turn to face her. She leans in and kisses me on the lips. Her lips are soft and glossed. It's brief, over before I can react or formulate what had just happened. Courtney and James stare in stunned silence.

James drops Courtney. But she just barely lands on her feet.

Ari bursts into laughter and clutches her sides.  

"You..." She laughs. "You should see..." She gasps, "...your faces."

I don't know how to react, and I stand stunned like a deer stuck in headlights. She gives me a mischievous smile.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself." She says between barely restrained chuckles. 

"Well, shit..." Courtney says to Ari. "You had me going." Then she punches James in the arm. "Yo, you fuckin' dropped me you, idiot!" 

"Ouch!" James rubs his arm where she'd hit him, then turns to Ari. "I'm sure Ballerina girl doesn't appreciate you using her for a joke. I don't think it's very funny, Ari. "

"Clearly." Courtney sneers and glares at him.

Ari removes her arm from mine and raises her arms up in the air. "It was funny." 

She looks at me again as if for confirmation or approval. I shake my head and walk away. The last thing I needed was people seeing her theatrics and taking the rumor seriously. Courtney and James follow behind me leaving Ari standing alone.

"You guys, it was funny." She yells again at our retreating backs.

I did think it was funny, but I didn't want her to know. Courtney is shaking her head at Ari, but she smiles and winks at me.

The last practice of the year starts and I join in. I've picked up on their style relatively fast and I'm confident I'll make the team next year. In their latest routine, they've decided to add ballet pirouettes and then dirty them up. Courtney's words, not mine. I'm all for it and help them out. Practice goes as it normally does, except for one difference.

Ari joins in. It doesn't take long for me to become aware of Ari's dancing skill. She has no problem keeping up and memorizing the steps. She even manages a short pirouette. I'm impressed. After practice, I meet up with Ari in the locker room.

"You're a dancer?" I sit down next to her on a bench. She was always pulling out hidden talents. "Why aren't you on the team?"

Ari chuckles, "With what time? Between soccer, track, extra college courses, skating, and snowboarding..."

Partying and boys I want to add but don't.

"I don't have the time." She tilts her head and asks, "You didn't know?"

I shake my head.

"I'm not really a dancer." She adds, "Not anymore. I took dance as a kid and throughout middle school, that's how I met Courtney..."

I nod my head in understanding, but I'm still impressed. Was there anything she couldn't do?

"James and Courtney are always trying to get me to join. That's why I suggested you."

"You suggested me, so they'd stop bugging you?" I ask. There isn't any judgment, I'm only curious.

She crinkles her brows. "You could say that." Then she looks at me seriously. "I also thought it'd be good for you. To get involved and find your own place at this school." 

"What do you mean?" I ask.  Had she felt bad for me? Thought she'd help the nobody kid with no hobbies? I think she heard the defensiveness in my question.

She words her next statement carefully. "You were always talking about what you Kris and Katie were up to and never you alone. I wanted to help you be more than the girl with Kris and Katie." 

I could find offense in her observation. But I can't. It's true. I look down at my shoes feeling embarrassed and lame. I hadn't known how apparent my lack of life was to Ari.

"I'm sorry, by the way," Ari says quietly. 

I look up at her. "For what?"

"For using you. The joke I made earlier." She chuckles and scratches the back of her neck.

"I didn't think it through. I-I..." She stammers and looks down at her hand. "I...I felt bad about the Dirty post and...and pulling you into my shit. I was trying to make light of the situation. And I might've...overdone it."

I watch her as she fiddles with her nails beds that have been chewed and bitten. Is she blushing? I didn't think it was possible for her to be embarrassed about anything? I place a reassuring hand over hers, stopping her attack on her fingernails. She looks down at our hands and then looks at me.

"Maybe a little." I smile at her. "But it's okay and the rumor is not your fault. Don't worry about it."

I think back to my interaction with Katie in the hall. This time the post might have been my fault. 

"Why does Katie hate you so much?" I ask.

I have no filter and the words come out before I can stop myself. I'm sure there is more to the story than I'm aware of. Katie isn't a mean or hateful person, except for when it comes to Ari. There had to be something there.

Ari is visibly taken aback by my question and pulls her hands free from mine. But then she sighs and leans back against the lockers.

"You sure you want to know? It's a long story?"  

I nod my head. I desperately want to know. Ari sighs and resigns herself to story time.

TBC...

Who do you think is posting on the Dirty?