Chapter 320 - Still Roxie

Chapter 320: Chapter 320 - Still Roxie

Roxie was finally starting to forget about the morning.

Not completely. That would be a fucking miracle.

She still caught people looking sometimes, and every now and then somebody whispered after glancing in her direction, but she had survived walking into Sweetheart with Zac. She had survived sitting at the table while everyone saw them holding hands, and she had even gone onto the dance floor without feeling like the whole gym was waiting for another picture to fall from somewhere.

Now, she was back at the table beside Zac while Mason argued with Karen about whether taking his shirt off during his performance had actually been necessary.

"It was part of the concept," Mason said, leaning back in his chair like he had prepared a serious defense.

Karen stared at him. "Your concept was being half naked and flashing everyone in the school."

Mason suddenly covered his mouth. "Oh damn."

Karen’s eyes narrowed. "What?"

"You’re jealous."

Roxie laughed before she could stop herself, but it died quickly when she caught the tiny flash of embarrassment on Karen’s face. It disappeared almost immediately beneath the glare Karen threw at Mason, but Roxie had seen it. Angela had too, judging by how wide her eyes got across the table.

Oh God.

Did Mason actually have a chance with her?

Roxie was definitely interrogating Karen later.

She was still smiling when she looked across the room and met Bianca’s eyes.

The smile disappeared.

Bianca had been watching her for a while. Roxie had felt the stare even while she was dancing with Zac, but she had refused to keep checking because she already knew exactly what she would find.

Maybe Bianca had expected Roxie to stay home after the pictures. Maybe she thought Roxie would come but spend the whole night hiding between Karen and Angela, terrified every time somebody looked at her.

Instead Roxie had walked in holding Zac’s hand, danced with him in front of everybody and was currently laughing because Mason had somehow managed to embarrass Karen.

Bianca stood.

Roxie’s stomach tightened.

"Fuck."

Zac followed her gaze immediately. "What?"

"She’s coming over."

His expression changed before Bianca had even taken a few steps. Roxie put her hand on his thigh and pressed down when she felt him shift beneath it.

"Stay."

"I’m sitting."

"You were about to stop sitting."

Zac gave her a look, but Roxie kept her hand there. She knew exactly how he reacted when someone came after her while he was around. Kendall’s destroyed phone was enough proof of that.

Bianca reached their table and stopped near Roxie’s chair. Her eyes moved slowly over Roxie, then toward Zac before coming back.

"Didn’t think you’d actually show up."

Roxie looked at her. "Why wouldn’t I?"

"After this morning?" Bianca gave a small laugh. "You really have a thick face, huh?"

Zac moved so quickly Roxie had to grab his arm this time, but Karen was already standing. Her chair scraped loudly across the floor, drawing several heads toward them, and Mason got up the second he saw the expression on her face.

Karen tried stepping around him. "You better not piss me off, bitch."

Mason shifted directly into her path.

Karen glared at his back. "Move."

"No."

"Mason."

"No."

Bianca looked at the two of them before turning toward Mason with a disgusted expression. "Really, Mason? You’re this low now?" Her eyes moved toward Zac, then Roxie. "What did I expect? Zac fell for this slut and you fell for this dog."

Mason’s face changed immediately.

He stepped forward.

Roxie stared at him in disbelief because his whole purpose had apparently been to keep Karen from starting something, and now he looked ready to start it himself.

"Jesus Christ, Mason."

Kyle got up and moved toward them before Mason could go any farther. He stopped beside him and looked at Bianca with the same expression he usually wore when somebody was wasting his time.

"Go back to your table, Bianca."

Bianca threw her hands up and looked around at all of them. "Wow. You really got them all trained, didn’t you?"

More people were looking now.

Roxie stood.

"Bianca, you got some fucking nerve."

Her shoulders felt stiff from how hard she was holding herself back. The urge to grab Bianca by the hair after what she had called Karen was getting worse by the second, and slapping her across the face sounded even better.

Bianca looked amused. "What? Did I hurt your feelings?"

"Mine?" Roxie laughed once. "You walked all the way over here because you saw me having fun."

Bianca’s mouth tightened for just a second.

There.

Roxie saw it.

Karen tried stepping around Mason again, and he moved with her.

"Mason, move."

"No."

"I swear to God, I’m going to hit you too."

"You can hit me later."

Karen stared at him like that sounded increasingly possible.

Roxie almost laughed again, but Bianca scoffed. "Look at you. You really do have everyone trained."

Kyle’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Bianca."

"What?"

"Go."

His voice was quiet, but Bianca actually paused.

Then she looked at Roxie again. "Why? Poor Roxie can’t handle somebody telling the truth?"

Zac shifted beside Roxie. She put her palm against his chest without looking at him.

"Rox," he muttered.

"I know."

Bianca watched them. "Cute. Especially after everybody finally knows what kind of family she comes from."

Roxie’s hand tightened against Zac’s shirt.

Claire again.

Always fucking Claire.

Bianca had apparently decided she could keep dragging Roxie’s mother into every conversation until something broke.

Roxie looked at her. "You’re obsessed with my mom."

Bianca blinked.

Karen laughed immediately from behind Mason.

Bianca’s expression changed. "Excuse me?"

"You keep talking about her." Roxie shrugged even though her pulse was pounding. "It’s getting fucking weird."

"I’m talking about you."

"No, you’re not. You’ve been talking about my dead mom for days."

A girl at the next table muttered, "She kinda has a point."

Bianca turned sharply. "Did I ask you?"

The girl immediately looked uncomfortable. "No."

"Then shut up."

Her friend frowned. "Jesus, Bianca."

Bianca stared at them for a moment before turning back toward Roxie.

That was when Roxie noticed the difference.

Nobody was standing up and giving her some huge defense. Nobody was clapping or yelling about what a good person Roxie was. Most people watching looked uncomfortable, curious or annoyed that Bianca was still doing this.

Somebody farther away was still dancing.

Another group was talking over the music.

A couple of students had looked over for a few seconds and already gone back to whatever they were doing.

It felt real.

Bianca crossed her arms. "Everybody knows you lied."

"Yeah."

Bianca paused. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"You lied to basically the whole school."

"I heard you."

"And you’re acting like you don’t care."

Roxie’s jaw tightened. "I care. I just don’t know what the fuck you want me to do about it right now."

Bianca laughed. "Maybe stop acting like you’re better than everyone."

"When did I say I was?"

"You didn’t have to."

Karen groaned loudly behind Mason. "Oh my God."

Bianca turned toward her. "Stay out of it."

Karen immediately tried stepping sideways again.

Mason followed.

Karen moved the other direction.

So did Mason.

"Mason, I will fucking kill you."

"Later."

Even Zac’s mouth twitched.

Bianca noticed. "You all think this is funny?"

"No," Roxie said. "But watching Karen try to get around Mason is."

Karen pointed at her. "Fuck you too."

A few people nearby laughed quietly.

Bianca’s face reddened.

"At least I’m not the one everybody was talking about today."

Roxie looked around.

People were definitely watching now, but that was because Bianca had walked over and started insulting half the table. Beyond them, the dance was still going. Music kept playing, people moved across the floor and somebody near the refreshment table was taking pictures.

Roxie looked back at Bianca. "Are they?"

Bianca frowned. "What?"

"Because half the room was doing their own shit before you came over."

Bianca’s expression tightened. "Everybody knows who your mother was."

The words still hurt.

Roxie doubted they would ever stop hurting completely.

But she had spent the afternoon reading comments from people who didn’t even know who Roxie Jones was. She had walked into Sweetheart convinced every person staring at her was thinking about Claire, then discovered some were looking at her dress, some were looking because she and Zac were together again, and plenty barely cared at all.

So Roxie nodded. "Yeah."

Bianca waited.

Roxie waited too.

Finally she frowned. "What?"

Bianca stared at her. "What do you mean, what?"

"You keep saying everybody knows."

"They do."

"I know." Roxie shrugged. "So what happens now? Why would they care?"

Bianca opened her mouth, but nothing came out immediately.

That almost made Roxie laugh.

Everybody knows.

For years Roxie had imagined those words followed by something terrible.

Instead Karen was threatening Mason because he wouldn’t let her start a fight, Kyle looked irritated that he had been forced to participate at all, Angela was still beside Caleb, and Zac was under Roxie’s hand trying very hard to behave.

The world had kept moving.

Bianca’s face hardened. "You really think people are gonna forget what your mom was?"

Before Roxie could answer, Kendall’s voice came from nearby.

"Can you shut the fuck up already?"

Kendall stood a few feet away holding a drink, looking more irritated than angry.

Bianca turned. "Stay out of it."

"I’d fucking love to." Kendall took a sip. "You’re making that difficult."

"Then go."

"You’re yelling beside our table."

Bianca laughed. "Our table?"

Kendall rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."

"You hate her."

Kendall looked at Roxie.

"Yeah."

Roxie stared at her. "Fuck you."

Kendall looked back at Bianca. "See? Still has nothing to do with her mom."

Roxie almost laughed.

Bianca looked between them. "She lied to all of you."

Karen finally stopped trying to get around Mason. "We know."

Bianca turned toward her.

Angela nodded. "Yeah."

"You knew?"

Karen shrugged. "We found out."

"And you’re fine with it?"

"I was fucking pissed."

"So was I," Angela said.

Roxie glanced between them.

Karen caught her looking. "You were an asshole."

"I know."

"Good."

Bianca stared at them like she couldn’t understand why this conversation had already happened without her.

"So that’s it?"

Karen frowned. "What do you want?"

"She lied."

"You said that already."

"And?"

Karen blinked. "And what?"

Bianca looked around like she expected somebody else to answer for her.

Nobody did.

Kendall started turning away.

Bianca looked at her. "She acts like she got all of you to Nationals."

Kendall stopped immediately.

Roxie frowned. "When the fuck did I ever say that?"

"Never," Karen said.

Kendall looked genuinely annoyed now. "We got ourselves to Nationals."

"Exactly," Roxie said.

Kendall pointed at Roxie with the hand holding her drink. "She’s co captain because she’s good at it. She’s also annoying as fuck."

Roxie stared at her. "Why do you keep adding that?"

"Because it’s true."

"You’re a bitch."

"Exactly."

Bianca scoffed. "She’s still a slut."

Kendall raised an eyebrow. "Okay?"

Bianca blinked.

Kendall took another sip. "What do you want me to do with that?"

Roxie bit the inside of her cheek.

Bianca turned toward Angela. "And you’re fine sitting there while she acts innocent?"

Angela frowned. "I don’t think she’s innocent."

"Thank you," Roxie muttered.

Angela ignored her. "I just think you’re being fucking weird."

Bianca’s mouth tightened. "Shut up, Angela."

Then she looked toward Caleb.

"Are you seriously letting her talk to me like that?"

Caleb had spent most of the conversation looking increasingly uncomfortable. He finally leaned back in his chair and stared at Bianca.

"What do you want me to do?"

"She just called me weird."

"You came over here."

Bianca looked offended. "I’m your cousin."

"I know."

"And?"

Caleb frowned. "And what?"

Karen made a choking sound behind Mason.

Bianca looked around at all of them. "Really? Everyone’s just ganging up on me now?"

"No," Kyle said quietly.

Bianca turned toward him.

Kyle nodded toward her table. "You came here."

That shut her up for maybe two seconds.

A guy at the next table finally looked over. "Why do you care so much?"

Bianca turned sharply. "What?"

He immediately looked like he regretted speaking. "Nothing."

"No. Say it."

The guy glanced toward his friend, then back at Bianca. "You just keep talking about her mom."

His friend looked down at the table like he wanted nothing to do with any of this.

Bianca crossed her arms. "Because she lied."

The guy shrugged awkwardly. "Okay."

Bianca stared at him. "Okay?"

"Yeah."

Then he turned back toward his friends.

Roxie almost laughed.

That was somehow worse than somebody defending her.

Bianca kept treating Claire like this massive piece of information that should change how everybody saw Roxie, and this random guy had basically shrugged and gone back to his night.

Roxie watched the irritation build in Bianca’s face.

She wanted everyone invested.

She wanted Claire to become the biggest thing in the room.

Maybe that had been the entire point of the pictures.

Roxie stepped closer. "You wanted everybody to know."

Bianca looked at her.

"They know."

Roxie swallowed because saying it still hurt, but she kept her eyes on Bianca.

"I’m still here."

Bianca’s jaw tightened.

"So what now?"

For several seconds Bianca said nothing.

Then her mouth curved again. "You’re acting brave now. Give it a few years. You’ll probably end up exactly like her."

That one landed.

Roxie’s stomach dropped before she could stop it, and every ugly thing about Claire rushed back at once. The drugs, the men, the motel, and all the years Roxie had spent wondering whether something about her mother might be waiting inside her too.

Bianca saw it and her smile widened slightly.

Zac moved but Roxie caught his wrist.

"Wait."

His eyes snapped toward her.

Roxie kept looking at Bianca then laughed once.

Bianca frowned. "What?"

"You had to dig up my dead mom because you couldn’t find enough shit about me."

Bianca’s expression changed.

Roxie shook her head. "That’s actually fucking embarrassing."

Somebody nearby snorted.

Karen laughed openly.

Bianca stepped closer. "Fuck you."

Zac stood immediately. Mason’s attention snapped back toward them while Kyle shifted closer too.

Dylan, who had apparently been watching from farther down the table, stood as well. "Bianca, go back to your table before something happens."

Bianca turned toward him. "Are you threatening me?"

Dylan frowned. "No. I’m telling you this is getting stupid."

Before Bianca could answer, a teacher’s voice cut through the noise.

"What is going on over here?"

Karen muttered something under her breath.

Mason sat down immediately.

Karen stared at him in disbelief. "Coward."

"I have a future."

Roxie almost laughed.

The teacher approached and looked between all of them. "Why can I hear you from across the room?"

Bianca answered first. "She’s accusing me of what happened this morning."

Roxie frowned. "I didn’t accuse you."

"Bullshit."

"I called you a bitch."

Karen covered her mouth while the teacher briefly closed his eyes like he already regretted walking over.

"Enough."

Bianca pointed toward Roxie. "She thinks I threw those pictures."

Roxie shrugged. "I do."

"You have no proof."

"I know."

That answer seemed to piss Bianca off even more.

The teacher looked between them. "Then nobody is accusing anybody until administration finishes checking what happened."

Bianca crossed her arms, but Roxie was suddenly exhausted by the whole conversation.

She sat down.

Bianca stared at her. "That’s it?"

Roxie looked up. "What?"

"You’re just sitting down?"

"Yeah."

Roxie reached for her drink.

"I’m trying to enjoy the dance."

Bianca stared at her for a moment like she had expected Roxie to keep fighting.

Then the teacher told Bianca to go back to her table. Bianca, gave them a nasty stare, then finally turned and walked away.

Roxie watched her for maybe two seconds before Karen dropped back into her chair and immediately turned toward Mason.

"You sat down so fast."

Mason looked offended. "A teacher came over."

"You were ready to fight Bianca thirty seconds ago."

"I was supporting you emotionally."

Karen stared at him.

Kyle sat down beside them. "He saved Bianca."

Karen turned toward him. "You too?"

Kyle’s mouth twitched.

Roxie laughed.

Zac sat beside her again and leaned closer. "You okay?"

Roxie looked toward Bianca’s table once. Bianca was already talking angrily to Lily, clearly still pissed that the whole room hadn’t exploded the way she wanted it to.

Then Roxie looked back at Zac. "Yeah."

He studied her face.

Roxie sighed. "Mostly."

"That sounds more believable."

"She’s fucking exhausting."

Zac laughed quietly. "Yeah."

Roxie leaned against him for a moment before looking around the room again. People had already returned to whatever they had been doing before Bianca walked over. The music was still playing, somebody near the dance floor was laughing loudly, and a couple was making out near the wall like nobody else existed.

Mason had already started trying to convince Karen that standing between her and Bianca had been romantic.

Nothing had changed as much as Bianca wanted it to.

And for once, Roxie was fine letting the night keep moving.