She glares at him, and by the way her nostrils are flaring I can tell she’s barely holding it together. “I’ll find a way to make you out to be the bad guy, so be prepared. But I better not see the two of you together before I end this. Or I swear I’ll make you both regret it.” She storms out.

I squeeze Toby’s hand. “What do you think she’ll do?”

“No idea. But she’s pissed, so I’m sure it will be quite a show.”

I rack my brain, trying to think of something Meredith can use against him. And then it hits me—the ultimate payback for a desperate girl seeking revenge. The very thing Meredith brought up when she caught Toby and me together at his house. She thought Toby just used her for sex—made her sleep with him and then dumped her. Knowing Meredith, she’s willing to go to any lengths to keep her reputation. She won’t care that Toby will be destroyed in the process. “Oh God!”

“What?”

I don’t know how to tell him this, but I have to. He has to be ready. “She’s going to tell everyone you forced her to sleep with you.”

“What? I did not! She threw herself at me, and that was months ago.”

Months ago? “You haven’t…in months?”

“It happened once. Once. That’s all. And it wasn’t my idea.”

“So you didn’t break up with her right after you…?” I can’t bring myself to say it.

“No!”

I relax a little, happy that Toby isn’t that guy at all. I should’ve known better. “I’m sorry I ever thought—”

“Don’t be. But you’re right. She’s going to make the whole school think I pressured her into sex.”

I don’t know how to get him out of this. He could deny it, but Meredith is a girl. A girl who can turn on tears like a faucet. And now she’s back at the top of the popular scale. Toby doesn’t stand a chance.

Chapter Nineteen

“I think our best bet is to stay away from each other and let Meredith handle this her own way,” Toby says.

“But she could spread this rumor throughout half the school by the end of the day.” He’s nowhere near as worried about this as he should be.

He takes my hands in his. “You don’t believe I did that, and that’s all that matters to me.”

“Toby, that’s sweet, but believe me, you’re going to care if the entire school looks at you like you’re a…” I shake my head.

“We’ll deal with that if and when it happens.”

I don’t want to let it go. This is too huge to just hope it blows over. I want to come up with a plan, but the bell rings and we have to get to class.

“Relax. We’ll figure something out.”

“Remember when our biggest problem was not letting Tori find out about us?”

He smiles. “We’ll deal with that too.” He kisses me and disappears through the curtains.

All day I wait for Meredith to drop the bomb. It’s torture. I’m more worried about Toby than anything else. He’s such a good guy. He made a mistake. One he regrets, and Meredith is going to make him pay for it, all so she can stay popular. It’s so wrong it makes me sick. Toby doesn’t deserve this, and I want to help him but I’m not sure how. No one is going to take my word over Meredith’s.

“Did you hear?” Amber Sherman says, leaning forward to whisper to the girl sitting next to me, Rachel Something-or-other.

“What?” Rachel asks.

“Meredith told me that Toby bought her that necklace to try to make up with her.”

“For what?”

My stomach clenches as I slouch down, trying to listen to every word they say, and hoping it has nothing to do with Meredith’s threat.

“She said he forgot to invite her to his birthday party. He said he assumed she’d go since she’s his girlfriend, but she reminded him that girls like to be invited places.”

“It’s like he doesn’t even know her,” Rachel says. “He’s lucky to have Meredith. She’s so supportive of his basketball.”

I roll my eyes. Meredith is a cheerleader. It’s her job to support the basketball team. Man, she has these girls buying every word she says. And that’s really bad news for Toby. Still, I’m relieved she hasn’t mentioned anything about sex. Yet.

“Great job on the quiz, Miss Daniels,” Mr. Rollar says, placing my paper on the desk. “Like I said, you and Mr. Michaels make quite the pair.”

Amber and Rachel lean toward me at the same time. “What was that about you and Toby?”

They look like they’re ready to claw my eyes out on Meredith’s behalf. “Um, he’s my tutor.”

Rachel smirks, and Amber sits back in her seat, stifling a laugh. “Poor Toby,” Rachel mumbles.

I really hate those girls.

After class I pack up my things and head to my locker, but I almost can’t get there thanks to the crowd in the hall. Oh God! This is it. Tori comes up behind me with Ryder in tow. “Hey. I heard Meredith was ripping my brother a new one.”

I can’t respond. I’m too busy trying to hear Meredith, which isn’t too hard, considering she’s practically yelling.

“You thought some stupid necklace could patch things up? Well, think again, Toby. We’re over. Finished. You’re not worth the ground I walk on. You take me for granted. You’d rather study trig with that geek, Becca Daniels, than party with your friends. And you’re lousy in bed.”

Ouch. Cackles and cheers ring through the hall as the crowd parts and lets Meredith through. She smiles triumphantly, and when she reaches me, she raises an eyebrow. As much as I hate her, I have an overwhelming urge to hug her. She didn’t accuse Toby of anything really bad. She kept the breakup to petty crap that didn’t really mean a thing. I’m grateful for that.

“Well, there goes Toby’s street cred.” Tori laughs.

“He’s your brother.” I open my locker and stuff my books inside. “You could be a little more sensitive.”

“What was that thing about Toby tutoring you anyway?” Ryder asks.

“I was sort of bombing trig, so Tori asked Toby to tutor me.”

“Oh.” He nods. “The way Meredith made it sound, I thought maybe you and Toby—”

“What? God no!” Tori shakes her head. “That’s just ridiculous.”

Great. One problem down and one to go. All around us, people are yelling things at Toby. Awful things. Somehow Meredith has become their queen, and they’re all taking her side. He walks over to us and sighs.

“Good job, bro.” Tori pats his shoulder. “You may be lame in the sack, but Meredith’s a bitch. You’re better off without her.”

“Thanks.” He rolls his eyes before meeting my gaze.

I give him a small smile. “So, I got an A on my last trig quiz, but this next unit is pretty tough. You think you have time to tutor me this week?”

“I think his schedule is pretty wide open now.” Ryder pats Toby on the back and laughs.

“Gee thanks, man. You’re a real friend.”

“Just busting on you. Don’t be so sensitive.” Ryder drapes his arm around Tori and they walk out. Toby and I fall in step behind them. His hand brushes mine, which is as close to holding hands as we can get right now. Even though Meredith didn’t attack Toby with the sex card, she still might if we go public before Saturday. Five days. Then Toby and I can be together. I just hope it doesn’t mean the end of my friendship with Tori.

***

“So, that wasn’t too bad,” I say, sitting down on Toby’s bed.

He locks the bedroom door behind him. “Oh no. I’m just lame in bed. Not bad at all.” He drops some crickets in Elvis’s cage.

“Okay, I know that’s so not cool, but it could’ve been a lot worse.”

His ego is majorly bruised, and unfortunately, I can’t help him with it because I’m in no position to dispute what Meredith said.

“What are you studying in trig?” He sits down next to me.

“Already got it. It’s totally easy.”

“Oh.” He perks up a little. “So, this study session is…”

“Strictly a make-out session. If that’s okay with you.” I smile.