Chapter
Forty-three
Gym
class
But Darcy had run after Paige. He knew a
short cut in the opposite direction that would meet Paige somewhere in the
middle. He was athletic and after having been in school now for almost the
entire semester, Darcy knew every hallway.
A few Princesses and cheerleaders fanned
him with “Heys,” and one even said, “Darcy, why so fast?” But the bell had sounded for the final class
of the day and Darcy wanted to catch Paige before she caught a life or reached gymnastics
practice.
Darcy finally found Paige chalking her hands
at the bar.
“Darcy? Are you stalking me?”
“Is that all you have to say in response?”
“I told you, I’m not going.”
At this point a few cheerleaders, Princesses
and even two teachers were listening in on their conversation. Enough people so
the whole school would know in the morning that Darcy chased Paige all the way
to the gym only to be turned down and humiliated by her. How could she? Some
whispered. It was the prom. The high
school prom. These moments were gold. They never came again.
“So, you are rejecting me?”
“If you have to put it that way.”
“Which way should I put it?”
“Any way you want, I suppose.’
“I don’t understand. I thought we… liked
each other.”
“Well, I guess you thought wrong.”
He stared at Paige for a moment, trying to
work her out. Her slim but tough exterior belied a sweet interior, he was sure
of it. But he was embarrassed, humiliated in front of a group of gaggling
gymnasts. Once again, his pride got the better of his true feelings.
“How dare you reject me! It was all a joke
anyway. I chose to ask you above all the other girls in the school, some of
whom had already bothered to ask me, not the other way round. But I was going
to write about it on my blog and tell Mackenzie all about it the next day.”
“Well, go for it Darcy. Mackenzie really is
your perfect match!”
“And who are you to judge me? I pulled
strings for you and that stupid invented scholarship! My father sponsors the
award. Do you want to know why they picked you? They made special consideration
because you are poor… and a girl! And…FYI - your mother is a massive social
climber…”
“Oh, nothing like Mackenzie Bingley then…”
“At least she has the finances to back it
up.”
“How dare you!” Paige was so exasperated, she
threw her gym bag at him.
“And your sisters… have behaved like total
tramps. It’s all over the web… Rys Wickam has been talking up how easy they
were when he got with both of them at that stupid beach party.”
Paige looked surprised as Darcy darted
behind a locker. He peeked his head out when he thought Paige had settled.
“How could you not know? He’s told anyone
who’d listen… he even filmed them…” Paige blocked her ears.
“You need to stop talking now, Darcy. I really
don’t need to hear any more from you. I have no inkling why you bothered to ask
me to go to the dance with you since you think so little of my family and by
extension – me. But apart from your insane snobbery, your rudeness, your
conceited behavior and your arrogance… did you really think I would ever go
anywhere with you when you schemed to destroy my sister’s relationship with
Ryan?”
Darcy looked shocked.
“Who told you that?”
“Rys Wickam. But he didn’t need to tell me.
I suspected as much and the look on your face just confirmed it.”
Darcy stopped talking.
“Deny it! I dare you!”
“I… can’t.”
Paige also stopped.
They stared at each other a moment. They
looked into each other’s eyes. Both of their faces were red as beets. As the
bell rang out for the end of the day and the beginning of the after-school
activities it even looked as if they might move closer, make a truce and kiss.
But instead, Darcy pulled back. He turned from Paige and left her standing in
the gym with chalk on her hands.
“Argh!” Paige exclaimed, as she went to the
bar to warm up.
“Are you quite ready to join us now Paige
Bennet?” the gym teacher, who behaved in a troll-like manner, asked
sarcastically.
“Um… actually, no,” Paige said,
uncharacteristically bursting into tears. She ran out of the room.
It was only the second time Darcy had made
Paige cry and she swore it would be the last.
