Sarina couldn’t stop thinking about everything Celeste had said. She was distracted all through school that day. Even at lunch, when Monique and Jolie were poking at her for attention, Sarina’s mind kept wandering.

Her gaze slid Rion’s way throughout the classes they shared. He was constantly zoning out and he kept to himself, barely talking to anyone. He’d been like that his whole life, even before he was friends with Noa. He was weird and creepy, same as always. And he kept giving her side-eyed looks when he caught her looking his way.  It was getting on her nerves.

Had Rion really lied? But why? It couldn’t be to protect Noa. Celeste had to be wrong. Rion wasn’t a hero. The guy was a total jerk who only cared about himself. So why would he lie about the friendship bracelet?

And if Noa was the one who’d wrecked his bracelet… That changed everything.

Noa was damaged. He’d been hurt since before he came to Misty Meadows. If he wrecked his bracelet, everyone would have understood. No one would have been upset with him. He was struggling. It was normal.  If he did do it, he did it out of grief.

But it was still hard to believe. How could that possibly have stayed a secret?

Maybe it was a trick orchestrated by Rion. That would make a lot more sense. He could easily be lying to get everyone on his side, painting her as the bad guy.

But Celeste said that Noa admitted that he wrecked his bracelet. Why would he play along? Noa had to be telling the truth, right? But that would mean Rion had been lying this whole time, which would mean that the bracelet really was Noa’s, and…

Sarina needed to talk to Noa. She needed his side of things. She needed the truth.

But there was one other person she had to ask first.

“Hey, Rion,” Sarina called out to him in the hall. It was packed now that school was over. “I need to talk to you for a second.”

“No thanks,” he said, shrugging on his backpack and closing his locker door.

Rion looked ready to bolt, but Sarina lunged past the crowd, getting in his way.

“This is important,” Sarina said, cornering him against the lockers. “It’s about the friendship bracelets.”

Rion froze. It was only for a fraction of a second before he leaned back, squaring his shoulders and glaring at her. It wasn’t very intimidating since he was this scrawny guy, almost outweighed by his own backpack.

“Fuck off,” Rion told her. “Leave me alone.”

There was no reasoning with him. Sarina knew she had to use force. She grabbed one of his backpack straps and pulled.

Sarina wasn’t exactly a wall of muscle, but she kept active, participating in most school sports and biking every time Travis wouldn’t let her borrow the truck. She was easily more fit than a wimp like Rion, and even though it took her a lot of effort, she was able to drag him along by the strap of his bag.

“Let go!” he said, squirming in her grip.

Rion could have pulled free of his backpack, but Sarina knew how much he hated to abandon his stuff. He clung to his own bag as she used it to drag him somewhere more private. And the closest place with a chance of privacy was the gym.

Since school was out and any activities that ran late were usually done outside on the grounds, no one was there. The supply room was closed and the gym was completely empty. Sarina dragged Rion away from the doors so that they wouldn’t be seen through the glass, the squeaking of their sneakers echoing as she hauled him to a corner.

Sarina didn’t risk letting go of Rion’s backpack. He was still straining to get away. She held on tight, pushing him into the wall. He wasn’t likely to fight back and she was confident she could handle him. The only way she was going to get any answers was if she pushed Rion.

“Celeste told me you’re a liar,” Sarina said. “She said Noa wrecked his friendship bracelet and you took the blame for it. Is that true?”

The look that flashed across Rion’s face was one of wide-eyed guilt. It made Sarina’s chest tighten, afraid of what it meant.

“Whatever,” he snapped. At least he’d stopped struggling. “If you’re going to hit me, just get it over with.”

The words sent a sharp spike of frustration through her. Sarina shoved him hard against the wall. Rion yelped. Sarina didn’t care.

“I’m not leaving you alone until you fucking answer me!” she snarled. “Who wrecked the bracelet? You or Noa?”

“What does it matter!” Rion snapped. “What would it change! Who gives a shit!”

“I give a shit!” Sarina said. “Tell me the truth! Either you’re a liar or Celeste is – so which is it?”

Rion opened his mouth, then snapped it shut with a grimace.

“Fine,” he said. “I lied. Are you fucking happy? I’m a liar. Nothing you didn’t already know.”

Sarina held him there, breathing heavily as she studied him. He was glaring back, breathing just as hard from all the yelling and struggling.

She couldn’t tell.

Sarina couldn’t tell if he was lying. It didn’t seem like he was, but… He was acting the same as he always did. He used that exact same tone all the times he talked about cutting up the bracelet.

Rion wasn’t that good of a liar, was he? Sarina didn’t think so, but she was lost right now.

“Is that really true?” Sarina said, giving him a shake for emphasis. He grunted, trying to lean to the side and pull away but she jerked him back in place. “Noa wrecked his bracelet? And you took it from him?”

“If you try to hurt him because of that, I swear…”

Now there was a change. Rion’s voice dropped, becoming low and aggressive. He bared his teeth at her like an angry dog.

Sarina hesitated. Still, she kept a tight grip on that backpack strap.

“I’d never hurt Noa,” Sarina said. “What are you – stupid? Noa’s been through so much shit… If he really did it, he was probably just hurt and upset, and… Noa isn’t an asshole like you.”

She said that, but she felt cold. The sharpness was lost from her voice. If Noa really did it…

It never occurred to her that she might be wrong. Had she really misunderstood this whole time? Rion… He’d really been lying? But…

“Why?” she continued, cutting Rion off as he opened his mouth to speak. She talked right over him. “Why would you lie?”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Rion scoffed. “You stole the bracelet, dragged me out to the park, and accused me in front of everyone! What kind of friend would I be if I put Noa in that position? Not that you would have believed me if I told you it was him… I had no choice!”

“Oh, fuck off! Don’t act like you’re some martyr,” she sneered. “You did have a choice and you made a fucking stupid decision. I was the one who was trying to figure out the truth.”

“Bullshit,” Rion said with a harsh, humourless laugh. “Total bullshit! You wanted a reason to shit on me and you found one.”

“Not true! That is not true!” she said. “I don’t even know why you’re trying to make me out to be the bad guy here! You’re the one who lied.”

“And I’d do it again,” he said viciously. “I’d do it again and again and again! Every time! If it means that you’ll leave Noa alone, I’ll do it as many times as I have to!”

“Stop acting like I’d do anything to Noa!” she said. “I would never, ever hurt him! Unlike you, I actually care about him! If I thought there was something I could do to help him, I’d do it without question!”

Rion laughed in her face. It was harsh and bitter and sounded like it was grating his throat.

Sarina gave him another shove and finally let go of his backpack strap. Her heart was pounding and she felt…angry? Frustrated? She didn’t even know what kind of feeling it was. It was a rush of adrenaline pumping hard in her veins.

“You don’t know fucking anything,” Rion finally said. “You care about Noa? You’d help him without question? What a fat load of shit.”

“It’s the truth!” she snapped, hands balling up into fists at her sides. She wanted to hit him more than anything right now, but she remembered Celeste’s reaction from the other day. It was the only thing holding her back. “What would you know about doing anything for Noa? You abandoned him for years! I don’t even know why he wants to be around you! I spent so much time trying to help him! I used to come over to his house and talk to him on the phone, and…and so much other shit! And where were you?  Hiding like a fucking coward!”

Rion let out another bitter laugh. “Whatever you say, Sarina. Yeah. Sure. Are you happy now? You know the truth. So leave me the fuck alone.”

She ground her teeth, clenching her jaw painfully tight. She wanted to say something, but she had what she wanted. Sort of. It seemed like Rion and Celeste were telling the truth, even if she wanted to deny it.

But she still wanted to confirm it with Noa. She wanted to hear him say it himself.

“Fuck you,” Sarina said. “Everything that Eric and Kyle say about you? It’s completely fucking true. You’re garbage! Absolute trash! Why don’t you do us all a favour and take a long walk off a short pier.”

She didn’t wait for his reaction. She turned and stormed out of the gym. She was just talking shit at this point, feeling frustrated and hating everything.

When she stepped outside, she hesitated, glancing towards home. She could call it a night and pick away at her homework, or…

She turned, determined, and headed for the Murphys.

It wasn’t a long walk from the school, just a few blocks. Before she knew it, she was right on the doorstep, hesitating. But she’d come here so she might as well…

Sarina rang the doorbell and waited.

Sarina knew that Peter went to college in the city, so she was surprised when he opened the door. It made her stomach do an uncomfortable lurch, since he’d made it clear that he didn’t like her.

“Why are you home?” she blurted out without so much as a hello. “Don’t you have school in the city? Isn’t that like an hour-long drive or some shit?”

Peter stared down at her, crossing his arms. “Unlike high school, college doesn’t always have full school days. What do you want?”

“I want to see Noa,” she said, standing straighter. “Celeste told me about the bracelets. I want to ask him if it’s really true.”

“Why? So that you can beat on him?” Peter asked.

He was totally cold about it, like he actually thought she would hurt Noa.

What was wrong with everyone?

“I would never – and I mean never – hurt Noa,” she said, jabbing a finger at him. “I just need to make sure that it’s true. And the only person who can answer that is Noa. I just want to talk to him.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Peter said. “I think you should stay as far away from him as possible. I don’t think he wants to see you.”

The words stung but Sarina was determined. She’d come here. Why leave without answers?

“Ask him then,” she said. “Ask Noa. If he doesn’t want to see me, he can say so himself.”

Peter looked like he was going to refuse. Then he let out a breath through his nose.

“Fine. Wait here,” he said.

Sarina stepped forward, expecting to at least be welcomed into the entrance, but Peter closed the door in her face. She let out an indignant squawk and was then left to stand there, fuming and embarrassed.

She stuffed her hands in her pockets, glancing around as she waited, bouncing on the balls of her feet. It was getting pretty cool out and there was a breeze today. Standing and waiting was making her feel cold, the wind nipping through her light jacket.

Finally, the door opened. It was Peter again, blocking off the doorway, but Noa had come with him and was standing right behind him.

“Noa,” Sarina said, hopeful. She perked right up, relieved that he would see her. “Hey! How are you?”

“Bad,” he said.

She was a little startled by the hard statement. Now that she got a better look at him, she realized that he was staring her down, glaring at her.

“Noa?” she said.

“I wrecked my bracelet,” Noa said. “Now go away.”

“But… What?” Sarina said, looking at Peter before turning back to Noa. “I… Noa–”

“That’s what you wanted to know, right?” Noa said.

“Yes, but… You really wrecked it?” Sarina asked. “Why? Why would you… And Rion… Why would he say that he did it?”

“Because he’s my best friend,” Noa said, his voice starting to rise. “And you hurt him! Why are you even here? I hate you.”

“Noa…” Peter said, raising a hand.

“No. I mean it. I hate her,” Noa insisted.

Sarina’s throat felt tight. She suddenly didn’t know what to say, her voice lost.

Noa hatedher? Why! Because she hurt Rion? But he started everything! Rion was the problem! It wasn’t like she hurt him for no reason. He wrecked his–!

No… No, he didn’t wreck his bracelet. But he’d done so many other things! He’d done things to her too! He’d called her names! Rion was far from innocent.

“He hurt me too!” she finally said, the sound bursting from her. “He… Rion’s hit me before! It’s self-defence!”

“I don’t believe you,” Noa said. “Rion’s not like that.”

“It’s true! It’s totally true! You don’t know him anymore! Noa–!”

But with a final glare, Noa turned around and headed back in. He didn’t even glance back after that, disappearing into the house.

“Wait!” Sarina said, lunging forward.

Peter blocked her way, holding out an arm. She stumbled back in a hurry.

“Sarina, let it go,” he said. “Noa doesn’t want to see you. And neither do I, to be honest. Go home.”

“He said… He doesn’t really hate me, right?” Sarina asked. “I… It’s not how he thinks it is!”

“You’ve said that before. Too many times,” Peter said. “And every time you’ve said that to me, it’s been a lie. You need to leave.”

Sarina could feel her eyes stinging with tears.

“You’re wrong,” she said. “You and Noa are both wrong! I don’t know why you don’t get it! I didn’t…! Just because Rion didn’t wreck his bracelet doesn’t mean that he’s a good guy!”

“Rion spent the last six years protecting Noa from you,” Peter told her. “I’d say he’s a good guy.”

“He must have had some other reason!” she said.

Peter waved a hand. “Listen, I’m not going to argue with you on the doorstep. Noa doesn’t want to see you. End of story. I don’t have anything else to say, so… Goodbye, Sarina.”

“No! Wait! Hold on!”

But Peter shut the door. She heard the deadbolt click in place and she was left standing there alone.

Sarina stood on the doorstep, her eyes burning until tears began to slip free. She quickly reached up to scrub them away and then turned, sprinting off down the sidewalk.