Free My Secret Boyfriend by Lurlene McDaniel

“If Wade had treated me that way, I’d be furious!”
    “I—I just don’t feel that way. If he really cares about me, he’ll come back. I don’t have to act hurt and jealous.”
    “Boy, are you dumb!” Laurie snorted.
    “I am not.”
    “Fact number one,” Laurie said. “Girls flirt. Fact number two, boys love to be flirted with. Fact number three, if you don’t fight for what’s yours, you’ll lose it.”
    “All right,” Jordan conceded. “I agree with your first two points. But I think that if you really care about somebody, you won’t smother him. I think it’s okay to give a person lots of space.”
    “Well, Ryan certainly has space all right,” Laurie said grimly. She stopped dead in her tracks and stared straight ahead.
    Jordan followed her grim gaze. Ahead in the distance were Jennifer and Ryan. They were walking slowly, holding hands. Jordan swallowed hard. Now what should she say?
    Laurie touched Jordan’s shoulder and Jordan stared into her best friend’s blue eyes. “They’re creeps,” Laurie said. “Well, I promise you, Jordan, they won’t get away with it.” Jordan’s pulse was pounding, but she couldn’t think of anything to say. Then Laurie continued. “I won’t let them get away with it. Not for one minute. Ryan can’t just dump you because Jennifer batted her eyes at him. We’ll fix them, Jordan. I promise.”
    Fix them? How was Laurie going to fix them? Jordan’s hands turned icy. Suddenly it was as if she were living in a house of cards and a giant hand had sent the cards tumbling down around her. And there was nothing she could do about it, absolutely nothing. She mumbled good-bye to Laurie and stumbled on to the bus stop. Somehow, in spite of the sun and heat, Jordan felt cold—cold and scared.
    The remainder of the week was a nightmare. Everywhere she went at school, Jordan could tell kids were talking about her.
    Jennifer was home with the flu, so she missed the week of gossip. Ryan wasn’t so lucky. Most people shut him out because they were on Jordan’s side. Kids turned from him in the halls. They spoke only if he spoke to them.
    Jordan begged off jogging with Ryan each evening, keeping to herself in her room. She told him that she had a term paper to write. But the truth was, she couldn’t bear to face him. Her friends meant well. But they were hurting him and it was her fault! She was lounging in bed the next Saturday, trying to decide whether to get up and face a miserable day of side-stepping Ryan or to stay put and avoid him. Sunshine shone through her window. Her clock radio played softly in the background. It would have been a perfect day. If only. . . A soft knock sounded on her door.
    “Jordan?” Ryan’s voice came through the door. “Jordan, are you awake?”
    “Uh—sure.”
    “Can I talk to you?”
    “Just a minute. I’ll be right out.” Quickly she tugged on jeans and a shirt and brushed her hair. Then she took a deep breath and opened the door. She headed for the top step of the landing where he was waiting for her.
    “What’s up?” she asked Ryan, sitting on the step beside him.
    Ryan ran his hand through his hair. “Uh—Jordan, . . . can I ask you something?”
    “Sure.” She wondered if Ryan could hear her heart pounding.
    “Have I got bad breath or something?”
    Jordan smiled. “Of course not. Why would you think something like that?”
    “It’s just the way everyone’s treating me at school. Like I’ve suddenly sprouted two heads. Or gotten some sort of contagious disease.”
    “You’re just imagining it. Everybody likes you.”
    He shook his head. “No, I’m not. Especially Wade and Laurie. They hardly speak to me anymore. I’ve thought and thought about it, but I can’t figure out why.”
    Ryan thrust his hands into the pockets of his jeans and heaved a sigh. Jordan clenched he own fists, wishing she could erase everything she’d done. “Oh, I’m sure it’s nothing. Wade and Laurie live in their own world