Free Too Good to Be True by Laurie Friedman

bathroom afterward, Emily stopped me. “What’s the deal with Matt?” She stood in front of me like she was waiting for an answer. But I didn’t give her one.
    This was supposed to be a pep rally, not a tell-all.
Saturday, October 19, 10:02 P.M .
Homecoming
    I told Emily what happened. I hadn’t planned to tell her, but it all came tumbling out before our halftime performance tonight. I was a wreck during the whole first half. Billy was there. Matt was there. All I wanted to do was avoid both of them. Even though I knew they knew where the dance team was sitting, I literally was slumped down in my chair like I was trying to hide.
    â€œWhat’s wrong with you?” Emily asked.
    â€œNothing,” I said. Even I knew my voice didn’t sound normal. All I wanted to do was get through the dance we had to do at halftime, but I was a fidgeting mess. As the countdown to halftime neared, I couldn’t sit still.
    Emily kept looking at me. “I think I know what’s going on,” she said with two minutes to go before halftime. She gave me this look like she already knew something scandalous had happened. And that’s when it all came pouring out. I couldn’t hold it in any longer.
    I told her everything. How Matt pulled me into him and kissed me, then French kissed me.I told her I was upset and wished I hadn’t kissed him and that when I reminded Matt that I had a boyfriend, the only thing he had to say was that it would be our secret.
    When I finished, Emily wrapped her arm around me. “You poor thing, you must have been dying holding it in for so long. You should have told me sooner!”
    I told her it was really hard to keep that secret and that I’ve been feeling terrible about what I did to Billy but that it felt good to tell someone.
    â€œDon’t worry,” said Emily. “Your secrets are safe with me.”
    Then Ms. Baumann said to get in line, and before I knew it, we were on the field in front of thousands of screaming Faraway football fans. We did the dance we’d been practicing for weeks, without one misstep. When we finished, we ran off the field to everyone clapping and cheering. “Great job, girls!” said Ms. Baumann.
    But I didn’t feel great. I was happy that the performance went well, and right before the performance, it felt pretty good to talk to Emily and get everything off my chest. But after wefinished dancing, I started to feel like it was a bad idea to tell Emily what happened with Matt. I pulled Emily aside and reminded her that she said my secrets were safe with her. She nodded like they were.
    But I had a gnawing feeling that they might not be.
11:32 P.M .
Starting to panic
    I’m not so sure my secrets are safe with Emily. What Brynn said about not trusting her keeps running through my head. I texted Emily an hour ago to remind her not to tell anybody about what I told her, and she never texted me back. Crap. What have I done, and is there any way to undo it?
    Dear God, please don’t let it be a bad idea that I told Emily.

A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has time to get its pants on.
    â€”Winston Churchill
Monday, October 21, 5:52 P.M .
I’ve said it before
This time I mean it
Worst day of my life
Officially
    Everything at school today seemed fine.
    I played volleyball in PE. I took a test in math. I ate a salad, no dressing for lunch. My problems started at dance. Actually, they started on the way to dance. I always walk to the high school with Emily, Kate, and Vanessa. Today I waited by the front gate for them, where I always do, but they never showed up.
    I thought maybe they were running late, so I texted Emily, but she didn’t answer.
    I had to leave. We get in so much trouble with Ms. Baumann if we’re late. But as I walkedto the high school, I had a terrible feeling that being late was the least of my problems.
    I knew I was right the minute I walked into the gym. When