Free The Year of the Great Seventh by Teresa Orts

her.
    Every time I heard a car arriving in the parking lot, my stomach squirmed. I didn’t have the courage to look in case it was Nate.
    “I don’t know how to break this to you,” Megan announced. “The bad news is that today is my last day at school. I’m flying tomorrow with Mom to Montreal. She’s coming with me. Dad’s staying here in L.A. with my sister.” She waited to see our reaction.
    “When are you coming back to school?” Chase looked puzzled.
    Chase and Tyson were staring at Megan, holding their breath. Their cheerfulness had vanished at once. They hadn’t anticipated that their time on the red carpet came with a price.
    “I’m not sure, but it shouldn’t be too long.” Megan answered as if she were asking herself a question.
    No one said anything, so she continued. “I’ll be in Montreal for a few weeks, shooting the movie, and after that I’ll be travelling for the movie promotion.” She again surveyed our reactions.
    “Sometimes it takes months to shoot and release a movie. This is going to be a fast one because the producers want to release it for the Christmas holidays.” Her cheerfulness felt forced.
    “Six weeks is quite a long time.” Chase complained.
    “We should do something tonight since it’s my last night,” Megan suggested in a desperate attempt to make up for her future absence.
    “Do you remember that movie we watched last year? The Things we Left Behind ? The one where I played the daughter of a single mother who smuggles people across the Mexican border? It’s playing at the independent theater on Sunset Boulevard. Maybe we could go watch it again all together?”
    “I’m in,” I rushed to say.
    “Me too,” Tyson and Chase said at once.
    We were all apparently eager to spend some time together before the group disintegrated completely. Emma was also going to be away for a week, shooting a commercial.
    “Where’s Emma, anyway?” I asked.
    “She’s running late,” Megan explained.
    High-pitched laughter like a hyena suddenly resonated in the parking lot, making the three of them turn at once. I didn’t dare turn around because I recognized that laughter and knew who was probably also around.
    That was Stacey White’s laugh. Most people would probably describe her as the most popular girl at school and evidently part of Nate’s entourage. Nate and his friends always hung out in the parking lot. I knew if she was there, Nate wouldn’t be far.
    “God, she’s so annoying!” Megan whined, looking over her shoulders.
    Driven by my curiosity, I took a quick peek and was relieved to find Nate was nowhere to be seen. Stacey White, with her two friends on either side, strolled down the center of the path with their short skirts and excessive makeup, confirming just another high school stereotype. And just like in high school movies, the popular girls seemed to always walk in slow motion. The three of them paraded, enjoying every bit of the never-ending attention.
    Stacey whispered something to her two friends as they passed us, and they both turned to look at me. I automatically slid down the bench. My life was officially over. Nate had told them what happened. Everyone knew Nate had come to my place to tell me I was a loser.
    “Is she still dating Brad Stanley?” Chase interrupted my brooding.
    Last year, Stacey dated the captain of the West Hollywood High football team, but, supposedly, she left him because she got bored. As with all spoiled brats, she always wanted what she couldn’t have, and once she had it, she lost interest.
    “Stop staring at her. That’s what she wants.” Megan complained, grabbing Tyson by the arm and forcing him to look away.
    Tyson and Chase burst into a laugh. Megan strongly disliked Stacey. That wasn’t something she could hide.
    “Let’s go to class. We’re late again,” Megan ordered. Like a flock of sheep, we followed her into the building.
    Surprisingly, the day slid by without having to encounter Nate. Or maybe