Free The Original Crowd by Tijan

dryly.
    “Yeah…” The hesitation was enough. Mandy didn’t want me to leave, so that meant that Devon must have been on the student council. Devon would be heading over to the house and she was nervous about it.
    “What time is your student council meeting?”
    Relief flashed in her eyes as Mandy responded, “At 2:30.”
    Nodding, I murmured, “I’ll be back after lunch.”
    Darting back up to my room, I quickly changed clothes, putting on a white halter top and some tight blue jeans. I slipped on some sandals and grabbed my purse. When I walked back downstairs, the cheerleaders had gone out to our backyard—thank goodness—and I left through the front door, crossing to my car. Climbing in, my phone went off. Seeing Brian’s name flash across my screen, I put it away, silencing the ringer as I drove off.
    *
    Returning at two, I was surprised to see ten or more cars in our driveway and on the street. Apparently the meeting had started early or they’d come early to gossip. Probably the latter. Walking inside I was met with the same reaction as the cheerleaders: hostility, curiosity, and/or cluelessness.
    Fuck them. I shrugged it off as I zeroed in on where Mandy was. I found her in the kitchen, busying herself with drinks and food. Making my way through the crowd, I stared at one of the girls in the kitchen and said flatly, “Leave.”
    She ran.
    Mandy choked on a laugh. “Taryn, seriously. Friends are a good thing to have.”
    “I have friends,” I said coolly, hopping onto the counter. “So, where is he?”
    She sighed. “He’s on the patio with Grant and Amber.”
    “And where are you at?”
    “In a land of denial, telling myself everything is perfect except that my boyfriend cheated on me and is no longer my boyfriend.” She turned to me, her eyes misty. “Did you see them this morning? She was all over him.”
    “Anyone say anything?”
    “No, thank God. Everyone’s been talking about that stupid prank—and it couldn’t have come at a better time—but Amber hasn’t even talked to me. I think she’s on Jasmine’s side.”
    “Has she talked to Jasmine today?”
    “I don’t know, but Jasmine backstabbed me. You’d think Amber would say something to me, right? She’s my best friend.”
    “Yeah…friends have a way of not being your friends when they’re needed the most. I learned to take people with a grain of salt,” I murmured. “So, you want me to hang out for moral support?”
    “Yeah…and because the gang is having dinner here tonight.”
    “What? Mandy!”
    “I know, I know,” she groaned. “I couldn’t stop myself. Devon was talking to Grant and Amber in the dining room and everyone was watching. Next thing I know, I’m inviting them for dinner. I don’t know why—”
    “You did it because you don’t want them to know that you’re suffering. Makes perfect sense to me. Stupid though.”
    Mandy grinned. “I know. So…you have to be here tonight.”
    “It’s your whole crowd, right? Grant, Bryce, Amber, Devon, Jasmine, and Tray?”
    “Yeah. And Carter.”
    “Who’s Carter?”
    “Bryce’s cousin. He’s in town, he moved last year to Southington but he’s friends with all of us. Carter’s hilarious. You’ll love him, well…maybe.”
    A girl popped her head in the kitchen and said cheerfully, “Mandy! Guess what? Tray Evans is here with Carter Sethlers. How cool is that? Tray Evans isn’t even on student council and Carter Sethlers doesn’t even go to our school anymore. I’m so happy you had the meeting here.”
    “Anyone else with them, Shelley?” Mandy asked guardedly.
    “Nope. Just those two.”
    “Can you tell them that Grant, Devon, and Amber are on the patio?”
    “Sure.” Shelley flashed her a blinding smile, which matched her blonde highlights. “I think Patrice already did, but I’ll check anyway. Gives me an excuse to chat up Tray, hmmm?”
    When she left, Mandy sighed in relief. “Thank God Carter’s here.”
    “He’s pretty cool,