NOTE: Make sure not to miss this weeks explosive read by kaelking12! 

https://youtu.be/uH41ibGwL0o

CHAPTER 22

Elias

The Daily Gawker -- Mission Bay's Number One Source for Scandals

October, 21st, 10:32

Good Morning Gawkers,

"Homecoming Hangover" still got your head pounding?

Don't worry.

We've got some especially shocking scandals on tap that'll definitely get you through your day.

But, be warned, today's biggest blind might get you into trouble if you're caught staring and sharing.

So do The Daily G a favor and read this post off school WIFI.

We know it's 3rd period, but search histories don't lie.

Neither do NSFS posts.

Don't say we didn't warn you.

BLIND ITEM #1 - CHIVALRY LIVES

Before we get into the scandal of the day, we have to share a little known story about a certain someone who stole our hearts after homecoming. Apparently, this so-called bad boy is quiet the softie---even if he hides it behind that party animal persona. 

Our handsome hero appeared in the right place at the right time when Friday's festivities left, "A", a Mission Bay damsel--in drunken distress. Luckily for her, Mr. Chivalry himself came to her rescue and personally saw to it that she made it home safe. Quite a noble act for a King to lower himself to knight status for a stranger.

Surprised?

So were we.

"Bad" boys are almost always good-looking, but how often does the "bad" boy turn out to be a "good" guy?

But that just goes to show how good looks can be very deceiving—and, so can unfounded rumors about said good looking people.

Be careful what you believe, Gawkers.

Not every situation is exactly what it seems...which brings us to our Not-So-Blind Item Below....

NOT SO BLIND ITEM #2 -- THREE'S A CROWD

If you were at the game Friday night, you probably already know that the talk of the town wasn't Mission Bay's crushing loss to Cardinal.

Word is, our Warrior boys weren't the only ones who lost big on the field.

Somewhere under the bleachers two Mission Bay heartthrobs got into what could be the most brutal fight of the school year.

Bromance break-ups are always tough, but this all-out brawl between former besties was one for the books. According to our sources, these love struck bromeos fell for the same Juliet--and the outcome wasn't pretty. 

Mission Bay's youngest Kasanova got caught red-faced and red-handed In a compromisiNg situation with a freshman football player's Girlfriend. Look's like our boy's been busy "breaking bad" ever since he broke up our school's last "it" couple a few weekends ago.

But before you're tempted to throw shade in his direction, you might wanna take a second look at all the suspects in the story.

We did.

And it turns out that "T", the girlfriend in question, isn't the victim she's pretending to be. After "T" was caught on top of our Kasanova, witnesses apparently heard her claim that he took advantage of her and that she was "pressured to cheat."

Strong words from a vixen who's kept a pretty low profile around Mission Bay. Talk about a fame grab. Unfortunately for "T", her wild accusations and not-so-secret tryst, aren't what landed her here. The series of photos of her that dropped into our inbox late Friday night are her new claim to Gawker fame.

Apparently, little miss "T" likes keeping her options wide open--among other things.

We don't recognize her cute Cardinal bed buddy, but his face isn't what we're interested in.

It's "T's" ReputatIon.

And now that you all know who SHe is...

...you can decide what happens to it.

Happy sharing, Gawkers.

Click here to view photos (WARNING-NSFW).

PS: Sorry, T.

Next time around, don't mess with a royal.

Until next week,

-The Daily G.

###

I should probably regret this.

The party.

The drinking.

The pictures.

Everything that went down on Friday.

A better guy would probably be sitting here in the back of the classroom sweating bullets and drowning in guilt, embarrassment, or shame.

But I'm not ashamed.

Or upset.

Or gratified.

I'm numb.

Numb as I watch row after row of people rise out of their seats, eyes glued to their phones, hands over their mouths, shock scrawled across their faces. Mr. Taggert barely got through the math lesson this morning. Granted, whenever the Gawker posts, people generally check out--but today's different. Even the hardcore nerds stopped taking notes on square roots just so they could peep at explicit pictures. And thanks to the girls at The Daily G, the only thing anyone cares about this morning is what Trish looks like topless.

And now everyone knows.

Two hard taps echo across my desk and I look up to see Mr. Taggert staring down at me over his double chin. His tie's too tight--like always. Instead of looking semi-professional when he shows up for work, the guy's walking around with a silver and black striped noose around his neck. 

I wonder why nobody's told him to fix it. Why nobody's been honest enough to just pull him aside and teach him how to not strangle himself. But that's the problem with this place. Nobody tells the truth.

The only people who come close are the girls at the Gawker.

That's why they got the photos. I just thought they were gonna blur out certain parts, not release Trish's version of a Hustler debut. But, pictures don't lie. And, I wanted people to know the truth.

Now everyone will see who Trish really is—now Josh will see her for who she's always been.

He can ignore me in the halls as much as he wants, but he can't ignore this.

Nobody can.

"Mr. King, given that your interests clearly do not lie in mathematics, I'm surprised to see you here five minutes after the bell. Can I help you with something?"

Taggert talks like he's running a marathon. Like. All. The. Time. Every word that flies out of his mouth comes with a whoosh of stale coffee breath and nicotine that he's probably hoping no one notices. 

I tilt back in my chair to avoid the stink and try my best to look him straight in his beady blue eyes like I actually want to have this conversation.

"I'm good, Mr. T, but thanks. I was just waiting a couple minutes for the halls to clear out before I leave."

Taggert makes some kind effort to sit down on the edge of my desk, but stops himself when the metal frame screams under his weight. I remember the feeling. And, as much as I wish I didn't understand him, I can't get away from the fact that last year I was him. Chubby Chorizo. A mini-Taggert in training. I've always hated his class because the guy's a shining example of everything I thought I didn't wanna be. Single. Awkward. Easy to laugh at. But then again, maybe I'm reading the situation wrong.

No matter how he looks—Taggert loves what he does. He genuinely enjoys numbers and trying to help people understand them. The other teachers like him too. He makes them all laugh in the staff room. He's got friends. He's not alone.

I've got everything a guy like him probably wished for in high school, but I'm not even close to happy.

I wonder what things would've been like if I'd sat on the couch all summer stuffing my face and playing video games instead of working out, going out, and screwing around with Trish. Maybe me and Josh wouldn't have ended up like this. Maybe I wouldn't have even tried for Lacey. Maybe I wouldn't have turned into a dick.

"Mr. King?"

I snap out of the past and try to figure out where we left off in the conversation, but my head's spinning.

"Sorry, what?"

"I just asked if you were alright. You're usually the first one out of here, but today you're quite the outlier."

I swallow down the bitterness rising in my throat, and try to play it cool.

"Yeah, everything's--"

Shot to hell.

I have no friends.

I used the Gawker to screw over a girl.

And I've been lying to my family just to keep them in the dark.

"--fine, I just need a little alone time. Is it cool if I stick around for a couple minutes? I promise I won't burn down the room when you leave."

Mr. Taggert lets out his first genuine laugh of the morning and the sight of it makes me sick and sad at the same time. I used to do the same thing. I'd laugh so hard everyone around me would count how long my stomach would keep moving after the fact.

Mr. T's blue Oxford's already bursting at the seams, rising up from his belt to the point where his belly's half-exposed. I should tell him. I should say something before he walks out of this classroom and everybody in the hall whispers about him when he walks by.

But I guess that makes me a hypocrite.

'Cause everyone's talking about Trish. And I'm the one who started the conversation.

"If you feel more comfortable here, I'm happy to let you stay until the end of morning break, but I'd be even happier if you used that time to finish last night's assignment. It'll be a zero if I don't get it by the end of the day, Mr. King."

And just like always, Mr. T busts out the hard numbers right when I least expect it.

"Sure thing. Later, Mr. Taggert."

He throws me a hopeful head nod, and then shuffles his way out of the room. I'm back on my phone as soon as the door closes behind him. I swipe open the screen and nearly fall out of my chair when Trish's post pops up. The shares are skyrocketing off the charts and the comments are coming in too fast to count.

This post has 1,130 Comments:

Ryder81:

Thanks for the morning wood, DG. These pics are going into my personal stash. Trish, if you're reading this, DM me <3

Lexi449:

Ugh, I know this girl. I figured she was a slut from how she dressed, but three guys in one night?! I wouldn't be surprised if she ended up preggo!

SageMystic replied to @Lexi449:

I would KILL to see that Maurey episode!? You are the father x3 lol

Alrightalready04:

How much you wanna bet half the football team's beating off to these during morning break?!

StrongSide22 replied to @Alrightalready04:

Already did, man. She's hot. I'd absolutely hit that. If you're reading this, T, call me :P

SarahJ3033:

Gross. She should deffo drop out of MB. Nobody's gonna look at her the same way.

HarleyQ42 replied to @SarahJ3033:

What did she expect though?! You can't slum your way around the freshman class and not expect people to notice. #desperate.

AdrianaZ00:

Is it just me or did the DG just take blinds to the next level!? Everyone totally knows who she is now which sucks for her---but I'm living for the dramz!!!

TaylorRae replied to @AdrianaZ00:

This. Rumors are one thing, but facts + photos. Gold. Thank you, DG. Best post of the year.

QueenZara:

Best part is, neither of those dudes will touch her after this. #timetoupgrade

Gianna657 replied to @QueenZara:

Bros before hos! I wouldn't be surprised if one of them took the pics. #youvegotblackmail

Show 1,119 More Comments

I shut off the screen when the sound of the classroom door slamming shut cuts through the silence. I look up half-expecting to see Trish standing there mortified, angry, and more than ready to fight, but Tanner's in her place. He takes a couple steps inside and then stills along with the rest of the air in the room. 

I don't have to see his face to know how he's looking at me.

His eyes are a mix of confusion, frustration, and concern. The kind I spent two days out of the house trying to avoid.

My stomach tightens up to the point where the tension's making me sick. He moves forward, closing the space between us as he crosses the classroom, and anxiety explodes inside my chest. My lungs freeze and burn all at once, but I force myself to keep a straight face. 

I've never felt like this in front of him. Not when I put him in the hospital. Not anytime we've talked. Not anytime we've argued.

I don't want him to see me like this. I don't want him to find out what I did.

I don't want him to be disappointed in me.

But he is. I see it. I feel it.

His silence says enough.

He's waiting for me to speak, but I'm nowhere near ready to have this conversation.

There's too much to explain.

And zero excuses for why I did what I did.

I haven't been home since Friday afternoon.

I woke up in some random girl's bed on Saturday. Called home, lied, said I was chilling with Josh for the weekend and that I'd catch a ride home with Tanner after school today.

I needed two full days for the swelling on my face to die down enough for me to go back to looking semi-normal. I needed Chris and his friends to help me find a couple of happy ways to blaze myself into not caring about whether Tanner and Mom found out about what happened at homecoming. I needed one of the girls I hooked up with to use her make-up skills to cover up a black eye.

But none of that hiding matters now.

'Cause Tanner probably knows.

He wouldn't be this angry if he didn't.

Tanner reaches me before I have enough time to react. I shoot up out of my chair while there's still a couple desks left between us and scramble backwards to keep my distance.

He looks up at me, eyes worried, but still composed. Still calm.

And I can't take it.

I turn away from him 'cause it's all I can do to avoid having to stare at the scope of his disappointment head on.

"Where have you been, Eli?? I've been running around half the school trying to find you, and apparently, I'm not the only one looking. What's going on with you, man? Everyone's talking about—"

"The post. Yeah, I know. What do you want me to do about it, Tanner? Beg the nurse to send me home?"

The words come out way more aggressive than I want them to, but it's too late to fix it. Tanner recoils a little but doesn't snap back at me like I want him to. Things would be easier if he did.

"Relax, Elias, I'm not here to fight. I just wanted to see if you were okay. You know I'd trust your word before any rumor which is why I—"

"Don't waste your time. It's all true anyway."

"What?!"

"Did I stutter? That post isn't lying, Tan. So lecture away."

Tanner takes a couple seconds to process what I'm saying, but when reality finally hits him, I get to watch any hope he had in me fade out of his eyes completely. He struggles to pull his phone out of his pocket and scrambles to skim through the post like re-reading it will change things.

"Elias—how did this even happen? You told me you were at Josh's this weekend. You told mom and she—we both believed you. Where did you go? And why didn't you say anything to me about this? I would've helped you if I knew," Tanner says, but I have zero intention of explaining myself. He'll just hate me even more for it.

So I decide to play the avoidance game and cock the kind of smile that says I don't care about anything when the exact opposite is true.

"Does it really matter now, though? What's done is done, and I'm here, aren't I? Safe and sound, sitting in class like a good boy. Just forget the post ever happened, and go back to your girlfriend."

Tanner's eyes darken, but he still manages to keep his cool. Part of me wants to see Mr. Perfect explode for once. Maybe, today'll be my lucky day.

"Do you hear yourself right now? I'm trying to give you a chance to explain all of this, and you're acting like none of this matters to you!"

"That's 'cause it doesn't matter to me. Look, what do you want me to say? That I lied about staying at Josh's? Okay. Fine. I did. I spent the weekend hanging out with my other friends. Is that problem?"

"What other friends?"

Ones you don't ever need to know about.

Guys I can count on to help me escape.

"Nobody you know. I'm a big boy, Tan. I can hang out with other people aside from Josh once in a while, or do I need a permission slip for that?"

Tanner tries his best to breathe through his frustration, but I feel him slipping. He steps closer to me and stares me down until I have no other choice but to look him.

"What happened to you Friday? Why are you acting like this?"

I hate this voice. The way he thinks he can talk to me like he's some kind of therapist. Like he understands. But he couldn't understand me right now if he tried. I don't want him to.

"Acting like what?"

"Like a different person. This isn't like you, Eli. Things were fine when me and Caleigh dropped you off. Did something happen with Lacey? You were there for her—not Trish—and, I was pulling for you—"

"Drop it, Tanner."

"This is about Lacey, isn't it?"

"I said drop it!"

My voice echoes across the room as I'm fighting to keep myself from giving into the impulse to hit him. I don't have the right to hit him. I don't even have the right to be angry, but it's poisoning me, and I don't know how to stop it.

But, Tanner still keeps pushing to calm me down. He reaches out and takes me by the shoulder, trying to connect, trying to find the real me somewhere in the middle of my chaos, but I shrug him off.

"Take it easy, Eli, I just wanna talk to you."

"About what?! Lacey? Okay, here it is. She has a boyfriend, Tanner. You and Caleigh were wrong, and I looked like a total idiot in front of her because I was stupid enough to believe you. So, yes, I got wasted, and yes, I messed around with Trish, and guess what? It cost me my best friend. She set me up, and I lost everything so can you really blame me for getting her back?!"

"Please tell me you didn't."

"Oh, yeah, I did. I took those pictures so the whole school could see her for what she really is—and you know what? I'm not even sorry."

My head snaps to the side before I even realize what's happening. There's a loud popping sound, the room tilts, and suddenly, I'm off balance—scrambling to find a way to stay on my feet. I crash into the corner of the desk standing right next to me and frantically grab for the edges to steady myself. The room stops moving, but my mind's sprinting to outrun the reality of what just happened.

My hero just hit me.

My brother--hit me.

He's never hit anyone.

Not even Dad.

So what the hell does that make me?

"You better fix this, Elias. That's someone's life you just screwed with. That's someone's future, and I don't care what she did to you—because this is so much worse—this is beyond low, especially for you."

"Tanner, wait. Just listen to me--"

"No, you listen to me. I don't care what you have to do or who you have to beg, but you're gonna make this right. You just stole something from that girl that she can't get back, and things like this come around, Eli. You always get what you pay for. And, when it happens to you, I hope you remember this conversation and this moment, and the way I hit you. 'Cause even though I promised I never would, right now, I'm not even sorry."

###

Thank you so much for taking the time to read & listen! I apologize for the delay! Been a bit under the weather, but I appreciate you guys being patient regardless! Next update should be next FRIDAY unless we say otherwise! 

#Realtalkquestionoftheweek

Who do you think was in the right? Elias or Tanner?