I’m so angry I don’t even breathe as I read over his message a few times. He is such a liar. Why are guys like this?

I want to ask him why. I want to yell at him. I want to send a million text messages telling him exactly how wrong it is to flirt with a girl and make her think you’re a great guy, when really, you’re just some lying cheating scumbag.

Instead, I try to take the high road. I put my phone away and pretend like I care about my school work. By the time lunch rolls around, I’ve probably missed a ton of Snaps from my friends but I don’t even care. I don’t want to look at my phone right now. I keep it safely stored in my backpack and then I shove it in my locker before I go meet my friends for lunch.

Abigail can probably tell why I’m upset, but she doesn’t say anything because she’s such a great friend. She keeps the conversation going at our lunch table, talking about the party and other topics that don’t involve me or boys. I’m grateful for her.

I hold out all day until last period, which is my English class. It’s the most boring class I have, and today we have a substitute teacher, which means the time is going to drag by. Our teacher has left a movie for us to watch. Some boring old film about the English language. Our substitute teacher leans back in the teacher’s chair and plays on her phone the whole time, so the rest of us do the same thing. I’m sitting in the back row, alone, and my phone is burning a hole in my backpack with how badly I want to check it.

Finally, I give in.

 

Max: Seriously, Jess. What gave you that idea? I’m single. Very single.

Max: My last girlfriend was like two years ago. We didn’t even date that long because she freaked out over everything and was super jealous all the time. I already told you about this, actually.

Max: Who told you I had a girlfriend? Was it some dipshit friend of mine? If so, he was joking, I swear.

Max: Jess? Talk to me, please?

Max: I promise I haven’t lied to you.

 

Wow, he’s good. He actually sounds sincere. Maybe that’s easier to pull off in a text. I bet in real life, it’d be obvious that he’s lying, but via text he can say whatever he wants. I wonder why he’s doing this? Does it make him feel cool to have random girls fawning over him? Ugh.

I stare at my phone as the movie plays and I think of several things I could write back, but I stay strong and ignore him. It feels good knowing he wishes I’d reply. I hope he’s bothered by the fact that he can’t win me over so easily.

Another message pops up on my screen.

 

Max: I’m really sorry for whatever changed in the last day. Talking to you has been a total lifesaver while I’m taking care of my mom. Ever since I had to quit school, my friends have been dropping off one by one because I can’t hang out with them anymore.

Max: It just felt nice to talk to someone. You seemed like a really cool girl.

 

Finally, I can’t take it anymore.

 

Me: I am cool, Max. I’m nice and considerate and I look out for my friends. I’m always there when they need me, and I do whatever it takes for the people I care about. But you don’t care about any of that. You have a girlfriend and you thought it’d be fun to flirt with another girl on the side. That’s not cool, Max.

Max: Seriously, Jess! I promise you! I have NO girlfriend at all!

Me: What are you trying to do here? Make me believe you so we can keep texting? What’s the point?

Max: Yes, I want you to believe me. Both because I’m telling the truth and because you were so much fun to talk to. I don’t want to lose you.

Me: You don’t even know me.

Max: I know enough to know I want to know you.

Me: Well I know enough to know that you’re a lying, cheating, scumbag.

Max: Not fair. I am no such thing.

Me: I just rolled my eyes so hard I think they’re broken now.

Max: If you want to hate me, hate me. But please tell me what gave you the idea that I’m dating someone?

Me: hmm, let’s see.

Me: Maybe the fact that she YELLED AT ME when I texted you on Sunday morning.

Max: How? Who?

Me: I texted you and you wrote back. Only it wasn’t you. It was a girl saying she was your girlfriend. She told me to stop texting you, so I did.

Max: There is no such thing on my phone.

Me: Because she clearly deleted the texts after sending them.

Max: Okay but that doesn’t even make sense because there is no girl.

Me: Well then your phone is haunted.

Max: Can you screenshot me a picture of what the texts say?

Me: No, because I deleted them.

 

The bell rings, startling me out of my texting argument. I jump, and blink my eyes after some idiot turns on the lights. I shove my phone in my back pocket and then gather my backpack and make my way down to Abigail’s locker.

“You’re never going to believe what stupid lie Max is telling me now,” I say.

She lifts a brow. “I thought we weren’t taking about him.”

“We’re not. So I’ll make this quick.”

I tell her about what happened in English class, and then she looks over my phone as we walk out to her car.

“This is so weird,” she says, handing my phone back. “I mean…I don’t want to sound crazy here, but he sounds really sincere. Like…he’s telling the truth.”

“I know.” I climb into the passenger side of her car. “That just means he’s an excellent liar.”

“Then forget him,” she says, flashing me a grin. “Music will make you feel better.” She starts her car and then blasts hip-hop from her stereo.

I grin back at her and sing along to the song, trying really hard to forget about Max. The good thing is that he still hasn’t replied. Maybe he realized how deep of a hole he dug for himself and now he can’t get out of it. Maybe he’ll finally leave me alone for good.

Of course, I was wrong to be so optimistic.

At night, when I’m blow drying my hair and watching Netflix on my laptop, my phone lights up. This time he’s calling me.

My heart pounds so hard I have to take a deep breath to calm myself down. But it doesn’t really help, because I decide to do something really stupid.

“Hello?”

“Jess?”

I exhale. He really does sound sexy on the phone. Boys are the worst.

“Yeah, it’s me. What do you want?”

“You sound cute,” he says, and I can tell he’s grinning. My stomach flutters.

“Don’t flirt with me, Max. Why are you calling me?”

“I’m calling to tell you I think I figured out what happened.”

“It’s pretty obvious what happened, Max. Your girlfriend found your phone and told me to leave you alone. I’m trying to follow her wishes but you keep talking to me.”

“There is no her,” he says. “I promise.”

I sigh into the phone. “Not this again.”

“I’m serious. And I can prove it.”

I swallow. “How?”

“I’d rather explain in person,” he says. My body tenses. “I think we should meet.”