The Switch Read Online Free Page B

back of her throat, bringing a wave of
memories behind it. She hadn’t thought of him in years, hadn’t
mentioned him in longer.
    Still, it felt oddly liberating, bringing
this to the surface. Now the words were out, and the rest began
dribbling forth like stagnant water from a cracked and rusted
barrel.
    “I didn’t know,” she said in a rush. “I
mean, we flirted with him together, but I didn’t realize you had
actual feelings for him. I swear on my father’s life, Olivia, had I
known, I would never have gone near Jasper.”
    “Oh, that. That was, god, what - ten, twelve
years ago? Get over it. I have,” Olivia said, already pulling her
composure back into place. “But you know ‘sorry’ doesn’t change
anything, especially not the fact that you got busted and everyone
in the community found out.”
    Of course apologizing wouldn’t change
anything. Despite years of burying the incident, it was forever
ingrained in Marion’s memory. Not because it was her ‘first time,’
or even because she’d been caught with her pants down. But it had
marked the end of her friendship with Olivia, turning surrogate
sisters into ice cold enemies. And it had marked the beginning of a
much stronger version of herself.
    ‘Everyone in the community’ had found out
because Olivia had told them, the very afternoon she’d walked in on
Marion with Jasper in the back room of the Jones’s stables. The
news had blazed through their community overnight, and by the time
she’d arrived at school the following morning, the entire
population knew.
     
    Just keep moving. Ignore them. Head up,
never mind the soreness, walk straight and proud.
    She was used to their stares and dirty
looks. So what if they were whispering, snickering now? Another six
months and she’d be out of here, anyway.
    Behind her, someone gave a soft whinny, and
she almost faltered. Laughter, outright now, and more horse noises.
She rolled her eyes and continued. Idiots.
    But her bravado failed, sinking in dread as
she approached the alcove where Grayson and his followers always
hung out. He hadn’t been in the parking lot when she’d arrived -
not a good sign. What would he say? Would he join the others in
their teasing? Had she lost him, too?
    It’s his fault, after all.
    At least, that’s what she’d told herself
when she’d snuck into his family’s stables and taken their
horseman’s flirtations to the next level. For months - no, years,
she’d pined after Grayson, the dumb jerk, merely to achieve status
as his ‘one true female friend.’
    He could have his pick of any girl in school
or out, and often did. Lately, it was the co-captain of the
cheerleading squad, naturally. He was going to go all the way, he’d
told her. Marion was the only person who knew Grayson was still a
virgin; he’d shared that secret in addition to his countless
‘almost’ exploits with her, “to get a woman’s feedback,” he often
joked.
    Well, the joke was on him.
    Or not, Marion realized, drawing nearer. She
wouldn’t look, but she could feel him watching her. Her throat drew
painfully tight as she faced the reality that she’d not only lost
Olivia, but indeed, Grayson, too.
    A movement in her peripheral vision made her
pause. Her heart skipped in hope and fear as he stepped out from
his little group.
    “ Not even going to say hello?” he asked
softly.
    Only then did she hazard to look at his
face. He was doing that thing , where his mouth wasn’t
smiling, but his eyes were. She swallowed.
    “ Hi.” It came out as barely a whisper,
her mouth was so dry.
    Then he did smile, and his arm came up
around her shoulder. “Nice job,” he said with admiration as they
walked the rest of the way to her locker. “You’re really making it
a challenge for me to keep up.”
     
    Marion hadn’t known what he meant at the
time, but over the years it became clear. Olivia was right in that
regard. Grayson had a penchant for thumbing his nose at everyone,
for being