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I shake my head, guilt starting to taint my happy disposition.

I mean, it’s not a huge secret, but not telling Sienna about the Halloween short story contest still feels like I’m keeping something from her.

I don’t like keeping things from my friends. But I also don’t want their pity if I lose.

So, for now, it’s probably best to keep my mouth shut until the winner is announced.

After reading my story, Mr. Collins thinks I’m a shoo-in, but I don’t want to get my hopes up. Right now, I’m happy living in this strange little limbo. Usually, ‘the not knowing’ would stress me out, but I like it here. I like still having something to hope for.

“Guess I shouldn’t be offended that you didn’t invite me to go to tonight’s game this time,” Sienna says, pulling me from my thoughts.

“Would you even come if I asked?”

“Not on your life. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, then I’m the sucker who didn’t learn her lesson the first time,” she says, a ghost of a smile playing on her lips.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know.” I laugh, but it dies a quick death when we reach Sienna’s locker and see the word CARPET MUNCHER written across it in huge red block letters.

“Fucking Reds!” Sienna growls, dropping her school bag onto the floor before grabbing the cleaning supplies.

She slams her locker shut, then spins toward the crowd gathering around us. Some snicker behind their hands while others already have their phones out, snapping pictures and recording.

“You all suck, you know that?!” she shouts. “You give those bitches power! You! If you didn’t take your stupid pictures and videos to post online like a bunch of fucking sellouts, they wouldn’t keep doing this shit!”

More heads turn Sienna’s way as she points to everyone with a camera phone.

“Don’t get it twisted. They don’t do this for your entertainment. Today, I’m their target, but tomorrow?” She keeps pointing at the crowd. “Your neck could just as easily be on their chopping block!”

“Sienna,” I call out, grabbing her hand to try to calm her down, but she jerks it away.

“I fucking hate those cunts!” she screams, wild-eyed.

“I know. I know.” I step in front of her, blocking the assholes trying to get a clear shot of her. “Remember, this is what they want. They want to see you break. Don’t give them the satisfaction. Rise above it.”

“Rise above it?” she repeats as if I’d just suggested she sprout wings and fly away. “It’s pretty fucking hard to rise above it when I have no idea what kind of vile filth I’m going to find waiting for me at school.” She gestures angrily at her locker. “I fucking wish I was gay sometimes. At least then I could march into Principal Hargrove’s office and tell him these bitches are targeting me because of my sexuality. Maybe if I cried hate crime, then someone would actually do something about this shit. But that’s the real kicker, isn’t it? They know I’m not. They’re probably some of the only people in this goddamn school who know the truth. Not that it matters much.”

“How do they know?” I arch a brow.

Sienna is so worked up she doesn’t even hear me.

“Sienna? How do they know?” I repeat.

This is the first time she’s ever given me any indication that they might be wrong about her. Now that I think about it, she’s never actually told me one way or the other. Not that I ever asked. I always figured that if it were true, she’d tell me when she was ready.

I guess the Reds really did a bang-up job labeling Sienna gay if even her own best friend never thought to question it.

“Fucking Delaney caught me making out with Craig Peterson at one of Dylan’s basement parties right before freshman year started.”

“Hold up! You made out with Craig Peterson?! The same Craig Peterson whose name Delaney’s been doodling all over her notebooks since seventh grade?!”

“Yeah, that one. Don’t know why she’s so upset. I’m the one who got mono.”

“Oh, my God! Craig was the one who gave you mono?!”

Sienna claps her hands in front of my face. “Snap out of it. Can’t you see I’m pissed about this?” She points to her locker.

“Sorry. Right.”

I shake away the image of Sienna locking lips with one of the most popular seniors at our school.