If you're loved by someone, you're never rejected, decide what to be and GO BE IT
-The Avett brothers

Recommend Reading Introduction to Unproven

DEFINITELY READ Prologue

Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three

Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six

Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty Two Chapter Twenty Three Chapter Twenty Four

Chapter Twenty Five Chapter Twenty Six Chapter Twenty Seven

Chapter Twenty Eight Chapter Twenty Nine Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty One Chapter Thirty Two Chapter Thirty Three

Chapter Thirty Four Chapter Thirty Five Chapter Thirty Six

Chapter Thirty Seven Chapter Thirty EightChapter Thirty Nine

Chapter Forty Chapter Forty One Chapter Forty Two

Chapter Forty Three Chapter Forty Four Chapter Forty Five

Chapter Forty Six Chapter Forty Seven Chapter Forty Eight

Chapter Forty Nine Chapter Fifty Chapter Fifty One

Chapter Fifty Two Chapter Fifty Three Chapter Fifty Four

Chapter Fifty Five Chapter Fifty Six Chapter Fifty Seven

Chapter Fifty Eight Chapter Fifty Nine Chapter Sixty

Chapter Sixty One Chapter Sixty Two Chapter Sixty Three

Chapter Sixty Four Chapter Sixty Five Chapter Sixty Six

Chapter Sixty Seven Chapter Sixty Eight Chapter Sixty Nine

Chapter Seventy Chapter Seventy Chapter Seventy Two

Chapter Seventy Three Chapter Seventy Four Chapter Seventy Five

Chapter Seventy SixChapter Seventy Seven Chapter Seventy Eight

Chapter Seventy Nine **Chapter Eighty

Chapter Eighty One

Monday morning was excruciating for Ary. Everywhere she looked people were eyeing her and whispering. By the time she made it into the library fourth period, she was feeling embarrassed and indignant.

"You'd think there was a video of me involving an orgy!" She whispered loudly to Andie as she sat, "or at the very least that they were nude photos...Jesus, it's freaking ridiculous!"

Andie gave her a sympathetic look. "It's because of who you are and who you used to be with, not what you were doing. Everyone knows Grayson was your one and only, and you happen to be the longest relationship he's ever had. It's a good girls’ gone bad, type of thing."

"Bullshit!" She fumed, "Nothing even really happened, he barely copped a feel for Christ's sakes! And when he did I stopped it!"

"I know, I know," Andie told her, patting her arm. "Don't worry, the fervor will die down in a day or two."

Sonya came in and sat down, giving Ary a pitying look. "Have you heard the rumors?"

"Sonya," Andie warned.

"No, but I can only imagine- why, what are they saying?" Ary demanded.

"That you did him in the bathroom of the bar, then again in the cab."

"What? That is so fucking insane! How do they get that out of a few pictures of me kissing him?"

"Well the one where you're wrapped around him while getting in the cab is a little more than kissing him," Sonya pointed out.

"Not helping," Andie stated.

"I want to know who took those pictures so I can kill them!" Ary clenched her fists.

"I still haven't heard, that's kind of strange isn't it?" Andie mused. "You'd think whoever it was would be bragging about it, wanting the credit."

"You don't think it could have been Dori, do you?" Sonya asked. "She's always taking pictures."

Ary pinned her with a glare, "No, I don't think it could have been Dori. What kind of logic is that anyway? Lots of people are always taking pictures. I take a lot of pictures."

"Yeah, but she takes pictures of random stuff."

"She's going to be a photojournalist, she's just working on her craft...Stop, it wasn't her."

"But Andie made a good point about whoever it is not taking the credit…”

"Enough Sonya," Andie cut her off, "I agree with Ary, it wasn't her. If anything," she trailed off.

"What?" Ary demanded.

"It might be farfetched, but I was thinking: What if Grayson's dad had someone spying on you?"

Ary stared at her. "Why would you think that?"

"Well...I kind of got into it with Dori the other day, gave her a hard time about being friends with him, questioned whether she could be trusted, and she told me what she told you. About what Grayson said, and her conclusion about his father's role in your breakup."

"And you're just mentioning this now?"

Andie sighed, "You know I despise him and can't help but think the worst of him because of it. But I could tell that Dori believed it and I can also admit that he did seem to care about you, at least to the extent that he can care," she said grudgingly.

Ary raised a brow, "Wow."

"Yeah, yeah, don't make too much out of it, remember I started that speech with how much I despise him. Anyway, this might be a bit conspiracy theorist, but what if he and his dad got into it over you? And he tried to convince the crazy bastard that you were truly good, so his dad wanted to prove otherwise...Never mind, that sounds ridiculous now that I'm saying it out loud. It's probably just one of the jackals in Grayson's crew and they're worried about the whole shoot the messenger thing. Especially after what he did to tweedle dum and dummer."

Ary stared at her.

"Don't look at me like that, I know it's nuts."

Ary shook her head slowly. "No, it's not actually."

Sonya was staring at them wide-eyed. "Whoa, if Andie's right, that is really freaking creepy."

"What's creepy?"

They looked up in unison as Dori walked over, plopping down next to Sonya.

"Nothing, just an absurd idea I had," Andie gave the girls a look, clearly not wanting to share.

"Okay." Dori turned to Ary with a look of sympathy. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm pissed off and embarrassed, but otherwise okay." she raised a questioning brow and Dori shook her head minutely. Meaning she hadn't talked to Grayson yet.

"Are you going to brave the lounge today, or hang out here?" Dori asked.

Ary bit her lip. "Normally I can handle it, but this time I think I'll hide." Though it was only one person she wanted to hide from, the rest of them could go to hell. She didn't want to see Grayson until after Dori had talked to him.

"I'll text Grant and have him meet us up here," Andie offered.

"You don't have to.”

"Yes I do Ary, that's what friends are for."

Ary spent the rest of the day in the library, and at least one of the girls stayed with her during each period. She debated skipping her last class then skipping school the following day, and maybe one more. By then everyone should be onto something else.

"You're not going to your class?" Sonya asked when the bell rang.

"Umm, actually I will, I'll just wait until after the second bell, be a little late. This way I avoid the crowds."

Sonya nodded, "Gotcha. Okay, well I'll see you after school."

Ary lingered for two minutes after the second bell for good measure then made her way down the empty hallways. She turned the last corner and stopped in her tracks. How could she be so unlucky?

Grayson was walking straight toward her. He saw her a split second after she saw him and she watched with a sinking heart as his expression transformed into a sneer of disgust, his eyes narrowing, his lips pursing as if he'd just eaten something sour. He looked her up and down, slowly and purposefully, and when his eyes reached her face he pinned her with a look of pure hatred, then turned around and started walking the other way.

Her legs came unglued, and before she could think better of it she chased him. "Wait," she said, grabbing his arm.

He shook it off violently and turned to glare at her. "Don't touch me," he seethed, enunciating the words. "In fact don't even put yourself in my line of vision. The sight of you makes me want to vomit."

Tears sprung to her eyes, "It wasn't what it...”

"Save it, I don't want to hear anything you have to say you little whore. You mean nothing to me. You are nothing."

As he turned and strode away, the tears streamed down her face. She watched as he took the stairs two at a time, and when she could no longer see him she fled to the bathroom.

"Where the hell is Ary?" Andie griped, looking at her watch as she and Sonya waited in the car.

"I don't know. She said she was going to her last class but planned on being late, maybe the teacher made her stay after," Sonya suggested.

There was a knock on Andie's window and they turned to see Dori. Andie rolled it down with a questioning look.

"Is there any way you can give me a ride home? My car won't start even with jumper cables. I'm having it towed to a shop."

"Yeah sure, have you seen Ary?"

Dori shook her head, "Not since seventh period."

"Hmm."

"Have you tried texting her?"

Andie nodded, "She hasn't answered."

"That's weird. I'll go check by her locker."

"'kay, we'll be here."

As Dori walked inside she was intercepted by Kara and immediately knew by her gloating expression that she wasn't going to like what the girl had to say.

"If you're looking for that little ho you call your friend, I'm pretty sure she's in the bathroom over by the auditorium. At least I think it's her blubbering her eyes out.”

Nope, she didn't like it, and apparently her hand felt the same way because without thought it reared back and slapped the girl hard.

"What the fuck?" Kara cried out pressing a hand to her face.

"How dare you say that about her, you hypocritical little bitch," Dori hissed. "You forget who you're talking to and that I know of at least ten guys you've been with since sophomore year, and that doesn't even count the ones you've blown."

"Whoa, what’s going on here?" Brooke demanded as she walked up to them.

Dori whipped her head up about to lay into her too when she saw Grayson heading their way, staring at her as if she'd contracted some kind of disease. And she suddenly knew exactly why Ary was in the bathroom crying. She ignored Brooke and marched up to him. "What the fuck did you do?" She demanded.

He smirked, "I told her the truth. That she was a little nothing of a whore whose face makes me sick."

Brooke let out a peal of laughter and Dori turned on her, "If you have any brains you will get the hell away from me, or the slap I gave your sickening sidekick will seem like a love tap."

"Oh really?"

Dori stepped toward her, her hand curling into a fist, "I am not. fucking. joking. I will break your goddamned nose."

Brooke rolled her eyes, "I was leaving anyway." She grabbed Kara's arm and they went through the door.

Dori turned back to Grayson.

"Are you going to hit me now?" He asked sarcastically.

She took a breath and shook her head, the anger draining out of her. "No Grayson. I'm going to tell you what a disappointment you are."

"I'm a disappointment?"

Dori leaned toward him, "She didn't fuck that guy, you idiot. What you saw in the pictures is as far as it went, some heavy kissing that didn't even get to second base. In fact when he made a move in that direction she not only stopped him but told him that she couldn't see him again because she was still in love with her ex and wasn't ready to even date let alone do other things. I can't believe you would listen to the rumor mill Gray, it's beneath you."

He glared at her, "I didn't need the rumor mill to tell me what I saw with my own eyes. The guy was all over her, climbing on top of her."

She shook her head in frustration, "You know, it's not even like it's your business what she does. You broke it off and broke her heart. As usual. So yeah, she let herself get kissed and even went with it for a bit, maybe wanting to know if it were possible to feel for someone else even a fraction of what she feels for you. But she is as far from a whore as Kara is from a virgin. And she loves you Grayson, really and truly loves you. To the point where she won't let anyone talk trash about you despite how poorly you've repeatedly treated her. She is the most pure and beautiful person I have ever known," she shook her head in disgust. "Whore, yeah right. That is so fucking rich coming from you anyway. You who slept with other girls when you were still with her. You're always talking about people's lack of integrity and substance, you really need to look in a goddamned mirror once in a while."

He looked away.

"You asked for my friendship and I gave it to you," she continued, "but Gray, you better make this right, at least apologize, or you and I are done. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go rescue my grief-stricken friend from the bathroom."

Grayson watched her go, his mind in turmoil. Not even second base. He wanted to deny that, to call bullshit and believe it. But he couldn't, he knew it was the truth. He was suddenly furious. With himself, with her, and most of all with his father. Himself for so desperately needing to believe the worst so he could move on, her for being so damned special that he couldn't move on, and his father for being so goddamned wrong, because pure goodness did exist. And so did love.

He stood there until the two girls finally appeared, Ary stopping when she saw him. Her eyes were red and swollen, her face blotchy, and she was still the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. The pain on her face tore him up. He'd done that. He wanted to go to her, to pull her into his arms, but he couldn't, even if she'd let him. So instead he waited until she'd started walking toward him, until he was certain she would see the apology on his face and mouthed, "I'm sorry," then turned and walked out the door.

Generously created for me by @son-of-satire

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