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Alissa right by his side. She ran up and hugged me. “Do not cry. Whatever you do, do not cry.” She kept whispering it over and over into my ear as she dragged me toward the exit.
    We rushed past stores and customers made their way towards the entrances to see what all the commotion was about. Go back to shopping, people! Don’t pay any attention to the loser over here!
    Once I got outside, Alissa led me to a bench and sat me down. I didn't know what to say. So many emotions ran through me and my mind couldn't decide which one to grab onto. Alissa knelt in front of me, looking straight into my eyes. “Talk to me. What the hell just happened?”
    “I don't know.” I was being honest. I told her what the D.A.’s had said and about the papers Kelly had been reading from. Then it clicked. “There is no Robert Stratton. It was them. They tricked me. I let them trick me. I'm so stupid! How did I not see this coming? How could I let them do this to me?” I didn't think I was screaming, but I wasn't quiet either.
    The exit door opened and out poured Kelly with the other D.A.’s. I wanted to run, but I stayed there frozen hoping they wouldn't see me if I didn’t move.
    “Oh, look, there's the virgin.”
    “Hey virgin, I just sent out the video to everyone I know!” Kelly’s voice sounded like someone running their fingernails down a chalkboard. “Just think of how many dates you'll get now!”
    “Yeah, I almost feel sorry for you because you can’t help how ugly you are! Cover Girl can only cover so much, right?” Everyone laughed.
    The flood-gates opened and I did exactly what Alissa told me not to do. Tears poured out as I sat there, unable to move. “Oh, cry baby virgin! Oh, how sad!”
    “You’re such a loser!”
    Alissa grabbed my arm and we walked away while they kept screaming at us throughout the parking lot. We jumped on a bus not even caring where it would take us. I just had to get out of there.
    ~*~
    The bus drove off in the opposite direction from my house, but it didn't concern me. All I cared about was getting away from the mall. I concentrated on breathing to stop my body from shaking. My adrenaline always seemed to kick in full blast after being faced with stressful situations. All the good comebacks ran through my mind after the fact and I knew I would be thinking about what I should have done differently for days, if not weeks, to come. The only one that stood out right now was why the hell I’d gone in the first place.
    “Instead of blaming yourself, you should be mad at those jerks,” Alissa said in a very calm voice. I didn't even bother denying my thoughts because she knew me all too well.
    Calm down, Katherine. Watching all the people we passed going on with their normal lives made me even more agitated. I wished I could share my pain and humiliation so I didn't feel like I was the only one experiencing it.
    After I was able to stop my body from shaking, it dawned on me that we were still traveling in the opposite direction of my house. “We should get off at the next stop and figure out how to get home.”
    “We can just find the nearest coffee shop and I'll call my mom,” Alissa said, still calm. I could feel her staring at me but I was too ashamed to look back at her. I just nodded.
    We walked into a Mom-and-Pop coffee shop and I went directly to the bathroom. I splashed water on my face and dried off without looking in the mirror. I wasn’t ready to face myself yet.
    I felt my cell phone vibrate in my back pocket and fear was the first thing I felt. Why can't everyone just leave me alone? It physically hurt to pull it out. I squinted at the screen through my burning eyes.
    Mom: Just checking in.
    Katherine: All is fine.
    Mom: Glad I don’t have to worry. Love you.
    If she only knew what her stupid daughter did, I don't think she would ever leave me alone again. There was a knock on the bathroom door. “Occupied. Be right out.” Time to face the world again.
    Alissa was