“Just thought I’d come over and say hi. How was the party after I left?”
“Somehow, we still managed to have fun,” I tell her.
“Oh, I bet you did. Judgin’ by your presence at the game tonight, I guess you fucked Carter, huh? You must feel pretty proud of yourself.”
Frowning, I say, “That seems like an odd feeling to accompany intimacy with my boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend?” Her eyes widen and she stares at me, but maintains her superior sense of amusement. “Oh, honey. He’s gonna chew you up and spit you out.”
“Well, if he does, I’m sure you’ll enjoy the show,” I offer. I barely miss a beat, not wanting to give her a chance to further engage me. “Anyway, good cheering. I’ve got plans, so I have to—”
Interrupting before I can leave, she says, “You know what Jake and I were just discussin’?”
Sighing, I spin back around and offer back a tight smile. “How neither of you are invited to the group-hang tonight, so maybe you should both stop acting like assholes before you lose all your friends?”
Erika’s gaze dims, then sharpens. “No, whore. We were talkin’ about how surprisingly kinky you must be, how much you like a little… struggle.”
Her word choice alone wouldn’t be enough to set me on edge, but the way her eyes dance with delight in the shit she thinks she’s about to stir up… Jake couldn’t have actually told her, right? They all behaved like randy assholes. That’s not a story you share with anyone, not even Erika.
She goes on, “And Jake here had a thought. We all know Carter has double standards; he’s allowed to fuck around, no problem, but his girl? Oh, no. She has to be the pinnacle of morality, a real one-man woman.”
“I don’t think Carter’s that hung up on morality, but if there’s a point anywhere in the near vicinity…”
“I just think if Carter knew you were still flirtin’ with Jake, he might get… angry. Brianna said he got you drunk last night so I don’t know what he’s done to you already, but you know what? I bet it gets worse with jealousy and anger.”
My jaw hangs open as I stare in absolute shock at the awful human being before me. “Wow, Erika. Really?”
She shrugs. “Lorraine saw you and Jake touchin’ and lockin’ eyes at the concession stand. Said you were givin’ him fuck-me eyes. Now, I would say that Carter would never believe you could be romantically interested in someone who supposedly sexually harassed you.” She pauses, propping a hand on her hip and tapping her chin in mock thought. “But, you know what, maybe he would believe that.”
My chest starts to tighten as it hits me that Erika really does know what Carter did to me that day in that classroom. Something about keeping that experience locked away inside me—a secret kept between me and those three assholes—made it easier to deal with, but now it’s not just out there, it’s in Erika’s hands.
Erika’s opinion doesn’t mean anything to me, but her having that knowledge makes me sick. It’s not safe anymore. It’s not like she’ll keep her mouth shut. I want to punch Jake in the face for exploiting my bad experience this way, but that would require breathing, and I’m struggling with that right now.
A flash goes off and Erika jumps, her gaze darting to Kasey like she, too, hadn’t even noticed her there. “What the hell? Did you just take my picture?”
Kasey nods, looking down at her display screen. “Yep. I’m a photographer for the school yearbook, and I thought you just looked so pretty. My bad, I actually had the video function on before, so… whoops. Anyway, after I accidentally recorded you threatening Carter’s girlfriend, I got a really great shot of you. Your jawline looks killer. Wanna see?”
Glaring, Erika says, “Delete that right now.”
“Um, no,” she says, shaking her head with something like regret. “This girl’s been dragged through the mud enough by you guys. Carter really seems to like her, so I hate to think what he’d do if I showed it to him. He’d probably knock you so far down the social ladder, you’d actually have to learn my name.”
“Oh, I’ll learn your name, all right.” Erika glares and huffs like a beautiful, raging bull. “You’re gonna live to regret this. Mark my words.”
Her targeting my new friend shakes my voice loose. “I wouldn’t, if I were you. I am going to tell Carter about this, and he won’t believe I was flirting with Jake, but even without video evidence, he will believe you threatened me, especially after that lie you told last night when he pissed you off.”
“Wasn’t a lie,” she states. “You know it wasn’t a lie, you just have blinders on right now. You’re gonna feel dumb as hell when they fall off, and you’re the one watchin’ from a distance while he kisses me like you don’t exist.”