“When you fought over the summer,” Frankie asked slowly. “Why did you fight?”
Cheryl shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.”
“The hell it doesn’t,” Coop stated bluntly. “What did you fight about?”
“You wouldn’t do it.” Frankie answered, not Cheryl. “The fight over the summer was when he first asked you to do it, and you wouldn’t.”
“I’d done it for him at a party, but I didn’t know anyone there…it was my punishment.”
Oh fuck me. I grimaced. I knew what she was about to say before the words came out.
“He made me watch. Said if he had to live with knowing I had sex with all of you, then…I had to see him have sex with someone else. It would be okay ’cause she wouldn’t remember…it was just for me.”
“Then he wanted you to do it to your friends.” It wasn’t a question.
“Frankie, I promise I didn’t know he meant that for you. I didn’t know until that night after we’d all been dancing. But…he really hates them and wanted what they have. I figured it would be quick and you wouldn’t know, and it would be all right…”
I had no words. She was delusional.
The tears fell hot and heavy on her face, and she stepped toward Frankie like she would hug her, but Frankie withdrew. The disgust on her face waging war with sympathy. Yeah, I didn’t have any sympathy. Mitch was scum of the fucking earth, but Cheryl wasn’t much better.
She’d willingly served her friends up.
Willingly served Frankie up.
“It’s all over now… I mean, Mitch has a broken jaw and he’s been arrested. My parents won’t let me talk to him… I’m so sorry.”
“Me, too,” Frankie said and turned away. “I can’t do this.”
“You don’t have to,” Bubba said, and I nodded to him then blocked Cheryl. Archie had his phone out, hopefully calling the police. As far as I was concerned, Cheryl was as guilty as Mitch. When they showed up, that meant another round of statements, and it was late by the time we got out of there. Cheryl’s parents had shown up, and they left with her and the cops.
We didn’t end up picking out costumes after that. We went back to Frankie’s, and she took pain meds, and we got her to sleep. I didn’t think I’d be sleeping anytime soon though, because one thing kept playing over and over in my head.
Yeah, Cheryl lied. She told Mitch she’d had sex with us. Stupid lie, but whatever. Mitch had gone after Frankie because of us. Because of all this.
Sick asshole.
The next day, we’d deal with Sharon and celebrate Archie’s birthday and the college acceptance letters, but where we should’ve been feeling good, there was only a darkened pall.
I wasn’t alone sitting in the living room. Bubba and Archie were there, too. Coop had stayed in with Frankie.
“Think they’ll arrest her?” Bubba asked, and I shrugged.
“I hope so. Fuck, Frankie needs a break.”
“She liked Cheryl,” Archie said. “I have no idea why, but she liked her.”
And Cheryl served her up to Mitch.
“Are we done with high school yet?” Bubba stretched his legs out and tipped his head back.
“Nope,” Archie said. “Soon.”
Couldn’t be soon enough.
“She’s going to be okay,” I said. This was a setback. But at least we had a question answered, so maybe it wouldn’t haunt her anymore.
“Yes, she is,” Archie agreed with me. “Because we’re going to make sure of it.”