by Kai Juniper
"He's not always an asshole," she says. "Remember when he helped those kids with their fundraiser?"
"That was a thing the rugby team did. Briggs only helped because he was forced to."
Charlotte sighs. "Yeah, I guess."
I set my tea down. "I know you want to see the best in people but some people, like Briggs, are just plain evil. You can't trust them, no matter what they say or do."
"But people change."
"Some do, some don't, but most don't. And as long as we've known Briggs, he's been a self-centered, attention-seeking, power-hungry asshole who's only interested in people who can benefit him in some way. And if they don't agree to his demands, he goes after them. He threatens them. A guy like that is never going to change."
She sets her cup down. "What are you saying? Did Briggs threaten you?"
"Not directly," I say, not wanting her to know the truth. I almost told her last night what was going on but then changed my mind. This is between Briggs and me, and it's going to stay that way. "It doesn't matter if he threatened me or not. He's a bully and he can't be trusted."
"But he hasn't done anything to you in over a year. Maybe he's changed."
"He hasn't changed. He still makes fun of me, calls me names, lets his girlfriend be a bitch to me. Why would you defend someone like that?"
"I'm not. I just think there's more to him than what we see at school. I think there's another side to him."
"And you think this about Parker and Finn too?"
"No, just Briggs," she says in a dreamy tone, a faraway look in her eyes.
What the hell? When did she get such a huge crush on Briggs? And how did I not notice this?
"Charlotte." I reach over and grab her shoulders and shake her a little until she looks back at me.
"What?"
"Repeat after me. Briggs Chadwick is evil. And always will be."
"He's not evil. He's just...misunderstood."
I sigh and sit back. "Okay. If that's what you want to believe. But I'm telling you, you're going to regret it if you keep letting Briggs play you the way he did yesterday in the parking lot." I pause, wondering if I should tell her some of the stuff Briggs has done to me since we got back from break. She already knows about the drugs but she blamed Finn for that, even though I told her Briggs was behind it.
"It's not like I'd actually go out with him," Charlotte says. "It's just nice to have a guy like him notice me."
"Not when he's only doing it to—" I stop, realizing I almost told her what's going on. I don't think I should. It's better if she doesn't know.
"He's only doing it to what?"
"Make fun of you. He wants to see if you'll believe he really likes you and then he'll turn it into a joke. If you'd gone to the party last night, he would've made fun of you in front of everyone."
She slumps down in her chair, looking down at the floor.
"Charlotte, I'm not saying this to make you feel bad. I just want you to know the truth about him. I know deep down you do, but there's a part of you that doesn't want to believe it. And I get it. Briggs is really hot and really popular so when he gives you attention, you want to believe it's because he actually likes you, but we both know that's not him. He doesn't work that way. I mean, look who he's dating. Aubrey is one of the meanest girls at school and he chooses her as his girlfriend. Evil attracts evil. The evidence is there, Charlotte. You just need to accept it."
"You're right," she says, looking back at me. "I guess I just got swept away by those blue eyes and that perfect smile. And the way he looked at me. There's something about Briggs that when he looks at you, it's hard to look away. It's like you're drawn to him, even if you don't want to be."
It's true. Briggs has this energy to him that draws people in. It's why he's so popular, and why people want to be around him. I'm one of the few people not affected by his so-called charm and allure because I know it's all an act. I just have to keep convincing Charlotte of that.
"I should go," she says, getting up. "Dinner is at six and I have to get ready."
"I'm glad I don't have to go to fancy dinner parties," I say, walking to the door with her.
"They're not that bad." We go out to the parking lot. "And after dinner we're all going to a movie. The guy hosting the dinner party rented out the whole theater for us."
"That sounds fun. I haven't gone to the movies in forever."
We stop at her car. "What are you doing tonight?"
"I'm not sure. Probably just watch TV and then go to bed."
"Sorry I'm never around to do stuff."
I shrug. "It's fine. I don't need to go out. See you on Monday."
"Yeah, have a good night."
I'm not actually spending the night watching TV. I'm going to spend it coming up with ways to defend myself against Briggs. God only knows what he's going to do next week and I need to be prepared. He's not going to want to drag this out. He's going to start with the worst possible thing he could do to me. I'm just not sure what that'll be. Will he try to go after Charlotte again? If so, I'm prepared. I'll tell her what he did to me behind the school. How he trapped me there and touched me and almost...I don't want to think about that. I don't want to think he'd take it that far but I don't want to believe he couldn't either. I need to be prepared for anything and everything.
When I get home, my dad's out back working on the lawnmower.
"What's wrong with it?" I ask, walking up to him.
"Hey, honey, I didn't know you'd be home so early."
"Early? It's after six."
"I guess I thought you two were having dinner." He wipes the sweat off his forehead.
"Charlotte's going to a dinner party with her parents. Did you eat yet?"
"I had the leftover pizza in the fridge. I would've waited if I knew you were coming home."
"It's fine. I'll just eat in my room." I watch as he takes the metal cover off the mower. "What happened? Did it break?"
"It won't start. I called the repair guy and he said I need a part. I was going to go get it but I think I'll wait until tomorrow. I need to do some paperwork tonight."
"I could go pick it up."
"It's not here in town. This is a custom part. The shop's about an hour away."
"I don't mind. It'd give me something to do."
He looks up from the lawnmower. "You really want to go? It'd save me a trip but I'm not sure I want you driving out there alone. It's in the middle of nowhere."
"Is the guy that works there a psycho or something?"
"Not at all. He's an old guy. Kind of reminds me of your grandfather."
"Then what's there to be worried about? I'll go there, get the part, and come home. It's better than spending all night in my room."
And it'll give me time to think. Sometimes I do my best thinking when I'm driving. This will be good.
"Let me go get the money," my dad says.
We go in the house and I see a trail of mud on the floor. My dad's always making a mess and doesn't even notice. I wonder if he was like that when my mom was alive. She died when I was four so I really don't remember.
"He said it'd be $150," my dad says, handing me the cash. "But I gave you two hundred just in case." He winks. "You can keep the change for doing this for me."
"I get fifty bucks just to pick something up? You got any other errands I could run?"
He smiles. "Not tonight. Oh, you'll need his card." He pulls it out of his pocket. "The address is on there and his phone number, in case you get lost. Now hurry up and go. I don't want you driving out there when it's dark."
"Why are you freaking out so much? I'm just driving there and coming home."
"You're my kid. I always worry about you." He goes past me to the door. "Call me when you get there so I know you made it."
"Yeah, got it."
When he's back outside I scarf down the last slice of leftover pizza, then look up where I'm going. It's about a forty-minute drive each way, and like my dad said, it does seem to be
out in the middle of nowhere.
I grab my keys, get in my truck, and head out of town. It's a nice drive with winding roads that go through mountainous terrain. There aren't many towns out here and the few that exist are off the main road. I haven't even seen a gas station.
After forty-five minutes, I arrive at the blue concrete building that I wouldn't even know is a business if the map on my phone wasn't telling me this was it. The sign is so faded you can't even read it.
Before I go in, I text my dad. Made it. Going inside now.
An old man with a long, white beard comes out of a rusty metal door, waving at me.
"You Ella?" he yells.
"Yeah," I yell back, getting out of the truck.
"Come on in," he says.
I follow him inside and see parts scattered everywhere.
"It's over here," the man says, climbing over a stack of newspapers to a counter with a cash register.
I meet him over there, getting out my money. "A hundred and fifty?"
"A hundred sixty seventy-five with tax."
I hand him the money.
He smiles as he gives me the change. "Couldn't get a date tonight?"
I smile back. "Didn't want one."
He nods. "Already had it with men, huh? You sound just like my daughter, but she's forty and divorced with two kids. A girl your age should still have faith the right one is out there."
"I'm not even thinking about that. I need to get through college before I worry about guys and marriage and all that."
"Smart girl." He hands me the change. "But there's nothing wrong with going on a date now and then."
"My dad would disagree."
He laughs. "I could see your father being that way. He's always talking about you, saying how proud he is of you. I'm sure he's in no hurry to have boys showing up at your door."
"Yeah. Well, I should go." I pick up the part.
"Need some help carrying it out?"
"No, I'm good. Thanks!"
When I'm back in the truck, I text my dad again. Got the part. Heading home.
On the way here I was so focused on finding this place that I didn't think about my strategy with Briggs. I really have no idea where to start. If I don't know what he's going to do, how do I defend myself?
I'm halfway home when storm clouds roll in, making it dark and hard to see. There aren't street lights out here and the headlights on my truck are clouded over. The light rain turns to a heavy downpour, fogging up my windows so I can't even see what's in front of me. I slow down and pull over to the side of the road. The rain is going sideways now, rocking the truck. I get out my phone to tell my dad I'll be late but I don't have a signal.
I shut off the truck, noticing I'm low on gas. After ten minutes, the rain finally slows to a light mist. I go to start the truck but it won't start. It's done this before. I just need to wait a minute and try again, but when I do, it still doesn't start. I try it over and over for fifteen minutes.
"Shit," I say, resting my head on the steering wheel. "Come on. Just start." I turn the key but nothing happens.
It's almost eight. My dad's gonna freak out that I'm not home, and I can't even call him to tell him what happened.
Getting out of the truck, I walk down the road a little, looking for any nearby homes but it's dark out and I can't see beyond the side of the road, which is nothing but trees and rocks. I walk back and hop up in the truck bed to get a better look. There's nothing, not even a flicker of light from a town. Just darkness. I'm on a deserted road in the middle of nowhere, in the dark.
What if nobody drives by? Or if they do and they stop, what if they try to kill me?
I check my phone again for a signal but don't have one. Maybe if I walk farther down the road I'll pick up a signal.
After walking for ten minutes I still don't have a signal and I don't like being this far from my truck. As I turn around to head back I see lights in the distance.
"Hey!" I jump up and wave but the car is too far away to see me. I watch as it gets closer, part of me wanting to flag it down and the other part wanting to hide in case whoever's inside it is dangerous.
I decide to just risk it, not wanting to spend the night out here. As the car gets closer, I move to the other side of the road and jump up and wave. Turns out it's not a car, it's an SUV. As it reaches me, it swerves a little and slams on the brakes. The headlights are blinding me but I can see someone getting out the back. A tall, dark figure coming at me.
I'm dead. This guy is going to kill me. Or rape me. Or both. Shit!
I take off, running toward my truck.
"Ella?"
I stop and look to see who said it but I'm still blinded by the headlights. "Who it is? Who's there?"
The dark figure moves closer. I'm about to take off running again but then I see him, and his annoyingly handsome face.
"Briggs?"
Chapter Twelve
Ella
"Ella, what the hell are you doing out here?" Briggs asks, squinting from the bright lights. He looks back at the SUV, which I now recognize as Finn's Range Rover. "Pull up!" he yells at whoever's driving, which I'm guessing is Finn.
The SUV pulls forward, the headlights now shining in front of us instead of in our eyes.
"What's going on?" I hear Parker yell as he rolls his window down.
"It's Ella," Briggs yells back.
"No shit?" Parker gets out of the SUV and comes up next to Briggs. "What the fuck you doing out here?"
"My truck broke down," I tell him. "Can one of you call me a ride? My phone doesn't work out here."
"Ours don't either," Briggs says. "You have to go another eight or ten miles before you get service."
"Great," I mutter.
"We can give you a ride," Briggs says.
I roll my eyes. "Thanks, but I'd rather not be murdered tonight."
He glances at Parker. "She doesn't want to be murdered. There goes our plan."
"I say we do it anyway."
For a moment I think they're serious. I'm about to make a run for it but then hear them laughing.
"She fucking believed you," Parker says, pointing at me. "Look at her face. You scared the shit out of her."
"What's going on?" Finn yells out the window.
Parker and Briggs ignore him.
"Can one of you call my dad when your phone's working again?" I ask. "I'll give you his number."
"You really want to be left out here alone?" Briggs asks. "In the dark?"
"I'll wait in the truck. I'll be fine. Besides, why do you care if I'm out here alone? You'd love it if some psycho came along and killed me."
"If she wants to stay," Parker says to Briggs, "I say we leave her."
Briggs looks torn, like he wants to leave me here but isn't sure he should. He almost looks concerned but there's no way that's true. He'd have to possess compassion for that to happen and that's not Briggs. He only cares about himself.
"What the hell's going on?" Finn jumps out of the SUV and comes over to us. "What the fuck's SHE doing here?"
"Her truck broke down," Parker says. "But she doesn't want a ride so we're gonna head out."
A wicked grin appears on Finn's face. "We could have some fun with her before we leave." He looks me up and down, his eyes pausing on my breasts. I'm wearing cutoff shorts and a t-shirt that's tighter than one I'd wear to school. "She doesn't look that bad in the dark."
"Get back in the car!" Briggs orders. "Now!"
Finn's eyes dart to Briggs. "Why the fuck you yelling at me?"
"Just go! Wait in the car."
Finn blows out a breath as he walks back, muttering something to himself.
"You too," Briggs says to Parker. "Get out of here."
"Why? What are you going to do?"
"None of your damn business! Go wait with Finn."
Parker glances at me before turning and walking back to the SUV.
Briggs gets in front of me, folding his arms over his chest. "You really want to sta
y here?"
I chew on my lip, not answering him. I don't want to be alone out here but I don't trust I'll be safe going with my three biggest enemies.
"There's coyotes out here," Briggs says. "Mountain lions. Might even be bears."
If he's trying to scare me he's doing a good job. I wasn't even thinking about all the animals out here, and I'm sure they all come out at night. A bear could try to get in the truck. He might even try to flip it over. I don't know why he'd do that but I've seen stories of stuff like that happening on the news.
"Even if we call your dad," Briggs says, "it'll be at least an hour before he gets here. You think he'll be okay with that? Knowing you're out here all alone?"
He's right. My dad's going to panic, thinking I'll be killed before he gets to me. I can't do that to him. I'm all he has left and he's always worried something will happen to me. Losing my mom nearly destroyed him. He could barely get out of bed. He'd get up long enough to feed me or take me to school but then he'd go back in his room and sleep. My grandparents had to come and stay with us until my dad could function again.
I'm sure my dad's already a nervous wreck, knowing I should've been home by now. If he gets a call saying I'm out here all alone, he's going to freak out and probably drive like a crazy person to get here, which is dangerous on these dark, winding roads. He could get in an accident and it'd be all my fault.
"How far did you say it was before I can get a signal?" I ask Briggs.
"Eight or ten miles."
That's a long ways to walk, and I don't want to walk in the dark.
What do I do? Can I trust Briggs and his friends to drive me back? Finn made that comment hinting they might do something to me, but the other guys didn't seem to want to go along with it. Or maybe they would but they didn't want to say it in front of me. Parker and Briggs are smarter than Finn. They know they need to gain my trust in order to get me to go with them. After that, they'll do what they want with me.
Then again, if they wanted to rape me they could just do it right here. It's three against one. I can't fight off three huge guys.