Revenge Love

by Kata Čuić

  Jacquelyn shakes her head. “I never thought I’d live to see the day I was using my sexuality as a way to stop something worse. Part of me feels like a sell-out. This is about as anti-feminist as it gets.”

  “No.” I shake my head. “This is exactly feminism. We’re banding together to not only honor one of our fallen but for the greater good. Any sister who volunteers to be part of this isn’t sacrificing anything she’s not comfortable with. No one’s being forced, and we have safeguards in place to make sure no one gets hurt either during the fight or during a date.”

  “Then, let’s do this.” Jacquelyn squares her shoulders and places her hand out, palm down.

  One by one, we pile our hands on top. “For Layla.”

  “She would have loved you,” Jacquelyn assures me for the hundredth time. “What happened was not your fault. If anything, you’re the reason more people didn’t get hurt. And if your idea works, no one else will suffer, either.”

  Tears well in my eyes. None of these women ever crucified me for my confessions. They banded around me, working together to come up with a better solution.

  As we make our way to the basement of Lisa’s house that she shares with several of her friends, whistles and catcalls rain down on our shoulders. Lustful eyes only see what they want—a couple of sorority girls, flaunting their skin for a few minutes of popularity and attention. Jacquelyn grasps my hand as we fight our way through the crowd that threatens to rip us apart. What they don’t know is that we’re sisters, not by blood and not by Greek letters, but by common goals, hopes, and dreams. We are the same in more ways than we’re different. And we’re standing together instead of only for ourselves.

  Even as we stand on opposite sides of the giant inflatable pool, filled to the top with blue Jell-O. Even as we fling it at each other and do our best to wrestle even though everything is so slippery it’s hard to gain purchase. Even as we shout smack talk over the roar of the excited crowd. Even as Jacquelyn is declared the undeniable winner of the fight.

  Hey, the girl is six inches taller than me. I never had a shot at beating her.

  I volunteered to fight, anyway.

  A towel appears in front of my face as I try to regain my footing after falling into blue sludge for the umpteenth time. “It might be easier to escape if you can see clearly.”

  I blink through the goop clinging to my eyelashes, acutely aware of the tone, timber, and strength of that voice. “Jason? What are you doing here?”

  His typical smirk comes into view as he shakes his head. “Like I was going to miss this.”

  “What about the Phi Kappa fight?”

  “A funny thing happened. No one showed up. Seems they found a more interesting way to spend their Saturday night.”

  I don’t fight the smile spreading across my face. “Is that right? I wonder what could be more exciting than sweaty hard bodies and bloodshed?”

  He laughs, but his pupils swallow his irises as he takes in my bikini-clad body, then he swipes a finger along my stomach, clearing a path through what is rapidly drying into a glue-like substance. “How did you come up with this idea?”

  “Easy.” I step out of the pool with his assistance. “I asked myself, what fantasy of Jason’s would be more alluring than his desire to fight?”

  He coughs, then wraps another towel around me. “I’ve never fantasized about women bathing in a tub of gelatin before.”

  “Please. Not only are you a horndog, but you’re also a foodie. It’s the perfect combination.”

  “I think you’re confusing a Jell-O fight with mud wrestling.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind for future events, then.”

  A chorus of text alerts rings throughout the basement. “Ah, right on time.”

  Jason fishes his phone from his jeans pocket with a suspicious glare at me, which only gets harsher as he reads. “Your equivalent of reveals is a dating service?”

  I lean over to read his phone screen while trying not to drip gelatin on him. Everything looks as it should. Each week a group of ten single ladies will offer themselves up for dates to anyone who bet on the winner of the fight. Whether that date is same sex or opposite sex, the choice of keeping it platonic or romantic is entirely up to them. It’s just another little safeguard to offer the LGBTQ population on campus more options than they previously had.

  “Why is your name on this list?” he growls.

  I should be angry at his hypocrisy, but it’s all I can do not to laugh. There’s no sense poking an angry bear. “Well, Jason. I am actually single. I’m not necessarily looking for a relationship since I’ll be moving to Boston after graduation, but that doesn’t mean my last three months at Wellbridge have to be lonely, either.”

  He pockets his phone, then crosses his arms, staring down at me with contempt written all over his face. “So, you’re going back to meaningless hookups?”

  “Isn’t that what you’re doing now?” I have to know. I’m not sure I want to, but I need to.

  “I’m not having sex with her,” he hisses, his face close enough that my mouth waters at his scent.

  I pat his chest, leaving a blue handprint on the white cotton of his t-shirt. It makes me happy to literally leave my mark on him. “That’s too bad. You’re really quite good at it. If it makes you feel any better, I’m not looking for no-strings sex. I’m looking for companionship. Although I will admit they’re better together, they can also be mutually exclusive.”

  A whistle pierces the din of the party. “Single ladies, it’s time to line up!”

  I stand on my tip toes to whisper, “Here’s where it gets really interesting. To make sure there’s more than one reason for people to want to attend our parties instead of Phi Kappa’s, bidding will now begin on this evening’s offerings. There obviously aren’t enough volunteers to meet the demand every week, so those who don’t place the winning bid tonight will be more inclined to try again next week.”

  Jason looks around as several sisters organize the sudden chaos. “You’ll never be able to keep track of it all if everyone who’s here can place a bid.”

  “We have it covered.” I smile and turn to line up, speaking over my shoulder. “Bids will only be accepted from attendees who picked the winner before the fight. I’d say I hope you didn’t choose me, but everyone already knows you didn’t.”

  He clutches my wrist before I can walk away. “You do. You know.”

  The feel of his skin on mine defibrillates my heart into beating at its regular speed again. I wasn’t sure where we stood after all this time. “I do know. You fought to save me, now I’m doing the same for you. Hayleigh can be your choice now, not your penance.”

  He releases me as his shoulders slump in defeat. “Still won’t let me play the hero, huh? I can’t say I’m surprised. You’ve always been the saving type.”

  I laugh at his melodrama. “Why do you think I want to be a doctor?”

  The bidding starts in a flurry of activity. Lisa volunteered to run the auction, and it takes her a few minutes to regain control. She gives me a rather dorky thumbs-up once she gets a feel for it. My heart palpitates with an almost giddy sensation I haven’t experienced since my first crush in middle school. Everything is working out perfectly.

  My smile only grows wider when Hayleigh shows up, plastering herself against Jason’s side. In spite of using him as her shield to bolster her reputation, she can’t hide her expression of disgust over this display. Jason’s eyes never leave mine as he wraps his arm around her shoulders. There’s no way for me to know what’s going through his head. Perhaps he knows he has to physically protect her from the other sorority sisters in the crowd who openly sneer at her. Maybe he’s sending me the message he’s still choosing her. Now that he knows he’s off the hook to save me, he’s showing me what he really wants.

  I tear my eyes from his when Lisa shouts, “Sold!”

  My date emerges from the bidding side of the basement wearing a smile which sends shards of panic skittering up
my spine. “Since we all chipped in, the brothers of Phi Kappa will be sharing you for the rest of the night.”

  Jason places himself between us. “No way in hell.”

  The Phi Kappa president’s smile only grows wider. “You could always fight for her.”

  Lisa appears at my side, a panicked look on her face that surely matches mine. “No, no. There’s no fighting here. We don’t host those kinds of parties.”

  A mock frown appears on the jerk’s mouth. “You poached on our territory, ladies. That’s not a very good show of Greek solidarity.”

  “It’s the best show of Greek solidarity Wellbridge has seen in years.” Jacquelyn steps up to my other side. “And to prove it, since Phi Kappa placed the highest bid of the night, your frat can share all of us.”

  “We only want her.”

  Jason’s jaw clenches as he grinds out, “Why her?”

  Another sinister smile makes the room feel ten degrees cooler in an instant. “She’s your weakness. These girls might have bested us tonight, but you still work for us.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Hayleigh pipes up, sliding her arm around Jason’s waist and squeezing. “He dumped her at the Holiday Bash. Everyone witnessed it. He’s been mine ever since. And no one here is suggesting he won’t continue to fight for Phi Kappa.”

  Her beautiful blond locks seem duller, her bright blue eyes colder. This woman I spent so many years trying to emulate and more recently trying to understand, disgusts me in ways no one ever has before her.

  “Why are you doing this, Hayleigh?”

  “Because I can.” Her tone dismisses me like I’m no more than a laughable nuisance who couldn’t possibly ruin her plans.

  I always strive to look for the good in people. To understand where they’re coming from when my perspective doesn’t align with theirs. Just because we’re not all exactly alike doesn’t mean some of us are inherently good or bad. We’re all different. And some? Some are just plain evil for no reason at all.

  “If you don’t leave and release Jason from the fighting ring, I will call the police right now.” I don’t have my phone on me for emphasis since I’m still covered in dried Jell-O, so I swat Hayleigh’s hand away to pull Jason’s from his back pocket. “I will tell them everything. From how this started when you offered to drug a woman for him to rape, then beat him when he refused, to the fighting ring’s role in Layla Manucci’s death.”

  The president laughs at my threat, much like Hayleigh didn’t take me seriously. “Number one, you have no proof. It would be your word against ours. Number two, if you take us down, you incriminate yourself. Since you provided the reveals, you alone are responsible for her death.”

  He glances around with a proud expression, likely expecting gasps of shock at his ultimate revelation. Some of the guys in the crowd shift uncomfortably, but nearly every already angry woman stares at him evenly.

  “We know Emma lied about all of those reveals to protect us.” Jacquelyn wraps her arm around my shoulders. The gelatin on our skin congeals, binding us together in perhaps the most disgusting physical manifestation of our unity. “Layla’s death was tragic, but there was no intent on Emma’s part for anyone to come to harm.”

  Jason’s eyes grow wide as he glances at me for confirmation. I nod subtly.

  A hint of disappointment creeps into the Phi Kappa president’s eyes, but he physically shrugs it off. “Even if you won’t go down with us, Jason will. And really? What’s the worst that could happen? None of us committed murder via cyberbullying. We’ll get a slap on the wrist for running an illegal fighting ring. No harm, no foul.”

  Lisa throws her arms in the air. “Then why continue this at all? If he wants out, let him out. Find yourself another prize stud to fight for Phi Kappa.”

  He tsks at her as if she’s nothing more than a child to be educated. “That’s not how this works. We play to win. He’s the only man on campus who can consistently do that. We’re not going to set ourselves up to lose money.”

  “That’s right.” Hayleigh beams, wrapping her talons around Jason’s arm again to claim ownership. “My man can beat anyone. He’s the best fighter Wellbridge has to offer.”

  A layer of my skin peels away as I dislodge from Jacquelyn’s hold to get in Hayleigh’s face.

  Before I can utter a single word of my intent to maim, Jason steps between us, placing his hands on my shoulders to hold me back. “Easy there, Doctor. First rule of medicine: do no harm. An assault with this many witnesses will get you more than a slap on the wrist.”

  “We’re not letting you take her.” Lisa states with finality. “Keep your money and get out of my house. If you want to fight, do it at Phi Kappa. Not here.”

  “Either we take her, or we trash your house. Your choice.” The utter calmness of his tone promises this isn’t an idle threat.

  Lisa studies him before calling his bluff. “You wouldn’t dare.”

  With a snap of his fingers, Phi Kappa lackeys crawl out of the woodwork where they’d been hiding in the crowd in plain sight. Without hesitation, they set to work, tearing down streamers, balloons, posters, punching holes in the walls.

  Cries from the other inhabitants of the house mingle with the shock of the rest of the party goers.

  “There goes the security deposit,” Lisa laments.

  “Fuck.” Jason tugs his hair in a show of desperation I’ve never seen from him before. “Stop! I’ll fight whoever you want!”

  The president holds up his hand, and all activity comes to an immediate halt. “This is bigger than our usual Saturday night ritual. We’re not going to make any money off of this, and we’re losing out on our feminine entertainment for the night. So, you’re going to have to make it worth our while.”

  Jason rolls his eyes. “Fine. Pick any opponent you choose. Pick two. I don’t care. She stays put, and you all leave. Emma and this house are granted immunity for the rest of the semester. No one from Phi Kappa will make problems for them again.”

  “You keep adding all these new terms, and I’m going to have to up the stakes.” He chuckles. “Have it your way, then. You’ll fight us all.”

  “What?” Horror washes over me. There’s a term for this scenario—a lynching. “No! You can’t expect one man to fight nearly forty opponents!”

  “There are only ten of us here tonight. Everyone else was too drunk and depressed over losing money to show up.”

  “That’s still not fair!” Jacquelyn’s eyes are wide as she gazes at the crowd, obviously counting the enemies.

  He sighs. “I’m feeling generous this evening because even though you ladies stole our money, you certainly put on a good show. We’ll make it five against one. Take it or leave it.”

  “Deal.”

  “Are you crazy?” I pull him aside, not paying Hayleigh’s protests any mind. “They could kill you! You can’t take on five opponents at the same time!”

  “If you have so little faith in him, it’s easy to see why he left you for me,” Hayleigh announces a little too loudly. “Of course, he can take on five opponents and win.”

  My eyes feel like they’re trying to escape the sockets. “Is your reputation really worth more than his life?”

  “Don’t be so dramatic, Emma. He’s fought three opponents who were twice his size on the same night. He can handle this.”

  I ignore her in favor of pleading with Jason’s more rational side. “Don’t do this. There has to be another way.”

  He peels his shirt over his head, revealing slabs of muscle which took years of cultivation to perfect. “Which way sounds better to you? Let them trash the house? Let them take you for the night? No. There are no options left.”

  “Let them trash the house,” Lisa cries. “It’s better than them trashing you!”

  Jason winks at her, then turns to me. “I like your friends.”

  “And they like you enough to keep you alive.”

  His hands land on my sticky cheeks, then he kisses me with more force tha
n we ever faked in public. “For once, trust me. I promise I’m not going to play the hero.” He pulls back and shrugs at Hayleigh’s disgruntled expression before putting his lips to my ear. “Do me a favor, though, and call the cops before they do any permanent damage to my pretty face.”

  Truth: Winning makes you strong but losing makes you stronger in life.

  “Please tell me this is the last one.” Sweat stains discolor Jason’s t-shirt, and his hair is completely soaked as he picks up the remaining cardboard box in the kitchen.

  “Dad!” I yell, rushing over to pry the box out of Jason’s grasp. “You’re not supposed to be lifting anything heavy!”

  My father lumbers in through the doorway, looking as exhausted as we all feel. Of course, there would be a random heat wave the weekend of the big move. “Put it down before the rest of us have to listen to her lecture you again. Your brother will be back up in a minute.”

  “I don’t need Luke to carry it. I’ve got it.”

  “Jason Xavier Gould. Put. It. Down.”

  His eyes widen. Every child knows when their mother breaks out the middle name, it’s game over. “Tattletale,” he hisses.

  “Horrible patient,” I return.

  “Doctor, it has been three months. Three. You know as well as anyone broken ribs heal in six weeks. I’m fine.”

  “Tell that to someone who didn’t ride in the ambulance with you,” I grumble, lifting up his shirt to check him over with my own eyes.

  He brings his mouth to my ear. “We can play doctor later when we get to Boston. It’s not fair to tease me in front of my mother.”

  His thoughts summon her. She emerges from scrubbing the carpet in the bedroom to glare at her son. “You’re lucky to be alive. You had four broken ribs, a dislocated jaw, a fractured eye socket, and a concussion. Not to mention breaking nearly every bone in your hand. If Emma says you’re on bedrest for the remainder of the summer, then I will chain your bedroom door to keep you in bed. No work for you, young man.”