by Wendi Wilson
“I know,” he admitted. “I can promise it won’t happen again, but only if we keep our relationship under the radar. And as long as everyone thinks I’m still with Charlotte.”
“I don’t know if I can do that.”
I gave that answer because it was expected, but the wheels in my head were already turning. I could use this. If I agreed to be with him in secret, then revealed the truth in some public and dramatic way, it would hurt him and Charlotte. Like some kind of fucking amazing two-for-one special.
“I know it’s a lot to ask, Chaz, but I feel like we could have something really special.”
I pulled the car into his driveway, parking under a security floodlight so I could see his face. He looked sincere, like he was telling me his truths and his future happiness was riding on my answer.
“Can I think about it?”
I didn’t need to think about it. I’d already made the decision—I was going to agree. But I didn’t want to appear too eager or he’d become suspicious.
“Of course,” he said, relief flooding his face. “And as a token of good faith, I have something for you.”
He pulled out his phone and tapped the screen a few times. As he shoved it back into his pocket, my own phone dinged with an incoming message. When I just stared at Mason, he motioned toward the device in the console between us.
“Go ahead. Look at it.”
Shrugging, I grabbed the phone and pulled up the message, which was a video file. The thumbnail showed a still shot of Mason, sitting on his bed in the pool house. My eyes darted back to him, and he nodded, encouraging me to watch it. Turning my phone sideways so the video would expand to full-screen, I tapped the icon to start the footage.
“What are you doing here, Amelia?”
“Ah, don’t be like that Mase,” she said, moving toward him, his back to the camera. “There’s no way I can be with Seth after the whole school saw him shitting and crying, and a girl has needs.”
She stopped beside him and reached down to run her fingertips over the bulge in his pants. Mason jerked his legs to the side, putting his junk out of her reach.
Holy shit.
“Come on, Mason,” she whined. “I’d fuck you real good—better than Charlotte could ever imagine.”
Holy. Shit.
“Go home, Amelia. I’m not interested.”
Mason hopped from the bed, putting some more distance between them. Rather than being put off, Amelia became more brazen, pulling her shirt over her head and dropping it to the floor before unfastening her bra and shrugging it off.
She cupped her breasts and kneaded them as she spun to face Mason—who was now standing out of the shot, right next to the camera. Amelia’s face was flushed and her eyes glassy as she pinched her nipples and groaned.
“Just give them a little taste. You know you want to. I’ll let you do whatever you want to me, Mason. Nothing is off-limits. And Charlotte will never have to know.”
Holy. Fucking. Shit!
The image blurred as Mason rushed forward and picked up her discarded clothes, ushering her out the door before she could say another word or take anything else off. I could hear Amelia’s cat-screech as he kicked her out, then the sound of the door slamming just before Mason’s torso came into view and the screen went black.
My wide eyes flicked up to Mason, who was giving me a soft smile.
“What…why…how?” I stuttered, not sure what I wanted to ask.
“I was using my webcam to film myself going over lines for our project. You know, so I could watch it and make any necessary tweaks to get them right. Amelia waltzed in without knocking and moved in on me before I could react or turn the camera off.”
I nodded, my mind spinning out of control with the possibilities. I now had footage of Charlotte and Amelia dogging Isla, and coupled with this video, whatever twisted friendship those three shared would be history. I focused on Mason, my eyes narrowing a bit.
“Why are you giving me this?”
He shrugged, saying “Charlotte is still trying to make your life hell after she was the one mostly responsible for what happened last semester. I told her to leave you be, but she keeps pushing. I know those three have some plan in the works, though they refuse to tell me what they have up their sleeves. So, let’s call this insurance. If any of them fuck with you, you release this video.”
“And the Roguettes are no more.”
“Well, Charlotte and Amelia, anyway,” he chuckled. “You’re on your own as far as Isla is concerned. I’ve got nothing on her.”
I did, but he didn’t need to know that.
“I appreciate this,” I said, waggling my phone in the air, “but I still don’t understand why you’re helping me. Especially since you just told me you want to keep dating Charlotte.”
“Have to, Chaz. Not want to. One day, you’ll understand. But for now, I just need you to trust me. Do you think you can do that?”
Hell no. No way in fucking hell, but thanks for the footage.
“I’m thinking maybe I can,” I said aloud, adding a soft smile for good measure.
He leaned in and kissed me. But this time, it didn’t affect me at all. While I appreciated his gift, I couldn’t get past him asking me to be his secret side chick. I didn’t care what his reasons were, or how logical or important they seemed to him.
Mason’s sordid offer was insulting and showed exactly how much respect he had for me. If I wasn’t out for blood, I would never agree to what he was suggesting. But I was, and I needed to be close to him to get my revenge.
He whispered good night, gave me one last kiss on the cheek, and climbed from the car. As I watched him walk away, I knew I could do this. I could lead him on, make him love me, then crush his heart.
Mason Bellamy was dog meat. He just didn’t know it, yet.
19
“So, what do you think?”
Josh, Simone, and I had our heads together over the lunch table, concealing my phone from prying eyes as I showed them the video Mason gave me. I’d talked to Josh on Sunday, telling him I had something epic, but I made him wait until today so I could show him and Simone at the same time.
“Holy shit,” Simone breathed.
“My thoughts, exactly,” I said. “This video paired with the one I took of Charlotte and Amelia talking trash about Isla should destroy the tenuous link between them, leaving them alone.”
“Why did Mason even give you this?” Josh asked, one eyebrow hitched up with suspicion.
I repeated what Mason told me, then stayed quiet while they processed the information. Josh looked pissed, but Simone was contemplative.
“No way,” Josh growled. “You are not going to be his trashy side piece.”
“Hey! Who are you calling trashy?” I quipped, and he shook his head.
“You know what I meant. He wants a secret fuck-buddy? He can pick from any of the money-grubbing whores nipping at his heels on the daily.”
I opened my mouth to explain why I’d agreed, but Simone spoke before I could utter the first syllable.
“No, it’s perfect,” she said, placing a hand on Josh’s arm. “Mason wants Chaz so badly that he’s risking—whatever he’s risking—to be with her, despite being attached at the hip to Charlotte. If Chaz agrees, she can get even further under his skin and destroy him from the inside.”
“And that’s why I said yes.”
Josh looked at me sharply, but when I didn’t back down under his hard gaze, he sighed and leaned back in his chair.
“Fine. I bow to your wisdom.”
“Of course you do,” I teased. “I’m your queen, aren’t I?”
I lifted my nose into the air and stared down it at him, making him laugh. I broke into giggles, feeling the tension between us melt away. Simone rolled her eyes at us, making me laugh harder.
“Josh said you wanted to run something by me,” she said. “Was that it?”
I sobered and leaned toward her. Josh hunched over the table to bring himsel
f closer and our conversation private.
“No, I wanted to talk to you about Cooper Calloway.”
“What about him?”
“We’ve noticed him watching you,” Josh whispered.
Simone’s eyes widened before shooting across the dining hall where the Rogues sat. I followed her line of sight just in time to see Cooper’s eyes jerk away, as if he’d been caught staring.
“See?” I said, looking back at her. “He likes you.”
“I don’t know, guys,” she hedged. “That seems like a reach. People can look at each other without having romantic feelings.”
“That’s true,” Josh said, “but it’s the way he looks at you.”
“So what if he does? It doesn’t matter to me. He’s a dick.”
“That’s what we wanted to talk to you about,” I said, placing my hand on her arm. “You can totally say no, but Josh and I were thinking we could somehow use Cooper’s attraction to you against him. Kind of like what I’m doing with Mason.”
“Hey guys.”
Henderson dropped into the seat next to Josh, cutting off our conversation. I mouthed “Just think about it” to Simone as Henderson reached for Josh’s hand on the table, linking their fingers together. Josh met his gaze and smiled, but the emotion in his eyes didn’t match his happy expression. There was a sadness in them he was obviously trying to hide.
I glanced back at the Rogues to find Theo staring at Josh, his normally stoic face drawn down with unhappiness. I could see the glassiness of his ice-green eyes even from where I sat, and my eyebrows jutted up as I wondered if he’d cry right here in front of the whole student body.
I pulled my eyes away from him, only to have them snagged by the bright blue orbs of Mason Bellamy. Charlotte sat beside him, talking his ear off, no doubt. But all of his attention seemed to be focused on me. His cheeks were ruddy with some emotion, his eyes lit with some unholy fire.
I purposefully slipped my tongue out to wet my lips, and the flames burning in his eyes flared in time with his nostrils as he visibly sucked in a sharp breath. I shot him a saucy wink and turned back to my friends, but his stare continued to burn into me.
I pulled out my phone and shot him a text.
If you want us to remain a secret, you’ll have to stop staring at me like that in public.
I watched from the corner of my eye as he pulled his phone out, shielding the screen from any prying eyes. Within seconds, my phone vibrated with an incoming reply.
I can’t help it. You’re so Goddamned gorgeous. I can’t wait to taste you again. My house, after school? We can “study.”
I’ll be there, I texted back, but this time no nerves fluttered in my belly.
Seeing how this was playing out—Mason sitting with Charlotte while secretly flirting and making plans with me—brought my anger back to the forefront in full force. It made me sick. This fucker thought he could have his cake and eat it, too?
Nope. Not this time, asshole.
“You okay, Chaz? You look like you’re ready to beat the shit out of someone.”
I looked at Henderson, shocked that he’d even noticed my strained expression when he was usually so single-minded. He was either focused on talking sports or Josh. That was it.
“Sorry. My mind was wandering. What were we talking about?”
Henderson launched into a long-winded analysis of last night’s basketball game while the rest of us pretended to be interested. After an eternity, he turned his attention solely on Josh, giving me and Simone a break from his incessant sports chatter.
“I’ll do it,” Simone said, leaning in close to whisper in my ear. “I’ll do whatever you want regarding Cooper.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want you to do anything that’ll make you uncomfortable,” I whispered back, and she shook her head.
“That’s what friends are for, right? I want to help. I’m sure you’d do the same for me.”
I thought about that for a few seconds and realized Simone was probably right. If she’d come to me with a problem or a bully that needed payback, I’d do pretty much anything to help her—no matter how underhanded or ridiculous.
And whatever plan we came up with wouldn’t hurt her, because she didn’t appear to like him, at all. It was harder for me and Mason and Josh and Theo, because we had past relationships and hurt feelings to contend with. But for Simone and Cooper, we could control the narrative and make sure the pain was all one-sided.
Soon, Cooper Calloway would feel the bite of heartbreak and betrayal. I just needed to figure out our best course of action. How to get the biggest bang while making sure no one else got hurt. Especially not Simone.
20
I walked into my room and slumped down on the bed. I was emotionally exhausted, and ready for this whole revenge scheme to be over. I’d been planning for weeks, and most of the cogs were lined up. It was time to set the gears in motion.
I’d spent the last week and a half going to Mason’s every day. We’d practice our reenactment of Romeo and Juliet’s scene, then end up making out for the rest of our “study” sessions. He’d somehow managed to keep his friends and the Roguettes away, and his parents didn’t seem to care what went on in the pool house.
Simone and Cooper were officially dating. She’d made the first move on her own, without consulting me or Josh, and Cooper had jumped in head first without hesitation. He didn’t seem suspicious at all that she started hanging out with me and five minutes later, she was interested in him. I’d have been suspicious as hell.
Cooper was either more stupid than I thought, or he just didn’t give a shit. Maybe being with her was worth the risk that I was up to something and using her.
Which I totally was.
I couldn’t take it anymore. I needed it to all be over. With the Lit projects being presented over the next few days, it was time. I wanted Mason to be my grand finale, so I decided to start with the Roguettes.
Tapping the screen of my phone, I pulled up the social media account I’d created for fake-Seth to release the video of him in the bathroom. The account had a little over a thousand followers, most of whom appeared to be students at Everly Prep, their friends, and their families. I’d seen some kids from nearby towns following it, too, which worked for me. The more people who saw what I was about to post, the better.
First, I took down the photo of Seth I’d set as the profile pic and uploaded a shot I’d secretly snapped of Charlotte in the hall at school. Then I changed the account name to hers. I pulled up the edited video I’d created and tapped the icon to play it.
It started with the footage I shot in the girls’ locker room.
She thinks she’s hot shit because she’s dating Theo.”
“Bullshit,” Charlotte responded. “Everyone knows he’s only with her by default. Mason is with me, and Seth is with you, so that leaves either Theo or Cooper. Cooper would never give her tiny tits the time of day, but Theo doesn’t seem to care that she’s so flat-chested.”
“Or that she’s an air-headed bimbo who’d fuck anything with a dick,” Amelia added, and they both laughed.
The screen goes black and bright white letters pop up, saying “Meanwhile…” Then the scene flips to Mason’s video.
“There’s no way I can be with Seth after the whole school saw him shitting and crying, and a girl has needs.”
Amelia’s fingers try to fondle Mason before he pulls away. Then she starts talking again, digging her own grave.
“Come on, Mason, I’d fuck you real good—better than Charlotte could ever imagine.”
“Go home, Amelia. I’m not interested.”
She takes off her shirt and bra, fondles herself, then faces toward the camera she didn’t know was recording.
“Just give them a little taste. You know you want to. I’ll let you do whatever you want to me, Mason. Nothing is off-limits. And Charlotte will never have to know.”
The image fades away to a black background once more as white letters scroll acr
oss the screen, spelling “And Isla’s the bimbo?”
That was it. I’d toyed with the idea of raking them over the coals, making accusations and calling their supposed friendship a sham, but decided against it. I’d let everyone make their own decision based on the footage. My main goal was to break the threesome up, but if everyone else ridiculed them, even better.
I uploaded the video with a smile. Within seconds, the number of comments, likes, and shares shot up as I watched with widened eyes, making me think the video might actually go viral. Perfect. My revenge on the Roguettes was over. Isolation and humiliation were sufficient punishments for their part in trying to take me down last semester.
It was time to focus all my energy on the Rogues.
I shut down the app and clicked on my notes app to update my list.
Chaz Gets Her Revenge
Charlotte Rutherford- Randall Walsely video, admission of guilt footage, break up Roguettes.
Seth Kincaid- Make home life hell. Destroy reputation at school with bathroom footage.
Theo Davenport- Hook Josh up with Henderson, drive Theo crazy with jealousy.
Cooper Calloway- Simone Carlisle
Isla Bishop- Break up Roguettes-leave alone and isolated.
Amelia Westwood- Same as Isla. Two birds, one stone.
Stella Bellamy- Off limits! May be of some help.
Mason Bellamy- Break. His. Heart. (While keeping mine whole and hard.)
I crossed off Seth, though I hadn’t actually done anything to make his home life miserable. The video seemed to be enough to teach him the lesson—he couldn’t just go with the flow when messing with people’s lives. Especially mine.
I crossed off Stella, too. She hadn’t been as helpful as I’d hoped, but she also didn’t do anything to hinder me except for trying to talk me out of my plans. Maybe once this was all over, I could beg forgiveness—despite the fact that everything I was doing was fully justified— and the two of us could really be friends.
Mason’s comeuppance was in the works and it all came down to timing. I’d be done with him soon.