by Amy DeMeritt
Shane is laying on her bed in a pair of short cotton shorts and a long sleeve tee shirt with her tablet above her face. She looks over and sits bolt upright.
“Kayla.” I give her a small smile and wave. “Hey.”
“What are you doing with Cass?”
“You know each other?” Shane doesn’t say anything, so I take a deep breath and nod. “We were friends, but Shane decided I wasn’t a good friend and she kicked me to the curb.” Shane smiles a little and scoots back against the wall with her legs stretched out in front of herself. “Are you here to apologize?”
“Uh, no, Cass is going to teach me how to use a video editing program. I’m starting a dance video channel online.”
Shane doesn’t say anything, so Cass moves around me and starts moving stuff off of her desk. As I’m pulling my laptop out, she pulls Shane’s desk chair over and we sit down next to each other.
“Ok, let me see the raw footage first and then we’ll go through it to see what we need to edit and enhance and all.”
I nod and pull up the video. I turn the computer some so she can see the screen better, and I see Shane hop off of her and to stand behind us. My heart starts to race, expecting another blowout with her after she sees this. I push play and I try to only watch them out of the corner of my eye, so it doesn’t look like I’m staring at them. I can’t see Shane too well, but Cass looks like she’s enthralled. When it ends, she sits back in her chair with a cheesy grin and laughs a little.
“Damn, that was some crazy shit. It’s an amazing dance, but the meaning is incredible. Am I correct in assuming you’re with all three of them?” I take a deep breath and nod. “Yeah, plus one that’s not in the video.” Her eyes get big and she laughs again. “Wow. This video is going to get mad buzz. The dance alone is better than what you see in most music videos, but the meaning is so damn controversial that it’s going to make this go viral in no time. Are you sure you’re ready for the kind of controversy this will send your way? Are they ready?”
I smile and run my fingers through my hair.
“Yeah. This is who we are and we’re going to be making the dance videos together as a family, so this is kind of like our introduction video.”
“What happened to your face and neck? You were all healed from Darren attacking you when you left for Thanksgiving.” I look up at Shane and I can’t really read her face. “I took another beating when we went home.” Her eyes get big and she looks a little sad. “From who?”
“Why do you care, Shane? You said you didn’t want to be my friend anymore.”
She crosses her arms on her chest and walks back to sit on her bed. Cass looks between us and scratches her head like she doesn’t know what to make of us.
“Uh, do you two want some privacy to hash this out or something?”
I don’t say anything and just look at Shane. Shane stares at me for a minute and then lays back on her pillow and picks up her tablet, not answering either. I turn back to Cass and shrug a shoulder.
“I guess not.” She shakes her head and turns to face the computer. “Ok, the video quality is really good, so it’s not going to require much editing. It’s mainly just sound that we need to clean up. We want to get rid of the background noise, like the leaves rustling, so all that you hear is the music.”
We spend almost an hour working on the video, with her showing me how to use the program and helping me with the sound quality. We watch the video again and it makes me really excited.
“Wow, you were right. Getting rid of the background noise makes a huge difference. My dad tried to show me how to use this before we left, but he wasn’t very good at explaining things. Thanks for your help. Do I need to give you editing credit or something when I post this?” She laughs and shakes her head. “No, I don’t need any credit. All I did was show you what to do and you did it. This is a really good introduction video. I really hope you don’t get too much hatred flung at you because of its meaning. I know the whole point of the video is that you’ll protect them no matter what comes at them, but I hope this video doesn’t require you to have to fight off any enemies.”
“I’m sure it will. What we have is beautiful, but most people won’t see it that way.”
“What happened to the other two?” We look over at Shane and she’s sitting up on the edge of her bed staring at me. Before I can say anything, Cass stands up. “Ok, since you’re all set, I’m going to take off so you two can talk.”
“Thanks again for your help.”
“Anytime. It was nice seeing you again.”
After she leaves, I close my laptop and put it away. I turn my chair to face Shane and she crosses her legs Indian style.
“I’m really sorry I hit you.”
“Why did you hit me?”
“It doesn’t make sense because we were never together, but I felt like I was back in my ex’s bedroom after I caught her with another girl.” I frown and look down, shaking my head. “Shane, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had been cheated on, but why would you associate me with that moment?”
“Kayla, don’t play dumb. You know I liked you, a lot. I accepted just being your friend because I still wanted to know you, but it wasn’t easy just being the friend when I wanted more from you. When I overheard that you were messing around with those other girls, I just felt so betrayed. I didn’t understand why I wasn’t good enough for you when you’d never given me a chance.”
“Everything happened so fast that weekend. It wasn’t something we thought about and slowly developed feelings or whatever. It’s not like we sat around thinking about who we could add to our bed and we made a conscious decision not to invite you. It just happened. Candi and Carmen are no longer in the picture, and haven’t been since that weekend.”
“Who are the other two? I recognize Madison, but I didn’t recognize the others.”
“The blonde girl was my ex, Sam, and the dirty blonde that kissed my bruises is Shannon. She was my nurse while I was in the hospital.”
“Who’s the girl that’s missing from the video?” I smile and laugh a little. “Don’t hit me, but my wife isn’t in the video.” Her jaw drops and she sits forward dramatically. “Your what?”
I laugh and start explaining everything to her. She just listens with shock and amazement on her face the whole time. When I finish, she smiles and shakes her head.
“Damn, you are way more interesting than I thought. It’s probably a good thing nothing happened between us. There’s no way I would have been cool with any of this and I probably would have exploded if you told me you are married. So, what happened when you went home?”
“Madison’s parents happened. But, we’re on ok terms now.” She looks shocked again. “They beat you up?”
“Yeah, it’s a long story, but they basically fractured my larynx and rebroke one of my ribs and I had a shit ton of cuts on my face and neck.”
“What did you do to them?” I laugh and run my fingers through my hair. “Made them love me.” Shane smiles and laughs a little. “You didn’t hit them or press charges or anything?”
“Nope. That wasn’t going to win them over.”
“I’ve missed talking to you. Can we try being friends again?” I smile and nod. “As long as I don’t have to duck slaps for having so many women.” She laughs and shakes her head. “No, I won’t try to hit you again. I’m over that now. I’m happy with my girlfriend, so I really don’t know why I reacted the way I did before.”
“Good.”
“Do you want to get some ice cream or something? I really want something sweet.”
“I will never say no to junk food.” She laughs and stands up. “Ok, let me put some clothes on.” I stand up and shoulder my bookbag. “Ok, I’ll wait out in the hall.”
“That’s not necessary, but if you’d be more comfortable, that’s fine.” I smile and grab the doorknob. “Yeah, I’ll wait outside.” She smiles and shrugs a shoulder. “Ok, I’ll be quick.”
I step out in to the ha
ll and lean against the wall next to her door and smile. I really have missed talking to Shane. She’s a bit quirky and we have very different personalities, but I think that’s why I like talking to her – it’s interesting. I also hate the idea of someone being mad at me, so I’m really happy that she’s gotten over what happened and doesn’t hate me anymore.
“Ready?”
Shane walks out in a pair of black pants that have a bunch of zippers and hooks all over them, a black hoodie, and a black beanie on her head. Shane used to dress very similar to Madison and Sam, but lately, she’s been wearing some really crazy outfits. She dresses a lot more gothic lately. I’ve noticed her a few times on campus and was a little shocked by what she was wearing. When we were friends, she dressed pretty generic with cute shorts and tank tops – I guess she dressed more with the current fashion and trends. She’s been wearing a lot of black and chains for the past couple months.
“Can I ask what’s with the goth look lately?” She looks down at herself and then looks at me with narrowed eyes. “Do my clothes bother you?”
“No, I’m just curious. Seems like your wardrobe was swapped out with someone else’s since the last time we hung out.” She shrugs a shoulder and crosses her arms on her chest, looking hurt. “I’m honestly not judging you, Shane. I’m just curious if there is a reason for the change.”
“Vic likes me dressed like this.”
“Do you like dressing like that?” She shrugs her shoulders. “It’s ok.” I shake my head and jerk my thumb at her door. “Open it.” She gives me a small smile and shakes her head. “Why?”
“Because, you’re changing into something you feel the most comfortable in. You’re not fucking dressing in a style that’s not you.”
“Why do you care?”
“Because, you’re my friend. I couldn’t do anything about your ex breaking your heart, but I can do something about the new girlfriend thinking you’re her gothic Barbie doll. Now, open the damn door.”
She laughs and blushes as she unlocks her door. When we get inside, she pulls the beanie off and runs her fingers through her short pixie hair to fix it. She opens her dresser and I groan. There’s not an ounce of color. I know I wear a lot of black, but it’s not gothic styled clothes and I rarely wear solid black.
“Did you buy all of this since you started dating her?”
“Yeah, I never dressed like this before.”
“Damn, why does she like this look so much? Does she dress like this?” She shakes her head. “No, she dresses like how I used to.”
“Do you like any of this? Honestly.”
“Maybe a couple things.” I shake my head and take my bookbag off and set it on Cass’s desk. “Get a trash bag.” Shane looks at me with big eyes. “What? Why?”
“Because, this shit needs to go.”
“But, what if she gets mad?” I look in her eyes and I see pain and worry. “Jesus, Shane, what’s that girl putting you through?” She looks down and shakes her head. “I’m happy with her. I really am.” I lift her chin to look at me and her eyes show she’s not happy. “Talk to me.”
“I don’t want to be alone.” I shake my head and pull her into a hug. “Being alone is better than being with someone that doesn’t treat you right. What does she do to you?”
“I don’t know.” I pull back and look at her face. Her cheeks are bright red and she looks like she’s trying not to cry. “Does she hurt you?” She nods once and looks down. “Shit. What does she do?”
She shakes her head and pulls back. She unzips her hoodie and takes it off. She turns her back to me and lifts her shirt, showing me her back. I gasp and my stomach instantly becomes sick. I reach out and gently trace the lash markings on her shoulder. Her entire back is covered in cuts and bruises.
“How did she do this?”
“Usually a whip, sometimes a small knife. She’s used her brush a few times too. That actually hurts the worst.” She turns around and wipes tears from her eyes. “Why does she do this? Do you like pain?”
“No, I hate pain. She likes to see the markings. It makes her feel good to cause someone pain.”
“Shane, that’s horrible. That’s just evil. If you don’t like the pain, she shouldn’t be doing that to you. Does she know you don’t like it?” She nods and sits on her bed. “I’ve told her I don’t like it, but then she says she won’t kiss me or have sex with me unless she gets to do that first.”
I pull a chair over and sit down. I run my hand through my hair and take a deep breath.
“How long has this been going on?”
“Two months. I tried to make excuses of why I couldn’t come over when I was hurting too much to let her do it, but then the next time would just be worse because she’d have all that energy pent up inside or something.”
“Who would have thought that the bible hugger is a fucking sadist, and a horrible one. A sadist is supposed to find a masochist to be with so the pain is pleasurable for both people. You’re not the partner she needs and she’s not the partner you need. This is a very unhealthy relationship.”
“How do you know so much about this?”
“I study with Madison a lot. She did a whole segment in one of her psychology classes on it. I’m a little bit of both, but it really has to be enjoyable for everyone, or I’m not into it at all. I’d never be able to do anything like what she puts you through though. I could never find pleasure in that much pain. What do want to do about this?” She looks at me confused. “What do you mean?”
“Do you want to keep being beaten and cut?” She shakes her head. “No, I hate it.” I stand up and point to her dresser. “Then bag all this shit up. We’re paying her a visit.” She smiles a little, but doesn’t move. “What are you going to do?”
“We’re taking these dungeon rat clothes to her and I’m teaching her a lesson about pain and how to deliver it properly.” She smiles really big and stands up. “You’d do that for me?”
“Yes, and I would have done it even if you didn’t take me back as a friend.” She smiles and wraps her arms around me. “Thank you. I really missed you.”
“I missed you too.”
She pulls back and grabs a trash bag out of the bottom drawer of her desk. She goes through all of her drawers and fills the whole bag. The last item she places in the bag is a dog collar with spikes on the inside of the band. I quickly grab it and look at her in shock.
“What the fuck is this? You wore this?” She blushes and looks down. “Yeah. It hurt like hell and I begged her to take it off, but she only tightened it. She loved when she made me cry.”
“Oh, fuck no. That bitch better be home.” I shoulder my bookbag and grab the trash bag, but then stop. “Take that shit off. You need to change and get rid of all of this.”
She smiles and starts pulling her clothes off. I look away and wait. While she’s getting dressed, I send Madison a text to let her know what’s going on.
Me: Turns out Shane is Cass’s roommate. We talked and we’re friends again. She confided in me that her girlfriend is a fucking evil sadist that’s been torturing her. I’m on my way to break up with her for Shane. Have Shannon on standby in case this crazy bitch pulls her knife on me that she cuts Shane up with.
Madison: What?! No, stop. I don’t want you being stabbed. Do you really think she will do that?
Me: I don’t know, but I’m taking care of that bitch. Fucking cutting up her girlfriend when she begs her to stop – what the fuck is that?
Madison: What are you going to do? Please don’t hit her. You know you’ll be kicked out of school if you touch her.
Me: I won’t touch her unless she touches me first. We’re leaving. I’ll let you know when it’s done.
Madison: Please be careful. I love you.
Me: I love you too.
While we’re walking to her dorm building, Shane sends the sadist a text to meet us outside. As we’re rounding the corner, we see her waiting on the steps outside the door. Her face shows she’s very confu
sed. Her eyes lock with mine and her face transforms to fear. I know I’m giving her a look like I’m going to kill her. She quickly stands up and nervously looks between us when we come within a couple feet of her. I drop the bag of clothes at her feet and I hold out the spiked collar.
“Put this on.” She shakes her head and looks at Shane. “What’s going on?”
“I said, put this on, now. Obey me, or your punishment for your disobedience will be far greater than this collar can offer.” Her eyes get really big, but the corner of her mouth quirks upwards into a small smile. She takes the collar and turns to walk inside. “Not out here.” I point down at the bag. “Pick it up.”
Vic grins and picks up the bag, tossing it over her shoulder like its Santa’s bag and we follow her inside. When we get to her dorm, she says, “out”, to her roommate and the girl immediately jumps up and leaves. She locks the door and tosses the bag of clothes next to a dresser. She turns to look at us and licks her lips.
“So, what are we doing?”
“Put the collar on.” She gives me a small smile and obeys me. “Tighten it a notch.” She flinches, but she obeys me. “Again.” She shakes her head. “It hurts.” I smile and lick my lips. “I know. Tighten it.” She bits her bottom lip and looks at Shane nervously, but she lifts her hands and obeys me. Her eyes tear up and her face shows she’s in pain. “Again.”
“No, please. I can’t take any more.”
“I said, tighten it.” She takes a deep breath, but doing so causes her to wince and a small tear leaks from her eye. “I can’t.”
“Are you disobeying an order?”
She releases a small sound of arousal and lifts her hands to tighten the collar. I can see the spikes are poking deeply into her neck and the skin around each spike is becoming pink with irritation. I lean in to see how many notches she has left and to make sure it’s not at risk of puncturing her skin. The spikes aren’t razor sharp, so that shouldn’t happen.
“Tighten the last two notches.”
She obeys, and she now has tears streaming down her cheeks and she’s struggling with the need to take the collar off.