Pretty Dark Nothing

by Heather L. Reid

  “You know nothing about subtlety, do you?” Teresa turned to Aaron. “Sorry about that. I was trying to keep you from being reminded.”

  “Thanks, but I already ran into them.”

  “So that’s why you’re leaving.” Marcus nodded.

  “I just think it’s better this way. Jenna’s not having any fun, and neither am I. I think we’re going to grab a slice at Tony’s.”

  “Hey, pizza, that sounds great! And Tony makes my favorite: pepperoni and pineapple with extra anchovies. Save me a piece, will you? Make that four, I’m starving!”

  “Does that mean you guys will meet us there?”

  “And leave my fans wanting more? The party would die if I left. Just get mine to go and bring them back when you’re done. Hide them in your suit jacket. Old Mr. Minks won’t smell a thing. Thanks, buddy.” Marcus clapped him on the back.

  “Reese!”

  Aaron had never seen a deer in headlights, but that’s how he would describe the look on Quinn’s face as her eyes met his.

  “Oh, um, I didn’t mean to interrupt. Jeff went to the bathroom.” Quinn pointed behind her. “So I thought I would make the rounds and say hi to, you know, everyone.”

  The silence that followed was more uncomfortable than winter in Maine.

  “Hey, girl.” Teresa gave her a big hug. “We’re glad you came over to say hi. Right, Marcus?” She poked him in the ribs with her elbow.

  “Uh, yeah, it’s always nice to get a visit from a real hottie. Right, Aaron?” Marcus’s remark earned him another poke in the ribs from Teresa.

  Aaron stared at Quinn staring at him. “Well, it’s been real, but I think I’ll go. Later, Marcus.” Aaron held out a fist, and Marcus tapped it with his own.

  “Reese.” He hugged her.

  Pushing his hands in his pockets, Aaron forced himself to look up. “Quinn.”

  “You don’t have to leave because of me.”

  “I’m not,” Aaron said, matter-of-factly. “My date’s waiting by the door.”

  “Right. Of course. Your date,” Quinn said. “I should go find Jeff. He’s probably looking for me.”

  “Yeah, that’s a good idea. You wouldn’t want his lips to get cold. We all know what happens when Jeff’s lips get cold. Where is Kerstin anyway?” The comments spewed from Aaron’s mouth like poison, each one hitting their mark with perfect precision, and it felt good, better than good. It was freeing. Until he noticed the shocked look on Quinn’s beautiful face. He watched her chew on her bottom lip, the way she did when she was nervous or unsure. Then her mouth opened as if to speak.

  Aaron thought she would let him have it. Instead, Quinn tapped her bare foot on the hardwood floor, folded her arms over her chest, and stared at him, her eyes glistening as if tears might pour out at any moment. Then she was gone.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Tears ran down Quinn’s cheeks.

  “Don’t cry.” The voices, once malicious and unwelcome, now soothed her, comforted her, their breathy smoothness overlapping her own thoughts, making it harder and harder to tell which were Quinn’s and which were the demons.

  “Aaron doesn’t know you.”

  How could he? He never tried. He gave up.

  “He doesn’t know Jeff.”

  Why did I ever like him?

  “Aaron’s trouble.”

  Jerk.

  “He’s selfish.”

  Creep.

  “He’s obsessed.”

  He’s always there, like some kind of stalker.

  “You have Jeff.”

  I don’t need him.

  “Jeff loves you.”

  Jeff loves me.

  “He knows you.”

  Better than Aaron ever could.

  “Yes.”

  He won’t leave me again. Will he?

  “Never again.”

  No, not again.

  “Not after tonight.”

  Are you sure?

  “Trust us.”

  Quinn dabbed her eyes with the back of her hand and stood up straighter.

  “Q.T.! Hey, over here!” Ami waved both arms in the air.

  Quinn waved back.

  “Congratulations!” Ami squealed as she embraced Quinn in a sisterly hug. “You and Jeff, king and queen! If you had asked me two weeks ago, I would have said no way. I mean, it sure looked like Kerstin would win, but when everyone found out you and Jeff were back together, there was no denying who was Queen.

  “Then we won the game! Our first game! The whole school knows it’s because you guys are back together. I haven’t seen Jeff this happy in months or Kerstin this miserable, for that matter. Serves her right. You know she couldn’t get anyone to bring her tonight? I heard she even begged Horace Wheeler, but he already had a date. Can you believe it? Anyway, we’re so happy for you. Aren’t we, Jordo?”

  Jordan, Ami’s date, looked stunned when she asked his opinion. “Yeah, of course, you and Jeff—”

  “I know! Aren’t they great together? I mean, there’s no other perfect couple, and everyone thought it was over, but not me. I always had faith in the two of you. True love can never be denied.”

  “Thanks for the support, Ami,” Quinn said. “Speaking of, have you seen Jeff anywhere?”

  “No, not since your royal dance.”

  “I saw him talking to Kerstin,” Jordan said.

  “No you didn’t. Don’t even joke like that, Jordo.”

  “I’m not joking.” Jordan raised his voice, bringing Ami to silence. “Last time I saw them they were walking toward the front doors. Kerstin looked pretty upset.”

  “Thanks, Jordan. I guess I better go rescue my king from the evil harpy.” Inside, Quinn’s stomach turned. Did Kerstin seek Jeff out, or did Jeff look for Kerstin?

  Quinn hurried through the crowd of well wishers, getting stopped every few feet to be told how glad they were to see her back together with Jeff, how beautiful she looked, blah, blah, blah. The same people who had called her a druggie and a loser less than a week ago. What a bunch of phonies. But she smiled like a true royal and thanked them, her eyes ever searching for Kerstin and Jeff.

  We all know what happens when Jeff’s lips get cold. Where is Kerstin anyway? Aaron’s words rang in her ears.

  Frantic to find them, she rushed past the stage, the punch bowl, the tables, to the front doors—where she spied Jeff, in a shadowy corner—with Kerstin.

  Kerstin gripped his biceps so hard his flesh bulged between her short, stubby fingers. His hands caressed her shoulders; his head bent to her ear while she sobbed like a baby. Quinn moved closer but couldn’t hear what they were saying. Kerstin, oblivious to Quinn’s scrutinizing glare, pounded on Jeff’s chest, a wild rage in her eye.

  Anger prickled through Quinn, and she gritted her teeth. Why couldn’t she leave Jeff alone? Jeff shook his head and pulled away from Kerstin’s grip, but she wouldn’t let him go. Grabbing him by the wrist, Kerstin jerked him back, bawling. Jeff shook his head and tried pulling away again, but she clung to him like a desperate child.

  “Look at her. Trying to manipulate Jeff.”

  Again.

  “Stop her.”

  Rage and jealousy rose inside her, and she decided to take matters into her own hands. She stalked up behind Kerstin, grabbed her arm, and spun her around so they were face to face.

  Kerstin gaped. Tears streamed from her bloodshot eyes, down her round cheeks.

  “I’m warning you, Kerstin, leave Jeff alone. He’s made his choice, now deal.”

  “Stay out of this, Q.T.,” Kerstin spat.

  “It’s Quinn to you, and how can I stay out of it when I’m so obviously in the middle of it?”

  “Not everything’s about you, Quinn Perfect.” The word perfect hissed out of Kerstin’s mouth, reminding her of the whispers of the demons.

  “I need to talk to Kerstin for a minute.” Jeff turned his back on Quinn, pressing Kerstin further into the corner.

  “He’s avoiding you, Quinn. Like your
father did when he left with that woman? Why do all the men in your life betray you?”

  Quinn’s nails bit into her palms, and she narrowed her eyes at Jeff. “Let me get this straight, Jeff. You want me, your girlfriend, to leave you, my boyfriend, alone with Kerstin, the slut, who you, my boyfriend, dumped me for? Do you really think I’m that stupid?”

  “Have you ever wondered why they always leave, Quinn? Why the ones you love can’t love you back?”

  “Actually, he does,” Kerstin shot back.

  “Just let me deal with this, okay?” Jeff begged Kerstin.

  Shadows twisted and coiled around Quinn in agitation as she advanced on Jeff.

  “Deal with this?” Quinn slammed her hands into Jeff’s chest. “Deal with this!” She pushed with everything in her, shoving Jeff with all the hurt, anger, and disappointment she’d been carrying around, and he stumbled back. “What’s there to deal with? You are my date and my boyfriend, not Kerstin’s lap dog. You’re being such a jerk.”

  “Now, wait a minute. That’s not fair. Kerstin and I were just clearing up a few things.”

  “Not fair? Oh that’s great, Jeff. Clearing things up, right, like you did with me after you dumped me? I don’t recall you ever clearing things up with me.” No one ever cleared things up with her, not her father, not Jeff, even Aaron had turned away never to look back, and she was sick of it. “Since when did you go all noble?”

  Jeff grabbed Quinn by the arm and pulled her farther into the corner. “What the hell do you call what happened tonight?” He pulled her to him, pressing his cheek to hers as he spoke in hushed tones. The sweet scent of ginger ale and strawberries from the punch lingered on his breath, making her nauseous. She struggled against him, but he held tight. “Didn’t I make my feelings for you clear? Do you think it meant nothing to me? I mean, come on, Quinn, it was our first time.”

  Evil laughter echoed through her head as the shadows trembled and flickered. “Did he cheat on you? Kerstin said he’d been at her house.”

  Quinn’s heart dropped into her stomach. Of course he had lied. He was still seeing Kerstin on the side, trying to have his cake and eat it, too. Just like her father. How stupid could she be?

  “You mean my first time.” Tears flowed down Quinn’s cheeks. “Mine, not ours.” She jerked away from his vice grip and rubbed the red spot left by his fingers. “How could I have been so stupid? I can’t even believe I let you touch me after you’ve touched her.”

  “Well, well, well, little miss virgin no longer.” Kerstin stepped around Jeff. Quinn shrank back. Kerstin’s clear blue eyes were gone. Giant black marbles stared out from sunken sockets, and a dark gray shadow surrounded her, pulsing with a life of its own, growing with every word Kerstin spoke. “Little miss perfect’s not so perfect after all. I didn’t think you had it in you, to screw up this much. What’s next, a little grand theft auto?”

  The dark fog drew itself into a dense, swirling mass. It hovered over Kerstin like the grim reaper. Quinn trembled. The fog pulsed once, exploded with a blast of sulfurous air, and revealed a fully formed entity.

  Unlike the others, this demon didn’t care about Quinn. It had its claws fixed on Kerstin. Dark, black hair covered every inch of its twisted, gnarled body. It fluttered down to Kerstin’s shoulder and turned its owl-like head to whisper to her. It opened its sliver of a mouth, revealing a set of long, pointy fangs and doubled tongue. Placing it in Kerstin’s ear, it licked at her flesh. Saliva dribbled from the gray whip-like tongue, dripping off her lobe and down her neck. Kerstin didn’t even flinch; she seemed to welcome it.

  “So, Quinn, how did my leftovers taste? Sweet? Salty, maybe? Or more like spoiled?” They spoke in a round, the demon to Kerstin, Kerstin to Quinn, its words, its voice, overlapping Kerstin’s. It put the words in her mind and she repeated them like a parrot, like the crowd at the game with the moths. She flicked a glance at Jeff, but he had fixed Kerstin with an irritated glare that had nothing to do with the demon on her shoulder. Why couldn’t anyone else see them?

  “I used to be jealous of you. But you’re just a pathetic fool, like me. We have way more in common than I ever thought. I can’t believe I envied you. Quinn: perfect, beautiful, smart, head cheerleader, and Jeff’s true love. You have no idea how much he talked about you last summer.”

  “Kerstin. Don’t,” Jeff warned.

  “Until we made love on the beach. Do you remember, Jeff?” She glared at him for a moment, daring him to stop her. “Our parents just happened to pick the same resort in Cozumel. What are the odds of that? We went out for a late night walk, just to get away from all the family fun. I shivered, and you put your arm around me, to warm me. We stopped in that secluded spot where the sands met the cliffs.” Kerstin paused as her demon bent to whisper in her ear. “You called my name that night, not Quinn’s. Mine.”

  Clutching her stomach, Quinn backed away, shaking her head. Kerstin looked from Jeff to Quinn, studying their expressions, probing them for ammunition perhaps, or waiting for the demon to tell her what to say next.

  Kerstin stuck out her bottom lip in a pout. “What’s wrong Jeff? You mean you never told her?” She spoke in exaggerated baby talk. “Precious Quinn doesn’t know you cheated on her over the summer? Tsk, tsk, tsk, that wasn’t very nice now, was it?” Kerstin softened her voice and shook her head at Quinn. “I told him he should be honest with you, to tell you right away, but he made me promise. He said he would tell you when the time was right. Well, what better time than now?”

  Jeff shoved past Kerstin and took Quinn by the arm. “I wanted to tell you. I tried to tell you.” He pulled her farther from Kerstin and grabbed her face to get her to look him in the eye. “I was weak, stupid, and it cost me more than you know.”

  Quinn wanted out, but Jeff blocked her path to the left. She looked to the right. Kerstin and her demon blocked the path to the stage. Quinn’s own demons popped in and out between her and the door, laughing as a flowing fog gathered behind them. “What is it you humans say? Once a cheater always a cheater?”

  “He never told you I was there, did he? Jeff was heartbroken, leaving his precious Quinn for six whole weeks, but I comforted him. It didn’t take long to turn to me, did it?”

  Kerstin cocked her head and folded her arms over her chest. She clicked her tongue as she studied Quinn. Her thin lips turned into a spiteful grin. “Now that he’s had both of us, which do you think he’ll choose?”

  Quinn stumbled sideways and covered her mouth to swallow a scream. She turned her back on them, to run from the pain and confusion, but the fog trapped her. It engulfed the entire gym, the floor, the ceiling, the other students, everything and everyone except for her, Kerstin, and Jeff. Jeff stroked her shoulder. She cringed and jerked away, looking for a break in the smoky darkness.

  “Quinn, look at me. I love you.” Jeff stepped around her until they were face to face again. The fog moved back just enough to accommodate him. Quinn wanted to believe the sincerity in his voice, the desperation in his wide brown eyes.

  “I’ve always loved you.” Jeff pulled her into a hug and stroked her hair. “Please, Quinn. You have to forgive me. All I’ve ever wanted was you.” The demons were wrong; they had to be. Jeff cupped her chin and wiped a tear from her cheek. “Kerstin? A moment of weakness I’ll always regret. If you knew, you would understand. It was a mistake.”

  “A mistake?” Kerstin shrieked at Jeff. “That’s all I was to you?” Eyes narrowed, she elbowed her way between them, getting up in his face. “Well, this mistake is carrying your baby!”

  Was Kerstin for real? Crying pregnant to keep Jeff? Quinn shook her head and opened her mouth to defend him, but the look on his face stopped her cold. He didn’t look shocked at the news.

  Kerstin turned to Quinn. “Did you hear me, Quinn? I’m pregnant with Jeff’s baby!” Kerstin screamed like a mad child, her words reverberating through the gym, overpowering even the rocking background music, an earthquake, shaking the very foundation of the sch
ool.

  Quinn grabbed her chest as the news ricocheted through her, killing the last shred of hope.

  The fog shook too, not in shock, but in joy. Mocking and cruel, the mischievous laughter echoed in Quinn’s mind the way Kerstin’s words echoed through the gym. Then the one fog separated into many, curling and dancing around the two girls like wisps of smoke from a burned-out candle.

  Foolish, stupid, everything she’d done, everything she’d thought, played right into her enemies’ claws. She could see that now. The demons had tricked her, playing on her emotions, her insecurities, manipulating her into this very moment all along. And she’d let them. There was no such thing as making a deal with the devil. They didn’t deal; they did whatever they wanted. They would never let her go. Ever.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  A crowd gathered around the tense battle waging in the dark corner of the gym. Silent, they converged on the oblivious threesome, jackals waiting to gorge on the leftover kill. Aaron, Teresa, and Marcus joined the pack.

  “What are we watching?” Aaron asked Marcus.

  “Probably the defensive line doing their version of YMCA.”

  “I can’t see a thing over all these giants.” Teresa jumped to peer over the ocean of heads. “Come on.” She grabbed Marcus’s hand, cutting her way through the dense forest of bodies, Aaron at their heels.

  Penetrating the pack’s front line, they saw Quinn huddled in the corner, Jeff grabbing her face, Kerstin gloating beside him.

  “Man, I could use some popcorn and a Coke to go with all this drama.” The crowd shushed Marcus. “Hey, I thought this was a party, not a movie.”

  “You think this is funny?” Teresa put her hands on her hips and glowered at him.

  “Well,” Marcus started. “No, no, of course not. Do you think we ought to do something?”

  “Like what?”

  “I don’t know. Distract the onlookers, so they can have a little privacy?”

  “I’m pregnant with Jeff’s baby!” The concussion of Kerstin’s bomb thundered over the loud music. The audience gasped.

  “I think it’s a little late for that.” Aaron moved closer to the turmoil.