Slashing Away: A Dark Psychological Thriller (Gushers Series Book 2)

by Chuck Buda

  Spencer chuckled. Todd shot Spencer a look to let him know he was willing to fuck him up. Spencer stopped chuckling, but a smirk stretched upon his lips. The look told Todd to try and do something about it.

  “For ruining the evening and driving a wedge between our friends.” Zoe sauntered toward Todd and Jordyn.

  He crunched up his face in disagreement. “I don’t think Aiden did anything wrong. He just expressed an opinion. Last I checked, we live in America.”

  Todd swelled up his chest. It was natural for him to engage in posturing when shit was about to go down. Todd knew from fighting many times that half the battle was mental. Getting into his opponents head before punches were thrown helped quell the aggressiveness on the other side. He realized he was standing before Zoe, but the posture was as much for Spencer as it was for Zoe.

  Zoe grinned. She checked out Todd’s stance and then responded with disdain. “The words came from Aiden’s mouth, Todd, not mine. And while we live in America and enjoy its freedoms, The First Cut is a secret, and not privy to the same rules as our country.”

  Todd looked at Jordyn. Her eyebrows pleaded with him to back down. It confused Todd since they had spoken over the weekend about standing up for Aiden. Or with him. Why was she trying to hold him back now, he wondered?

  “I was going to poll everyone to see if you would all allow Aiden back into The First Cut. But maybe I should include you on the ballot.”

  Todd huffed. “Me? I didn’t leave the group. And if I did, you would know about it. I don’t need anyone’s permission to come and go as I please.”

  Zoe and Spencer both laughed. Spencer glared at Todd. He took a step in Spencer’s direction but Jordyn pinched his side. The pain was enough to prevent him from moving forward.

  “I think what Todd is trying to express is his frustration with how everything fell apart Friday. He wants what we all want. Having fun with our friends and going a little crazy, right?”

  Todd didn’t understand Jordyn. First she tried to get him to stand down. Now she began placating Zoe and Spencer. Why wasn’t she standing tall like she said she would? Why wouldn’t Aiden chime in and support Todd? After he defended Aiden Friday and came to his aid now, Todd expected a little more thanks from him. Instead, Aiden stood there with his hands jammed in his pockets. He looked like a fucking statue, Todd thought.

  Zoe smiled at Jordyn. “See Todd. Jordyn is smart. Aiden is getting smarter. So why would you want to be so foolish?”

  “Are you threatening me?” Todd felt his nostrils flare. His adrenaline was making the rounds again, filling his veins with power and rage.

  “What’s up guys?”

  Ryan’s arrival deflated the mood between the friends. He smiled and looked around at each person. He raised his hand to Todd signaling for a high five. Todd rolled his eyes and looked back to Zoe.

  “Well, this was lots of fun but I have to get home. I have...important things to do.” She traipsed back to her car. Spencer stood up and backed away from the car. Zoe opened her door and spoke before getting inside. “Maybe we’ll see you all Friday night.”

  Zoe slammed the door shut and revved the engine. She backed out of the spot and peeled away in a hurry, leaving some smoke from the tires behind. Spencer chuckled and made his way to his own car. He didn’t even bother to say goodbye to anyone.

  Todd stared after Spencer as he left as quickly as Zoe had. Jordyn placed a gentle hand on his lower back. Todd checked with Aiden to make sure he was okay. Aiden nodded and waved a weak paw at them. He left them alone in the parking lot. With Ryan.

  “Everybody still seems upset, huh?”

  Todd faced Ryan. “Is it that obvious?”

  Ryan’s expression drooped. Jordyn jumped in to smooth over the bumps Todd had created.

  “Don’t pay attention to him. He’s just letting off steam.”

  Ryan nodded. He waited silently for somebody else to speak. Todd didn’t feel like small talk. He was still pissed at Ryan for choosing to follow Spencer and Zoe the other night. Todd really felt betrayed by Ryan’s actions. Out of their entire circle of friends, Todd had always been closest to Ryan. He thought Ryan felt the same way. But now he wasn’t so sure. He needed to figure out if Ryan had switched allegiances or if he was just following his dick around to wherever Zoe led it. He hoped that was the reason.

  “I gotta go. I have to...” Todd couldn’t come up with a valid excuse. He was never good at lying. Todd wore everything on his sleeve, for good or bad. His words trailed away into the gentle breeze.

  “See you later, Ryan. I have to get home too.” Jordyn jumped in where Todd fell quiet. They both headed to Todd’s car parked across the lot.

  Todd felt guilty for leaving Ryan flat. He sensed Ryan’s puppy dog eyes digging holes in his back. Part of him wanted to reassure Ryan he was just mad.

  The other part of him didn’t give a fuck how Ryan felt.

  Chapter 12

  The afternoon sun was beginning to dip behind the treetops along the outskirts of the park. Zoe waited for Spencer to show up. She needed to run through some ideas for The First Cut. Spencer had suggested they talk it over during study hall tomorrow at school. Zoe felt much more urgency behind the discussion. Her mind couldn’t let it go as much as she tried to distract herself.

  Spencer pulled up alongside her car. He smiled at Zoe, waiting a moment to see if Zoe would come to his car. Zoe didn’t move a muscle so Spencer climbed into her front seat.

  “You called me and I came.” Spencer smiled in a friendly manner. Zoe thought she detected a note of sarcasm in his voice. She decided to let it go for now in order to address bigger concerns.

  “Aiden and Leah worry me.” She stole a glance at Spencer. “I can’t be sure how contrite Aiden is.”

  “And what’s your issue with Leah?” Spencer shifted to face Zoe more directly.

  “Well, I have a feeling I can’t explain. Leah hasn’t said a thing to me yet but her avoidance at school today spoke volumes. And she was the one who dragged Aiden from Jordyn’s house. Plus, Aiden mentioned the fact that he talked about his apology and desire to come back with Leah. He said she approved of his plan.”

  “So?”

  “So, Leah is willing to deal directly with the one who fucked everything up but she hasn’t said boo to the rest of us. It doesn’t add up.” Zoe chewed the nail on her pinky finger.

  Spencer sighed. “What do you want to do about it? Want me to follow them around?” He stared out the passenger window.

  “No. I have a different idea. One which will add some zest to The First Cut.” She paused long enough to irritate Spencer with anticipation. “I want to use one of them as a sacrifice for the good of the ritual. An offering to the gods in order to bring us closer to our goals.”

  “Metaphorical sacrifice, right? Or are you being literal?” Spencer rubbed the stubble upon the crown of his head.

  “I don’t do metaphors, Spencer. We need blood for the rituals. We have an abundant supply at our fingertips. And I think the message will be understood by whichever one I choose to live. Or maybe I will sacrifice both of them.”

  Zoe imagined drinking Aiden’s blood. She wondered if a corpse could achieve an erection. It would be extra special if she could fuck Aiden’s dead body while pouring his blood all over her body, Spencer chanting the sacred words above them. Maybe if she killed him while she was fucking him. That would cover the doubt about his erection after death.

  “If you sacrifice Aiden and Leah, then who would be around to understand your “message?” Zoe hated when people used air quotes and that is exactly how Spencer said it.

  “Todd and Jordyn. They seem to be on the fence. Todd more so than Jordyn. I don’t want to lose them. Killing Aiden and Leah would solidify their fear of stepping out of bounds.”

  Spencer shook his head. “I don’t know about Todd. He sends me vibes he is very sure of his position. I don’t see that tactic scaring him at all. Jordyn will be easy to convince. She only car
es about herself and her social standing. She won’t go anywhere if it risks which crowd she gets to run with.”

  Zoe knew Spencer was right about Jordyn. And Todd. But she didn’t want to upset the delicate balance she had with Todd at the moment. She felt he was close enough to bring back into the fold. Even if he dangled precariously over the outside. Aiden definitely needed to be punished. Leah was the wild card. Zoe needed to get into Leah’s mind to figure out which side she was on. That would dictate the course of action. Until then, Zoe conservatively compartmentalized Leah with Aiden.

  “How about Ryan?”

  Zoe laughed. “Ryan is not a concern. He’ll go wherever the smell of pussy leads him. Be it mine or someone else’s. Ryan showed us his dedication. I knew when he turned his back on Todd to come with us he was in for the long haul.”

  Spencer waffled. He scratched his head again. “I don’t know. After tailing Ryan and finding out he spilled the beans to Todd, I don’t trust him with any important information. Or secrets. He needs close supervision.”

  Zoe considered Spencer’s notion. She had no reason to act on his paranoia. Yet. She made a mental note to dig deeper with Ryan next time she ran into him. She would pay careful attention to his nonverbal communication as much as his word choices. Ryan wasn’t smart enough to hide anything from her.

  “So what are you gonna do?”

  Zoe smiled. She placed her hand on Spencer’s leg. “Don’t you trust me, Spencer?”

  Spencer chuckled.

  “I’m going to allow Aiden back into The First Cut Friday night. But he is going to have to go above and beyond to impress upon us all that he is back in. One hundred percent. He is going to be a live donor for the ceremony.”

  “Kill him this Friday?” Spencer appeared worried or at least shocked.

  “Don’t be an idiot. I’m a cat that likes to play with my food. Swat the mouse around a bit. No, I mean he will donate his blood to The First Cut. And he will show us his intent. If he is on board then he will go along with the idea willingly. If he has ulterior motives, he will hesitate before allowing us to draw his blood. Or he will deny us access altogether. Once we know what’s on his mind, we can better seal his fate.”

  Spencer clapped his hands. “You are a sick bitch, man. You always surprise me with how calculating you can be.” Spencer genuinely revealed pride in her abilities. Zoe saw the opening and she took it. She squeezed his crotch in her hand, tightly, but not tight enough to cause him too much discomfort. Just enough to show her power over him. Metaphorically, of course, she giggled inside.

  “Don’t forget that fact, Spencer. I know you think you own me because of your knowledge. You think, without you, I wouldn’t have the power behind the rituals.” She licked her lips in a seductive display. “You couldn’t be more wrong.”

  Zoe enjoyed the fear in Spencer’s eyes. She felt stronger every day since they began The First Cut. She just needed a little more time to reach her goal. And once she did, Zoe would rule over anyone who got in her way. It made her wet to think about people parting for her. Her friends. Her parents. The world. Zoe wanted it all.

  And she would get it. With or without Spencer.

  Zoe released Spencer crotch. She stroked Spencer’s face and then leaned in to kiss him. Spencer was frozen in place. She felt him tremble through his lips. Her tongue aggressively rooted around in his mouth.

  Zoe whispered into his ear. “Fuck me right now and don’t you dare cum until I tell you to.”

  Chapter 13

  Aiden watched the waitress head to their table. His stomach knotted up immediately. Aiden wasn’t in any mood for Todd’s usual hijinks with the waitress. He braced himself for the pity which always surfaced when Todd messed with the woman. This time, the process of ordering went differently. Todd placed his order without mockery. He actually ordered an unsweetened iced tea instead of the usual Coke order in a Pepsi establishment routine.

  Nobody seemed to pick up on Todd’s change of pace. Aiden felt relieved.

  The table was eerily silent. Aiden glances around the diner. It was different in the early evening. Mostly elderly folks grabbing dinner at a decent hour. Unlike the overly-teenager filled weekend nights.

  Leah sat across from Todd. She brushed a wisp of red hair over her shoulder. She cleared her throat and spoke. “Aiden told me about what happened in the school parking lot earlier.”

  Todd huffed. Jordyn twirled her napkin wrapper around her finger. “It was quite scene. It really pisses me off how much Zoe has changed.”

  “Zoe hasn’t changed. She’s always been a cunt.” Todd kept his voice low. Another oddity inside the diner, Aiden noted.

  Leah and Jordyn exchanged looks. Jordyn continued. “I guess I never realized because I was so close to her.”

  Todd laughed. “You were never close to Zoe. You just thought you were. Nobody gets close to Zoe, unless she can use them for her own benefit.” He began to drum his fingers on the table.

  “It doesn’t matter. I’m okay now. Things will go back to the way they were.” Aiden attempted to gloss over the hidden plan.

  “You may be fine with things, but I’m not. I wanna fuck her shit up. And Spencer too. He turned out to be a bigger fucking weirdo than we all thought.” Todd turned his attention to Aiden suddenly. “And what’s your fucking problem, dude?”

  Aiden straightened. He felt the hostility coming across the table. Aiden strained his ears to listen if other diners overheard Todd’s accusation.

  “What? What do you mean?”

  “I mean, you’ve always been a pushover.” Jordyn placed a hand on Todd’s forearm but he brushed her hand away. “No, if we’re all being honest around here, he needs to hear some tough love. You’ve always been a fucking pushover, following us around like a lost puppy. Don’t get me wrong, we like you. But you take so much shit from everyone. And for once, for once, you stood up and threw your dick on the table. I was stunned at first. Then I was proud for you. You stood right up to that bitch. And now? Now you’re gonna turtle again? I don’t understand how you’re not livid, man.”

  Everyone glanced around the table in shock at Todd’s observations. Aiden felt kind of cool about it. Todd had told him he was proud of Aiden. Aiden couldn’t remember Todd ever saying anything complimentary to him. And the fact that Todd had noticed something on a deeper level gave Aiden a new respect for his friend.

  “I don’t take shit from everyone. I just like to go with the flow. I’m not big on hassles and stuff.” Aiden sighed. He felt like he could trust Todd now with their plan but he didn’t want to share anything without consulting with Leah first. “I don’t want to break up the group. And I want to have sex again.”

  Everyone stared across the table. Then they burst out in laughter. Jordyn appeared to enjoy Aiden’s joke the most. After a few moments, the laughter faded. The mood had eased gratefully.

  “It would be nice if there were a way to bring Zoe back to earth though.” Jordyn licked her lips and sipped the water the waitress just set down in front of her.

  Leah and Aiden looked at each other.

  “We should give them a taste of their own medicine. Maybe I should cut Spencer and see how he likes it.” Todd rotated his butter knife in his fist.

  Aiden nervously watched Todd. “I think we should just go back to normal and see what happens. If Zoe and Spencer act up again, we can work on something to get even.”

  “Whatever you wanna do, dude, I’m behind you. I’ve had enough of her bullshit. I got your back.” Todd held his knuckles up for Aiden to crush. Aiden smiled and clapped his knuckles with Todd’s.

  Aiden was beside himself. He had felt like Todd was the furthest from him in terms of real friendship. And in one brief conversation, Aiden thought Todd was a better friend to him than anyone he knew. With the exception of Leah. He felt a momentary emotion arise which would lead to tears. Aiden swallowed it down and kept his face focused on the table to avoid crying.

  “I agree with Todd. I�
�m totally on your side. What Zoe and Spencer did is not cool at all. You can count on me too. Hey, strength in numbers, right? We have four against three now.” Jordyn grinned.

  “We don’t know where Ryan’s loyalty lies. I’m not sure if he’s totally on board with them.” Leah jumped in.

  “Fuck him too. That prick left us hanging. He’s on his own as far as I’m concerned.” Todd made his case. Aiden tried to imagine a world where Todd and Ryan were not inseparable. Jumping up and high-fiving each other. Doing their dry-humping dances and making all the funny lewd comments about getting laid. Aiden always thought of them as a comedic duo like Laurel and Hardy or Cheech and Chong. Seeing the two of them on opposite sides was like breaking up The Beatles.

  “We don’t know yet, though.” Leah went on. “We should at least try to figure out if there is a chance he has similar feelings to us, no?”

  Todd tsked and flicked his straw wrapper at Aiden. Aiden smiled and tried to swat it away. His awkward swing missed it and the paper bounced off his nose. Everyone chuckled again.

  “I’ll talk to him for us. Todd’s obviously too emotional.” Jordyn held up a hand to Todd as he began to protest. “Not that there’s anything wrong with it. I understand your feelings. But you’re too hot headed anyway. And we all agree Aiden is too soft.” She batted her eyelashes at Aiden. Another round of snickers sounded. “Besides, I have a history with Ryan. He’s been trying to bang me for years. So, I can use my feminine qualities to get him to open up.” Jordyn played with her hair, twisting it around her finger. Her other hand brought a finger to her lips which she gently nibbled on. Aiden felt his penis stir. Jordyn had posed like a typical Playboy bunny and it was a universal boner-popper for any guy.

  Leah sighed. “Sounds as good a plan as any.”

  The waitress arrived with their plates. She placed each one before the friends. The last plate she put down was Todd’s. The waitress stood at the end of the table for a moment longer as if she wanted Todd to get in a typical barb at her expense.