JACK
"Just lemme play one song, and then you can do what you want," I exclaim, chuckling as I switch my focus between Olivia and the road repeatedly.
"No. You're so aggy. You know that? I win. It's ladies first, be for real." she says, pressing the Bluetooth button to begin to connect her cellphone.
My laugh quickly becomes a chuckle as I sit back, shaking my head and speaking, "That's so not fair. I'm driving. Do I really gotta listen to your angsty chick music the whole way?"
Olivia grins, looking at me, "Well, tonight is different. Plus, since your driving, you can't stop me. Penny needs girl-boss music right now." she says, putting on a loud Britney Spears song, making me jump slightly.
"God, you're worse than Lily sometimes!" I yell against the music, watching Olivia laugh, and turn to Penelope, who's in the backseat.
Penny sat with her head out of the window, singing, and laughing without a care in the world. Somehow, even though she was just so upset and crying, she was finding some kind of solitude in the night. I watch her through the river view, carefully checking the road every other second.
Her thick, brown hair waved in the wind as she tilted her head out the window, laughing hysterically. A smile that could bloom a flower in the winter, easily.
Beck is officially a moron.
As terrible as I feel for Penny, I can't deny that I think they're better off. And not because that gives me a chance. I think that ship has sailed. Especially now that she's my sister's best friend.
I could never be that way if I had a chance with someone great like her. With Heather, I think both Beck and I each got played in different ways. And really, I think she was only accepting of me because we had known each other for so long. Not many women can get past my physical limitations. Or lack thereof.
Olivia grabs my arm, leaning over to me, "Jack, stop staring. You're gonna scare her before you can even have a chance."
I snapped my head back at the road, my cheeks becoming flush.
"Shut up, okay?" I say, in a mocking tone, "Play the music, smart aleck." I smirk.
"So where are we going?" a sweet voice rings from the backseat.
"Well, Jack and I bought this projector we've been dying to use. So we're gonna go to my parent's house and do that. Maybe celebrate a little bit if you're up to it?" Olivia says in a hopeful way.
I listen as I drive, low-key hoping she agrees to join us.
"Sure. Why not. My other plans are nonexistent now..." Penny says, sounding bummed.
I glance in the rearview again, speaking, "Only if you want. I mean, you don't have a curfew or anything, right?"
"Jack, she's eighteen, and it's homecoming night. I doubt her family will scrutinize her for having one fun night out." Liv laughs.
I shrug, "You never know. You have to ask these things. That party seemed to put everyone on edge."
"Ah, yeah, my Aunt will be fine. The party did scare her, though. She feels awful about Lily." Penelope says, rolling her window up as Liv turns the music down and turns toward her.
"By the way, Beck is an asshole. I'm sorry tonight sucks. But, in a second, it's gonna be awesome again. Jack and I know how to boost a mood, I promise." she says.
I pull up to Olivia's house, turning into the driveway, before shitting the car off. We all get out and head straight toward the backyard.
"I'm assuming they went out since there wasn't a car in the driveway. Just make yourself comfortable, Penn." Liv says as we enter the backyard.
We were greeted by multiple lantern streams and nicely decorated lounge sets. Olivia walked over to a table, setting the projector down so she could set it up.
"This is absolutely insane, Olivia. You're parents must really love having company." Penny says, looking around as she admires everything.
"Thanks. They actually don't. Once upon a time, my house was the place to hang out instead of Craig's. Until New York." Liv says, sounding sort of somber at the subject as she struggles to figure out how to plug in the projector.
Penny nods, looking around still as she walks to a nearby hammock on some trees. She plopped down and giggled to herself at the momentum of her fall.
"Anything beats being at Ashland right now. Besides, I wanna hear all about New York. I miss it like crazy." she said after sitting down.
This made me smile. New York was just so awesome and had really helped me recently discover who I am and what I want. I can't wait for my friends to experience it as well.
Olivia exhales her words, "Well, I wouldn't know where to start. There's so much to say. I adore it. I know it's only been a few months, and we've barely scraped the surface."
I make my way over to Olivia, sitting at the table. Olivia had been struggling for the last few minutes, and I couldn't bare to watch any longer, so I took the projector into my hands as the conversation continued.
"This is why it would be so awesome if you came along next fall. You could help us but also get to come back home." I titter.
Both the girls laugh, and Penny rises from the hammock to come over to us. I try not to stare when I notice her figure coming closer and closer to me.
"It sounds awesome, guys. But I don't know what I want to do after high school." Penny says, sitting on the bench part of the picnic table.
I purse my lips to the side momentarily, "Don't feel like you have to rush. Neither of us did. We just knew we wanted to go there, so we went on a wing and a prayer. Now we both have great jobs." I say.
Penny looks at us and half smiles, so I shoot a charming smile back.
"Listen, leave it to us, and by the time your senior year has reached its end, you're gonna be begging to come down there with us." I brag jokingly.
Olivia laughs, adding to my nonsense, "He's right. We're pretty irresistible." she says, shrugging. I roll my eyes. She's always so unserious, and it aides in my sarcasm so perfectly.
Penny smiles as she rests her chin in the palm of one of her hands, "So you guys have seriously never dated? You seem so close. How long have you been friends?"
My eyes widen as I try to mask my ill facial expression. Olivia and I look at each other, her trying to hold back a laugh, "Gross. No way." she says.
"We're just the ultimate best friend duo. We've known each other since maybe middle school?" I say as Olivia nods.
"Plus, I'm strictly chickly. Men are actually repulsive," Olivia grins innocently as she looks at me, "No offense, Jack." she says.
Letting out a small chortle, I shake my head. "Oh, trust me, I get it," I say, rubbing the back of my neck as I set the projector down, standing up.
"We're really as platonic as they come..." I add, looking at Penny as I slowly brush around her, getting by to set up some cords.
"Sorry.." she mutters, scooting over but stumbling. I grab her arm, assuring her balance, as I look down at her.
When she looked up at me, we held each other's gaze for a moment, making the moment intense.
Feeling a sense of nervousness, I clear my throat as Olivia interrupts us, "Come inside. We can get drinks and bud." she says.
I let my hand fall from her arm slowly, nodding, "Sure."
Penny half smiles, her face becoming red as we both turn to walk to the house.
STELLA
I had honestly had enough of the dance, and I wanted to go home. It's so stupid and a waste of time, and if it weren't for Chase, I wouldn't even be here. I would rather be anywhere else in the world than here. I came outside to hit my pen and hide away.
Although I do feel bad for blowing up on Penelope, I couldn't hold it in anymore. I'm so sick of her walking around like her relationship is so perfect. If she gets to gossip about me and look at me differently, why can't I do the same to her? Call me bitter, but I don't care anymore.
I kind of don't care about anything anymore. And in a way, telling Penelope about Beck and I was kind of payback to him. He left me in the dark and chose the better option. I can't be angry, but I sure am jealous.
For the moment, it felt nice to be alone. I didn't want to hear music or watch everyone in their happy relationships. I just wanted to sit alone, wondering if things were different like usual. But of course, that's not possible.
"Where've you been?" a deep, familiar voice startles me. It was Chase coming to keep tabs on me.
I turn around to face him, rolling my eyes quickly so he doesn't see, "Away from you," I exasperate, "And you seem to be making that more difficult than it should be." I grumble, clutching my bag close to me as I toss my pen into it.
"You owe me. You avoided me all night, but now? You're not leaving my sight, Stella." he says, slowly ambushing me with his presence. Suddenly he was like a building, shadowing over me.
"Chase, I don't wanna do this anymore. I told you I'll do whatever you want, but I'm uncomfortable. I don't want to have sex. At the party, I was drunk, and it was a mistake." I plead, trying to stand firm in my statement, even though it felt like my legs would buckle now.
He smiles shallowly and snickers, "It's not that easy, princessa. I bet you'd be all over me if I were your little friend, Specks."
"I told you that Beck and I are nothing. Why do you hate him so much? Leave him out of this." I snap.
"I don't hate him. He's just a pussy boy, and it fuels me to fuck with him," he says, raising a hand to my jaw, slowly grasping it as he growls at me, "Now let's go to the car and finish what we started, right?"
"Chase..." I wince, "I'm not having sex with you. You're twisted." I battle to get my words out.
I go to snatch his wrist, but I'm too slow as he grasps mine first, stopping me. The school doors burst open, revealing Lily, Craig, and Beck, looking like they were on the verge of leaving.
Beck and Craig instantly had faces of disgust.
"Woah, woah, you do not need to grab her like that, man," Beck says, reaching out a hand to Chase's shoulder as he approaches us. Chase instantly lets go of my jaw, causing me to pant softly as I catch my breath again.
Hastily, Chase turns around, giving Beck a healthy shove, practically throwing him into Craig and Lily, Craig catching him.
"Back off, queer! I'm sick of you cockblocking every time I'm trying to handle some business, Specky!" Chase shouts, getting big with Beck.
"No, just leave him alone, Chase!" I hurry to try to stop the situation. But honestly, it looked like it was out of my hands. Chase wasn't someone I could stop.
Beck gathers his bearings, standing up, but not calmly. He balled his fist up, quickly going in for the kill, lifting his fist to throw a punch toward Chase.
"Beck, chill!" Craig yells, unable to grab him in time. The punch landed, and I knew this wasn't even the worst to come. Chase is like a steroid king.
As I expected, Chase turned to Beck, grabbing hold of him. They began wrestling, but Beck couldn't hold up the fight very long. Chase took over, throwing a couple of blows to Beck. They moved so fast it was unclear if Beck was getting hit or not.
Chase suddenly pushes Beck away from him, then reaches into his back pocket, briskly pulling out a pocket knife and deploying the blade so everyone can see. My heart began to pump harder once I noticed what was happening.
"Back the fuck up, pretty boy. I'll make sure your face goes on a t-shirt if you aren't careful." Chase says, letting out a menacing chuckle.
"Okay, Beck, that's enough, bro. Let's just go." Craig snatches Beck's shoulder, pulling him back. Beck's face became pale and mute.
Unexpectedly, Principal Lewis comes outside, followed by security. Somehow, Chase manages to shove the knife behind his back inconspicuously. Figures.
"What is going on here?!" he yells, examining the scene. His eyes land on both Chase and Beck.
"You, and you. My office, Monday. Everyone go home. Now." he hisses.
I looked around at everyone, watching as we all seemed worked up. Chase looks at the principal and then at me, "You're so lucky." he mumbles, slowly backing away and leaving.
"Stella, just come with us. I'll take you home." Craig says. Lily walks over to me, taking my hand in hers, squeezing it. I look at our hands and then at her. She has a sweet, welcoming smile.
I nod and follow them as they lead the way, Mr. Lewis watching us.
At Craig's house, we all sat in the dining room, spaced out at the table. Craig, standing behind Lily's chair, his hands on her shoulders as she sat at the table, fiddling with the decorative table mats. I also sat in a chair not too far from Lily.
Beck was wiping his face off as Chase had busted his lip somewhere in the fight. He was probably having the worst night of us all. It's all my fault.
It was so silent in the room. You could hear the clock ticking. It only made it more awkward. I just can't stop feeling bad.
"I'm so sorry, guys..." I utter in a reserved tone.
"Stella, it's not your fault. We're your friends, okay? That hasn't changed. But Chase isn't safe. We all see it." Craig says, standing up straight, crossing his arms as he slowly walks my way.
I look down. Im so guilty. Craig is absolutely right, but admitting that right now sucks. It's also embarrassing as all living hell. But it is nice to know that I have real friends. Especially Lily. I was sure she despised me now if she didn't already.
"I'm partially to blame. I couldn't help myself any longer. It's been boiling for some time." Beck says, sighing afterward.
I inhale, bursting out my words almost, "Guys, I really appreciate you. But getting involved is only going to make it worse. I'd rather not. If you stay away, you'll be safe."
"After tonight, I don't think any of us are safe, Stella. He's clearly a psychopath." Lily says, snapping her neck at me.
I stand up, throwing my hands up quickly before crossing my arms, "There's a lot you guys don't even know about me, okay? I can handle it. I made my own stupid mistake at the party, and now I'm facing the consequences." I proclaim.
Beck furrows his brows slightly, "Stell, these aren't consequences. He's abusive and controlling, and he's hurting you. We all saw him tonight. He can't keep controlling the narrative as he has been. We can help you leave him." he says, sternly, pointing a finger.
"It's complicated, okay? It's safer if you stay away like I said." my words croak as I feel myself getting choked up.
"Safety went out the window when he threatened us with a knife..." Craig says, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder, "He's holding you back, Stella," he adds comfortingly.
Raising my head, I feel all eyes on me, making me look around the room. They all seem so determined to change my mind. Unfortunately, it really wasn't that simple. Any more torment, and I'm on the verge of being Chase's bitch forever. Or at least until I graduate.
Craig moves his hand to my upper back, looking down at me, still wagering to convince me," We aren't asking you to be fully involved or change your life in some drastic way, but Beck and I think it's best if we go to the police. It's hard for Lily too," he says, letting his hand fall to his side, slowly.
"But if he's at least caught, he can be taken far, far away from all of us. It might not change the scenery, but it changes the situation." he finishes.
I tuck some of my hair behind my ear, shrugging as I look down again, "I dunno, guys. I should get going, it's getting late, and my dad's gonna flip." I say, trying to end the topic of discussion.
I could hear Lily release a disappointed sigh as we all got quiet.
"Beck, you wanna take Lily, and I'll take Stella?" Craig says, picking his keys up from the table.
Beck nods, "Sure. I uh... I just wanna use the bathroom really quick," he says, handing his keys to Lily, "Wanna start the car? I'll be there in a second." he half smiles at her.
Lily smiles, and we all begin to head out while Beck goes upstairs. I just have this terrible feeling.
BECK
It's probably wrong to be sneaky, but at this point, I don't care. I was catching my moment before Craig changed his mind. After tonight, Chase had crossed boundaries. I don't know what he does with people behind closed doors, but I don't want to find out, either.
He's always been someone I didn't like. I can recall going to the same school as him since we were young. He was always well known, just not like this. Something changed along the way. Now he's some elaborate criminal, it seems. He could torment me in any way, but this was different.
When everyone went outside, I rushed upstairs so fast I'm pretty sure I skipped most of the steps. Flew almost.
I started at the first camera on the table at the top of the stairs. Trying to be speedy, I remove the MicroSD card and shove it in my pocket, placing the camera back in its original spot as if I had never touched it.
I proceeded to do that with the other cameras I could find and the same downstairs in the kitchen. There was one above the bathroom, one above Craig's bedroom door, and one on another table beside his parent's bedroom. I'm sure there are so many more, but I only had time to be a little sneaky before Lily comes back in to find me.
When I got the last card I could, I walked through the upstairs one last time, making sure everything was where it needed to be before dashing back outside, careful not to draw attention to myself.
I carefully open the driver's seat door, throwing myself in. Lily seems to be on her phone but sets in on her lap as she watches me get in. I glance at her as I put my seatbelt on.
"Sorry, I just wanted to make sure my face didn't look too bad before we left. My mom is gonna hound me." I say, aiming to make conversation.
"All good..." she says, letting a long yawn out as she sits back in her seat.
I nod and start the car. Craig and Stella pull off first, and we follow right behind, leaving his driveway empty.
For the most part, I just want justice for Lily and Stella. Right now, it's not so much about me. But I know once I start tutoring Stella, I'll always be around her. Not only do I have to worry about Chase, but Penny won't be thrilled, either. If she didn't think I was a jackass now, she will when she finds out.
I truly do like Penelope. I think we're starting to really become close, but it seems like every time I get like this, something ruins it: this time, me. If I would've said something sooner, this probably could've been prevented, I'm sure. I hate that Stella beat it to me, though. That's also one of her best qualities. Keeping it real.
Either way, the only thing I'm gonna be worried about are these damn SD cards until I get to the police station. So that's what I'm going to focus on until further notice—no need to get ahead of myself.
Lily had fallen asleep quickly, so I ensured she got inside safely. Sure to not disturb her parents. I have no idea how Craig tolerates them. Her dad seems so soulless. What an awful way to live.
After dropping her off, I texted Craig to let him know and tried to hurry home without managing to get pulled over yet again. I don't need any other hang-ups tonight. If anything, the night needs to be done.
When I got home, I could see my mom in the living room from the front window. No doubt she was waiting for me. She'll fight sleep forever until everyone is home and safe. She always did.
Once I was able to gather my things from in the car, I made my way inside, hesitant, only because I was dreading her giving me the world's best questionnaire. Even though I was used to it, I was more interested in getting a look at the evidence I now had.
I opened the door quietly and slowly went in, shutting the door quietly behind me. I tried to hurry and walk toward the hallway to get to my room.
"Hi, Beck. You know I see you." My mom lets out a sweet laugh. I stop in my tracks, slowly turning around to face her. I kept my head down, hoping to hide my face. Hiding from her is like hiding from the FBI.
"Hey, mom..." I drag my words, adjusting my glasses.
"Just hey? How was the dance? Anything special happen?" she says, standing up as she grabs her pack of cigarettes off the coffee table.
I shrug, shaking my hair out of my face, "Not really, just dancing. I missed king and queen so..." I mumble my last words.
She slowly walks over to me, fixing her robe around herself. When she approached me, she placed her fingers on my chin, lifting my head. When she got a look at my lip, I saw her smile ultimately drop.
"Beck, what is this? Who did this to you?" she said, getting worked up.
"Mom, it's nothing. I um... I smacked my face on my bass tonight while playing. It's fine." I lie, swiftly coming up with my answer.
She briefly examines my face, placing a hand on my chest and softly rubbing it.
"Okay..." she whispers, "I'm gonna have a smoke and go to bed then," she adds, kissing me on my cheek before walking outside.
I let out a deep breath, relieved now that I was alone. Finally, I go down the hall and into my bedroom, locking the door behind me. I take my suit jacket off and kick my shoes off, stumbling to my desk where my laptop sits.
Sitting down, I open it up and dig the cards out of my pocket, tossing them on my desk before pressing the on button.
"C'mon..." I mumble, impatiently waiting for it to boot up.
Once it turned on, I slipped the first card into the USB. I went to my files, quickly pulling up the footage of that night. The first one showed the footage from above the kitchen.
I sped it up to get to the time of the party, but I stopped it once I saw Chase and his friends walking into the frame. They took a few shots and stood around for a bit, and then I noticed them gather together for a little. They seemed to stand like that for a moment, so I sped it up more. When they backed away, I saw Lily come into the frame.
I furrow my brows as I watch the footage. Lily goes to the fridge and sets her drink on the counter. While her back is turned, Chase slips something in her drink quickly before they all hurry out of the kitchen.
The moment Lily turned around, she chugged her whole drink.
"Oh, my god..." I whisper.
I quickly remove the SD card, inserting another one in return. This one is above the bathroom. Of course, I just wanted to see if I could find out if something weird happened to Stella as well. So when the video started, I skipped to the good stuff.
When I got to the correct time stamp, Stella was standing outside the bathroom with her drink. She set it down on the table outside of the bathroom. She then went inside.
No surprise, Chase then comes to the door and slips something in her cup. He then mixes it around. I slowly skip through again, seeing her come out now. She didn't even hesitate to chug the drink.
That's all I wanted to see, honestly. It pissed me off just thinking about it. I sit back in my seat, shutting my laptop. Now I wish I would've been able actually to fight him. But realistically, that would solve nothing.
Looking around my room, I stand up, taking the remainder of my suit off, grabbing my shower supplies before heading to the bathroom.
Having a nice long shower only let me linger on the subject of going to the police station. It was eating me alive to tell someone. Anyone at this point.
When I was done showering, I put on comfortable clothes and collected all the cards, putting them in my sweatpants pocket. Grabbing my keys, I made sure to turn my bedroom light off. When I made my way down the hall, I noticed my mom asleep on the couch. Good enough. No more questions. I acted fast so I would wake her, turning the light off in the living room, and quietly snuck out, locking the front door behind me.
The drive to the station was almost nonexistent. This whole night pretty much was. Everything was so rushed. I was in such a rush. I just needed to get this devil off my shoulders. That's what all of this felt like.
I stood outside of the station for a moment, pacing. I was trying to find the words to say once I got inside. In times like these, I guess I wished I did have a dad around. Masculinity. I don't have a man to look up to. I'm the man of my house. I don't even know what it means to be that. I was starting to regret coming alone.
I shook my hands, trying to break the jitters, and went inside. The sound of people shuffling through papers and multiple phones ringing filled my ears. I looked around to see detectives and officers everywhere—some at desks, some talking and standing. Most of them looked like they meant business.
"Sir? Sir, if you need something, you must come to the desk and fill some papers out." a lady said, sitting at the front desk.
I turned my head to her, coming back to my senses. "Sorry, yeah. I'm Beck." I say, approaching the desk.
"Can I help you, Beck?" she says.
"I'd like to file a report," I say, putting my hand in my pocket, feeling the cards.
No more bullshit.