She was paralyzed. Panic had taken over.
I stepped forward so that we were face to face. That's when I angled my body so she couldn't see her leader anymore. I cut Cadence off from Grace's line of sight. I shouldn't have brought my personal drama amidst the house against house business, but I didn't care. I wasn't a part of any house.
"I was in your room, Grace. It's the only reason I came tonight. I wanted to see what it looked like, what you kept close, what you treasured enough to be the last thing you see every night. Pictures say a lot. Pictures of Bryce and of your brother. You haven't mentioned your brother since high school. I know you guys were close. Why'd you stop talking about him?"
"Shut up," Grace whispered between clenched teeth. Her arms started trembling. "Stop it, Sheldon. You're not like this."
I got in her face. "Yes, I am. Or have you forgotten? This is who I am. When you're my friend, I'll do anything for you. When you're not—screw you. When you turn your back, when you push me too far—you should know more than anyone what I can do."
"Sheldon." Denton touched my arm.
I swung away and ignored the wariness in his voice.
For the first time, Grace looked me in the eyes. She paled even more. "I do know you, Sheldon. I know that you hold yourself responsible for what happened in high school, but you didn't do it. It wasn't your fault that Corrigan got stabbed or those girls were killed. And," her eyes flitted to Denton and back, "you didn't put Mena in the hospital. She did that to herself."
"That's not what I'm talking about. You turned your back on me."
She started looking around, but no one was going to step in. I felt it in the room. I had her where I wanted her. "Come on, Grace. Don't hide anymore. You never did before."
Cadence averted her eyes. The other Zeta girls looked away. Grace was alone, and she knew it.
I lowered my voice to a smooth whisper, "You pretended to be this strong nerdy Christian girl. You pretended to be so self-righteous, like you knew something more than I did. Like you were protected by something stronger because of your religion. It was a joke, wasn't it? You crumbled the first opportunity you got. The first chance you got for something resembling popularity and that power; you threw me aside like I was trash. What kind of Christian are you? You aren't acting out what you preach. You used me, Grace. You used me to better your social status. I gave you more power and you thought you had a chance at more, so there I went. You're too stupid to realize one thing."
Grace started to crumbled. Tears ran down her cheeks. She kept sniffling with her eyes downcast. She had nowhere to look. No one was coming to her rescue. She had to stand on her own, but she wasn't built like that. They taught her to use others, so that they stood for her.
No more, bitch.
"You forgot who I was. If I could rule our school, what makes you think I can't rule our college? You really do not know me. I've got what you crave. People respect me because I fight for what I believe in. You're a coward, and you're crumbling right in front of me. No one will respect you."
Denton touched my arm. "She's had enough."
"She's had enough when I'm done with her!" I whipped back at him. "Back off."
He looked at me for a moment and then held up his hands before he stepped back.
I looked back at Grace. "You think I'm bad? Wait till I sic Corrigan on you. He was worse than me. Remember?"
I started to turn, but then I heard her whimper behind me, "Bryce was the worst."
"What?"
She looked up with tears in her eyes and gulped. "Bryce was the worst. He saw through everybody. He was the worst."
I was floored, but I shouldn't have been. She was right. Corrigan and I gave people their chances, but Bryce always knew what they'd do. He'd always been right, and he'd always been quiet when it came to Grace.
I snapped back, "Bryce and I might not be together, but he's not out of my life. I have no doubt that you'll get your penance from him too. Sucks to be you and anyone who's your friend."
The group shuffled around her. People moved away. It was an initial reaction, but I knew it struck deep. Grace was done when it came to friends. I had no doubt she'd be cast out of the house. No one wanted Corrigan as an enemy. And now, they wouldn't want me against them either.
Then Denton stepped forward. "You've made your point. If they're here, then the banquet is done and Corrigan will be wondering where you are."
Grace seemed to have shut down. She knew she was done, and she was crying in the corner now. When I looked at Carolina, she had a different look in her eyes. I wasn't sure if it was a good look or not, but she knew what I'd been there for. I hadn't planned on ending Grace's social life, but that's what had happened. Now that I'd said my piece, I sighed and followed Denton to the car.
As we left, I felt detached from everything.
I'd lost a friend, and I'd had my revenge on her. That was how life went. Or did it? Why did I feel so empty? I felt cheated for some reason.
Denton didn't say anything until we got home. When we pulled up, Corrigan's car was parked outside my house and when we went inside, he was there in a flash. With a growl, he slammed Denton against the wall. "What the f**k were you thinking, taking her out?!"
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Denton shoved him back. "What the hell?! She went to a sorority house. What's the problem?"
"I asked you to stay here and keep her company. She wasn't supposed to go anywhere. Asshole. She was supposed to stay put. You know someone is after her. She's safe here. She's safe with one of us—you were supposed to just stay here with her, keep her company, keep her distracted…" Corrigan trailed off. He ran a hand through his hair. His shoulders jerked upwards and he fisted one of his hands tight. I couldn't look away. I half expected to see blood drip to the floor, but it never came.
Denton cleared his throat and looked between the two of us. "What is it with you two? You guys are insane. She went to a sorority prank. I didn't think it was that dangerous. I was by her the whole time—"
Corrigan got in his face again. "Who do you think it is that's after her?"
"I…" Denton looked at a loss for words. Then he shoved his hands out, in surrender. "I don't know. I guess, I don't know, someone who looks dangerous. I would've known. I would've stopped it."
I stepped forward so that we were face to face. That's when I angled my body so she couldn't see her leader anymore. I cut Cadence off from Grace's line of sight. I shouldn't have brought my personal drama amidst the house against house business, but I didn't care. I wasn't a part of any house.
"I was in your room, Grace. It's the only reason I came tonight. I wanted to see what it looked like, what you kept close, what you treasured enough to be the last thing you see every night. Pictures say a lot. Pictures of Bryce and of your brother. You haven't mentioned your brother since high school. I know you guys were close. Why'd you stop talking about him?"
"Shut up," Grace whispered between clenched teeth. Her arms started trembling. "Stop it, Sheldon. You're not like this."
I got in her face. "Yes, I am. Or have you forgotten? This is who I am. When you're my friend, I'll do anything for you. When you're not—screw you. When you turn your back, when you push me too far—you should know more than anyone what I can do."
"Sheldon." Denton touched my arm.
I swung away and ignored the wariness in his voice.
For the first time, Grace looked me in the eyes. She paled even more. "I do know you, Sheldon. I know that you hold yourself responsible for what happened in high school, but you didn't do it. It wasn't your fault that Corrigan got stabbed or those girls were killed. And," her eyes flitted to Denton and back, "you didn't put Mena in the hospital. She did that to herself."
"That's not what I'm talking about. You turned your back on me."
She started looking around, but no one was going to step in. I felt it in the room. I had her where I wanted her. "Come on, Grace. Don't hide anymore. You never did before."
Cadence averted her eyes. The other Zeta girls looked away. Grace was alone, and she knew it.
I lowered my voice to a smooth whisper, "You pretended to be this strong nerdy Christian girl. You pretended to be so self-righteous, like you knew something more than I did. Like you were protected by something stronger because of your religion. It was a joke, wasn't it? You crumbled the first opportunity you got. The first chance you got for something resembling popularity and that power; you threw me aside like I was trash. What kind of Christian are you? You aren't acting out what you preach. You used me, Grace. You used me to better your social status. I gave you more power and you thought you had a chance at more, so there I went. You're too stupid to realize one thing."
Grace started to crumbled. Tears ran down her cheeks. She kept sniffling with her eyes downcast. She had nowhere to look. No one was coming to her rescue. She had to stand on her own, but she wasn't built like that. They taught her to use others, so that they stood for her.
No more, bitch.
"You forgot who I was. If I could rule our school, what makes you think I can't rule our college? You really do not know me. I've got what you crave. People respect me because I fight for what I believe in. You're a coward, and you're crumbling right in front of me. No one will respect you."
Denton touched my arm. "She's had enough."
"She's had enough when I'm done with her!" I whipped back at him. "Back off."
He looked at me for a moment and then held up his hands before he stepped back.
I looked back at Grace. "You think I'm bad? Wait till I sic Corrigan on you. He was worse than me. Remember?"
I started to turn, but then I heard her whimper behind me, "Bryce was the worst."
"What?"
She looked up with tears in her eyes and gulped. "Bryce was the worst. He saw through everybody. He was the worst."
I was floored, but I shouldn't have been. She was right. Corrigan and I gave people their chances, but Bryce always knew what they'd do. He'd always been right, and he'd always been quiet when it came to Grace.
I snapped back, "Bryce and I might not be together, but he's not out of my life. I have no doubt that you'll get your penance from him too. Sucks to be you and anyone who's your friend."
The group shuffled around her. People moved away. It was an initial reaction, but I knew it struck deep. Grace was done when it came to friends. I had no doubt she'd be cast out of the house. No one wanted Corrigan as an enemy. And now, they wouldn't want me against them either.
Then Denton stepped forward. "You've made your point. If they're here, then the banquet is done and Corrigan will be wondering where you are."
Grace seemed to have shut down. She knew she was done, and she was crying in the corner now. When I looked at Carolina, she had a different look in her eyes. I wasn't sure if it was a good look or not, but she knew what I'd been there for. I hadn't planned on ending Grace's social life, but that's what had happened. Now that I'd said my piece, I sighed and followed Denton to the car.
As we left, I felt detached from everything.
I'd lost a friend, and I'd had my revenge on her. That was how life went. Or did it? Why did I feel so empty? I felt cheated for some reason.
Denton didn't say anything until we got home. When we pulled up, Corrigan's car was parked outside my house and when we went inside, he was there in a flash. With a growl, he slammed Denton against the wall. "What the f**k were you thinking, taking her out?!"
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Denton shoved him back. "What the hell?! She went to a sorority house. What's the problem?"
"I asked you to stay here and keep her company. She wasn't supposed to go anywhere. Asshole. She was supposed to stay put. You know someone is after her. She's safe here. She's safe with one of us—you were supposed to just stay here with her, keep her company, keep her distracted…" Corrigan trailed off. He ran a hand through his hair. His shoulders jerked upwards and he fisted one of his hands tight. I couldn't look away. I half expected to see blood drip to the floor, but it never came.
Denton cleared his throat and looked between the two of us. "What is it with you two? You guys are insane. She went to a sorority prank. I didn't think it was that dangerous. I was by her the whole time—"
Corrigan got in his face again. "Who do you think it is that's after her?"
"I…" Denton looked at a loss for words. Then he shoved his hands out, in surrender. "I don't know. I guess, I don't know, someone who looks dangerous. I would've known. I would've stopped it."
