Strike (Sphere of Irony 2)

Dax, with Lila hanging all over him. Adam, shagging some bloke’s girl. Ellie, leaving the party in tears, never returning to my dorm to get her things.

I nearly start crying when I think of Ellie’s face when Adam shoved her. I grab my phone and dial the number she gave me. A lilting voice tells me that it’s been disconnected.

Gone. She’s gone. I feel ill, then the sick feeling morphs into fury.

On a mission, I throw off the covers and grab some clothes. Quickly, I shower, brush my teeth, and get ready to leave, more determined and angry than I’ve ever been in my life. I’m going to kick Adam’s arse for being such a useless twat and destroying my best friend. Dax, the bastard, can be dealt with later.

When I step out of the bathroom, Lila is waiting for me.

“Did you have a good time last night, Kate?” She smirks, knowing I was upset to see her with Dax.

All right then. Adam can wait.

With my hands on my hips I step forward . A streak of satisfaction runs through me when Lila falters and is intimidated enough to step back.

“Let me tell you something, Lila. I am really not in the mood for your crap. In fact, I’d say I’m somewhere close to being quite unstable at this moment.” Her eyes widen a fraction. I take another step forward and the backs of Lila’s knees hit her bed. “You don’t want to start something you can’t see through. Do you?”

I cock my head and wait for her response to my veiled threat.

“I suppose not,” she says.

“Good.”

I grab my keys and head for the door.

One problem down, only about a thousand more to go.

Lila calls out after me. “Just one more thing before you leave.”

I flinch, frozen in the doorway, one foot in the hall. Reluctantly, I turn around. Lila sashays over, her hips swaying as if she were strutting the catwalk at fashion week.

“What is it,” I snap.

“Oh.” Her eyes flutter as she feigns innocence. “I thought you might like to see a picture I took last night. You know, before my dad’s party.”

“Your dad? What?” Confused, I release the door, letting it close gently behind me.

“My dad. Oh no!” She acts embarrassed when it’s obvious that she’s enjoying every minute of torturing me. “That party last night was at my dad’s house. Didn’t you know?”

I swallow loudly. “No. I didn’t.”

“Well, no worries.” Lila waves her hand as if it’s no big deal. “Here. Isn’t this a great photo of me?” She whips out her phone, holding it in front of my face.

When I get a look at the screen, my knees nearly buckle. Somehow, I have no idea how, I manage hold in my reaction. Internally is another story. My heart flips around and stalls, plunging into my feet.

There, in all of her half-naked glory, is Lila, licking Dax backstage at the club last night. I know it’s last night because I recognize the clothes they both are wearing.

“Where did you get this?” I snarl, snatching the phone out of her hand.

Lila deftly plucks the phone from my hand and walks over to her bed, sitting down gracefully.

“Oh, you know, just after the show last night. I go to all of Dax’s shows.” She sits up, all wide-eyed and childlike. “You do know that I meet up with Dax after all of his shows, don’t you?”

Scorching heat floods my neck and face, burning me to the tips of my ears.

Lila smiles. “I guess you didn’t. Well,” she lies back on her bed, crossing her legs at the ankles and begins playing with her phone. Is she texting Dax? She doesn’t look up as she dismisses me. “Have a nice day.”

Humiliated, I spin and stumble as I reach for the doorknob. The last thing I hear as I fling it open and run down the hall is Lila’s girly giggle.