“Yeah, one girl even said they used to be friends in kindergarten through first or second grade, but Victoria told them things about Gia, and they stopped liking her. But once some people found out that the rumors weren’t true and confronted Victoria, she threatened them. She’s the typical mean girl.”
They went on about their hatred for such things while my mind had switched to plot mode. I didn’t question why I even cared; I just do. I’m not even going to lie and say it’s like protecting Ma and the twins because that’s a damn lie. This doesn’t feel anything like that. This feels more visceral somehow, which makes no fucking sense, because hey, stranger.
By the time we pulled onto the driveway, the girls had worked up a full head of steam. “So, do you like her?”
“Like who?”
“Come on, Gabe, don’t be like that. We’re talking about Gia, of course. We’ve been waiting forever for you to get a girlfriend.”
“Yes, someone we can gossip and go shopping with.” The female mind is a scary fucking place.
“You two go on ahead; I have to do something.” I pulled my phone and scrolled through the recent calls list before finding the one I wanted. I sent off a quick text before getting out of the truck and jogging up the steps to go inside. I think I just stepped my toe over a line I had no intentions of crossing but whatever. I’ve always followed my gut no matter how fucked up the place it led me.
GIANNA
Getting into the car with Victoria after school was tantamount to taking my life in my hands. I’d been able to avoid her the rest of the school day because we don’t really have any classes together and barely passed each other in the hallways, but it was not hard to see that she was pissed then too.
To my surprise, she didn’t say a word to me though her aggressive driving said plenty. She slammed out of the car and fumed up the steps into the house, calling for her mom. By the time I got inside, she was full-on crying and trying to speak at the same time. Of course, Becky glared at me over her head like I’d stabbed her kitten.
“What did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything to her.”
“She’s lying; she’s always lying. She knows I like Gabe Russo, and he likes me, but she told him something bad about me, and now he’s mad.”
“I didn’t…”
“So why did his sisters talk to me at lunch, and then you were with him, and he got mad?”
“What?” Does she really process things this way, or is she just delusional? “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t even know he was there until you and your friends showed up to bully me. For all, I know he could’ve been following you and saw what you did.” It was a long shot and one which I didn’t believe, but it seemed to work. Victoria is not the brightest bulb in the shed.
She pulled back from her mother’s arms and sniffled before turning to me. “Do you really think so?” I nodded my head dumbfounded and chastised my inner bitch for being so catty. As awful as they both are to me, I sometimes find myself feeling guilty whenever I have a mean thought about them.
“I think he just doesn’t want the girl that he likes being that way. Didn’t you say his sisters sought you out?” My tongue burned just saying the words. If I didn’t see him with my own two eyes ready to commit murder, I’d believe wholeheartedly that what she was saying was the truth.
“That’s right, they did. He saw me yesterday and today. And both times, you were making me mad. So, no wonder he saw me acting that way. Mom.” She was back to being an ass, planting herself in her mother’s chest like a toddler having a massive fit.
“See what you’ve done? Go to your room and don’t come out until your father gets home.” My face looked as I’m sure she’d expect, but inside I was jumping for joy. A couple of hours without being forced to be in Victoria’s presence or helping with her homework is a punishment I can get behind.
GABRIEL
“I’m breaking into the school tonight, something I need to see. If anything happens, you’re the only one who knows where I am.”
“Dammit, Gabe, can you like find some other hobbies that do not involve breaking the law? I won’t get into the academy with a record.”
“I didn’t invite you, asshole.”
“Yeah, like I’m letting you go alone. Go around back. I’ll meet you there.” He hung up before I could argue.
I didn’t have time to mess around with him, and I know from experience he wouldn’t listen to shit I say anyway, so why bother. But we’d both promised each other when we were like twelve that we’d keep each other in the loop if no one else. I did it in part to keep his scrawny ass safe when the local assholes were messing with him on the regular, and he’d used that opportunity to switch shit around on me, so that now I have to do the same. If I’d known back then that he’d become such a nosy parker, I maybe would’ve come up with something else.