Monica sucks in a breath and I continue. “The top of your closet. Your locker. That little jewelry box on your dresser. Everywhere we looked, we found the evidence to back up each of these dirty secrets and guess what, they’re all gone. You no longer own any of these girls and believe me, they’re done being a pawn in your fucked up world. It seems you’ve created yourself a little army of enemies. Only, they no longer serve you.”
“Come on,” I hear whispered on my right. I glance across and find Tora desperate for the kill and I see that same fire in her eyes from last week and know she’s ready to cut a bitch. She’s ready to swing some fists and won’t stop until she has.
I grin as I turn back to Monica. She clearly heard Tora and there’s a panic in her eyes.
I step forward and love how everyone steps with me once again in one hell of a show of intimidation which seems to be working like a charm. “You’re done, Monica,” I repeat. “You can’t go anywhere without running into an enemy. Everywhere you go there will be someone else ready to lay your ass down for the shit you held over them. You used these people to do your bidding. They missed opportunities, they missed living in peace, always looking over their shoulder terrified of what you held over them. But not anymore. They’re free and they want blood.”
Jesse speaks up in a whisper. “Done. Done. Done.” He repeats it over and over again. Kaylah joins in and it quickly becomes a chant. The whole Broken Hill side chant with them before the Haven Fall students do too.
I step forward as the chanting gets a little louder, a little faster. Everyone steps with me.
I search out the eyes of that impressive boy from last weekend and nod his way. Rowland cringes before walking forward with a cringe. As he clears through the bodies, I seek out the box that should be in his hands and I’m not disappointed. “Is it all there?” I question as Monica sucks in a betrayed gasp.
Rowland nods before looking to his sister. “Sorry, Mon. Had to make a decision. You know how it is.”
With that, he hands the box over to Rivers and swiftly disappears, not wanting anything more to do with this.
I feel the cheerleaders’ heavy gazes on the box and let out a sigh when Rivers pulls out a lighter. It’s nearly finished.
Monica charges forward, knowing her whole world would be destroyed if that box of evidence goes up in flames. She’ll no longer have anything to hold, she’ll lose her power, her popularity. Her dignity.
I step in front of her, halting her movements before nodding at Rivers.
With a flick of his thumb, a flame stands tall and he lights the box up like a bonfire before placing it on the ground for everyone to watch burn.
“No,” Monica screeches out, diving for the box.
I push her back as the chanting continues. “You’re done,” I tell her for the third time. “Look around you, Monica. You’ve got no one.”
“Let me at her,” Tora says.
I can’t help but laugh.
Monica’s hands turn into fists at her sides and I feel Noah step in closer to my back, ready and prepared to pull me away if this turns into a fight, but I’d hate it if he did. I’d love nothing more than to feel my fist slamming into the side of her face and my shoes digging into her ribs, just as she did to me. But apparently, I have a little more self control than that. She’s going to get her own, one of these people are going to get blood and when that happens, I’ll be happy because Monica would know that it was me who unraveled her little web of disgust.
With the box mostly destroyed, the cheerleaders don’t care about standing around, waiting their turn to get a piece. After all, they don’t exactly like me. I mean, they’ve shown a little respect over the past week as the plan came into place, but now it’s over and to them, everything goes back to normal. Monica was one of theirs and they’ll deal with her how they see fit.
They move forward and Monica takes her chance. She shoots off to the right, rushing past the Broken Hill kids. “Go, little birdy,” Jesse says to Tora. “Go be free.”
Tora takes off after Monica with a wicked grin and the cheerleaders right behind her. She catches up to Monica and the whole crowd booms out with laughter as Tora crash tackles her to the ground with a handful of platinum blonde hair between her clenched fist.
Nate instantly punches his brother in the arm. “For fuck’s sake,” Nate groans. Not a second later, he hurries over to Tora, peeling her off Monica and letting the vultures have her.