Spite and Vengeance

I clicked on the message, and my stomach started churning.  I felt anxiety, not knowing what the message was going to hold.  But before I could even read the first line, I heard knocking on my door.  I glanced at my door, then glared at my computer screen, wondering what that message held for me.

I momentarily pushed thoughts of the message out of my mind and hopped up to answer the door.  I flung it open to see Falon standing at the door.  "Aahhhh!" We both screeched at the same time and flung our arms around each other, her large tote falling to the floor out of her hand.  We rocked back and forth talking over each other at the same time, excitedly.

I took a step back and looked Falon up and down and whistled at her.  She had lost weight, grown her raven hair out to just past her shoulders, and she was glowing. She was beautiful before, but absolutely radiant and stunning now.  Even though she just had on sweats and a tshirt (great minds think alike!), I knew if we got all dressed up and went out together, we would be show stoppers.  "Girl, you look so hot!"

She laughed and waved me off.  "Oh, stop.  I joined a running group at school in order to be healthier, and I actually liked it.  So I kind of train year round to run races all over the place."

"Oh, you're one of them," I teased, although I really meant it.  I hate running.

She opened up her tote and showed me she had brought grocery items for tacos.  I laughed and told her I had already picked everything up.  We decided to just split everything we'd bought and use half of her stuff and half mine.  By the time we finished cooking, we had a smorgasbord of taco fixings.  During that time we had talked about school, tennis, and our roommates.  Over tacos, I told her about my dad.  She was so consoling and sweet.  She updated me on her family, and then we moved on to guys.  She told me that she wasn't dating anyone, although she had been on several dates with various guys throughout the school year.  When she asked if I was still dating Derek, I filled her in on him.  I then told her all about Zach and our trip to New York City, and our most recent talk.  As I was talking, she could tell how emotional I still was, and she reached over and squeezed my hand.  She asked if I was dating anyone since all of that.  I sighed and told her we should get comfortable for that. 

We went over to my couch, wrapping blankets around our bodies, and held glasses of sweet tea vodka/lemonade mix.  I told her about Luke, from the moment we met, to how seemingly understanding he was with me going to NYC with Zach, all the way to the text messages I had last gotten from him.  I told her that Sarah had called me about seeing him with his supposed cousin, Victoria, and that I had a message from her on Facebook that I was just about to read.

Her eyes widened and she said, "You didn't read it yet?"

"No!  You were at the door!"

She rolled her eyes, "Oh Aleah, I would've understood if you had made me wait out there!"  She playfully tapped my shoulder.  "Read it!  Come on!"

"Okay, okay..." I trailed off and immediately felt my nerves start to escalate. 

I opened my laptop and we both immediately started to read:

Dear Aleah, 

How are you?  Actually, you know what?  I don't give a fuck how you are.  Luke told me all about you.  I know how girls like you are.  You think you're hot shit.  Well guess what.  You aren't.  Keep your trashy, slutty self away from Luke.  He told me how he told you to stay away from him because he's engaged, and you were all over him all the time.  He told me how you even tried to put your whore hands down his pants.  You just wish that you could have his dick.  But based on what he told me, it'd probably be like shooting a hot dog down a hallway, anyway.  So now, because he told you that you are nothing to him, you turn him in to the police?  You are desperate.  He's not into you, he's with me. And don't even think you'll be trying to make his life hell next year, either.  I'm transferring there.  Look forward to meeting you, bitch.

V.

My jaw was legitimately dropped open.  I turned to look at Falon and I could see her jaw was clenched shut, and her eyes narrowed.  She spoke first, "That bitch."

"Just.."

"Bitch."

"He's such a..."

"Dick!" She huffed.

"And he's engaged?"

We sat there for a few minutes in silence then, processing what we just read.  "I just," I started, but Falon cut me off.

"Listen Aleah.  What she said isn't true.  I know you better than that," she grinned evilly.  "She apparently doesn't know that payback is a bitch."

Temporarily forgetting the current situation, we briefly reminisced about the times we had gotten revenge on various people for random, petty things in high school.  Not horrible things to ruin lives, just high school things that we thought were funny but parents of the students probably thought was annoying, such as t.p.ing.  Innocent.  But the conversation of course came full circle back to the present situation.

"I feel like this girl is one of those that doesn't believe anyone but her boyfriend.  I have plenty of evidence of he and I together.  But somehow I bet it'll be my fault.  I would love to get her back and slap her right in the face with the hand of truth, but I think I should also let Detective Stratton know."  I continued, sadly, "I also feel guilty.  I swear I didn't know."

She sighed, deflated by me taking immediate, spiteful vengeance off the table.  I knew deep down it isn't that we are mean by nature, we are just protective of the ones we love.  "Fine.  But, if I need to have a talk with someone to let them know what's up, you just say the word.  And you know this isn't your fault.  Aleah, you didn't know.  Luke is the jerk in all this.  He pursued you."

I gave her a small smile.  I changed the subject then, because I didn't want to think about this right now.  I knew I would need to touch base with Detective Stratton, but that's it.  We popped in Mean Girls and spent the rest of the evening catching up more and gossiping about old and new high school drama.