"I guess this is the playing dirty thing that Monica mentioned." I shook my head. "I honestly didn't think she had it in her. I mean, I expected something, but to me 'playing dirty' is TPing someone's house, egging their car, or forking their yard. Maybe letting all the air out of their tires."
"Forking their yard?" Sierra asked. "Sounds kinda dirty."
I laughed. "I'm surprised you didn't already know about that kind of thing. It's right up your alley. Lee's brothers did it to Coach Turner when she was in high school and he screamed at her after a track meet. You stick plastic forks in the yard and break them off in the ground. It can mess up your yard and lawnmower."
"Whoa. What did the coach do?"
"He caught them right after they finished the first box of a hundred. They spent the next day using needle-nose pliers to pull them out of the ground. Then they mowed and trimmed his yard."
Sierra laughed. "I have got to meet Lee's brothers. They sound like kindred spirits. Avenging wrongs. The only difference is I don't get caught. And I usually mess with things like their email or social media accounts or lock them out of their bank websites." She looked back at the computer screen. "So what do you think her plan is?"
"They're probably going to call in my loans," I said, my tone dark. This was bad. I had enough money in my nest egg to pay off my car loan. It would wipe me out, but she wouldn't be able to come after me over it. Of course, I'd probably end up living in my damn car if they called in my mortgage.
"Can you pay them off?" Sierra asked.
"My car loan, yes. My house, no way."
She studied me for a long moment.
"What?" I asked.
"I'm afraid you're going to get upset with me if I say what I'm really thinking, so I'm trying to come up with a better way."
"Just spit it out."
"Will you let me help you? Please? I have the money to pay off both those loans for you."
I shook my head. "I can't take your money."
Sierra groaned and threw her hands up in the air.
"But I would be happy to set up a contract that includes a repayment schedule and an interest rate."
She blinked at me several times before she smiled brightly. "I'm okay with that. As long as you let me give you a really fair interest rate. Something low. How do you feel about zero percent?"
"You aren't going to give me a zero percent interest rate."
"Fine. One percent."
I rolled my eyes. "I'm paying four percent on my house right now and three-point-five on my car. I'm not taking advantage of you with one percent interest."
"Okay, I'm going to be completely honest with you," Sierra said. "No matter what interest rate or loan term we agree upon, any interest you pay me will go into a savings account and be spent on your Christmas and birthday gifts every year."
"God, you're so cheap you'll use my own money to buy my gifts!"
"Zero percent and you don't have to worry about me spending obscene amounts of your own money on you every year."
"Why are we friends?" I asked.
Sierra shrugged. "I'm not sure. You're the only person besides your parents who's willing to put up with me."
"Fine. Zero percent, but the term length will reflect the lack of interest."
"Awesome! Then you'll have your house paid off in fifteen years instead of thirty."
I shook my head. "How long do you think it will take to have the paperwork drawn up?" Sierra opened her mouth and I wagged a finger at her. "We will have an official contract, drawn up by your business manager or lawyer, or whoever handles this sort of thing for you."
"Well, I don't really have anyone who handles things for me except for Mr. McFadden who disperses my trust and keeps an eye on my investments."
