In the car ride home, I asked Blair and Stacy what they thought Nellie has against me.
“Againstyou?” Blair scoffed. “More like against the whole world. Don’t take that shit personally; she’s just a bitch.”
“Total bitch.”
“But she almost ran me off the road today.”
“She’d do that to any of us. She’s a monster.”
But a tiny part of me felt sorry for her for some reason. Probably because she seems like such a misfit, even though she’s the richest girl in town.
Blair steered with one hand, hotboxed a joint with the other. “She’s, like, a freak. But because her family has all this money, we have to hang out with her. But she’s just…”
“Twisted!” Stacy chimed in, leaning in from the back between mine and Blair’s seats. “Should I tell her about the playhouse incident?”
“Totally!” Blair laughed.
“So get this. And this is just one example of Nellie’sweirdness. When we were like seven or something, my parents had this brand-new playhouse built for me. Like, it was awesome. Almost as big, no offense, as your house.”
My face burned with embarrassment.
“And Nellie comes over one day to play and brings this Easy-Bake Oven thingy she just got. Like, her parents spoil her rotten. Even more than mine and Blair’s do. Anyway, I kind of fell in love with the toy. And she accidentally left it behind. I know this was mean of me, but when she came over the next day to get it, I told her it was mine and that she couldn’t have it back.”
“Boom!” Blair shouted. “That was enough to make her explode.”
“But the thing is, she didn’t. Not right away. When I wouldn’t give it back, she gave me the most evil stare and stormed out. That night, my parents shook me awake. There were all these red lights outside and sirens blaring because my playhouse had caught fire and was burning down! The little bitch set my playhouse on fire!”
“They could never prove it, of course,” Blair said, shaking her head dramatically, “but weallknew it was Nellie. So, like, just don’t mess with her. Like I said, wehaveto be friends with her, because that’s how this town works, but…fuck…”
I slunk down in my seat, feeling unsettled, and watched as the pine trees pulsed past by window.
Later
How the hell did it come to this?
I hear a twig snap and whip my head around, terrified that someone is watching me, or even worse, that someone saw me. Saw what I did.
But then I see a rabbit jolt from the forest, and breathe ahuge sigh of relief.
I never imagined in a million years that when I woke up this morning, I wouldkillsomeone today. I was just going about my ordinary life.
But that’s not really true, is it? Nothing about my life has been ordinary these past few weeks.
19
Nellie
Now
I cannot wait to get out of this shithole town. I hate it here!
I’m home from the Circles, locked in my bathroom, scrubbing off my makeup and smoking as many cigarettes as possible.
Why do I even give two shits about Jane? I know I shouldn’t care, but it burns me up. Fucking Blair giving her a ride there? Rushing to her defense about the stupid horse thing? Are you kidding me?
I just wanted to spook her a little, had no idea I’d cause her to fall. And now even that has backfired on me, made Jane even more popular with Blair and her crew.
Then, after she left, Dustin dragged me over to his Bronco to make out. He’s gross, but it’s better than being with no one. But while he was fumbling with my bra, he started to laugh.
