As James in the video knocked on the window and said, ‘Hey, man,’ I took out my own phone and jumped ahead while Morgan and Gabe started the video on their own phones, James’s voice echoing around us, saying, ‘Hey, man.’
I turned my phone back around. It was at the end of the video, when Vic comes out of the Fine Wine & Good Spirits and hands James a bottle of whiskey. James, the goddamned star he is, even pulls out the bottle, showing it to the camera on the phone tucked into the front pocket of his shirt.
‘Dude, you’re a lifesaver,’ James in the video says. ‘Hey, what are you doing tonight? You want to help me drink this? Like as a date with the possibility of consensual sex?’
Vic in the video smiles wide. ‘Yeah, man. I gotta do something first, but it shouldn’t take long. What’s your number? I’ll call you after.’
I stopped the video.
‘Vic the Dick!’ James said, walking up behind Gabe and me and putting his arms around our shoulders. ‘You know what? On second thought, never mind. You’re not really my type.’ He planted a kiss on Gabe’s cheek, then winked at Vic.
Vic turned to Gabe. ‘What thefuckis this?’
‘An insurance policy,’ he said. ‘If you ever come near me again, if you ever contact my family again in a way that I can trace back to you, no matter how vague, I will sendthisvideo to the police. Oh, wait.’
He reached into his pocket and took out a receipt. It was dated October 29.
‘And maybe you had a hard time remembering it in there, but youalsobought alcohol for my Halloween party.’ He squinted at the receipt. ‘Hey, look, it’s the last four digits of your debit card. Probably should have gotten the cash from me first.’
Morgan said, ‘Furnishing a minor with alcohol is a lesser punishment than harassing and stalking, but it’s easier to prove. And you’re finedperincident. And since you did it for a party, you could be finedperperson at the party.’
‘And what?’ Vic said. ‘All your friends are going to come forward and say they were drinking underage?’
‘The five of us will,’ I said.
‘So that’s …’ James said, ‘… let’s see, a thousand dollars, first offense, twenty-five-hundred-per-person second offense.’ He pretended to do the math, which we had already researched and gone over, in his head. ‘Carry the one … thirteen grand. Dick, dude! That’s so much money!’
‘And you can’t afford that,’ Gabe said. ‘Can you, Vic?’
‘Not to mention,’ Ava added, ‘look at this car. The detailing alone.’ She shook her head.
Vic looked like he was about to explode. ‘You know what? Fuckallof you!’ Tucking his phone away, he turned and grabbed the door handle of his car. He let out a groan and wiped his gooey hand on his leg as Morgan and Ava burst out laughing again.
He used his shirt to open the car and got in. Ava and Morgan walked to the front, getting out of the way as he backed out of the space faster than he needed to. Ava picked up one of the pigs’ feet that fell off and started oinking.
‘Have a good night, Vic!’ She hauled off and pelted the car with the pig’s foot as he drove off.
As everyone laughed and cheered, James bent over, picking up his cracked phone. ‘You owe me a new phone, Tommy.’
‘I’ll get it replaced,’ Gabe said.
‘Nah, I’m just kidding. It adds character!’
‘No, seriously. It’s the least I can do.’ He turned to us, tears in his eyes. ‘Really. Thank you all.’
‘Of course,’ James said. ‘You don’t fuck with the Sunset Estates crew.’
‘Aw!’ Morgan pulled us all into a hug that was ruined by Ava’s pickled-pigs’-feet hands. She tried to smear them on us, but we ran, picking up leftover butter containers and trying to squeeze what was left out onto her.
I stuck around with Gabe after Morgan, James and Ava left. We were conscientious enough to throw away the jars and cans, but there was still food surrounding the parking spot Vic’s car had been in. Either someone would clean it up, or the birds and insects would get it. Or it would rot until rain washed it all away.
‘Are you okay?’ I asked, leaning against my car.
Gabe sighed and leaned against his. ‘Better? But still …’
I nodded. I couldn’t imagine how awful it must feel, being exposed like that to your family. Even if the video was fake, the texts were real. I was sure I’d sent plenty of texts I wouldn’t want my mom to see. I hated Vic. I hoped he got super syphilis and his dick and nose both rotted off.
‘Why did you break up with him?’ I asked. I had no idea why I was curious, but I had to know.
