“No.” I shake my head. “You both deserve to know what I did.”If they’re going to end our friendship, I’d rather get it over and done with now.
“It was homecoming night,” I continue, guilt settling like a boulder in the pit of my stomach. “Sandman punched my date in the face, then dragged me into an empty classroom. We got into an argument, and one thing led to another. The next thing I knew, we were kissing.” I close my eyes, recalling the feel of his warm lips on mine.
“My brother and his friends stormed into the classroom. He said he would tell our mother, so I lied.” Bone-jarring sobs rack my body. “I lied and said that Sam forced himself on me. They beat him until he was unconscious.” I press a hand to my roiling belly. “Later that night, he set the tree house on fire. He didn’t even try to run. He stayed and watched it burn.”
“That’s awful!” Leah exclaims. “And that’s why he has it out for you?”
“Yeah.” I sigh, suddenly feeling very tired. “I had no idea what happened to him after his arrest until I moved here.”And met Sandman, the monster I created. “That’s when I found out he’s completely deaf in his left ear because of the beating. My brother hit him in the head with a desk.”
“Sheesh,” Meela responds, her eyebrows raised in surprise. “Didn’t know that about him.”
“Me either,” Leah says and releases a long breath. “This is a lot to take in.”
I hang my head low, nervously picking at the loose tatters of my frayed jeans. “Still wanna be my friend?”
“I’m not gonna lie, what you did was fucked up,” Meela tellsme straight up, no sugarcoating. “No wonder he has a bone to pick with you.”
“I know,” I mumble past numb lips. “I regret it every day.”
“He must’ve really liked you,” Leah remarks somberly, peering at me through her prescription lenses. “Did you like him back?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.” I shake my head. “My mother would’ve never allowed us to be together. She already had my life planned out, down to my wedding and groom.”
“Had?” Leah questions.
“Everything changed when my dad was charged with health insurance fraud,” I explain, deciding to lay it all on the line. No point in hiding my past now. “He did it to keep my mother from bankrupting them. All of our friends abandoned us, and my future husband dumped me. It wasn’t a total loss because I actually hated him.”
“Girl, your life is a complete mess.” Meela stands and walks over to her wig wall, selecting a peached-colored afro. “Your mother is a bitch, that’s for sure.”
“You don’t know the half of it.” I tell them all about the sordid history between my mother and aunt.
“That’s some wild shit,” Meela remarks, her nose wrinkling in disgust.
“Is your dad in prison?” Leah asks.
“No, he’s a fugitive,” I answer her. “He disappeared after he was released on bail. My father isn’t a bad man. He just married a bad woman.” I pull in a shaky breath. “So what’s the verdict? Should I leave? I completely understand if neither of you want to be my friend anymore.”
“We’re still going to be your friend, Zilphia,” Leah says and smiles at me. “We already told you that.”
“Yeah, Sandman should practice forgiveness,” Meela retorts, plucking a contact out of the pink heart-shaped case on her dresser and popping it into her left eye. And of course, the color matches her outfit. “You made a split-second error in judgment,” she adds. “That doesn’t make it okay for him to shit on you for the rest ofyour life. Anyway, who is he to hold grudges? He actually kills people.”
Relief washes over me. I won’t be ending the day friendless after all.
“You can’t accuse someone of outright murder without proof,” Leah admonishes her. “If one of the Gods heard you say that…”
“Whatever.” Meela rolls her eyes. “Jig wouldn’t let any of them touch me,” she states confidently. “Come on. I’m ready to go.”
“Thanks for not holding my past mistakes over my head,” I say, counting my lucky stars that I’m not ending the day friendless.
“You’re good,” Meela chirps, parking next to a rusted orange Mustang. “Just don’t do that shit again or your ass is getting kicked to the curb, girl.”
“Trust me, I won’t.” I slide out of the passenger seat and glance around the large property. “I hear music, but the house looks abandoned.”
“It kinda is,” Meela replies. “It was douchebag perv’s grandparents’ farm. They’re both dead now and the family let it waste away.”
“Where’s the party then?” Leah asks as we walk toward the dilapidated dwelling.
“Around back in the barn,” she answers, striding ahead of us. “Come on, slowpokes.”
