But he says no.
He saysnoand it’s worth ten of yours.
He says no and that means no.
But you’re no longer content to heed his rules.
You’re no longer content to be his prize.
You find your forgotten stick.
The one you sharpened and set aside long ago.
And you fight back.
You destroy everything that man built
to earn your place.
Because in this new world, there’s only room for
girls with rebel souls.
2
Istare down at Garrett’s body as blood seeps into the gravel around his head—a quickly expanding arc of red. His eyes are stuck open, staring blankly into the sunny sky. Tears have run from the corner of his right eye, a river through the blood on his cheek.
“What have you done?” I murmur, feeling sick. I can barely catch my breath, my skin on fire, my throat dry. “Leandra, you killed him.”
“Obviously,” Leandra replies, dropping the tire iron on the gravel with a crunch. “But to be fair, he was going to kill Lennon Rose. It was self-defense.”
“I know, but we could have…” I struggle to think of an alternative. “We could have knocked him out and left him at the police station, we could have—”
“Dropped him off?”Leandra repeats. “You think he would have turned himself in? And even if he did, the bigger story, the dominating story, would be all about Lennon Rose—the beautiful kidnapper of boys. What do you think the magazines will run with? Another male abuser, or the pretty, innocent-looking girl with murderous rage? Which would be a show on Netflix? Stop being naive, Philomena. Stop thinking likethem.”
Them—humans. Am I thinking like a human? Is it human to believe in justice?
“What is this?” a voice asks angrily from behind us. I turn and find Rosemarie standing there, her eyes blazing. “What have you done?” she demands from Leandra.
“My apologies, Rosemarie,” Leandra says. “But he was a bad candidate. I mean”—she motions down at him—“he probably wouldn’t have survived the procedure. Weak-minded. Violence prone. We need someone better.”
“You don’t get to decide that,” Rosemarie snaps at her. Leandra’s easy expression falters under Rosemarie’s scolding. Although she quickly rearranges her face to look ashamed, I know that she’s not. And more than that, I know how much Leandra hates being told what to do.
“Now clean it up,” Rosemarie says angrily. “Get him out of here and bring me a new boy.”
Leandra looks at Lennon Rose, and they exchange a silent agreement that I don’t understand. Does Lennon Rose agree with Leandra, especially since she was Garrett’s intended victim? I’m torn on how to feel about all of this.
Yes, Garrett Wooley was close to a monster. He hurt girls, hurt me, and he tried to kill my friend. But we don’t get to just doleout revenge when it suits us. There must have been an alternative reaction, despite Leandra’s claims.
“I’ll help you find someone,” Lennon Rose says to Leandra, although the words seem to be for Rosemarie’s benefit.
Rosemarie huffs out a sound before making her way back inside, slamming the door behind her. When she’s gone, Lennon Rose goes to stand over Garrett’s body.
“He broke my tooth,” she says, glaring down at him. “I’m glad he’s dead.” She turns to Leandra. “Thank you.”
Leandra nods that she’s welcome, but I’m overcome. I’m dizzy and find myself becoming increasingly disoriented. The smell of flowers and metallic blood mix; it stings the inside of my nose, the back of my throat. Suddenly, Leandra is at my side, her hand on my elbow. When I look sideways at her, I notice tiny dots of blood splashed across her porcelain-smooth cheeks, her delicate blouse. It makes my stomach turn, and I shake off her grip.
“Don’t touch me,” I say.
