“You’re so fucking self-centered that the first thing that comes to mind when one of your friends are in trouble is to fucking bail. What a friend you are, really. Thank fuck she wasn’tdrowning or on fire. You’d save yourself before you’d even think about rescuing one of your own.”
“Don’t think because you’ve been around for a few months that you know shit about me. If you want to talk about a person’s character, why don’t we talk about the fact that only true scumbags come from Harrison Heights.”
“Okay, Sylvia,” Sebastian says. “I think that’s enough for one night.”
“Fuck off, Sebastian. You’re not going to play guard for him. He wanted to say his piece, fine. I’m going to say mine, too.”
Sebastian moves to stand in front of her. “You’re hitting below the belt, and you know it.”
She shrugs. “I couldn’t care less.”
“Again,” Colson speaks. “That’s your fucking problem.”
“No, my fucking problem is you.”
Watching them bicker is like watching a soap opera play out. You know it’s going to get bad but the draw out is so cringe-worthy and drama-filled that you can’t help but watch, especially when Sylvia goes in for the kill.
“Take your sorry ass back to the ghetto. Save us all the hassle of having to see your face around. You want to beat the shit out of people? Go do it on your own turf.”
Colson’s gaze glows red from her insults, but he stands there and takes them. Second-hand embarrassment like no other cloaks every inch of my body, hanging on for dear life because she’s my friend. One who has no regard for anyone other than herself. Colson hit the nail on the head when he called her out for being selfish.
It feels incredibly odd not being the one taking her barbs but to watching them impale someone else instead.
“You’re pathetic,” Colson spits out. “Why don’t you ask Violet what happened? Can you do that? Or is it easier for you to argue with me than exhibit some fucking compassion?”
Sylvia raises her hand and gives him the middle finger.
I think Webber startles the three of us when he turns to me and asks what went down. Because I’m so flabbergasted, nothing leaves my mouth. When I do catch up with what he’s asked, Colson is already answering for me.
“Some guy had his hands all over her. His front pressed against her back. Then, when I told him to get the fuck away, he threw her to the side like trash. That’s why I got physical. She was in trouble, and no one else was there to step in. If you don’t like that fact,” he turns back to Sylvia, “then you can fuck off.”
“Wait, what?” Webber asks, looking back over to me. “That really happened?”
I nod solemnly before finding Sylvia’s eyes on me. The visual of her holding V-shaped fingers to her mouth plays out in my mind and the nerves that came afterward.
“Are you talking about Nelson?” Sylvia laughs like it’s the funniest thing in the world. “Oh my God, Violet. Are you kidding me? He wasn’t trying to take advantage of you. He was trying to show you a good time.”
“Define good time,” Sebastian comments. “Because the way Colson makes it sound, he was forcing himself on her and she wasn’t too into it.”
“I wasn’t,” I tell them. “Colson’s recount of it is exactly what happened.”
Webber shrugs. “Then it sounds like he deserved what he had coming.” He says that, but he still doesn’t ask if I’m okay. The only one who does is Sebastian.
His face softens, and as much as it looks like he wants to come stand in front of me, he stays rooted by Sylvia in efforts to protect his cousin from her venomous words and judgements. “Shit, Vi. You good?”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Back up a second.” Colson rubs his hands over his face like he did when we first pushed out into the alleyway. “You told that guy to get on Violet’s case?”
Sylvia rolls her eyes as if it’s no big deal. “I told him to show her a fun time. She’s so uptight lately. Don’t act like you’ve never been in his shoes.”
Colson scoffs. “Actually, no. I haven’t. If I ever acted like that asshole, I’d beg the closest person to end me right then and there.”
“We can make that possible without you acting like him.”
Webber reaches out then, clutching Sylvia’s shoulders from behind and twirling her around. “Me and you are going to take off.”
“Fuck off, Webber. The last person I want to leave with is you.” Still, she follows beside him, shooting Colson one last glare before they head toward Main Street at the end of the alleyway.
