EpilogueJulian
They had humiliated me.
They had treated me like an animal.
I seethed as I looked at the images that had been plastered all over social media. I raged as I saw my naked body being joked about, turned into memes, cut and pasted into degrading scenarios. And I made a list of each and every person who had liked, commented on, or shared it.
This wasn’t the end.
I felt the adrenaline coursing through my veins, giving me strength.
I sat at my computer and opened my special folder. The one with the videos, the emails, the photos, the text messages. I had something on everyone. I knew their secrets, and I was going to use them.
But that wasn’t enough. That wouldn’t placate my rage. There was only one person who could’ve made me feel better.
I’d sent her a message asking for forgiveness, but I hadn’t gotten a response.
I kept checking my phone over and over, and finally it camethrough. My heart was pounding, and I felt dizzy as I saw her name on the screen.
You’re the most despicable person I’ve ever met. Don’t speak to me ever again. Don’t even look at me. I hate you, Julian. You deserve all of it and more.
My heart rate steadied, and I forced myself to remain calm.
Kam wouldn’t turn her back on me.
Kam was mine.
Everything I’d done was to make her mine, to help her understand she deserved better than all those morons we went to school with. She was a queen. She was gorgeous. She was elegant. She was the most beautiful girl I’d ever met.
I clenched my fists as I heard a knock at my door. I stood and opened it. There she was, my little lapdog. “Come on in, Kate,” I said, standing aside. My sister walked in, staring at the floor, the way I’d taught her.
“What are you going to do, Jules?” she asked, paralyzed with fear.
I closed the door and sat down on my futon.
“What am I going to do about what?”
“People know it was you. Are you going to transfer to another school again?” She was so stupid; she thought I wouldn’t be able to detect the hopeful tone in her voice.
“You honestly think I’m going to up and leave after what they’ve done to me? After how they’ve treated me?” I screamed.
Kate flinched and stepped back.
“I…I can’t do it anymore.”
“You can’t do what anymore?” I stood and stepped toward her. “You’ll do exactly what I tell you to do. You’ll keep behaving exactly as you have up to now, understand me?”
Kate pursed her lips.
“Or did you forget what could happen if the videos of us came out? You do remember what you and I did together, don’t you? And how much you liked it? How you kept begging me for more?” I said, knowing I had her under my thumb for life.
Kate started crying, and I made a sad face, mocking her.
Girls are all so predictable…
“Now get out of here. I’m not in the mood to deal with you today.”
Kate walked out, and I climbed the ladder to my loft, where I had a bed and a small TV. Kate’s mom and my dad never went up there, and that was where I could enjoy my little collection. All over the walls were photos I’d taken of Kam. Kam sleeping, Kam naked, Kam laughing, Kam with Thiago, Kam with Taylor, Kam with her brother, Kam with her father, Kam’s eyes, Kam’s shiny hair, Kam’s legs, Kam’s chest, Kam cheerleading, Kam buying groceries…
