Prom Ch. 14: Inferno

She'd still had no idea what she was going to say to Rebecca, if anything. Confessing seemed impossible based on how far she had gone. She'd found herself wishing desperately that she had just given Brad that single blowjob as she was sure she could've explained that away. But now? It was too late. She wouldn't be forgiven. She couldn't be. And maybe, she shouldn't be.

But she couldn't avoid her best friend forever, and finally, the moment came. Not that there would have been a good way to get it out, but the way it came stomped out any glimmer of hope that Rebecca might've forgiven her. Because she had found out first.

Rachel was walking to her car during lunch, desperate to leave the school for a bit to avoid Rebecca further. She'd been almost to the driver side door when she'd heard her friend's voice call out from behind. Rebecca spoke in a low tone. It was serious and had a slight tremble to it. When Rachel heard the words, in combination with how they were spoken, her heart fell into her stomach.

"Is it true?"

Three simple words. A short, concise question. Completely open-ended, and in theory, Rebecca could've been asking about anything under the sun. But Rachel knew right away. The color drained from her face and she knew the second she faced her friend that she'd know the answer. She sighed to herself and turned around slowly hoping the tears would stay back. She attempted to give Rebecca her best confused expression, but she knew it would be no good.

"Huh? Is what true?"

Rachel almost shook when she saw Rebecca's face and body language. She was standing a few feet away with her arms crossed in front of her chest. Her green eyes were focused fiercely. She wasn't enraged yet, because she had to hear it first. There was still a chance that this was all just a crazy, awful mistake. But while she couldn't possibly believe that Rachel would betray her like this, she also knew how her friend was.

Who she was.

What she was.

Rebecca took a step closer. "You're going to make me tell you, aren't you? Fine, we can do it that way." She licked her lips as her voice began to show the first hint of anger.

"So I'm walking to third period, you know, by myself, because my best friend is strangely avoiding me, and Ryan and Drew from the lacrosse team start giggling as I pass them. They're assholes so I asked them what exactly was so fucking hilarious. They said they heard Brad and I had pretty wild weekend. Yeah, apparently Brad hooked up with some chick at that party and then he and a friend had a threesome with her the next day. Ryan and Drew said Brad refused to say who it was so they just assumed it was me, because well, Brad and I have history."

Rebecca's jaw tightened and she stared hard at Rachel as she emphasized the final word. She smirked at Rachel's frozen reaction and ran a hand through her dark hair.

"So obviously, I was not with Brad so I told them they had the wrong girl. I was pretty pissed about the whole thing so I sent a text to my best friend because I knew she had been at the party after I left and I wondered if she knew anything about what kind of slut Brad had talked into doing that."

Her eyes flashed again and Rachel did everything she could to avoid wincing.

"But again, my best friend didn't answer because she's been avoiding me. Whatever. Then after class, Steph comes up to me and asks me if I've seen you. I told her no and asked why. She had texted me about seeing you and Brad snuggled up together on the couch and I just assumed she was talking about your little move on that whore from earlier. But Steph, she was all, like, apologetic and saying things like she didn't want to cause drama and she wasn't sure she should say anything but that she was pretty sure she had seen you and Brad kiss on the couch later that night again and that you had gotten up and gone to the bathroom together. Then, a little while later she saw you rush out of the house in a huff."

"So all of this is crazy, right? I mean, you'd never-. Brad?" Rebecca stepped in even closer. "There had to be another explanation. But then I start thinking about how you've been avoiding me since yesterday and how you asked for his number for some weird reason. And then we were supposed to have lunch but you made up some excuse and didn't answer any of my texts all night. And finally, here you are. Sneaking away in the middle of the day."

Rebecca stopped and studied Rachel's frozen expression. She cleared her throat and asked again.

"So. Is it true?"

Rachel did everything in her power to put up a poker face but she knew the second she spoke or moved a muscle it would all crumble like a house of cards. She didn't know what part of her body would betray her first but she knew she couldn't stay silent forever. She swallowed and tried to find her voice to respond in any way she could. But then, she felt it.

A single tear squeezed from her right eye and ran down her cheek. It was over. That was all that needed to happen.

Rebecca's face contorted as her final confirmation was delivered. Part of her had known deep down already but she hadn't wanted to believe it. Rachel was a lot of things but she'd never-. Rebecca smirked. Apparently, she would.

Rachel tried to speak as she felt it falling apart. "Becca, I-, look, wait-. It's not like you think. It was just stupid and it got out of con-." The tears were falling now and she couldn't speak. It didn't matter anyway.

Rebecca leaned in so that they were almost touching. She hissed. "Tell me what you did. I want to know."

"Wha-? Becca, why? What does it matt-?"

"Just. Tell. Me."

Rachel ran and hand over her eyes and wiped her tears and looked away. What would she say?

"Look, I had just meant to tease Brad to chase that girl away. You saw that! I was trying to help!" She sighed. "But then he started making me feel all bad because she got angry and left and I'd been smoking and-." She paused to wipe another tear through her stammering. "And then Matt started suggesting that I-." She stopped suddenly as she saw Rebecca's narrowed eyes widen in alarm.

"Matt?? Matt was there?? Jesus, Rachel! What were you doing with him? Were the three of you just having a friendly cha-?"

Rebecca trailed off and brought a hand to her mouth as a startled gasp formed. She took an unsteady step backwards, almost stumbling as her legs tingled with as sudden shot of numbness. Saying the "three" of them had put an awful thought into Rebecca's head. A dark, terrible thought. Her stomach twisted painfully.

Ryan and Drew had said Brad had had a threesome with this mystery girl (who was now obviously Rachel) and one of his friends. Rebecca didn't know of anyone at their school who might've been the other guy, but she did know someone whom Brad unfortunately hung around with a lot. Her stomach heaved again and she thought she might throw up. No. No, please. Not him. Rachel wouldn't have-. She'd never-.

Rebecca looked at her friend's desperate face and felt a tear of her own fall. The realization was paralyzing. She had. With him. With both of them. Rebecca had been furious beyond words when she'd thought Rachel had done all of this but even then she hadn't known it had involved Matt too. Which betrayal was worse?

She was now no longer filled with only anger. She was crushed. This hurt worse than anything Rachel could've done to her. She had hooked up with her ex and then given it up again to the boy who had humiliated her. And this time she had known. Why? Rebecca said the words out loud in a soft, almost pleading voice.

"Why, Rachel? Why him? Why either of them? Do you not get enough-?" She stopped and swallowed the lump in her throat. She steeled herself again and stepped back towards her friend. She tilted her head with a blank expression and looked squarely into Rachel's eyes.

"Did you fuck him?"

Rachel felt the breath leave her body and she was sure she'd lose her balance and fall. The world was spinning around her and everything she'd dreaded was coming to bear. What would she say? She couldn't think. And then, she said the worst thing she could've.

"I, um,-. Him? Which, um-?"

Rebecca gasped and felt herself shiver with dizziness. Which?? Not 'no.' Which?? So she had fucked one of them! Rebecca reeled, her head going light as well. God, which one? She didn't want to know but she needed it.

"W-w-which?? So you did-! Who, Rach? Matt? Oh my God, did you let that piece of shit fu-?"

"NO!" Rachel shouted back on instinct. "No! I didn't. I'd never-. Not Matt-." She stopped as her voice trailed away into a mumble. That wasn't a good answer either. But there were no good answers. She was being skewered and she deserved it. Her car keys fell from her hand as her fingers went numb.

Rachel's answer had given Rebecca what she needed. So, not Matt, but Brad. It was reassuring and gut-wrenching at the same time. Which would've hurt her more? She didn't know the answer but either one was like a bullet through her heart. Why had Rachel done it? Even with how she was, she'd never do this. And sex?? Rebecca was pretty sure she hadn't had sex with anyone since they'd been friends. So why now? And why him?

Rebecca's voice lowered and she spoke in an unnaturally calm tone. "So, let me make sure I have it all straight. You waited until I left on Saturday and then you hooked up with Brad. And obviously, we both know what that means, right?" She scoffed as Rachel's eyes fell to the ground. "And then, I don't know how or why it could even happen, you agree to have a threesome with Brad and...Matt."

She clenched her jaw as she said his name with disgust. Her voice began to crack as she continued, her words coming out in an incredulous stutter.

"And you, you, you fuck Brad, but you know, not Matt! Hooray! I guess sucking his dick again was good enough for now. And, what? Is that it? Anything I've left out?"

Rachel raised her head to look into Rebecca's eyes. She saw pure, tortured pain staring back at her. Whatever terrible hell she had been through the past day and a half, it was clear she had done worse to her friend. She had betrayed her and ripped her heart from her chest in the cruelest way possible. She had been with a boy whom she'd loved, and another whom she hated. At the same time. There was nothing Rachel could do or say now to fix this. It was over. And whatever pain it brought her, she deserved.

"Becca, I-. I don't know why I do-. Look, I was going to tell you about Brad but I was so scared and nervous! And then Matt had my purse and I had to go to his house to get-."

"You went to his house?? God, Rachel! So this whole thing happened in his base-". She stopped as another tear rolled down her face at her own memory. "I can't-."

"Rebecca, I'm sorry! Look the whole thing was just crazy! One minute I'm teasing Brad and the next-." She swallowed and shouted in wild desperation. "It was an accident! You left me! You left me at that party and you went ahead and-!"

Rebecca cut her off with a trembling shout. "Don't you DARE put this back on me! What I do with my-." She scoffed again and cut off as her tone dropped from pure rage to mocking disbelief. "Wait, did you say 'accident'?"

She laughed incredulously. "So you accidentally sucked Brad's dick? Oh, and you accidentally went and fucked him and Matt the next day?" Her laughter grew unnaturally loud. "Really? That is what you're going with here? I think your history in that department shows that it's usually not an 'accident' when you're on your knees. Should we take a poll? How many dozens of guys around here you think would back me up?"

Rachel felt her cheeks burn as Rebecca mocked her. She didn't know how much lower she could feel. The girls had never judged each other's activities and now Rebecca was rubbing it in her face. She deserved it, but she felt a bit of instinctual anger rise. She spoke wildly through her tears.

"Oh, so you judge me now? The "no judgment zone" no longer in effect? Good to know since you've been such a fucking saint as well!" She tried to sound strong but her voice was cracking. She was defeated. Broken.

Rebecca brought her face right into Rachel's. Their noses almost touched as she spoke harshly. "Yeah, the no judgment zone ended the second you went and fucked two guys at once in some dirty basement. Don't like it? Tough." She was done. She started to pull back and turn.

Rachel made one final attempt and reached out desperately to grab her friend's shoulder. "Becca, please! I get it! I fucked up! I'm sorrier than you can imagine. I've wanted to die since yesterday morning! What can I do? Please tell me! Please!!"

Rebecca stared blankly at her scared, desperate friend and set her jaw. She viciously shrugged Rachel's hand from her shoulder and turned to face her as she smoothed her shirt.

"What can you do? Well, you know how you've been avoiding me all day? Yeah? Well, go ahead and keep doing that. I'm done with you."

She shot Rachel one last penetrating glare and turned away. She walked evenly back out of the parking lot and towards the school. Rachel stood in a paralyzed fog as she saw her best friend disappear through the large front doors of the entrance. She didn't move for a while before suddenly something screamed violently inside of her.

She scooped her keys off the ground and got into her car. She hastily pulled out of the parking lot and turned onto the main road. She was going home. And she wasn't going back. Not today. Maybe not ever. She couldn't. The fresh start she had worked so hard to maintain had been shattered. She'd ruined it all again and there would be no picking up the pieces.

It was done.

NEXT -- Chapter 15: Catharsis