OUTCAST: A Stepbrother Romance (23 page)

N
o
.

I
started to run
.

A
way from the dance floor
.

A
way from Finn
.

Away from the crowd who, just a few minutes ago, were chanting my name.

F
inn held
my arm before I could flee.

“
A
ndrea
... what’s going on?” he asked.

I
didn’t answer
. I yanked my arm away from his grip and I started to run.

R
un
as fast as you could, Andrea! Get out of there quick!

T
he crowd didn’t
part for me the same way they did when my name was announced as the Homecoming Queen. I had to squeeze my body through the throng between me and the exit, bumping into them, pushing them away...

I
couldn’t hold
off my tears. I started to cry before I could even leave the area. A lot of people saw me sobbing, almost hysterically.

F
inally
, I found my way out. I ran through the hallway, towards the main entrance, towards the parking lot.

I
had
to reach my car.

I
had to get home
.

I
had
to forget about this night.

F
or I felt
I was falling.

I
nto the darkness
.

I
nto depths unknown
.

A
nd how I
wished it would consume me entirely and make me disappear from this world of pain and shame.

R
un
...

T
hat was
the only thing in my head at that moment.

T
hat was
the only thing I allowed myself to think.

R
un
...

A
way from the
shame that befell me.

A
way from the
life I knew that crumbled before my eyes.

A
way from the
man I used to love... the man who’d be most hurt by what just transpired.

A
way from everything
. From everyone. From this stupid and cruel world.

I
reached
my car and hurriedly looked for the keys in my pouch.

S
hit
!

A
fter everything that has happened
, I never imagined that something would make that evening even worse. But I left my keys inside the vehicle. I peeked inside and I saw the cluster, still dangling from the ignition. I slammed my fist on the window. I heard something snap. The alignment most probably, the same alignment that Nash fixed to make it work.

I
turned
around to check if anyone was following me. The angry mob. The unknown perpetrator of the deed that led to my humiliation. Finn.

N
o one was there
. Just the darkness of the parking lot, illuminated by a solitary lamp post.

I
rested
my back against the door of my car. The reality of it all quickly sank in. My secret, revealed in the most ignominious way possible. My social life, in tatters and beyond repair. My dignity, used like a plaything for someone else’s pleasure, at the expense of my self-worth.

I
t should’ve been
the best night of my life, a night I allowed myself to enjoy before I was to deal with the matters that needed to be arranged. It turned out to be a nightmare.

A
n ache
.

P
rodding
.

I
n my belly
.

I
rubbed my womb
, trying to determine if everything was okay. It was too soon. I was barely a month into my pregnancy. I shouldn’t have that kind of a symptom.

A
nother poke
.

I
continued
to caress my tummy as tears dropped from my eyes.
It’s okay
, I whispered,
we’ll get through this. We’re so much stronger than this
.

A
voice
. From behind me. Female. Familiar, but different. Softer. Gentler. Kinder.

“
I
told
you this was going to be an unforgettable night,” she said.

“
W
hat do
you want from me, Kyla?” I replied.

I
should’ve been furious
. She was responsible for the indignity that happened to me. She made that video and waited for the right time... just the exact moment... when I was announced as the Homecoming Queen before she played it.

I
should’ve been furious
. But I wasn’t. My mind was messed up. My body was weary and weak. I felt too defeated to be mad.

“
H
aven’t
you done enough damage already?” I asked her, with nary a tinge of anger in my voice. Just vanquishment. Utter and complete vanquishment.

“
W
hat are you talking about
?” she responded confusedly. “Oh... you think that I’m responsible for what happened inside, huh?”

“
W
ho else could it be
?” I sullenly questioned her. “You always made life very difficult for me. You never liked me.”

S
he chuckled
.

“
U
ntil two days ago
, no one really liked you,” she said.

“
W
ell
, no one would ever like me now,” I told her. “Are you happy?”

S
he went
to my side and rested her back against my car as well. I was looking straight ahead, into the blackness of the parking lot. She was staring at me.

“
L
isten
... a cock spraying cum inside my mouth... that would make me happy,” she spoke. “But to see a girl downtrodden like that? Nah. I may not have class, but I do have a heart.”

W
hat
?

C
ould
it be possible that Kyla - the school’s resident bitch - a title she’s very proud of - and the girl who has been flirting with Finn for years was not actually responsible for the event that led to my humiliation?

“
B
ut those weird
things you always whispered to me...” I started to say.

“
T
hey were warnings
,” she quickly replied.

“
W
arnings
?”

“
O
h
, you silly girl. I always knew what was happening. I felt that I had to give you some clues so that you can figure them out for yourself. Unfortunately, I think I credited you with a little too much intelligence.”

F
igure things out for myself
?

I
turned to face her
. I wanted her to know how much I desired to learn the truth.

“
W
hat do you mean
, Kyla?” I begged for an answer.

“
F
inn and Jaynie had an affair
,” she responded, with the casualness of a soccer mom buying a soda from McDonald’s.

“
W
hat
?”

“
I
said
Finn and Jaynie
had
an affair. Behind your back.”

I
was shocked
by what I heard. It wasn’t because my suspicions were finally confirmed. It was because Kyla knew, and if she had knowledge about it, others did, too. Yet, no one told me about it.

“
H
ad
?” I asked her, wondering why she used that verb in the past tense.

“
Y
ep
. For two months. As far as I can remember, it started last February. It ended about a month ago.”

A
month ago
?
That was the time when I caught them in Finn’s room.

“
Y
ou poor girl
,” she continued. “You had no idea, didn’t you? No idea at all. Well, for some reason I don’t know, Finn broke up with her. But Jaynie... well, Jaynie’s not used to rejection. She wanted her back. Desperately. I guess that’s why she plotted your downfall.”

S
o it was
Jaynie who recorded and played that video?

“
W
hy
... why are you telling me this just now?” I wanted to know.

“
B
ecause I pity you
,” she said. “Listen... everything you’ve heard about me? Those are probably true. Yeah, I sleep around. Yeah, I collect men for my little black book. I take pictures of their dicks too.” She paused to giggle. “But I never... NEVER... sleep with guys who are already taken. There’s no fun there. Just guilt. I fucking hate feeling guilty.”

I
abhorred being pitied
.

I
t was
a reinforcement of my weakness, a testament to how pathetic I really was.

B
ut at that time
, I found comfort in her sympathy. I despairingly needed to connect with someone... anyone... just to remind me that I was still breathing... that I was still alive... that I will still get to see a future better than now.

“
H
ow could
Jaynie be so mean?” I asked aloud... a question that was supposed to be rhetorical.

“
O
h
, she was always mean, trust me,” Kyla affirmed. “Behind that angelic face is a demon who would do anything just to get what she wants.”

“She didn’t have to go to that extent,” I morosely said. “Finn and I are done. We’ve ended our relationship since last month.”

“
Y
es
, but he’s not over you, is he?” she asked with a wry smile.

I
couldn’t answer
her question.

“
W
hen you guys broke up
,” she proceeded to say, “Jaynie thought that she could finally have him for herself. But Finn didn’t want to get back together with her. I guess he realized who he was truly in love with. That got Jaynie all crazy and mad. So... she did that stupid stunt earlier.”

“
B
ut Jaynie
...she was always nice to me,” I tried to doubt. “She was the only one who welcomed me to the cheerleading squad. She was always patient with me...”

“
O
h you poor
, gullible thing,” Kyla replied, rather mockingly. “Remember that saying? Keep your friends close and your enemies closer?”

I
shook my head
, in sorrow and anger and disbelief. All of Kyla’s disclosures... they all made sense. Too much sense that I found them very hard to accept.

“
A
ndrea
!” someone suddenly called out.

I
t was Finn
. He was running across the parking lot, towards us, towards me. A rush of anxiety surged through my body. He followed me. He wanted to talk to me. But I didn’t know what to tell him. I wasn’t ready to reveal the truth.

“
S
peaking
of the two-timing devil,” Kyla whispered, rather amusedly. “This is gonna be interesting.”

F
inn was panting
as he stood before us. He bent over to rest his hands on his thighs as he tried to catch his breath. He was sweating profusely. He was still wearing his tuxedo coat and it was a humid Saturday evening.

“
A
re you alright
?” he asked, worriedly, as he looked up to face me.

I
couldn’t look
straight into his eyes.

“
W
hat happened there
...” he continued, “that was... that was not right. Why would anyone say that you’re pregnant?”

K
yla raised her eyebrow
. Her curiosity was piqued. She prepared herself to listen intently to our conversation.

“
A
ndrea
, do you want me to catch whoever was responsible for this?” he offered. “We can file a complaint. That person can be expelled from school.”

“
T
here’s no need
, Finn,” I told him. “I already know who she is.”

“
S
he
?” he asked, bewildered by what I said.

“
A
nd there’s
no need to file a complaint against her,” I added.

“
W
hy
? She did something wrong. She ruined your reputation because of something she invented.”

“
S
he didn’t invent anything
, Finn,” I said as I swallowed some air. I tried to muster enough courage... enough strength... for what I was about to tell him.

“
W
-What do you mean
?” His voice was trembling, as if he already knew the answer but was very afraid to accept it.

I
closed my eyes
, fought off the tears that were starting to drop, and spoke.

“
B
ecause it’s true
,” I said.

H
e didn’t say anything
.

I
opened
my eyes and I saw him... I saw the sadness on his face... a sadness so terrible that it crushed my heart. And the way his body has sunk said a lot. It was like all life was sucked out of him, and the only thing that remained was a cold, empty shell.

“
I
-I’m sorry
, Finn,” I uttered as I bowed my head in shame and remorse. The tears I have tried to ward off began to trickle.