I waved goodbye to Isaac at the airport.
“I’ll miss you,” I told him, with a twinge of sadness. I was not that much in love that I would cry myself to death at his departure, but I would miss him. A lot. He had been a great friend, if nothing else.
“Yeah, she’s right,” Danny agreed, “You better come home again soon, or she’ll cry her heart out over you.” He added, looking at me mischievously.
Danny had claimed to be ‘over’ me, but for some reason, I still didn’t believe that. For one thing, Chloe told me he wasn’t. They had been talking to each other more and more lately.
“Ha ha, very funny,” I gave him a friendly punch.
Isaac leaned over and gave me a hug. “I’ll come back soon,” he told me softly.
Then, he gave a sideway look at Danny, and he asked in a mock serious tone, “You don’t happen to want a hug too, do you?”
Danny grinned, “Sure I do! This is my beloved friend we’re talking about here!” he and Isaac hugged. Or more accurately, they had a ‘one arm bear hug’. Boys never reveal much emotion when upset, especially not in the airport, something to do with the lines ’I’m a man’, Danny told me a few times.
They let go of each other, “And what if your plane crashes somewhere,” Danny grinned, “I might want to remember this hug as the last time we ever met.”
Isaac smiled widely, and I had a feeling I of what he would say, “Chill, Dan, if I do get into a crash, you might want to thank your lucky stars for what I’ve left for you in my will…”
Chill. That was Isaac’s signature word. I would really miss him saying that. It always made me smile, and even laugh out loud!
“Well, I better get going.” Isaac nodded and smiled at all of us, saving his best smile for me. One look at him, and I might have jumped up to him. Actually, I would have, but the fact that his parents were looking, amused, restrained me from doing so. I had a feeling that he would have kissed me, but in present onlookers, he didn’t either. I didn’t mind too much, though. I felt as if he respected our present relationship by not treating me like some sort of person he could toy around with in front of others, especially since we weren’t actually a couple.
I smiled a little wistfully. It would be difficult to find someone as thoughtful as him. Sure, Danny was great, but it would be too fast for me to jump from one guy to another. I needed more time. To think, and to decide.
A final goodbye, and Danny and I left. I was welcoming the ride home. It would be nice, long, and quiet. Just what I wanted right now.
Danny’s mom was sending me home. I was grateful for that as I wasn’t in the mood to stand in line buying a subway ticket or spending a whole bunch of cash on a taxi ride.
“You need to think about it, don’t you?” Danny asked in the car.
I nodded, thankful that we had been friends for so long that he could practically read my mind.
He nodded back, and we remained silent for the rest of the return journey.
* * *
“You could always negotiate,” Chloe suggested, but by her tone of voice, I could tell that she was rather dubious.
“Yeah? Like how?” I muttered sarcastically, “Cook him dinner for a week, and you think he’ll let me off?”
“No…” her voice trailed thoughtfully, then her eyes lit up, “Hey! What about you agree to be his virtual girlfriend? Like on the ‘Zone’? He might agree to that!”
“Uh huh?” I answered skeptically, “And then what? If he wants to progress to the next stage? What do I do then?”
“Well, it was a good idea,” she argued.
“I know,” I smiled at her gratefully, “Sorry, but this is so hard!”
“We’ll work this out,” she told me confidently. “If I can work out science and math equations, I can definitely work this out. We just have to apply the principle of this situation, and apply it with the basic theories.” Chloe is the best student in my year. I guess you could see that from the conversation.
“Or, just to avoid all that,” I forced a smile, “I could just let him put the videos online. After all, it won’t exactly ruin me. I don’t think the teachers will actually go and look at them, do you?”
“Umm…what? Oh, right, yeah, no,” Chloe mumbled, she was staring into space, and I could have sworn I heard her brain moving. “Have you thought of the fact that he might not have taken the videos?” her eyes shone in excitement. “I mean, sure, your room is on the ground floor, but don’t you usually have the curtains drawn? And how could he have recorded you inviting Isaac to your room? I mean, he would have to be within earshot, right? And that would mean he would have to be nearby, wouldn’t it? But you didn’t see him. Am I right? Or am I right?”
I heard her, but it was as if I hadn’t. Oh, I heard what she said about everything, her theories, and her conclusion. But it felt like the only thing that actually entered my mind was: I might be free!
“You…you think so?” I stammered, unable to believe anyone at the moment.
“Definitely,” she assured me, her voice radiating with conviction, “Or Sherlock Holmes is an idiot.”
I laughed. “Thank you! Thank you!” For the first time since I knew her, I hugged her as tightly as I could.
“But, um..” her voice was tinged with a hint of worry, “You might want to check out the whole story, he might have his ways of doing stuff like…this…”
I nodded. “Of course, but it’s still relaxing to think that the whole blackmail thing might not be true…”
“I’m sure it’s not, Taryn, but just in case… ”
I was so exhausted suddenly. I tried to unwind my self later, but somehow, Chloe’s words hung around in the air, like a symbol…
Just in case…just in case…
Just in case……
* * *
I met up with Jonathan after school on Monday. He seemed pleased with the invite.
“So, are you gonna start then?” he had asked eagerly.
“You’ll see, Jon,” I had said to him brightly, and then, in an undertone, added, “Expect the unexpected.” All the while, I was chanting in my mind: You wish, Jon, you wish!
He was waiting for me impatiently at the classroom. “Well?” he demanded, “We may as well start now!”
“Give it some time,” I soothed him, “If I just jump on you like that, it’s going to look suspicious.”
“But if you don’t, peoples’ think you’re weirder for ignoring the perfect boyfriend, right in front of your eyes,” he smiled smugly. Not without a lot of arrogance.
Hell. The real Jonathan was gone.
“What’s wrong with you? You used to be so, sweet, but now, you’ve…changed,” I said haltingly. What if he lost his temper again?
He looked delighted with my statement-- did he know it was an insult?-- and said, “Well, it seems as if acting nice is not the correct way to get a girl. My policy, you want her? Trap her. And that ‘no pain no gain’ crap? Huh! Definitely what it is, rubbish.” he laughed loudly, “And anyways, girls are just for fun.”
I felt my temper boil. I could never bear people talking about girls as if they were objects. I knew at once that Jonathan was beyond repair. Actually, Jonathan was gone. This wasn’t him. This was some dark clone of his.
“Girls are not,” I hissed at him, “NOT! Objects to be played around as. You get me? You big headed effing son of a bi*ch!
“I was right!” he snarled, “You girls are just some stupid idiots who jump on to anyone you like. Look at you! Didn’t you just kiss two guys? Huh? DIDN’T YOU?”
“It’s not like that,” I shouted, not desperately, but because I was flaming with anger, “Oh, what’s the point!”
“The videos!” he’s eyes lighted up menacingly, “I almost forgot. So? You want them to be published on the web?”
“Do you even have the videos?” I asked calmly. Quietly.
It was quiet. Then, his voice answered, triumphant and vicious, “Yes.”
I was going to fall, collapse in the middle of the room, but I managed to stay upright. “How?” I choked.
He sneered, “Simple. Basic. Elementary.”
I couldn’t let him win. I needed answers. “Show me.” I simply said, “I want to see.”
He stiffened. And for a split moment, I thought he was going to surrender.
He didn’t admit defeat. Not that easily, anyway. “You think I’ll bring such an important footage to school?” he said mockingly. “Seriously. I’m not stupid. Why did you have to be the one, anyway. Your friend. Chloe? She has brains. Of all the girls,” he shook he’s head, laughing. There was something unnatural about his laugh. It sounded maniacal. Out of the world.
“Of all the girls,” he said again, shaking with uncontrollable laughter, “He had to pick you.”
What? What on earth was he talking about?
“What the f*ck are you doing here?” I heard a voice ask angrily.
I turned. I saw a bunch of sandy hair running towards Jonathan and I.
The person looked up.
I gasped.
It was Jonathan.
