POV: Rebel Reid

“Whatcha reading?” her warm breath tickles my ear.

Christ! What the hell!? I didn’t even hear her walk up.

She laughs at my reaction.

I close my book and turn to glare at her. What does she want now? Can’t Dillion Smiley just leave me alone? I guess it’s my fault for pressing the rematch button.

“Someone’s on edge.” She teases.

“Tsk.” I roll my eyes at her. I am not on edge; I was just caught off guard.

She pushes my legs off the bench I was stretched out on and sits next to me.

Wow, she really outdid herself today. She looks… I mean, she’s attractive, I guess. If you are into the mean bitchy type. Her dress hugs tightly to her thin frame, complementing all her curves. She must be wearing a push-up bra because her boobs look like they could pop out at any moment. Were her boobs always this big?

“It’s a nice morning isn’t it?”

I quickly snap my eyes away from her chest and back to her face. She smirks. Oh my god, I just got caught checking out Dillion Smiley’s chest. Way to go genius. How embarrassing. Now she probably thinks I like her or something. No way I would ever like someone like her. I wonder what she’s up to now. She wouldn’t be bothering me unless she was up to something.

“Fridays are my favorite because that means it’s the weekend.” She goes on.

“You like the weekend?” she doesn’t really seem like that kind of person to me. I mean she is always early to school and she always lingers around after the last bell.

“Doesn’t everyone?” She raises an eyebrow at me.

“Well, you just seem like the type of person who lives at school. Like without it you don’t really do much.” I say honestly.

“You don’t know me at all.” Her eyes have a mischievous glint to them. Wait, is she trying to be my friend? What is she doing exactly? Why is she making normal conversation with me? Is she… flirting with me? Oh god please no.

“Guess not…” I eye her. What is her game here?

“So, what are you reading?” She runs her hand down my thigh and it causes my breath to hitch in my throat, and a zap to run up my spine.

She is flirting with me! What the hell? She’s gay? Since when? Okay wait, maybe I am reading this all wrong. I can’t jump to conclusions. She’s just messing with me, trying to get a rise out of me. I can’t give her the satisfaction. Maybe if I try the friendly approach, I can get her to open up to me. I am not trying to take her down anymore, I have to show her I come in peace.

“Just a book, it’s a young adult novel about a girl who can’t be touched or she’ll kill people on accident. I like to switch it up between classical stuff and more modern stuff. I just finished rereading pride and prejudice.” I hand her the book.

Maybe if we don’t bring up the fact that we are trying to ruin each other’s lives then I can actually get somewhere. Dillion may act all big and bad, but I know the truth. I would bet my left kidney that she really just wants someone to talk to. Maybe if I extend to the olive branch, we can work this out like actual human beings.

Maybe this is her trying to extend the olive branch to me. In her own weird Dillion way.

I watch her glace over the cover of the book, her fingers lightly tracing the title.

“Do you like to read?” I ask.

“No, not really.” Why am I not surprised? I bet her only hobby is destroying people’s lives. Focus! I have to be nice to her. I can’t let my own personal biases get in the way of getting this girl the help she needs.

She sets the book down and I reach to grab it, but she doesn’t move her hand, so instead, I grab her hand. I quickly look to her face to gauge her reaction. She looks stunned, almost scared. She really is trying to be my friend. If she wasn’t she would have made fun of me, laughed at me for grabbing her hand.

Now Is my chance.

While holding her gaze, I interlock our fingers. A peaceful gesture. I want her to know that I see her efforts. That it’s okay to need a friend. Maybe I can get through to Dillion yet. I watch the heat slowly rise in her cheeks. She’s stunned into silence. Wow, she is really getting all worked up over this. I force a smile for her.

This isn’t so bad. At least she’s not trying to ruin me. She really does just want a—

What the hell!?

She’s kissing me!

Her soft glossed lips press lightly into mine. Her eyes water over with fear. She quickly pulls back once she notices I don’t kiss her back. What? Why did she do that? She kissed me! Oh my god! Dillion Smiley just freaking kissed me!

Why?

Her face is frozen between expressions of fear and confusion. I want to say something, to tell her it’s okay, but the bell rings. She runs out like a bat out of hell. If she was messing with me I don’t think that was part of the plan.

I quickly shove my book in my bag and run out too. Did anyone see that? Please tell me no one saw that. The last thing I need is for people to see me being kissed by… Okay, don’t panic. She just got the wrong idea. I was being friendly, she was flirting, a simple misunderstanding.

No way I would ever want to even entrain the idea of a relationship with someone as awful as her. She ruins people for fun! She’s a monster! Wait a second…maybe she was just messing with me…

She wants me to panic, to throw me off. She is trying to knock me off my game. Throw me off her scent. She is trying to keep me from finding out whatever she is hiding at that church. Oh my god, I almost fell for it. I thought she was being genuine. Please, I bet she isn’t even capable of feeling anything. She’s a heartless cold monster.

Right?

But what if she wasn’t…

I look around the hall and we make eye contact. She was looking for me too. I am so confused. Why did she do that? Is it part of her plan? Or was she being serious? I can’t keep up with all her mixed signals. I just wish she would tell me if she really wants to be my friend or not.

We stare at each other until the hall fills up with people then we both just disappear into the crowd.

On my way to class, someone smacks into me. People should really watch where they are going.

“Ew, it’s you.” Clover frowns.

Yeah like I want to run into you either.

I roll my eyes and move around her, but she steps in the way.

“Where’s Dillion? Did she talk to you?” Clover smirks.

Wait does Clover know? If she does then it really was part of the plan. Damn it. I really did fall for it.

“You two can try whatever sick tricks you want. I am not going to stop. Tell that to Dillion for me.” I wipe the leftover pink gloss on my lips and quickly walk away.

I can’t let her play me. I have to stay focused. I am going to that church tonight if it is the last thing I do. One way or another I am going to find out what I need to know, and when I do. She is going down once and for all.

I can’t believe I actually thought she wanted to be my friend. She probably likes being alone, like some type of sociopath. Once a monster, always a monster.

Dillion doesn’t bother me for the rest of the day. She must feel confident that she got to me, well she is going to surprised when I show to that church.

“Ah, there she is, come on we picked out a classic.” Mom waves the movie Clue around.

“Oh uh, sorry. I’m skipping out on family movie night. I uh, have to go somewhere.” I say.

“Where? You never miss family movie night,” my other mom whines.

“I know, I know, but it’s important to me. Rain check for tomorrow? Or if you want to wait I should only be gone a couple hours tops.” I say.

“Fine, we can wait.” They sigh in defeat.

“Thanks, you guys are the best. Love Ya.” I quickly walk out.

It takes me a long time to get to the church, almost an hour. Only because I got lost and had to turn around. If Dillion was waiting for me she probably gave up already. Which is better for me, now I can snoop without her breathing down my neck.

I walk in and the service is in full swing. I casually slink in through the back and take up a seat in the last row. This is actually my first time ever being in a church. It’s super weird. I feel really uncomfortable.

“Hi.” Some guy next to whispers to me.

I flinch at his voice.

“Uh, hey.” I force a smile.

“First time?” he whispers.

“Yeah.”

“How’d you hear about us?”

“Um through a friend, Dillion Smiley, you know her?” I ask.

“Of course I do, her family has been coming here for years. Her sister is one of the youth leaders. But I don’t think her sister is here today.”

“Oh, well I was only late because I got lost. I would have asked Dillion for directions but I just got a new phone and lost her number.” I lie.

Is it bad to lie in church?

“Oh, well, I can give it to you, here.” He takes out his phone and shows me the number.

“Um, thanks…” I put the number in my phone just so he won’t think I’m Fishy. I’ll probably delete it afterward.

“She’s here, I saw her earlier. She went to the bathroom but she’s been in there a long time, maybe you should go check on her.” He says.

“Okay, yeah, thanks.” I quickly get up and walk out.

Bathroom huh?

Why would she skip out of service?

I walk into the bathroom just to see if she’s in there and as I suspected, she’s not. No one is. If she’s not in the bathroom and not in service, where is she? I know she’s here, I saw her yellow mini cooper in the parking lot.

Well regardless, now is my chance to snoop. So her family has been going here for years. Maybe they take money from the church and that’s what Dillion doesn’t want me to find out. I bet they keep the finical records in the office.

Where is the office exactly?

I walk around and examine the halls. It’s a nice church, I think. I mean it’s like the ones I’ve seen on tv so I guess it’s nice.

Ah ha! Office!

I quickly walk past the maternity rooms and into the office. I flick on the lights and look around. I flinch when I hear a loud crash come from the room next door. Oh god, what if a mom just fell and dropped her baby!

I quickly walk out and over to the room to help.

I slowly crack open the door, I don’t want to swing it open in case they are right by the door,

“Oh yes! Fuck, Dillion! Harder!”

Oh, oh my god. Oh my god! What the hell!?

I quickly shut the door.

She’s having sex at church! I mean I am not Christian saint but I am pretty sure that is against the bible rules or something. Right? Wait, she was having sex with a girl! Holy fuck, she really is gay. She’s gay and no one knows. That’s what she’s hiding.

Now is my chance.

I quickly pull out my phone and hit record.

“So I am at the Church of Faith, The church Dillion Smiley goes to every Friday and Sunday. Well, now I know why.” I whisper narrate before opening the door again.

I record her through the crack of the door.

“Oh fuck! Fuck me! Ahhh!” The other girl climaxes, “Damn Dillion.” She says breathlessly.

“Don’t tell anyone,” Dillion says.

“I won’t, I won’t, your secret is safe with me. No one will ever find out that Dillion Smiley likes---”

“Okay, that’s enough! You don’t have to say it.” Dillion gets up from under the covers to get dressed.

I quickly close the door and stop the recording. I have all that I need to finally put the nail in her coffin. This is a means to an end, it has to be done. That’s all. Once she is taken down, she will see that the game is awful and she will help me end it.

Right?

Am I doing the right thing?

I feel icky.

I quickly walk out of the church and back to my car. All I have to do is pull the trigger and she’s done for. No big deal… then why does it feel like a big deal? Rebel you idiot you can’t out her like that! She’s a lesbian and she’s afraid to come out. No one should be outed like that.

She won’t just be taken down, she would be destroyed. Obliterated. Done for. I can’t do that, that’s not who I am. Maybe if I show her the evidence and talk to her… no that won’t work, that will just send her into a rabid frenzy to end me.

But what if she didn’t know it was me?

I pull into my house and open the door. My moms are waiting for me. They looked worried.

“What?” I ask.

“We know you went to church.”

“Oh…” oh. Crap.

“Baby you didn’t have to hide this from us. We don’t ever want to push our lifestyle onto you. If you want to go to church you are more than welcome to. We love you no matter what you believe in.”

“Mom, calm down. It’s all a big misunderstanding.”

“We tracked the GPS on your phone because we were worried about you. You never miss a movie night.” My other mom says.

“Oh my god, okay, I’m gay, remember?”

“Baby you can be gay and still believe in god, we won’t judge you.”

“Moms! I didn’t go to church because I believe in god. I went because a girl at school invited me and I didn’t want to be rude.”

“A girl at school… oh, a girl!”

“No, just, no. It’s not like that.”

“Does this girl know how you feel about her?”

“Moms, please. She’s in the closet and I am just trying to help her. It’s not like that.”

“Aw, you went to church for a crush. How cute.”

“No! You know what, fine, whatever, you caught me. I am going to go to my room now and die of embarrassment.” I quickly walk off.

“We are starting the movie in thirty minutes with or without you!” Mom called.

“We would prefer with!” My other mom called.

“K! Let me be embarrassed first!” I shout back.

I quickly pull out my laptop and download the video onto it. Then I edit out my narrating and redownload the now edited footage back onto my phone. Okay, this is either going to go really well or horribly wrong. Fingers crossed.

I open a new message with Dillion’s number and type,

‘I know your secret.’

She doesn’t have my number so she won’t know it’s me.

‘Who is this? I call bullshit.’ She responds.

I send her the edited footage.

“Rebel come on!” mom calls.

“Just a second!” I yell back.

I can see the little bubble with the three dots that tells me she is typing. My heart is racing, please don’t overreact. Please. I am doing the right thing, right?

‘Who the fuck is this!? Don’t you dare show this to anyone! Please! I’ll do anything. Just don’t Whatever you want, name it, please.’ She finally replies.

I sigh in relief and type my response,

‘It’s okay, I won’t tell anyone. I just want to talk. You can talk to me. I want to create this safe space for you. No one will know, whatever you tell me stays between us. So if you need someone to talk to, it’s okay. You can talk to me.’

There I did it.

Now I wait.