The Devil's Pawn

Hours turned into days, and days turned into weeks.

Before I knew it, I had been two weeks into my punishment.

Trenton and I spent as much time as possible together. It was manageable, but I missed spending the evening with him, falling asleep next to his warm figure. A pang always rang through my heart at the memories.

I had been wanting to talk about our relationship status for a while, but I didn’t think now was appropriate. I wanted him to bring it up. I wanted to hear what he thought of us. To assume we were together would be highly inappropriate if he didn’t think so as well.

But the small things he did…

It gave me evidence to support my thought.

We were unofficially a couple.

But I tried to keep that thought to the back of my mind. I didn’t want to dwell on it too much. Instead, I focused on the time we spent together.

My mother and I hadn’t been talking in the past two weeks. My father called every few days to check up on me. Once my mother explained why I was in trouble, he explained to me that he agreed with her actions.

I wasn’t surprised.

I asked if I could visit him for a few nights.

“That…wouldn’t be such a good idea.” He said awkwardly. Tension rose up through the phone. I tried to keep my face neutral. I knew my mother was in the room next door listening to everything I said.

“Why not? I miss you.” I heard my voice crack at the end as I tried to suppress the rejection.

“I love you to death, Taylor, you’re my only daughter. But right now your mother and I aren’t on good enough terms to share you. I need her to calm down.” He explained.

I knew he was referring to her calming down from my actions, but I was grateful he didn’t say that aloud.

“Plus, my living conditions aren’t appropriate enough for me to have you for a few nights.” He tagged on.

“Where are you staying?”

He hesitated before answering, “A motel in the inner city.”

He changed the subject off of that.

I had a suspicious feeling that he wasn’t in that motel alone, but I didn’t say anything. My father didn’t continue the phone conversation much afterwards, and didn’t call again until nearly four days later.

We didn’t talk about his living situation again.

At the moment though, I was in the car with my mother being driven home from school. I stared out the window as the banners for prom disappeared, the flow of students heading onto the bus. The silence in the car was typical between us.

I didn’t want to talk to her, and she obviously didn’t care enough to talk to me. At least, not while we were both still furious with each other.

Mom pulled the car into our driveway, leaving the engine running. I reached for the handle of the door. Once she put the car into park, the doors would automatically unlock. That was what I was waiting for.

But once she put it into park, she sighed loudly. It was a subtle hint for me to stay in the car a bit longer.

“What?” I asked softly, trying to keep the attitude out of my voice. That was the last thing I needed.

“I’ve been thinking a lot recently about what I said to you a few weeks ago.” Her voice was exceptionally soft and thoughtful.

I waited silently for her to continue.

“I apologize for yelling at you like I did.” She kept her eyes forward as she spoke. Her lips were the only things moving. “It was a rash choice that I didn’t think through thoroughly. You know I only want what’s best for you, Taylor, and that boy isn’t it.”

“I understand,” I mumbled.

It was true. I knew Trenton wasn’t good for my academic life, but for my romantic life, he was more than I could’ve asked for.

“I know what it’s like to be young and rebellious.”

I suppressed a laugh. I would hardly call my recent actions rebellious. Aside from dressing more risqué and sneaking out to one party, I was still the good child she raised me to be.

“I just want you to know that I only do stuff for you. Everything is for your benefit. You might not realize it now, but in five years, you’ll look back and understand why I’m doing this.”

I stared down at my hands now. My lips were pressed into a tight line. I didn’t think five years would be enough. Nonetheless, I gave her a nod that I understood everything and unlocked the door, getting out quickly.

“Taylor,” Mom called, following in my steps as I quickly made my way to the front door. “Taylor, wait one minute!”

I stopped at the door, turning around with my arms crossed over my chest, “You don’t even know what happened. You took the word of a woman you hate! You didn’t even ask me for my side of the story!”

Mother raised her eyebrows in surprise at my outburst. I had never done this before, not since I was a small child. “Calm down, Taylor. Let’s go inside and we’ll listen to your side of the story, if you really want to.”

“That’s not it!” I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, unsuccessfully, “My side of the story wouldn’t matter anymore! I’m already grounded. What more can there be for you to do? I’d rather just get started on homework.”

I opened the door forcefully, storming in.

“Now, Taylor—”

But I was already at the top of the stairs, heading for my room. I didn’t want to talk to her. Not now at least.

I spent the rest of the evening alone in my room.

~*~

“What did your mom talk to you about yesterday?” Trenton asked as we made our way to Spanish class.

I gripped my books tightly around my chest, staring down at the ground as I walked. He hadn’t spoken much today, and I was surprised by the question.

“How did you know we talked?”

“I saw you getting out of the car. You didn’t look to happy.” He shrugged, “And your mom kept trying to call you back down. I didn’t hear what happened though.”

“Oh. I didn’t realize you had arrived home then.”

“Yeah,”

I hesitated a moment before speaking, “She tried to apologize to me for yelling, but she said she still supported her decision to punish me.”

“Oh, wow.”

“That’s not the best part. I got mad and told her off on how she didn’t listen to my side, and trusted a woman she’s hated for nearly ten years.”

“Anderson?”

I nodded. He knew the entire store down to who told my mother I had been at his house. I was surprised he remembered, though.

“I’m sorry, Tay.” He mumbled, “I know this is really hard on you. Is there anyway she’ll loosen up at all?”

“Not if you’re involved.” I shrugged, “I think any chance I had at her doing that has been crushed because of yesterday too. She seemed pretty upset with me.”

He pulled me off to the side of the hallway, pushing my back against the wall. Trenton left his hands on my waist as he stood in front of me, pressing his forehead against mine. My eyes widened with surprise.

“Is there any way she would let you go to prom?” His voice was deep and hushed, as if he wanted no one else to hear this.

“I... I’m not sure. Why?”

He pulled my waist to him so that we touched. Trenton locked his fingers together behind me, pressing most of my front against his. He moved back slightly so that our foreheads were no longer touching, but the proximity was still close.

“Will you go to prom with me?”

I blinked, surprised. “Are you serious, or are you just messing around with me?”

“I’m dead serious.”

He held my eyes, his face free of any comedy. I waited a few minutes, waiting for him to crack. I never pictured Trenton as a boy who would want to go to prom. I never pictured him a boy who would be given a chance. I figured he might have been panned from prom already with his reputation of not doing anything.

“I don’t think my mother would let me.”

“Tell her you’re going with friends.” He said, his voice hinting at a slight desperation. He wanted me to say yes. My rejection would hurt him. “Tell her I got in trouble and can’t go.”

“I…”

“She can call my father if she needs to. He’ll go with it. He likes you, and he’ll be fine with this kind of thing.”

I blinked, breaking our eye contact. I stared down at his chest, contemplating. Biting my lip, I looked up slowly, “If I can, I will without hesitation. But I don’t know if I can, Trenton, and that’s the only problem.”

“We’ll lie.”

“She’s smarter than that. Even if she talked to your dad… She doesn’t trust him enough. I don’t know…”

Trenton’s grip around me tightened, “We’ll get you there. Don’t worry.”

I smiled slightly, feeling my chest swell. “You’re taking me to prom?”

He nodded.

I leaned forward, pressing my lips against his for just a moment. Trenton pulled back, moving so that we could walk once more.

“I really hope you can go.” He smirked.

“So do I, but your face says there’s a different reason than mine.” I said cautiously, stopping by the door to Spanish.

His smirk grew as he leaned down, moving his lips right by my ear, “You do know what happens after prom, right?”

“Trenton!” I hissed, my face heating up. I tried to keep the smile off my face as dirty thoughts filled my mind. It wouldn’t surprise me that would be the thing on his mind. Of course, he was well aware that he could easily get me to sleep with him.

But to go through the whole elaborate process of dressing up and dancing for one special evening…

I really hope there was a way I could.

Trenton moved around me to slip into the Spanish classroom. He chuckled as he walked by at my face. I took a minute to calm down before walking in after him.

“You stink.” I hissed as I sat down in the desk in front of him.

He smirked, “I thought girls liked honesty.”

“What would you do if I couldn’t go?”

“Sneak you out.”

The seriousness in his tone of voice told me that’s exactly what he intended to do.

I rolled my eyes, nonetheless, and propped an elbow on his desk. I rested my chin in the palm of my hand, my eyes trained on him. “Oh really?”

He nodded, “I really wish you could come over tonight.’’

“You and me both.” I sighed. “I’m really surprised that my dad agreed wholeheartedly with my mother. I thought there would be some resistance.”

“I wish there was.”

“Me too.” I shrugged, “Will you be home today?”

“Of course. I have no life outside of you.” He smirked, his fingers picking up a strand of my hair. He twirled it around, a habit he took much liking to doing.

I nodded.

“Why?”

“I just like seeing your face in the window across the street.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I felt my cheeks heat up in embarrassment.

Trenton chuckled softly, “You’re hysterical.”

“You know what? Let’s change the subject. When’s prom?” It was the first thing that came to my mind.

“The 17th.”

“Soon. I need to get a dress.” I bit my lip anxiously, “I’m not sure how I’ll do that.”

“I’m sure Erica can help.”

“I want to pick out a dress, though. Myself.”

“We’ll find a way.” He promised.

I smiled gently. “I really like when you act like this.”

“Act like what?”

“This kind guy. You’re nothing like when I first met you. You actually remind me of… a gentleman.”

“I think that blowjob really did something to me.” His infamous smirk crossed his lips.

My eyes widened as I furiously clamped a hand over his mouth. “Be quiet! I don’t want the entire world to know about our intimacy.”

He pulled my hand away long enough to say, “I do.”

The teacher chose the perfect time to begin the class.

I shot Trenton a look before turning forward. He played with my hair the entire class, something I was becoming used to.

~*~

“Taylor!” My mother called from down the stairs.

I groaned, sitting up from my bed. Whatever she had to say to me was not worth the effort of walking downstairs. Regardless, I walked over to the top, staring down at her.

“Yeah?”

“Elizabeth’s on the phone.”

“I thought I wasn’t allowed to talk on the phone to anymore.” I mumbled as I started to make my way down the stairs to retrieve the phone.

“I trust Elizabeth.”

“Apparently more than you trust me.” I said just quiet enough for her not to make out.

“What?” Her eyes narrowed slightly. She could tell by the tone of voice used that it was not something complimentary.

“Nothing, nothing.” I shook my head, grabbing the phone from her. I pressed it against my ear, turning my back on my mother, “Hello?”

“Hey Taylor, it’s Elizabeth.”

“Hey Elizabeth.” I motioned with my hand that I was going up to my room. My mother nodded, making her way back to the kitchen. “What’s up?”

“I just figured I’d call. I haven’t seen you in a long time. I miss my best friend.” She sounded sad at the end.

“I miss you too.” I lied. Truth be told, I had barely thought about Elizabeth. Guilt flooded through me at the memory of making out with Brett. Hopefully, I would be able to avoid all topics related to Brett.

I closed my door behind me, sitting on the bed.

“Let me ask you something.” She started, “Are you and Trenton Clark a couple?”

My eyes widened in surprise at her bold question, “What? Uh… No, not really. What makes you ask?”

“You two are always together and earlier today I saw you two in an… intimate position.” She whispered the last part.

My ears perked up for the sound of my mother on the other line, but it was silent. Despite that, I didn’t want to take any risks.

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about, but let’s talk about this in person instead.” I suggested hopefully.

She sighed into the phone, “Alright, I guess. But I need you to find me when you’re not surrounded by them.”

“I can do that in any of my classes almost.”

“But you never talk to me.”

I was silent for a moment, “I know… and I’m sorry.”

She forced a false happiness into her voice, trying to drop the depressing topic, “So anyways, do you want to hang out sometime?”

“I uh…I can’t.” I felt embarrassed to have to say this to Elizabeth. The entire reason for my rejection involved the party where I kissed the boy she liked.

“Why not? We can plan it in advance to satisfy your mother.”

“I’m in trouble.”

“What happened?”

“I’ll explain it to you tomorrow. It’s kind of a long story…”

“I have plenty of time.”

“Elizabeth.”

“Right, right. I’ll just have to be patient enough to wait until you tell me. Please do find me tomorrow.”

“I promise you I will.”

“I’m holding you to that.”

“Can we change the topic? How have you been?”

Elizabeth obliged easily. Soon, we fell into the natural mood we had been in before Trenton moved in across the street.

It felt nice talking to my best friend once again.

But I had to censor everything I said. While she was my best friend, I had to be careful on what I told her.

She may have been my best friend, but I couldn’t trust her with some secrets.