Whatever You Say
DEAL
“Ab—what?”
“What will it take for this to stay between us?” she repeated. She shook her head quickly and corrected herself. “Wh—here’s the deal: I won’t say anything unless you do something for me.”
Why should I need to do something for her?
“Say exactly what?” I asked, playing along. It wasn’t really that difficult considering I actually had no idea what she was talking about. I was now pressed against her locker, probably squishing the yellow daisy more than it already was.
She scoffed and laughed.
“I know you saw me.”
I breathed in and held it for two reasons: (a) she was in there, like I thought and (b) I had replied back to The Queen.
She didn’t seem to mind, so I kept going in the first real conversation we ever shared.
“I didn’t know you were there,” I admitted. I had only found the necklace.
She ignored the fact that I sounded more nervous than before and instead focused on clearing out the air. “Nevertheless, I saw what you did, and what they did. Therefore, you owe me.”
My breath got caught in again. I had to play along like I didn’t know what she was talking about. I couldn’t blurt out anything; otherwise I would be in a lot of trouble.
“How come? Wai—you’re confusing me. Are you trying to blackmail me? For what?” I asked.
She had seen me. She had seen me. The thought didn’t escape my mind throughout the conversation.
She rolled her eyes. “Not like blackmail, no. What kind of person do you think I am?”
I knew the question wasn’t meant to be answered, but I knew what I wanted to say. Words that were too strong for my own taste.
But then I thought about something else, thinking her blackmailing me. “You kind of owe me. I found your necklace and gave it to you, instead of running to the Ted kid to make you stay quiet."
She laughed cynically. “Even if you saw me, Terence wouldn’t do anything. He owes me, too,” she announced matter-of-factly. I wondered what type of price she would ask from him. “So let’s make this clear: you owe me. Not the other way around because your secret would affect a lot of people. Me knowing about the—” she paused and looked around. Then, she got really close for my comfort to whisper—“pills is not really a big deal compared to you drinking them.” Her voice sounded like a sneer now and sent a couple of traveling shivers that later gave me goosebumps.
In that moment, I was unclear in what to do. I froze for another couple of seconds, finally absorbing her words. So, she had seen me. I knew that. More importantly, I wasn’t the only one who appeared to have swollen those energetic pills. Up to this hour, I still didn’t know what they were.
“What do you want?” I sighed, feeling like completely giving up. There was no actual point in arguing with her, no matter how stupid it sounded.
She seemed to sense my stiffness and laughed again, making me remember her breathing voice that sounded like a song formed by perfect melodies. “Don’t worry; I’m not too high-maintenance. Though, my friends would think otherwise.”
I sighed again.
She suddenly turned serious. “But I am determined to tell the truth if you don’t do as I say. Mark my words.”
Telling the truth meant an important detail: destroying The Swimming Team’s lives. Crap, they weren’t going to like that idea very much.
The bell rung at that precise moment, and it turned out to be a good thing, too. I didn’t know what else to say other than “okay” and I had completely lost my appetite.
Let’s not forget my mind. I had completely lost my mind, too. I should’ve just run the other way and avoid her like I normally did.
Maybe even keep the necklace as a souvenir.
“What will it take for this to stay between us?” she repeated. She shook her head quickly and corrected herself. “Wh—here’s the deal: I won’t say anything unless you do something for me.”
Why should I need to do something for her?
“Say exactly what?” I asked, playing along. It wasn’t really that difficult considering I actually had no idea what she was talking about. I was now pressed against her locker, probably squishing the yellow daisy more than it already was.
She scoffed and laughed.
“I know you saw me.”
I breathed in and held it for two reasons: (a) she was in there, like I thought and (b) I had replied back to The Queen.
She didn’t seem to mind, so I kept going in the first real conversation we ever shared.
“I didn’t know you were there,” I admitted. I had only found the necklace.
She ignored the fact that I sounded more nervous than before and instead focused on clearing out the air. “Nevertheless, I saw what you did, and what they did. Therefore, you owe me.”
My breath got caught in again. I had to play along like I didn’t know what she was talking about. I couldn’t blurt out anything; otherwise I would be in a lot of trouble.
“How come? Wai—you’re confusing me. Are you trying to blackmail me? For what?” I asked.
She had seen me. She had seen me. The thought didn’t escape my mind throughout the conversation.
She rolled her eyes. “Not like blackmail, no. What kind of person do you think I am?”
I knew the question wasn’t meant to be answered, but I knew what I wanted to say. Words that were too strong for my own taste.
But then I thought about something else, thinking her blackmailing me. “You kind of owe me. I found your necklace and gave it to you, instead of running to the Ted kid to make you stay quiet."
She laughed cynically. “Even if you saw me, Terence wouldn’t do anything. He owes me, too,” she announced matter-of-factly. I wondered what type of price she would ask from him. “So let’s make this clear: you owe me. Not the other way around because your secret would affect a lot of people. Me knowing about the—” she paused and looked around. Then, she got really close for my comfort to whisper—“pills is not really a big deal compared to you drinking them.” Her voice sounded like a sneer now and sent a couple of traveling shivers that later gave me goosebumps.
In that moment, I was unclear in what to do. I froze for another couple of seconds, finally absorbing her words. So, she had seen me. I knew that. More importantly, I wasn’t the only one who appeared to have swollen those energetic pills. Up to this hour, I still didn’t know what they were.
“What do you want?” I sighed, feeling like completely giving up. There was no actual point in arguing with her, no matter how stupid it sounded.
She seemed to sense my stiffness and laughed again, making me remember her breathing voice that sounded like a song formed by perfect melodies. “Don’t worry; I’m not too high-maintenance. Though, my friends would think otherwise.”
I sighed again.
She suddenly turned serious. “But I am determined to tell the truth if you don’t do as I say. Mark my words.”
Telling the truth meant an important detail: destroying The Swimming Team’s lives. Crap, they weren’t going to like that idea very much.
The bell rung at that precise moment, and it turned out to be a good thing, too. I didn’t know what else to say other than “okay” and I had completely lost my appetite.
Let’s not forget my mind. I had completely lost my mind, too. I should’ve just run the other way and avoid her like I normally did.
Maybe even keep the necklace as a souvenir.