Code Name: JTMD

He’s using you! My eyes scanned the rest of Aly’s text message as my two little cousins stumbled around me. Their blond curls were bouncing as high pitched squeals flew out of their mouths. Behind me, my sister Hailey was probably pinching the bridge of her nose, as she always did when we were asked to watch our mother’s brother’s kids. She loved them to death, but whenever we were alone she made a point to relate them to the twin girls in The Shining. Not because the girls in the movie jumped around and screamed excitedly, but because once in awhile either Lucie or Riley would stop and stare at either of us apathetically for minutes before continuing their havoc.

It freaked us out, to say the least. We blamed the lack of a mother in their life after our uncle split with their mother, and then three other, all of which were named ‘Rachel’.

You’re crazy… I texted back, but bit my lip and peered into the fireplace. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Riley and Lucie scuttle into the kitchen with Hailey on their heels. “Okay, okay, I’ll get you each an Oreo!” she moaned, looking back to grimace at me. I gave her the thumbs up, but from the way she paused a moment and her dark brows twitched up, I knew she was aware something was wrong.

Hailey and I couldn’t be more different. Aside from our noses, which were upturned and a bit too big for our faces, we looked more like two best friends than relatives, much less sisters. While everyone says I’m the spitting image of my mother – completely with her dirty blond hair and light eyes, and even her voice – my sister supposedly looks like my father’s mother when she was a young girl, with her dark hair and eyes. I was the Frenchie, and she was the Greek. If ever someone asked, that’s the simplest way we could explain it. However, we had long since accepted the fact we were complete opposites in every way (though annoying, because everyone always commented on it), because it seemed that everything one lacked, the other accelerated in. I was Miss Top Five in my class, and my sister had the street smarts and common sense I lacked. Hailey couldn’t even stand talking to the person behind the register at Quik Mart, while I could make friends everywhere I went. It was our differences the eventually brought us together, closer than any siblings in our age groups.

Eyes trained on the fireplace as again my phone vibrated in my hand, I didn’t notice when Hailey sat on the floor next to me. Riley perched herself on the white loveseat I was leaning against, Oreo in her hand, and bent down close to watch my old LG light up.

“You have a message Hailey!” Riley squealed, falling backwards in a fit of giggles and stuffing the cookie in her mouth. I laughed with her; neither her not her sister could ever get my or Hailey’s name correct, somehow calling the one the other’s name.

“Who’s it from, Riley?” I asked, not removing my gaze. A part of me prayed for a name it would never be, not now at least. Another prayed for a different name, one that was more likely than the first, but much, much less desired at this moment. But I already knew it was neither of these, even before I got my answer.

“Aly!” Lucie cheered, having crawled up to my other side and wrapping her tiny arms around mine. I peeked down and sure enough, it was. Before I could excuse myself, Hailey was already shooing the two girls to the other side of the room to set up their video game system, promising we’d play with them in a second.

When I didn’t make a move to open the message, Hailey groaned and snatched the phone from my grasped and read it herself. My eyes flickered to hers, watching for any signs of emotion. As the clocked ticked on, her face slowly grew redder and redder until finally she reeled her arm back and threw my phone at the white wall behind the equally as white couch in front of us. It hit the wall with a smash, and slid down behind the couch. I sighed and shook my head, refusing to meet her gaze. However, from the stiffness of her body and the way she scoffed as she looked to the ceiling, I knew exactly how she felt. And I knew Aly didn’t come baring good news.

“Eight.” Hailey muttered. I looked up, void of emotion. “Eight other girls he was with this week. And last night he got a handjob from one of them! Honestly! And you said you were going to go on a date with him tonight? Are you for real, Gen?”

“Hails…” I tried to reason, lifting myself up so I could answer Aly’s message. Before I could take a step, a hand wrapped itself around my ankle.

“Don’t you ‘Hails’ me!” she yelled, tightening her grip on me. “I forbid it! You should have listened to Alex; clearly this guy is just a scumbag looking for some action before he graduates!”

But I’m different, I wanted to say. However, I pressed my lips together and carried on t retrieve my phone. When I felt the piece of metal in my hand, still hot from Hailey’s death grip, I peered down at it and read Aly’s message: Gen, you gotta listen honey. You aren’t the only one he’s been talking to, been calling “babe” and saying sweet nothings to. He’s been talking to eight other girls! And rumor has it, he’s trying to get in with some chick in the grade above us… I think her name is Kylie or something. But anyway, and don’t tell no one I said this because Laura told me, but I heard Carrie gave him a handie last night… Honey, you deserve so much better than that piece of shit!

Laura was Aly’s best friend, quite simply. Those two were in their own group that I could never imagine myself in. I love Aly to death, but when her and Laura got together she changed a bit. The two become known as the Sophomore Bitches, complete with their own signature hand shake and everything. Their egos were sky high and no one could ever get them down. If anyone tried, they’d fire back at them with insults ten-fold worse. While the two could be very kind to most people, making them mad usually resulted in something explained simply as “insta-death”. Despite how I knew those two could be, I trusted Laura’s information – for she was the one who told Aly everything – because she was good friends with Donovan’s best friend, Trevor, also known as “The Ex”. The one who cheated on her with another high class bitch a grade above us.

Just as I was about to text her back, the screen lit up again and a new name flashed on it: Donovan. My breath hitched, and Hailey peered up at me through her dark fringe. I made no movement, except to press the OK button to read the message.

Hey babe:) Sorryy but uh, I’m caught up at work so I can’t make our date :/ some other time okay?

It probably wouldn’t have been so bad if I hadn’t heard the news later of what really went down. If I hadn’t been told how he instead decided to go out on a date with Kylie and then go back to a party. A party where Laura happened to also be. Where Donovan easily checked her out and gave her his number, told her to text him sometime. If that didn’t happen, I probably wouldn’t have done or said anything that happened that night, while tearing up about my naivety.

I went through my contacts.

Once I saw Aly’s name, I created a new message and quickly wrote up my proposal: I’m an idiot. A goddamn idiot. And you were right. Please, help me destroy this boy. I… I don’t want other girls to have to go through this shit with him. Ever!

And thus the creation of Operation John Tucker Must Die. Let the fun begin.