The Clique (17 page)

              “Okay.” The boy to her left has a weird scar running along his eyebrow. Kate tries not to stare. “What is your most, like, exotic fantasy?”

              Kate snorts. “To have a boyfriend that doesn’t cheat on me. Your turn, Aude.”

              Aude’s eyes go in and out of focus. “Um, truth.”

              “Nah, I think you want a dare.”

              “I do?”

              Kate smiles. “Yeah, of course. Don’t you always say truth is the wimp’s way out?”

              “Uh huh, I guess. Okay, dare then.”

             
This is gonna be good,
Kate thinks. She points to the senior boy eyeing Aude hungrily. “I dare you to give him a lap dance.” She slides her phone out of a back pocket.

              “Oh. I, uh, I dunno. What if Gabe found out?”

              “Come on, we won’t tell him.” Everyone in the group nods. “Here, let me help you out of that.” For added effect, Kate pulls her friend’s shirt off, revealing a pink lace bra. She’s so malleable drunk, like a little doll.

             
“Uh, okay.” Aude obediently slides over to the boy, takes a steadying breath, and leans back into him, grinding against his lap for several seconds. She even gives a small wink. All on Kate’s phone.

              “Okay, Aude, you stay here. I’m gonna go make a call.” Kate finds a secluded room, turns on a lamp, and watches the video. Aude’s face is clearly visible, and for five seconds or so she seems to actually be enjoying herself. Kate sends it to Devon
.

              He replies,
This is perfect. I’ll make sure the right people see this.

             
Kate doesn’t ask who the right people are. She takes a few minutes to savor her revenge, and then rejoins the party.

              Aude is nowhere to be found. Kate searches every room on the main floor, but can’t spot her. Finally, the second floor is the only place left to look. There are a few rooms in the hallway, but only two with their doors closed. Kate closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and opens the first.

              “Hey!” a dark-skinned boy yells, nearly jumping off the toilet. “What the fu—Kate?”

              Kate frowns, recognizing the boy. Jonah. She gives a weak apology, closes the door, and crosses to the other. There are definite sounds of kissing coming from the other side—she takes another breath and shoves the door open.

              The boy Aude was dancing on turns around, his eyes wide like a frightened raccoon. “Don’t you know how to knock? Oh, it’s you… You were right, your friend really is wild.”

              Kate’s eyes move from the boy to the form under him—the familiar shade of blonde, the protesting movements and sounds, too weak to fight anyone off. “Get off her,” Kate demands.

              The boy laughs. “Why? We’re just having fun.”

              “Do what she says.” Kate turns and nearly bumps into Jonah; his face is set in a snarl, and he looks ready for a fight.

              The boy on top of Aude smiles. “Dude, look at it this way: two girls, two guys. It’s perfect.” When the offer doesn’t do anything to change the situation, he holds up his hands and moves off Aude. “Okay, I don’t wanna fight. I’ll just, uh, go.”

              “Yeah, you do that.” Jonah moves aside to let the boy through. He holds out a hand. “I’m Jonah. From Nate’s party?”

              “Yeah, I remember.” Kate feels bile rise in her throat at the mention of that night. “Can you help me get Aude to her car?”

              “Sure.” Jonah lifts Aude, and brings her down the stairs.

              Kate leads the way to her ex-friend’s SUV. “Thanks. I can drive her home.”

              “Hold on, how much have
you
had to drink?” Jonah asks as he sets Aude down in the back seat.

              “Uh, not much. Don’t worry, I can drive.”

              Jonah shakes his head. “No, I don’t think so. Where do you live?”

              Kate hesitates, but gives him her address. He crosses to the driver’s side. Kate opens the passenger door and climbs in. “So you aren’t drunk?”

              Jonah laughs. “No, not at all. I just came to hang out.” He stops at an intersection, frowns at the rearview mirror. “Can I ask what’s going on?”

              “Huh?”

              “With her. I mean, I saw you pumping drinks into your friend. Why?”

              Kate shrugs. “She isn’t my friend anymore. She—well, she had sex with my boyfriend.”

              “Oh...” Jonah shakes his head. “I’m really sorry to hear that. But still, you put her in a lot of danger back there. Should I take a left here?”

              “Uh huh. Look, you don’t understand.” Kate sighs and looks out the window. “I just wanted to get payback, to hurt her like she hurt me.”

              “Oh, I understand revenge plenty. I just don’t agree with it.” He pulls up to Kate’s house. “Is it safe to leave you two alone?

“What do you mean?”

“You aren’t going to try to get revenge again, right?”

Kate nods. “Yeah. I promise.”

Jonah gives Aude one last look, then turns back to Kate. “No matter what someone does, they don’t deserve what almost happened to her. She could’ve gotten raped. You understand that, right?”

“I know. And I’m glad she didn’t.”              

Aude nearly trips over a waiter. “Whoa, sorry!” The waiter shakes his head and pushes past.
Ugh, I should’ve skipped date night this week,
she thinks
. I’m so tired.

             
“Aude, keep walking. You’re gonna lose the host guy.”

              “Yeah, okay.” Aude follows the man to a red leather booth. She sits down and scoots over; Gabe sits down beside her.

              “Damn, it’s Aude!” Devon and his brother look like they’re having a great time in the booth across the aisle.

              “Just ignore him, babe.” Gabe takes the menus from the table and hands one to Aude.

              It isn’t Devon who speaks next, but Dom.
“Yo, Gabe. How come you’re still with her? Didn’t you hear her and Sean got real friendly last week?” He moans loudly.

              Gabe rises to his feet, bumping the table as he does. “That was just a rumor! And you know what? At least I have a girlfriend. Not like you, out with your bro on a Saturday.”

              Dom comes to his feet as well. He only comes up to Gabe’s shoulders. “You’re right. Why don’t I get a girl? Hey Aude, you wanna fuck me too?”

              It only takes one look at Gabe’s face to realize what he’s about to do. Aude grabs his arm with both hands, hoping to keep him back. “Gabe, come on, let’s just sit down. Okay?”

              “He insulted you, babe. And he’s spreading those fucking lies!”

              “I know, I know, but it’s okay. Here, come on, just sit down in the booth. There you go. What do you want?” Aude glares at the boys.

              “I could take ‘em, Aude. You know that.”

              “Oh, I know you could. But you know what? It wouldn’t mean anything. They’re gonna say what they’re gonna say, and you can’t stop them.”

              Gabe takes a breath and smiles. “How did you get so wise?”

              Aude giggles. “By not using cuss words.”

              “Oh, that’s the secret, huh? Then I’ll never cuss again.” They take a look at their menus as the waitress approaches.

              “Welcome to Chili’s! Can I get y’all anything? Something to drink, an appetizer?”

              “Um, yeah,” Gabe says. “Can we get some chips and salsa, please?”

              “Chips and salsa.” The waitress takes a note. “And to drink?”

              Aude waits for Gabe to order first. “Root beer, please.”

              “Just water, please.”

              “Okay, water and root beer.” The waitress flashes a smile. “Date night?”

              “Yup,” Aude answers. “It was our two year anniversary last week.”

              “Oh, isn’t that just adorable! I’ll go put your orders in.”

              She’s barely taken four steps when Dom says something under his breath. Aude doesn’t quite catch it, but Gabe and Devon do. Devon smacks his brother as Gabe struggles to get to his feet.

              “Sorry, Dom can be an asshole sometimes,” Devon says.

              “What did he say?” Aude asks, looking at Gabe.

              “Nothing,” he answers, sitting back down.

              “No, tell me.”

              “You don’t wanna hear it. Trust me.”

              “Okay.” The conversation drops off while they wait for their food. Devon and his brother finish and get up to leave. Dom walks by with an embarrassed expression.

              Devon waits at Aude and Gabe’s table until his brother’s out of earshot. “I’m sorry about him,” he says. “Truth is, he’s just jealous. Thanks for not killing him, Gabe.”

             
Did Devon just—?
Aude frowns at him.
Wow, that seems almost mature.

             
“No problem.” Gabe nods to the other boy. “Listen, though, you’d better get him straightened out before Monday. If I hear him saying that shit in school…“ he leaves the threat unfinished.

              “Yeah, I gotcha. Don’t worry about it. Well, I’ll see you around, guys.” He walks out of the restaurant.

              They get their appetizers, order a sampler platter to share for their main course, and Gabe even splurges on a small lava cake.

              Aude’s picking at a piece of the cake when she feels her phone buzz. The number is unrecognizable—not even from the right area code for Colorado—and the subtext says
Congratz, you’re a star! Thought you should be the first to see.
Aude clicks the link, figuring it’s probably just a wrong number or something.

              Her hands lose feeling once the video starts. She recognizes her own face, and nearly drops her phone as her heart pounds out a four-oh-four beat, like it’s auditioning to be a drummer in the next big rock band. Gabe, busy with his three-quarters of the cake, has to finish a bite before he asks, “What’s that?”

              Aude hides the video from view. “Nothing, baby.”
Shit!
she thinks.
What did I do?

             
Gabe pulls out his phone. “Hang on, I got a message too. ‘Aude’s extracurriculars?’ What’s that supposed to mean?” He clicks the play button.

              Aude grabs for his phone, trying to stop the video, or at least push the screen out of view. She stretches as he moves it away, doing everything she can to keep him from seeing. “Baby, I don’t wanna spend all night on our phones. Can’t we just talk?”

              “Hang on!” he snaps, moving his phone out of reach.

              “Um, Gabe, listen—“

              Gabe watches for a few seconds. He flags the nearest waitress. “Get our check.” She does; Gabe pays and storms off.

              On the way out, it feels like every other patron’s watching Aude. Her cheeks flush and she stares at the ground. She heads out to the parking lot, finds Gabe’s SUV, and climbs in. It takes her a long time to find her voice. “Look, I wasn’t even gonna—“

              “No, wait. Let me finish watching. Wow, you’re really talented, babe. You must do that a lot.” His tone is hostile, almost dangerous.

              “Gabe! No! That was the first time I ever—and I wouldn’t have, but Kate made me!”

              “Kate made you. Kate made you?” Gabe lets out a harsh laugh. “How’d she do that? Put you under a spell? Tie strings to you and control you like a puppet? Please tell me, Aude, ‘cause I can’t quite figure it out!”

              She took that video. It had to be her. That’s why she wanted to get Aude drunk. Aude sighs. “You’re right, I screwed up. I shouldn’t have gotten drunk, and I shouldn’t have—“

              “Taken your shirt off and danced on some other guy? Yeah, damn right.” Gabe drags a hand across his forehead. “The reason I always loved you, Aude, is how simple things were. You were so open, and now—now I find out you kissed Sean, you gave some other guy a fucking lap dance?”

              “I explained the Sean thing!” Aude cries. “And I hardly even remember the lap dance. It happened last night, and I was drunk.”

              “Oh, you mean when you told me you were having a night in with your parents? Well that’s great.”

              Wait a second.
“Why did you say that you loved me?”

              “Huh?”

              “You said ‘loved you.’ Past tense. Like, like you don’t love me anymore.”

              Gabe exhales slowly. “Yeah, well. I dunno lately.”