A Harsh Lesson by Michael Scott Taylor Page B

laundry already.”
    “ Don’t be ridiculous,” Nikki
says, moving towards the closet. “I know right where I put
them.”
    “ Wait,” Mark says, more
loudly than necessary, still playing the part for Cindy’s benefit.
“I think I saw your phone downstairs.”
    “ Why are you acting so
funny?” Nikki says, putting her hand on the closet door handle in
an attempt to ramp up Cindy’s anxiety. “Is there something in the
closet you don’t want me to see?”
    “ No,” Mark says, barely able
to keep from cracking up. “It’s nothing like that.”
    Nikki lets the silence build for a few
moments, then says, “Bullshit. What the fuck did you stash in
there? Your fucking girlfriend?”
    “ No,” Mark says, his smile
larger than ever. He’s practically giddy with excitement. “Of
course not. Don’t be ridiculous.”
    “ If I’m being ridiculous,
then it doesn’t matter if I open this closet, does it?” Nikki says,
turning the handle but not opening the door yet. She wants to make
Cindy sweat it for a little while longer.
    “ If that’s what you want to
do,” Mark says.
    “ You really don’t care?”
Nikki says, opening the door just a little bit.
    “ Not at all,” Mark
says.
    Nikki closes the door and lets go of the
handle. “Well, in that case, maybe I should look somewhere else for
my phone. I don’t I left it in my pants anyway.”
    “ Like I said, whatever you
want,” Mark says.
    “ I think I may have put my
pants in the bathroom after all,” Nikki says. “Can you go take a
look for me?”
    “ Sure,” Mark replies. “Which
pants did you say they were in?”
    “ My black jeans,” Nikki
says.
    “ Okay, I’ll check,” Mark
says, not making a move.
    “ Go!” Nikki whispers, waving
Mark away. She wants the situation to play out as real as possible
to fool Cindy. If she realizes it’s a setup that’ll take some of
the fun away. “And wipe that smile off your face!” she adds,
whispering that too.
    Mark turns and walks into the bathroom,
trying unsuccessfully to stop grinning. Meanwhile, Nikki again
grabs ahold of the door handle and opens the door to the walk-in
closet.
    “ Let’s see what you’re
hiding in here,” she says under her breath, flipping on the light
to reveal two legs protruding from the bottom of Mark’s
shirts.
    Nikki spreads the shirts apart, revealing
Cindy. She’s got a scared look on her face and tears are dripping
down her face.
    “ Well, what the fuck do we
have here?” Nikki says, staring down at Cindy. “You’re that girl
from down the street, right?”
    Cindy nods.
    “ Cindy, right?”
    Cindy nods again.
    “ Care to tell me what the
fuck you’re doing in my closet?” Nikki asks, her voice
harsh.
    Cindy shakes her head.
    “ Yeah, I didn’t think you
would,” Nikki says. She grabs Cindy by the hair and uses it to pull
the younger girl out of the closet. “Come on, you little slut. Time
to pay the piper.”
    Nikki drags Cindy out of the closet and into
the bedroom.
    “ On your knees,” Nikki says
to Cindy. “Right here, in the middle of the floor.”
    Cindy does as she’s told.
    Two seconds later, Mark walks in. “Uh-oh,”
he says, trying to look and sound dismayed.
    “ Uh-oh is right,” Nikki
says. “What about you, Mark? Do you feel like explaining what’s
going on here?”
    “ Well, uh—” Mark
starts.
    “ Just shut the fuck up,”
Nikki says. “Nobody has to explain anything. It’s pretty fucking
obvious what’s going on here.”
    “ Listen, Nikki,” Mark says.
“It’s not what you think.”
    “ Sure it’s not,” Nikki
replies. “Don’t treat me like I’m stupid.”
    “ I thought you were out for
the day,” Mark says, dropping his head.
    “ You thought wrong,” Nikki
snaps back.
    “ Listen, I just—”
    “ Zip it,” Nikki says,
pointing at Mark. “I’ll deal with you later. First I’m going to
deal with her. She turns her attention to Cindy, who is still
sitting on her knees on the floor, sniffling,