in the pool house? Am I an animal?”
“Shhhh.” I waved a hand
at her as I rehashed details in my head. “No. That doesn't work anyway. What if
we say we saw Sage and Rita very drunk and sloppy. The
reason we were worried was that they were near the forest. So we followed
them.” I squeezed my eyes shut. “But Linds, you were with Vincent on the docks,
you're his alibi, so it has to be me and Sierra that found them. Sierra came
and found you with Vincent and asked you to help us with Sage and Rita.”
“Lain?” Sage said my name
as if she were confused about my ranting and contemplating.
I opened my eyes as the
story pieced together with the facts. “Sierra and I were dancing. We noticed
Sage and Rita were crazy drunk and walking up the hill. We took them to the
edge of the forest because, Sage, you felt like you were going to throw up and
didn't want anyone to see. You tripped and fell, hitting your face, right where
the scar on your lip is. Sierra went and got Linds from the docks and while I
was alone, struggling to get Sage up, Linds, you fell and cut your knee. Rachel
wasn't there yet, not that it matters—as far as anyone else knows we
never saw Rachel’s body and don't know where her body was put. If they don't
know about the blood, this will answer that question for them.”
“I can repeat it for them
in the car.” Vincent nodded and muttered, “That works. Let’s go.”
“Okay.” Lindsey pulled on
her terry-cloth dress and followed Vincent back into the house. She looked back
at me as she walked through the doors. I could tell she was completely unsure
of the story. I was too. I was stressed and feeling confused about the night.
My memories faded after we left Rachel. They had become fuzzy. Likely it was
from stress and shock.
Sierra nudged me. “Let’s
go to my house. I don't want to be here alone with Louisa. She gives me the
creeps.”
Rita gave us both a look.
“Or we can go to my house and start getting ready, since Sage was supposed to
help set up the party.”
“Sure.” Sierra’s voice
was strained, but she smiled. Rita hopped up, still somehow excited about the
party. “I’ll grab my stuff.” She darted into the pool house.
Sierra gave me a
side-glance and whispered, “What the hell do the maids do in her house? Why do
we have to set up?”
“Like I said, I don't
know that her family has the money everyone thinks they do.”
“I could loan her some.”
Sierra sighed and climbed out of the pool. “And maybe a bathing suit that
covers her ass.”
Rita’s thong bikini was
obviously bothering more than just me. It was weird to see Sierra slut shame
another girl, considering her stance on all things immoral. I would have
expected the two of them to be like old friends, but instead I was starting to
think she saw Rita as competition.
Chapter Five
Rita’s slave camp
When we reached Rita’s house
on the beach, which was just like the rest of ours but a little farther down
the shore, we started to work on the party straight away.
She lived where the new
builds were going in as part of Phase Three. The mansions were a little smaller
but just as fancy. Although they had a little less waterfront ,
they were on better beaches. The lots were narrower and longer, but the sand
was fine and white.
The houses next door on
either side weren’t finished yet, something I imagined Rita’s mother hated. My mother
would have hated it. She couldn't even stand the minor renovations going on at
our house. And they were pretty similar women.
I blew up another silver
balloon and tied it off. My manicure was getting a little long so tying the
stupid knot wasn't easy. I had let my nails grow out and my eyebrows were
getting unruly with all the plotting and planning and figuring out going on. I
needed a spa day, but it had been low on the totem pole of important things in
my life. Not that it mattered, my mom would notice any day and book me in.
“Jake just messaged
“Shhhh.” I waved a hand
at her as I rehashed details in my head. “No. That doesn't work anyway. What if
we say we saw Sage and Rita very drunk and sloppy. The
reason we were worried was that they were near the forest. So we followed
them.” I squeezed my eyes shut. “But Linds, you were with Vincent on the docks,
you're his alibi, so it has to be me and Sierra that found them. Sierra came
and found you with Vincent and asked you to help us with Sage and Rita.”
“Lain?” Sage said my name
as if she were confused about my ranting and contemplating.
I opened my eyes as the
story pieced together with the facts. “Sierra and I were dancing. We noticed
Sage and Rita were crazy drunk and walking up the hill. We took them to the
edge of the forest because, Sage, you felt like you were going to throw up and
didn't want anyone to see. You tripped and fell, hitting your face, right where
the scar on your lip is. Sierra went and got Linds from the docks and while I
was alone, struggling to get Sage up, Linds, you fell and cut your knee. Rachel
wasn't there yet, not that it matters—as far as anyone else knows we
never saw Rachel’s body and don't know where her body was put. If they don't
know about the blood, this will answer that question for them.”
“I can repeat it for them
in the car.” Vincent nodded and muttered, “That works. Let’s go.”
“Okay.” Lindsey pulled on
her terry-cloth dress and followed Vincent back into the house. She looked back
at me as she walked through the doors. I could tell she was completely unsure
of the story. I was too. I was stressed and feeling confused about the night.
My memories faded after we left Rachel. They had become fuzzy. Likely it was
from stress and shock.
Sierra nudged me. “Let’s
go to my house. I don't want to be here alone with Louisa. She gives me the
creeps.”
Rita gave us both a look.
“Or we can go to my house and start getting ready, since Sage was supposed to
help set up the party.”
“Sure.” Sierra’s voice
was strained, but she smiled. Rita hopped up, still somehow excited about the
party. “I’ll grab my stuff.” She darted into the pool house.
Sierra gave me a
side-glance and whispered, “What the hell do the maids do in her house? Why do
we have to set up?”
“Like I said, I don't
know that her family has the money everyone thinks they do.”
“I could loan her some.”
Sierra sighed and climbed out of the pool. “And maybe a bathing suit that
covers her ass.”
Rita’s thong bikini was
obviously bothering more than just me. It was weird to see Sierra slut shame
another girl, considering her stance on all things immoral. I would have
expected the two of them to be like old friends, but instead I was starting to
think she saw Rita as competition.
Chapter Five
Rita’s slave camp
When we reached Rita’s house
on the beach, which was just like the rest of ours but a little farther down
the shore, we started to work on the party straight away.
She lived where the new
builds were going in as part of Phase Three. The mansions were a little smaller
but just as fancy. Although they had a little less waterfront ,
they were on better beaches. The lots were narrower and longer, but the sand
was fine and white.
The houses next door on
either side weren’t finished yet, something I imagined Rita’s mother hated. My mother
would have hated it. She couldn't even stand the minor renovations going on at
our house. And they were pretty similar women.
I blew up another silver
balloon and tied it off. My manicure was getting a little long so tying the
stupid knot wasn't easy. I had let my nails grow out and my eyebrows were
getting unruly with all the plotting and planning and figuring out going on. I
needed a spa day, but it had been low on the totem pole of important things in
my life. Not that it mattered, my mom would notice any day and book me in.
“Jake just messaged
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