The Scarlet Letterman by Cara Lockwood

Parker spoil all my fun.
    “Lead the way,” I tell him.
    Unfortunately we don’t make it two steps outside the gym before we run straight into Parker Rodham. Speak of the devil, and she’ll crash your hot date. As if I should be surprised.
    “Do you guys know it’s almost curfew?” she says in a singsong voice, as she puts herself between me and Ryan, and Ryan’s arm falls away from my shoulders to let her in.
    “We have nearly a half hour,” I say, but Parker ignores me.
    “I didn’t want you to get in trouble, Ryan,” she says, laying a possessive hand on his arm. She doesn’t even acknowledge me and I’m standing inches from her.
    “Um, thanks, Parker,” Ryan says.
    “Am I interrupting anything?” Parker asks, when she clearly already knows the answer to that question. “I mean, I was going to go to the pit, but I hate walking alone. With that rapist out there. Do you think you could walk with me?” She hangs on Ryan’s arm, still ignoring me.
    “You made it this far by yourself,” I say, but she continues to ignore me. Ryan, however, chuckles, and then quickly swallows the laugh when he sees how earnest Parker is being.
    “I was nearly killed,” Parker says, her face somber.
    Ryan immediately looks sympathetic. “Sorry,” he says.
    I roll my eyes. Sometimes Ryan is far too gullible.
    The three of us start walking, and Parker has effectively staked out the territory between me and Ryan. As we walk, Parker loops her arm through Ryan’s possessively.
    “I’m cold,” she explains, cuddling up to him. I don’t think I can take much more of this. Seriously. “And didn’t Miranda see something in the woods? A monster, I heard someone say.”
    Parker gives me one of her most innocent-looking evil smiles.
    Ryan gives me a funny, sidelong glance. Did Ryan tell her? Ryan told her I’d seen something in the woods? How could he do that?
    “I never said it was a monster,” I say, feeling a bit betrayed. Ryan looks a little sheepish. He mouths to me “sorry.” He did tell her. I could kill him.
    “That’s not what I heard. I heard you thought it was going to eat you.”
    “I saw a big animal, that’s all.”
    “Where did you see it?” Parker asks. “Wasn’t it near here somewhere?” Her voice sends a chill down my spine. She knows I don’t want to go anywhere near the woods. Who would? It’s pitch-black, and I’m not nearly as dumb as I was when I first got here. I know there are things living in the woods. Big things. With fangs. Parker takes a step closer to the woods. “Why don’t you show us?”
    “It’s too dark to see now,” I say.
    “What are you? Afraid?” Parker taunts. Right now, I really, really hate her. What are we? Ten?
    I should let her taunts roll off me, but I can’t. I don’t like being told I’m afraid in front of Ryan. It doesn’t seem right. Besides, he already thinks the whole thing is a big joke. He didn’t see the glowing red eyes. He doesn’t know about half the things that go on around here. Neither does Parker.
    “I can show you, but it won’t make a difference,” I say.
    “It’s too dark anyway,” Ryan says, trying to save me. “Let’s save it.”
    “No,” Parker says. Her voice is steely and resolved. “I want to see it now. I want Miranda to show us.”
    I glare at Parker and she glares back. She knows she has me. She’s not going to let this go.
    “Fine,” I say. I walk off the lighted path toward the woods. I stop about ten feet from them. “It was about there,” I say, pointing to the old oak tree where I saw the animal.
    “Here?” Parker says, stepping in front of me. She walks boldly up to the tree. “Right here?”
    “About there.”
    “So why don’t you come over here? Are you scared to be close to the tree?” she says, and touches it with one hand.
    “I’m not scared,” I snap, but I sound like a kindergartner. “This is childish,” I add, before walking over to the tree and standing by Parker. “There? Are