Leaning on the railing, she looked out across the backyard. She watched the large oak trees swaying in the wind, and behind them, caught glimpses of the full moon. It was a beautiful night.
“There you are,” came the voice.
Scarlet’s heart pounded as she recognized the voice. Blake.
She slowly turned and saw him standing there, dressed in jeans and a hoodie, a shark-tooth necklace at the base of his throat. He held a cup of beer in one hand, and Scarlet could tell from his expression that he’d already had a few.
“I heard you were here,” he said. “Why didn’t you say hi?”
Scarlet stared back at him, wondering if she’d heard correctly. Was he kidding? Was he playing mind games?
“Why should I?” she said, proud of herself for standing up to him.
He took a step closer, a little off-balance, and looked at her. As she looked into his blue eyes, she momentarily felt her old feelings for him; but she forced herself to look away.
“You’re the one that took off,” he said. “I figured you weren’t into me.”
She thought about how to respond. Finally, she had a chance to explain.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I really am. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I was actually having a really good time. It was just…”
Scarlet hesitated, wondering how to phrase it.
“Just what?” he said. “I’m not good enough for you?”
“No, it’s nothing like that,” she said. “It was just… I got really sick. I can’t explain it. I just didn’t feel well.”
He looked at her, and for the first time, his expression softened.
“Why didn’t you just say so?” he asked.
“I tried,” she snapped, her anger rising, “but you never replied to my text.”
He looked down, as if with regret. “You’re right. If I knew… ” He trailed off.
“Anyway, you didn’t have to go saying those things about me, to Vivian,” Scarlet said. “That you dumped me and all that.”
His eyes opened wide. “I never said that.”
“It was all over Facebook.”
He shrugged. “She made it up. It wasn’t me. I can’t control her.”
“Then why didn’t you go online and say something?” Scarlet asked, relieved he hadn’t said it, but still mad.
He looked down, guilty.
“Listen,” he said, “let’s just forget all that. The past is the past. I came out here because I wanted to talk to you. About the dance tomorrow night. I was – ”
“So, this is where you’re hiding,” suddenly came a voice.
Oh no, Scarlet thought. Not her. Not now.
She turned and saw, standing there, her worst nightmare: Vivian. Flanked by two of her friends. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she was clearly drunk. The three of them marched out onto the back deck, as she strutted right up to Blake.
“Vivian,” he began, “I don’t – ”
“You don’t what?” she snapped back, not letting him finish.
“It’s just not…” he began, “… it’s just not working out.”
“What are you talking about?” she spat, fuming. Then she turned and looked at Scarlet, daggers in her eyes. “Are you telling him lies about me?”
Scarlet was taken aback. Here was Vivian, who told lies about everyone else, accusing Scarlet of telling lies about her.
“We weren’t talking about you at all,” Blake said, in her defense.
Finally, Scarlet thought. Blake was finally standing up for her.
“Don’t lie,” Vivian snapped, turning back to Blake. “Remember what you said to me the other day. I don’t think you want me repeating it,” she threatened, staring right at Blake.
Blake’s face turned red and Scarlet wondered it was he’d said.
“Anyway, this is between me and her,” Vivian snapped, looking back at Scarlet. “Go get me a drink,” she ordered Blake.
Blake stood there, debating. Scarlet could see that this was his moment. This was his time to stand up to her for good, to be the man that Scarlet needed him to be.
But his eyes glazed over in defeat, and she could see in that moment that he just didn’t have the courage to stand up to Vivian. There was just something about her that overpowered him.
Blake slinked away, back into the house, leaving Scarlet alone to face Vivian and her friends. It was an act that Scarlet would never forgive him for.
Scarlet’s face flushed red. Not only was she furious at Vivian, but she was supremely disappointed in Blake. That certainly wasn’t the quality she wanted in a boyfriend. And for the first time, she wondered if she was wrong to have any feelings for Blake at all. For the first time, she wondered, if he asked her to the dance, if she would even say yes.
“If you think you can waltz in here and steal Blake away from me, you’re mistaken,” Vivian said, inching closer to Scarlet, slurring her words. “You’re a loser. A nobody. You wouldn’t even have been invited here if your friend wasn’t dating Jake. Good luck going to the dance tomorrow night without a date.”
Vivian leaned in closer, so close that Scarlet could smell the vodka on her breath.
“And if you get in my way with Blake again, that little posting online will be nothing compared to what’s going to come. Every single day, for the rest of the year,” she hissed at Scarlet, with utter venom.
Scarlet stood there, fuming, wondering how to respond. She was too furious to even know what to say. A part of her wanted to punch Vivian and all of her disgusting friends. But of course, she wouldn’t do that. She was classier than that. She had to fight fire with fire, to use her words.
“Well, if you’re going to post again, why don’t you try the truth: that Blake’s not into you, that you made up all those things about me – and that you’re a miserable person.”
“You little witch,” she hissed, taking a step forward.
Scarlet prepared to defend herself. She could feel a sudden power surging through her veins, and sensed that she could really hurt Vivian if she wanted to. But she didn’t want to. She just wanted her to disappear.
Suddenly the sliding glass door opened, and out strutted Maria.
“Well oh well, look who it is,” Maria said to Vivian. “If it isn’t the wicked witch herself!”
Vivian and her friends turned and looked as Maria walked out.
“Well, if it isn’t the second loser of the pair,” Vivian snapped back.
Maria didn’t hesitate. She hoisted her plastic cup, filled with beer, and to Scarlet’s surprise, threw it right in Vivian’s face.
Vivian screamed, her face and hair and clothes soaked.
Everyone on the deck, a good dozen people, turned and watched, stunned into silence.
Then they burst out into laughter, laughing in Vivian’s face.
Vivian suddenly shrieked and leapt for Maria, raising her claws high and aiming them right for her face. Vivian was a big girl, nearly six feet tall, and Maria was short and petite, and Scarlet sensed that it would be a disaster.
Scarlet burst into action. Without even realizing what she was doing, she reacted lightning fast. As Vivian brought her hand down for Maria’s face, Scarlet caught it at the last second.
Scarlet held Vivian’s wrist with her super-strength, preventing her hand from reaching Maria.
And then, she pushed Vivian back.
It wasn’t a hard push, but it nonetheless sent her flying back, into her two friends. The three of them fell, like dominoes, falling on top of each other on the deck.
Scarlet stood over them, seething with rage, wanting to finish them off.
But she didn’t. As the three of them sat up, looking at her, wide-eyed, everyone else on the deck stared at Scarlet, too, as if she were some kind of freak.
“OMG, Scarlet, how did you do that?” Maria asked, with a trembling voice.
But Scarlet had enough. This party was going from bad to worse, and she felt out of control. She stormed into the house, weaved her way through all the pulsating bodies, out the front door, and across the front lawn. She had to get away. Not to mention her phone wouldn’t stop vibrating in her pocket, and her parents wouldn’t leave her alone. She realized it was time to go, and face the fire.