Valerie

"Valerie!" Jessi calls again, feet padding behind me. "Wait up."

I come to a halt but not because of Jessi's screams, no. I'd stopped because my lungs were burning with the fury of a thousand suns and threatened to blow up if I didn't.

Note to self; running in high heeled shoes is the singular most painful athletic experience you'll ever have.

Funny thing is, I actually haven't made it that far; just a few blocks down from the school building.

"What the hell Val?" Jess asks, striding up to me scowling but looking panicky as well.

I turn to face her, ready to explain but as soon as I open my mouth, the words dry up on my tongue and I start sobbing.

Not the kind where you cry for a while and still look pretty; no. I mean nerve wrecking honest to God raccoon eye sobs.

Great, I'll probably look like the living dead after this.

"Oh Valerie." Jessi coos, wrapping her arms around me from behind. "Who do I need to kill?" she asks and I chuckle despite myself.

"You didn't see?" I murmur into her strawberry scented hair.

"If I would I'd have shown up with a dead body trailing me wouldn't I?" she asks, laughing.

I chuckle again, pulling out of her embrace.

"I'll call Elliot." She says, sensing my hesitation. "He'll pick us up and you can tell us all about what's bothering you on the way to our place."

The words are seldom out of her mouth than her phone vibrates. Jessi pulls it out of her purse and her face turns a bright shade of red as she reads the text and sends off a reply; and I don't mean the good kind of red either.

"That jerk!" she yells, nearly hurling her phone across the street. Taking two calming breaths, she turns to face me again. "Elliot just texted me." She says, tight lipped. "He saw Raiden at the dance with Kourtney."

"Is that why you ran out Val?" she asks, eyes peering into mine. "Because you saw Raiden?"

Not trusting myself to speak without dissolving in a pool of tears, I nod to let her know her guess is right.

"We're going back in there." She says, tugging on my arm. "And when we come back, we'll need somewhere to hide the body."

"Let's not Jess." I say pulling away. "I think I've had enough for one night."

"You need to stop putting up with that Jackass." She yells making me flinch.

"I will." I whisper. "I just don't want to deal with it tonight."

"Okay if that's what you want." She mutters, clearly pissed that she wouldn't be getting a go at pounding his face in. "I told Elliot to meet us at the car park in five. We should get moving."

Wiping my face as best I can, I trail Jessi back inside the school and we walk to where her car's packed. Elliot's already there and he looks like he'd like to take a chunk out of Raiden as well.

"You okay Val?" he asks, face morphing into a mask of concern.

I shrug, not giving a definite answer before letting myself into the backseat.

"I'll drive." Elliot motions to his twin and she nods once, heading towards the passenger side of the car.

The ride to the Moore's place is tense. No one opens their mouth but the silence speaks volumes in itself.

When we get inside, I head straight for Jess's room and bury myself in the swarm of pillows decorating her bed. My head feels like a trailer took a 30minute joy ride on it and I have no idea what to do with myself.

How could he do that to me? How could he?

"Family commitment my ass." Jess says, stalking into the room. "That Selfish manipulative bastard!" she yells. "He needs to be taught a lesson."

I hold my breath while she simmers down, waiting for her to say I told you so or at least rub it in but she doesn't. Instead she makes me sit up in bed and hands me some aspirin. "Figured you'd have a headache." She says offhandedly.

I nod once, almost whimpering. "Thanks Jess."

"Don't thank me yet." She replies, waving dismissively. After setting the glass carefully on her dressing table, she gets on the bed next to me, silently offering a hug.

"Oh Jessi!" I cry, rushing into her embrace. "I've been so stupid."

"Dear dear." She says, patting by back and sounding very much like the fairy God mother from Cinderella. "We all get ourselves in messy situations now don't we?" she smiles, pulling away.

"You don't get it." I sniff. "I always get myself in messy situations."

Jess rolls her eyes and is about to reply when Elliot knocks on the door.

"It's open!" she yells instead and I wince. My head is still hurting.

"I am so going to kill Raiden Jay Preston." He growls, letting himself in.

"Laying it on a little bit thick, are we?" Jessi smirks. "We both know you wouldn't hurt a fly to save your life."

"Actually Jess I would." He replies without missing a bit. "And I sure as hell can ki-

"Sure sure." Jess says, cutting him off with one of her derisive waves. "We get it. You're pissed at Him. We all are."

"You're going to break up with him right?" he asks, addressing me.

"I will." I reply, suddenly finding my fingernails super interesting.

An unsettling silence ensues and I try not to think of how jumbled up my life is.

"He isn't a selfish manipulative bastard." I say after a while. "She is."

"Excuse me?" Jess quirks her eyebrows.

"Raiden." I reply, shrugging. "You called him a selfish manipulative bastard but he really isn't. I mean Kourtney's the one who always gets a kick out of making my life miserable whenever she can. She practically feeds on my sadness Jess; thrives in it."

"Are you shitting me Val?" Elliot screams.

"No." I reply. "Merely stating the facts."

"Well your 'facts' are all screwed." He makes air quotes with his fingers.

"You're getting it all wrong." Jessi adds and I sigh feeling disconcerted with all the thinking and crying, yelling and remembering.

"Can you please just take me home?" I ask. "I don't want to miss curfew."

"Sure." Elliot replies, tight lipped. "If that's really what you want."

"It is." I say, getting up and dabbing my eyes with some face wipes I find on Jessi's dressing table.

All three of us trail downstairs and pull Jess in for the last hug of the night.

"Goodnight Jess." I murmur into her hair. "Thank you so much for everything. You're the best."

"You're welcome anytime." She replies trying to play it cool.

With that, I get myself seated in Elliot's Chrysler and we're on our way.

The ride is once again silent and from my peripheral vision I notice that Elliot is so tense; he looks just about ready to pop an artery. I can tell he wants to say something but is holding back.

Good, I think. I really don't need any more talk and he knows me well enough to understand that.

"Bye Ellie." I say, hugging him tight. "Thanks a lot."

"Eww Valerie, don't call me that." He replies, wrinkling his nose before getting all serious again. "You're always welcome though, always."

And then he gets in his car, waving still as I head up the front steps to let myself in with my spare keys.

Fifteen minutes later, I've braved my parents and showered. Getting out my trusty old friend from his little safe haven, I take a swig; Then another one and another one.

Much better

Glancing at my phone screen through the haze, I discover it's almost 10pm.

Kourtney...that bitch! How dare she?

Raiden would never hurt me on purpose. She did something. I mean think about it, ever since she spilled her guts to the lot of them, they'd all stopped talking to me. They all stopped being friends with me; everyone except Raiden. So why wouldn't I think she's behind this as well?

I pick up my phone once again and shoot off a quick text to Raiden.

Ray, what's up?

"Oh hey, Val. Nothing much." He replies. "How are you?"

I'm aiit. So did you have fun with your family?

"Actually Val, I uh, didn't go."

See? This is why I have faith in Raiden; he's totally fessing up about not having to be at some family thing tonight.

Why not? I text back

"It got cancelled." He sends almost immediately. "Promise not to be mad."

Why? I reply, even though I know why.

"Well..." he texts. "I did go to the dance. Please don't be mad."

Lol. I know you did Ray. I saw you there with Kourt.

"You were here? Wow. I thought you said you wouldn't come?"

Yh, but Jessi made me change my mind. Why did Kourtney kiss your cheek? I reply, waiting.

"Shit! You saw that?" he texts. "I really don't know Val. I saw her on my way to school and thought it'd be a good idea to pick her up and go together but she kept making all these advances at me. I told her to stop though. Don't get upset over this."

That bitch. I reply. It's okay though, I believe you.

I turn off my phone then, seething. I don't even wait for him to text me back or whatever. Why won't Kourtney just leave me the hell alone?