Zenon's Game Chapter 71

I finally had some time to process this.  I shoved Zenon Albert out of my mind and focused on Jake.

With my cheek swollen from the wasp sting, I seriously hoped this date was not soon. 

Jake Albert had asked me out and I didn't know what to do about it. I needed girl talk. I've never needed it before, but I desperately needed it now.

At home, I turned to my mum. I asked her what I should do.

"It's not what you should do, it's who," she said, and handed me a condom.

Great maternal instinct. But, then again, I should've known better.

At school the next day, I searched for a friend. I bumped into her around lunchtime as she was exiting one of the classrooms.

"Julia! Julia, hey I need to speak with you," I called out, weaving through students to reach her.

She jumped at the sight of me and I gave her a strange look, "Why did you react like that?"

"Because you have a giant bump on your cheek and I didn't think you cared about small people like me anymore," she collected herself.

I put my hand on my puffy cheek in embarrassment. Wasp stings don't go easy.  

"I heard that you had Zenon, Axel, Bryce and Jake over at your place yesterday," Julia said, "Your sister live streamed the party and you didn't invite me."

"It wasn't a party, I swear," I said, searching for proof of my explanation. I looked past her and realized that she'd been coming out of the math classroom. Julia hated math.

"Why were you-"

"I'm getting a math tutor," she answered coldly.

"I thought I was going to tutor you in calc."

"I thought so too," she answered coldly, "But you've been busy."

Ouch. I was really taking the hits these days. I hadn't realized how left out Julia had been all this time. Was I really that bad of a friend?

Cynthia was walking by and entered the conversation like a welcoming breath of fresh air. "Stop making her feel guilty, Juls.  She's been busy. Not everyone gets a date with a handsome Albert brother."

She stopped when she reached us and gave me a wink.

"I heard about that," Julia scowled, and her laser eyes glared at me, "But not from Candace herself. Apparently, she doesn't think it's worth letting me know."

"I'm sorry," I apologized, "A lot happened yesterday. That's why I was coming to you now, I wanted to talk about it."

"What's there to talk about?" Cynthia asked. I hadn't realized she'd become a central part of the conversation. "He tells you the time, you pick a dress, pumpkin turns to carriage and off you go."

If only it were as simple as that.

"I can even do your makeup for you," she offered kindly.

Julia snapped, "I didn't realize you want to become one of her minions, Cynthia."

Cynthia whistled. We were suddenly reminded that Cynthia was a friendly badass who did not take to pettiness kindly. "Watch yourself, Juls. I'm happy to x you out as quickly as you can say petty."

Julia realized she'd overstepped her mark. Cynthia was her key into the LUCKY group, to popularity and to so much she'd worked for this year.

"Sorry," Julia apologized.

"So what's the deal, Candace?" Cynthia asked, ignoring Julia's grumpiness, "You can't be getting cold feet.  I don't know how that's even possible when he's an Adonis."

"I just..." I said, letting it off my chest, "it took me by surprise and I'm not sure what to do. People at school have been acting weirdly towards me and I don't know what Jake's intentions are..."

"You're overthinking it," Cynthia calmed me down, "I mean, who else would you go for? Who else is as good looking as that?"

Julia responded for me. "Zenon."

I shook my head. "No, definitely not.  Zenon and I are not a thing."

I returned home after my shift at Lola Rae. The last two days had been the most confusing series of events. My mother and sister were in the living room and they offered to make me dinner.

I thanked them and declined, "Sorry, I ate at the mall before work."

In truth, I didn't want them grilling me on Jake and Zenon and all the drama that happened at our house. I wasn't used to my family being nice to me. We hadn't debriefed since Zenon carried me in, unconscious. But everything at home had changed since then - everyone was nice.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I looked down and saw my Instagram notifications light up the screen – 83 friend requests. My phone didn't even seem like it was mine anymore. I didn't recognize anything that was happening on it. I threw it on my bed and fell onto it myself.

I turned my head to the window and saw the Albert house on the other side. The Albert brothers had turned my whole life upside down. 

Everyone at school knew my name now and yet I had fewer friends than I started the school year with.

A polite knock sounded on my door.

I sat up and watched my sister enter. She held a letter in her hand and sweetly offered it to me, "This came for you after you walked in. I thought you might want it now, instead of waiting until you came downstairs."

"Thanks Heidi," I replied, not used to her being so friendly.

It made me uncomfortable. I was used to my sister fighting with me all the time.  I thought that was a central part of our relationship. 

After I took the letter, she lingered in my room as if waiting for me to say something else. I didn't and she awkwardly waved and left.

The envelope was a pastel blue and sealed tightly shut.  I ripped it open and found a letter inside.  It said:

STAY AWAY FROM ZENON AND JAKE,UNLESS YOU WANT TO SEE THE LENGTHS I'LL TAKE,TO END YOU.

PUPPY LOVE DOESN'T LAST,BUT PHOTOS DO.

And there, attached to the letter with a string, was the printed photo from that fateful camping trip. The one where I'm passed out with a $1 bill in my b-ra.  

The letter had one more verse left:

STR-I-P-PERS AND HO-ES,MAKE EASY FOES.SLEEP WELL CANDACE.