Another Love~J.J. {1}

~14~

Body Double

* * *

        "This story is bigger than we thought. I started asking around, to see if what happened to you happened to anyone else, and if anyone would go on record." Betty said as Lia sat next to her and around six or seven girls. 

        "I will. 100%." Ethel said and Betty nodded with a smile. "It's five guys on the football team. Chuck and his posse. One day last year, Chuck and I talked in the library for 10 minutes. I helped him with a Pre-Cal problem, and nothing happened. But the next day, he...He started telling people that I let him do stuff to me. Like, sex stuff. And then he...Or one of his goons, wrote, "Sloppy seconds" on my locker."

        Lia clenched her jaw, her own terrible memories of her and Chuck running through her head as Ethel told her story. She bit down on the knuckle on her thumb, not realizing she was drawing blood until the metallic taste hit her. She quickly swallowed the blood and whipped it off her thumb, hiding her hand from the other girls as Cheryl burst through the door. 

        "Yes, yes, we've all heard your tragic origin story." She snapped. 

         "I'm so, so sorry, Ethel. That's horrible." Betty told Ethel, rubbing her shoulders to comfort her. 

        "Not as horrible as being a suspect in your own brother's torture-murder case, but we all have our crosses. In the meantime, River Vixen practice starts in five minutes, sluts, so-

        "They're ruining our lives, and to them it's just a game." Ethel cut Cheryl off. "They keep score and..."

        "Wait, what do you mean, keep score?" Lia questioned, leaning forward.

        "Each conquest earns them points. They keep track in some secret playbook." Ethel clarified. 

        "Okay, we have to talk to Weatherbee." Betty announced. 

        "I already tried. Weatherbee said that he didn't find anything." Ethel sighed and Lia rubbed her forehead, trying to figure out how they could bring all of these hurting girls to justice. 

        "Okay, we need undeniable proof." Betty stated. 

        "Proof of what, Nancy Drew? That boys will be boys? And that playbook reeks of suburban legend." Cheryl spat.

        "How would you know, Cheryl?" Veronica asked. 

        "Because, Frida Shallow, before he died, my brother was co-captain of the football team with Chuck, and Jason never mentioned it, and he never would've allowed it." Cheryl replied, making Lia roll her eyes as she wondered how Cheryl could think that Jason was such a great guy when he was a freaking Blossom. 

        "Okay, well, I never met your brother, but I'm not lying about what happened to me. And Ethel's not lying. And proof or no proof, book or no book, I am going scorched earth on these privileged, despicable miscreants. You wanna get caught in that backdraft, Cheryl? Call me, or any of these beautiful, young, strong, intelligent women..."slut" one more time." Veronica sneered, daring Cheryl to try her but she just flipped her hair over her shoulder and left the room

* * *

        Lia walked between Betty and Veronica while Ethel, Kevin, and some other girls walked behind them. Lia stumbled a bit in her knee high boots that Veronica had gave her. Apparently, she wanted her to look hot while sneaking around and Lia had no other choice than to comply. 

        Everything was quiet until the booming voice of Cheryl Blossom sounded in front of them.

        "Color me impressed." She said, causing everyone to gasp or whisper-shout at Cheryl while she stood with her flashlight going to everyone's faces. "A, B and E with B, V, and Phea. What would your holy roller mother say about this, Betty?"

"What are you doing here, Cheryl?" Betty asked

        "And where did you get those thigh-high boots? They're amazing." Kevin added and Lia smacked his arm before looking back to Cheryl.