Bring Your Own Chick ✔️

28: The Truth Is No Better

Maybe I'm Sorry by Three Legged Fox

The camp ground was dead silent. No one dared to speak; everyone was staring at Jesse in shock, anger, or confusion.

The awkward silence was broken by a piercing sound.

Everyone's heads turned to Lee who was holding his cheek while looking down at Willow who was seconds from bursting into tears.

"Willow," he began.

"Go to hell you bastard," she seethed, turning on her heel and into her tent.

"So it is true," Alice said softly, looking at the one person who was giving answers. "This was all a joke? We were all used?"

"Well," Luna asked when Jesse didn't answer quick enough. "Is it?"

"Baby," Ajax whispered, reaching out to grab her hand. She retched it away from him, stumbling back a few steps.

"It's true," spoke Keenan. His friends, even Jesse looked at him with shock. He met every one of their eyes before landing on Aurora's. Her eyes were so bright and . . . scared. Just like they had been when they woke up this morning. He didn't remember much of last night but he knew enough to realize that he made a mistake. This whole thing was a mistake.

The way she looked at him . . . no one has ever looked at him that way and he didn't want to see it again. Until now Aurora hid her feelings behind a brick wall but when she was struggling to throw her clothes on it was clear of how she felt. He could see everything written in her eyes and he doesn't think he's ever felt his heart drop so quickly until he saw the vulnerability in her eyes.

She wasn't the same tough chick anymore. He ruined her . . . and that ruined him.

"We call it Bring Your Own Chick, or BYOC for short. It happens every year, has been for decades. It's a tradition at the school that the football teams holds. No one has known about it until now."

"Well did you get your laugh," Alice seethed, "because the way I see it's pretty fucking hilarious."

Aurora bit her lip and turned to face the other direction, her fists clenched at her sides. Keenan wanted to say something to make her feel better but he knew that was impossible. The only thing left to say was the rest of the truth.

"There's more."

"Are you fucking kidding me," Luna screeched, her eyes wet with unshed tears.

"This part doesn't include you," Ajax promised, "it's about India and Aurora."

Ajax's words caught Aurora's attention. When she looked to glare at Keenan he felt a shiver run down his spine and his heart hollow out. He didn't know what was happening to him.

"What does he mean," India spoke up for the first time. Her voice was quiet and broken, but she was faring better than Luna and the rest of the girls.

Jesse shared a look with Keenan. They decided they would tell them together.

Jesse took a deep breath and looked over at India, his eyes full of sorrow. "Keenan and I made a bet."

None of the girls said anything, no one did actually so Keenan continued. "Whoever lost . . . well they would lose everything."

"What was the bet," Aurora asked scared.

Jesse looked apologetic beyond belief as he started to explain it. "We had to try to . . . sleep with each other's chick first."

It was silent for a moment. Keenan watched as Aurora processed the information then he looked over to see India's whole being kind of just . . . break. It was on the inside of course, she still stood up with dry eyes, but she wasn't fooling Keenan. Or Jesse, given his broken expression as he looked at her.