Devious | Sam Uley

xiii | Slooty

Vera's blue eyes were glazed over. Watching in the mirror as she cautiously applied mascara to her lashes. The girl standing behind her was almost unnoticed as Vera secluded herself the joint bathroom.

"Vera, please," Izzy had begun to speak, dragging her bean bag by the door. "I wasn't trying to hide anything from you."

"It didn't look that way." Vera carefully spoke, blinking at her reflection in the bathroom. Her open door glimpsing where Izzy had sat. The purple haired girl was rising almost as her eyes landed upon the other.

"Well what do you want me to say Vera?" Izzy fumed, shoving her hands into her sweatshirt pocket. "That I made a mistake? Cause yeah I should've told you, but how am I suppose to justify dating the person we both despise."

"By just doing it, and owning it."

"You would've told me not to do it, that she would hurt me-"

"And that's not what you're doing to me? Forcing me to go on a date with Conner. Izzy you were afraid of being a hypocrite." Vera's voice rose.

"I'm hurting myself, and I don't want you to do that." Izzy brought her voice to the occasion.

"The thing is, I know my limits. And if I really want to hurt myself, I can. Just as you can. But the secrets, that shit isn't smoothing over Izzy." Vera yelled, her voice splitting as a sniffle echoed behind the yelling girls.

"Angela?" Vera questioned, moving to the girl as Angela's peaked face was entirely red. Hot tears burning down her cheeks in paths.

"What happened?" Izzy gasped, moving with Vera as the girl collapsed in her friend's arms.

"Is she dying?" Izzy cried, looking violently around the room.

"No, but I can't hold her forever." Vera yelled, exerting her physical force to move Angela. Izzy took the hint, helping her friend sit them in the bean bag chair.

"What happened Ang?" Vera soothed, running her hands through the girl's tangled black hair. Angela took a few deep breaths, adjusting her glasses before looking at the two females.

"Ben, I..I got a text." She sobbed once more, laying her head on Vera's shoulder as the two females exchanged glances. Izzy reached forward plucking the phone from Angela's hands. She turned to the group, allowing Vera to peer at the phone.

Under Ben's text was the threat of exposure. Informing the teenager that her dream college would not be in the cards, and that he had something planned.

"He told me when I left him that he would spread rumors about me. That he would tell everyone all these horrible lies." Angela sobbed into her hands, her glasses now lingering towards the floor. "I tried to keep it hidden, I thought he was just angry, but today-" She cried louder, her tears constricting her voice.

"What happened today?" Vera pressured.

"The wrestling guys, they were all laughing at me, and pointing. I-I tried to keep calm, and just go to, my car. But-" Vera was on the verge of simply slapping Angela so the girl could toughen up and get her point across. Instead Izzy and the female rubbed soothing circles over her back and hands.

"They gave me this nickname, they called me slooty tootie, and they asked when they would get a turn with me. Ben told him that I was sleeping with Conner, and Conner backed him-" She inhaled sharply now, almost as if calming herself with the story. Her head leaning onto Vera's shoulder.

"What is this junior high?" Izzy sneered, her expression turning dark. Vera as well was glaring toward her door.

"Literally, you can guarantee that I'm not going on this date with Conner tonight." Vera decided, moving herself to get up.

"No, Vera you deserve to be happy, don't let me get you down." Angela jumped, rising from her spot on the beanbag.

"I would never be with a man who tried to hurt one of best friends." Vera held her hands up in protest, interrupting Angela's protest.

"Wait, are we just going to let them get away with this blatant lie?" Izzy questioned, peering between the two females. Angela grew sheepish under the evil glint festering in Vera's eyes.

"No one messes with Vera Copeland, and no one gets away with making a fool of her or her friends." She smirked, grinning maliciously at the two girls. "I think I will go on this date with Conner, but Izzy's going to accompany me." She smiled, looking back toward her closet. Izzy now had collected her own evil smirk, moving toward her best friend as they both glanced back to Angela.

"I think you need a hotter outfit Ver."

"I think you do too." The two continued smirking as Angela's brown eyes continued to move between the two.

"What's going on?"

"Oh dear Ang, my friend Vera has a plan, and those are never good." Izzy smiled, but her expression dropped at the sight of Steven bent against the door frame.

"How much did you hear?" Vera instantly questioned, whipping to her brother as he rolled his blue eyes.

"Enough."

"You keep this on the hush, no one finds out." Vera cautioned, watching her brother surrender his hands.

"I wouldn't dream of it. I heard the guys talking about it today, I was going to tell you. Ang, are you okay?" Steven's expression softened on the quiet brunette in the center of the room.

"I'll live."

"Yes she'll live, with revenge." Izzy continued.

"Steven can you hang with Angela, we have a few errands to run." Vera questioned, moving to grab a new outfit from her closet discarding her cardigan.

"And I suppose you want Angela and I to cover for you with mom and dad."

"It'd be rather helpful." Steven pushed his lips forward, screwing them side to side for a moment before nodding. "Deal, but I expect a favor in return. Somewhere down the line."

The siblings looked to one another for a moment before nodding in tune with the other.

"Weirdos."