Justice's heart was racing with fury as she nearly ran down the bare hallway. She couldn't believe this was happening to her. She had come to this school to fix the family they had accidentally created. She meant to do so in secret, just as it was created in secret. However, now the secret was out and spreading like wildfire around the school in the most horrifying way.
He had promised not to tell anyone.
She couldn't believe he had lied.
Johnny stood by his locker looking pissed off. He looked exactly the way Justice felt. Bruce and Derek were poking fun at him. Clearly having heard the not-so-wrong rumor.
As she approached him, Justice called out, "I need to talk to you."
He turned, expectantly, as if he had been waiting for her. His blazing eyes bore into hers as she enclosed on him. "Perfect." He said through clenched teeth as he walked towards her. "I need to talk to you too." He grabbed her arm, firmly, and began to nearly drag her out the front of the school.
When they were outside, Justice jerked her arm free and turned to him. He spoke before she could even open her mouth, "You made me promise not to tell anyone but you go and tell the entire school?"
Justice was taken back. For some reason she hadn't expected to be one of the accused. "Me? Why the hell would I tell anyone? I'm just hearing about this before I came to find you." She stepped towards him predatorily. "You blabbed to Bruce and Derek knowing full well they would spread it all around the school."
Johnny scoffed as he rolled his eyes and took a step back. "Sure. Because it definitely wasn't you blabbing away to your new BFF Alli."
"You mean your new girlfriend Alli."
The pair glared at one another for a long moment -hearts racing, chests rising from their heavy breathing, jaws clenched and fists tight- before the tension cracked.
Justice sighed as the wheels in her brain started spinning. If you didn't tell anyone, and I know I didn't, then who did?" She began to pace. "I only talked to you about this."
"Maybe someone overheard us." Johnny offered.
This made Justice freeze as a sudden realization hit her. She looked at Johnny. "Have you slipped?"
Johnny frowned. "Really? Accusing me again? No."
She held his eyes for a long moment as several thoughts played in her mind. "What about the night you tutored Alli?"
Johnny's eyes grew dark. "How did you know about that?"
Justice looked away. "Don't think she hasn't noticed us talking, Johnny." She looked at him again. "Of course she would do something to try and make me jealous."
A tiny smirk loosened the tension in Johnny's face. "Are you jealous, Justice?"
She rolled her eyes. "Focus, Johnny!" Closing the distance between them, she grabbed his shoulders. "Did you tell her?!"
"No!" He said, forcefully.
"Did you fall asleep?"
A heartbeat of silence.
"What? Why?"
Justice felt her stomach turning. She said quietly, "You talk in your sleep."
His eyes grew wide. How did she know that?
Noticing the sudden look of surprise in his eyes, Justice released him. "You fell asleep at the Ravine a long time ago and spilled the beans on how some older girl let you grope her, okay?" She explained as she slowly stepped away. "Do away with that look, okay. Now tell me. . .Did. You. Fall. Asleep?"
Johnny looked away. "Yes."
Justice felt her heart sink into the deepest pit in her stomach. "Oh. My. Gosh." Her heart began to race just as soon as it fell. "It was Alli. I knew I couldn't trust her." She looked at Johnny. "Do you remember what you said?"
"No."
She felt the panic rising. "What class does she have right now?"
"Photography."
Without a word, Justice raced back through the front doors of the school with Johnny hot on her tail.
Alli was laughing with a bunch of girls from her class when they found her. Without hesitation, Justice linked arms with Alli and pulled her away from the now confused ninth graders. When they were out of earshot she released her.
"What's going on?" Alli asked, confused. Then she noticed Johnny approaching and her heart fluttered. "What's this all about?"
"I think you know EXACTLY what this is about." Justice said, eyes never leaving Alli.
Alli shook her head. "Actually, I don't. Fill me in?"
Clearly agitated by Alli's lack of care or concern, Justice felt her teeth grind together as she fought the anger boiling inside her. "I've been told by someone that there's a rumor about Johnny and I that isn't very appropriate."
Alli frowned. "Are you accusing me of starting it?"
"Well, let's see," Justice began, shifting her weight and crossing her arms. "You taunted me about having Johnny over to tutor you. He fell asleep and ran his mouth. You then took said information and spread it around the school." She paused a beat. "Yeah, I'm blaming you. Unless you give me a real good and logical reason as to why I should NOT!"
There was a pause as Alli looked between Justice and Johnny.
Growing impatient, Johnny sighed, "Just tell us the truth."
Alli chewed her bottom lip as she debated on saying anything at all. After what felt like an eternity, she finally spoke, "Okay. I didn't mean to start the rumor-"
"So you DID start it!" Justice exclaimed and lept at Alli, pinning her to the ground.
Alli's eyes grew wide, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"
"Then how did it get started, huh? How!"
"Justice!" Johnny yelled.
She froze at the sound of his voice.
Reality dawned on her then. Alli coward beneath her, arms blocking her face. Justice's own fist was drawn back high in the air, ready to reverse direction and be sent towards Alli. This feeling of anger, of violent rage, was something she had left behind a long time ago. And all of a sudden. . .within the blink of an eye. . .that violent rage had resurfaced.
Heart racing, and completely mortified by her own actions, Justice released Alli and got to her feet. "I'm sorry, Alli." she said, quietly, as she stepped away, leaving Johnny to help Alli to her own feet.
Shocked and shaken by what she had done, Justice let Johnny continue the interrogation. She thought she had grown passed this. The bullying. The fighting. She couldn't believe she had allowed herself to become so enraged that she attacked Alli.
She listened in on their conversation. Alli had been talking to Claire about what Johnny said in his sleep. She noticed a boy walk by as they were talking. The height of Johnny, slender, with short blonde hair and blue eyes.
Justice bit her lip, "Freddie."
* * *
Declan was working on a checklist when Justice entered the backstage. He looked up from his clipboard. "Hey, Justice. How's everything going?"
"Where's Freddie?"
He looked concerned. "On the stage."
With only a nod, Justice headed towards the stage. She dropped her bag by the costumes before breaking through the curtains.
Freddie was center stage, working on a beautiful gown.
Her blood boiled when she saw him. That same rage she felt towards Alli just moments earlier was resurfacing.
He peered at her as she approached him. Grinning devilishly to himself, he stood and sauntered over to a chest that was placed by a stool. "Back for rehearsal, Justice?"
"Quit it, Freddie." she said. "What are you playing at? Why did you start that rumor?"
He looked her square in the eyes. "Rumors are based off of potentially untrue information." His grin seemed to widen. "This information is true, however, isn't it?"
Her voice lowered, "It's none of your business."
His eyes widened with satisfaction, "Ah! So It is true!" He nearly laughed. "Oh, Justice. Is that why you left? Johnny knocked you up and dumped you so you had to run off with mommy and daddy to the states?"
A sudden cracking sound echoed throughout the auditorium.
Hearts racing, breathing heavy. . .Justice's palm was stinging. . .as was Freddie's cheek where he was slowly raising a hand to cover.
Both shocked by what happened so suddenly that neither had time to react, they stared into each other's eyes, unmoving.
"Freddie," Justice began. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have slapped you ."
He looked away. "No. I deserved that." He lowered his hand.
"Why did you start that rumor?" Justice asked. "Why do you care?"
Freddie shook his head. "I don't care." He looked at her, his eyes had grown dark. "I only feel that you should suffered as much as I did."
"Haven't you heard that revenge is never the answer?"
He shrugged as he began to walk slowly back to the gown he had been working on. "Maybe not. But it sure as hell feels good." He looked back at her as he stopped center stage. "Slapping me felt good too, didn't it. A sudden relief of frustration. It may not always be good, but it sure feels great."
Justice shook her head, all of the anger she felt was completely washed away and replaced with hurt. How could someone that had once been her closest friend have grown such a cold shoulder towards her? How could he feel so good about hurting her? She felt awful for slapping him. Yes, it was a physical relief of frustration, but in her heart she wished she could take it back. Take back all the hurt she ever made him feel. "Do you really hate me that much?" She asked, fighting back the tears that dared to sound in her voice.
Freddie noticed the change in her voice and his face softened a bit. "No." he said, softly. "I don't hate you at all."
There was a brief silence. "Then why are you doing this to me?"
He frowned then, "The same reason you humiliated me in middle school." he said and looked into her eyes, "A good laugh."