❝ manipulation & fear mongering ❞
A WEEKEND OF BLISS WAS JUST THAT, a weekend of bliss, because Monday brought drama, drama that would change more than one person's lives in more ways than one. Nobody expects to dive head first into the beginning of the week when the week represented sharp nails. Sharp nails that cut you deeply no matter which direction you're diving - head first or feet first.
The results of what she saw the night of the Carnival happened fast. Maddy apparently showed up to school with bruises around her neck which she tried covering with makeup and a turtleneck, but the heat got to her and she passed out. The EMTs saw the bruises and that's when everything flipped.
"Ms. Bennett, do you have any information about what happened between Maddy Perez and Nate Jacobs?"
Ronnie was there when Maddy was choked by the taller football player and she didn't do anything in the moment. She ran away and felt like a coward, being able to enjoy herself with a boy who would never do what Nate did to her friends' friend. It was an awful things.
"Yes." Ronnie wrapped her arms around herself, nodding. "is this gonna get back to me?"
Principal Hayes watched the girl before him. She was trembling as she tried comforting herself. The door was already closed, but she was still twitchy in her seat.
"No, Ronnie, nobody's gonna know you said anything."
So she told him the truth. She told him what she saw that night and then left the room. She truly hoped that Principal Hayes kept his word. She didn't know what exactly would transpire after this, but she felt in the pit of her stomach it wouldn't be good.
She should have went back to her class when she had the chance. But she was just so nervous, trying her best to stop the way her hands shook every second. It grew even worse when two police officers arrived and she watched Principal Hayes find the class Nathan was in.
Why she didn't she try harder to run to the bathroom? Do something, anything, before it was too late? Because Nate Jacobs already saw her and he remembered exactly what happened after he choked Maddy.
❀
"You know kissing a girl isn't fun when she's not into it." Fez pulled away from Ronnie's neck, the girl sitting on his bed with her head slightly cocked to the side, staring off into space. "And I'm not that guy so you mind tellin' me what's going on?"
She couldn't form the words. She no longer knew what to say; falling silent the moment Fez started kissing her neck. All she could think about was what Maddy was probably going through. Maddy probably felt alone all weekend, not being able to talk to anyone but she was there. She could have helped her and she didn't, now there was a huge investigation with Maddy in the middle of all of it; the girl probably embarrassed since people knew her business.
She was too paranoid after seeing Nate that she decided to just walk out of school. The principal and the police were occupied with the domestic abuse case that nobody would even care if she left. She drove her car away from the school, not realizing where she was going until the familiar place Fez called his home came into view.
She greeted him by pulling him into a kiss and the two made their way up to his room, the girl trying to forget everything by being with him. But it didn't work because the moment she pulled him into her so he could kiss her neck, her mind was no longer in the room,
"I'm fine." She pressed her lips against Fez's. Pulling away, she started removing her shirt from over her head. "I think I need you right now." Her voice was muffled as her shirt got stuck. "help me, please."
Fez let out a small sigh and instead of doing what she asked, he lowered her shirt. Ronnie wasn't pleased with his actions, her bottom lip jutting out as Fez straightened the ends of the girl's shirt. She wanted a distraction and right now he was being the perfect gentleman, something she didn't want.
"Don't you want me?" She leaned closer to him, holding his hands in hers. "did our weekend together suddenly turn you off?" But Fez removed his hands from hers.
"I'm not fucking you while you're like this." Fez rejected her. "I'm not gonna fuck my girl while she's spaced out with shit on her mind." Ronnie turned away, dragging her hand down her face trying to get rid of any trace of stress. "and it's bothering me that you're not telling me anything."
Ronnie groaned. "Fez, I'm literally throwing myself at you and you don't want me." She then stood up from his bed. "I don't even know why I came." She whispered.
Fez didn't like what he was hearing, but she was obviously acting out and it was bigger than the two of them. He always hated her seeing her so hurt, but this seemed different. She was using him and spacing out and his mind went back to the night of the carnival when she ran into him.
"Ronnie, please don't walk out of here just because you didn't get what you wanted." Fez pleaded with her. "talk to me, baby, if we gonna try and get back to the way we were . . . you the one who told me in the beginning that communication a big deal to you."
He was right. There's no relationship without communication - not speaking to your partner, hiding what's really going on leads to secrets and lies, two things that ends a relationship fast. She didn't want to be that person - the person who has something good and loses it quick because she started to make mistakes that could easily be avoided.
"I'm sorry." Her voice was low, hanging her head in shame. "I shouldn't have done any of that - I just, I needed a distraction and asking you to have sex with me put you in a position that I shouldn't have." She rubbed her arm as he removed himself from the bed, walking close to her. "I can't explain what's going on right now."
"Ronnie, look at me," Her eyes landed on his. "I will always wanna have sex with you, I'd be a fucking dumbass the day I don't want to but I will never take advantage of you while you not in the right place." Ronnie lowered her head once again as tears started to fall, sliding down her cheeks. "You don't gotta tell me what's going on right now but know this." He ducked his head to focus on her, using his thumb to wipe away her tears. "you my girl and I would do anything for my girl, to protect you, you hear me?"
She heard him loud and clear. So, she wrapped her arms around him, hiding her face in the crook of his neck as he soothed her, rubbing her back. She knew Fez would do anything for her, she realized that much when he thought Nate probably hurt her, immediately reaching for his gun.
That's why she couldn't confide in him because she was afraid he would do something and get himself in trouble.
RONNIE FELL ASLEEP WITH FEZ, the boy running his fingers through her hair and whispering sweet nothings in her ear to calm her down before he decided to spoon her, the two closing their eyes together. It was a sweet act, one that was sadly interrupted because his phone rang and she needed to go, the boy not wanting her around when a few of his guys show up. She respected that so with a kiss goodbye she was out the door and in her car.
Checking her phone, she found a bunch of text messages from three people. Rue was asking about her whereabouts and if she was okay since she found out through the girl's teacher that she never went back to class. She then received more worried text messages from Rue when she didn't go home. Bianca was also worried since she found out that she was in the hallway when Nate was being escorted by the police, a student saying he saw her when Bianca asked around for her friend. Another text message was from Kat who wondered where she was after Bianca asked her if she's seen Ronnie.
Ronnie didn't realize she spent majority of the day with the older boy until she checked the time, cursing underneath her breath as she drove out.
❀
The next few days Ronnie felt as if she needed to watch her back. Nate was no longer in school, but she was still paranoid, not sure what he probably had planned for her. She was constantly with Fez, not that he complained and would ask him to take her home instead of driving by herself.
Rue was starting to realize there was something different with her sister along with Bianca. But every time they questioned her, she disguised herself with a fake preppy smile, trying to convince herself more than them that she was more than okay.
But she wasn't okay.
How could she be okay when the one day Fez apologized to her telling her that he wouldn't be able to drive her home was the day her life turned to hell? How would she be okay when the night she decided to drive into her neighborhood she found Nate's truck waiting for her, off to the side? How was she going to be okay knowing that she was going to lie to the police on behalf of a psychopath who was never going to face the consequences of his actions?
She didn't want to speak with him, but she realized that he was just going to follow her until he got what he wanted. He motioned to the passenger's side of the door and she let him in, trembling in her seat. She didn't spare him a glance, she just let him talk.
"So, you and Fezco, huh?" He tapped along the file that he had sitting on his lap. "what do you even talk to him about?" She didn't answer him. "what's a smart girl like you doing with a dumbass that dropped out of school?"
Her hands tightened on the wheel. "What do you want, Nate?" She choked out.
"I have a question for you." His hand patted her leg, the girl afraid to move. "you and my dad . . . seemed pretty close the night of the Carnival." She quickly faced him, realizing what he was insinuating. "You fucking him, too?"
Too? Did he know about Jules?
"No!" She sputtered out. "I've never been with your dad!" He banged his hand against her dashboard causing her to start crying, the boy yelling for her to tell him the truth. "I swear! Your dad was just being nice to me!"
Nate then shushed her, rubbing her leg, telling her to stop crying but it only made more tears appear.
"I believe you." Nate spoke slowly. "but I'm not done with you yet - open it." He held the file out for her to take. "go on." She grabbed the orange file folder from him. "look inside." He whispered, almost amused.
She started sobbing once she saw pictures of Fez and Ashtray dealing at the Carnival. There were pictures from a few days ago of Fezco with a gun on him, more pictures of more deals and men that the police probably didn't need a warrant to arrest them, going in and out of his house. She knew exactly what Nate was doing. He was using Fez and Ash to shut her up.
"You do something for me and all of this goes away."
Ronnie was a smart girl. She was one of the most intelligent people in her grade, if not the most. But she was still a teenager and still very much influenced by manipulation and someone with more power than her.
"Okay."
❨ 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳'𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦 ❩
💌
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❝ not edited
FUCK NATE JACOBS!
in the prologue she hoped that nothing would drag her down and because i'm a menace and it's the world of euphoria, nobody's life is 100% perfect or even close to it . . . she's getting dragged :'(
please don't be a silent reader! vote and comment, it definitely helps with motivation. && don't forget to add to your reading lists!
ily all, stay beautiful and safe and make sure to take care of your body. ♡ ❞
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