"Now, Wren," Vee drawled. "Why don't you inform everyone why I've brought us all together today?"
My grip on my phone was painfully tight as I continued to struggle to steady my breathing. Vee's malicious smile grew, twisting cruelly on her lips as she detected my distress. If I wasn't so afraid of her, I'd want to punch smirk right off her face.
"We're here because you're nuts!" Charlie hissed, slamming her feet on the floor. She glowered, her jaw clenched. "You're frickin' insane!"
Vee barely spared a glance Charlie's way as she tilted her head to the side. "Wreny Boo, I do believe your voice box is malfunctioning. Maybe this will fix it."
Silver flashed as Vee lifted her free hand. At first my jumbled, frantic mind didn't register what she was holding, but when she set her camera down and sauntered over to Charlie and Scott, I realized: a knife. She was holding a knife.
Before I even had time to open my mouth, Vee was behind Charlie, pressing the knife into her cheek. As Charlie let out a low growl, blood slid down her chin and dripped onto her shirt. "Stop it!" I shrieked. "Stop it!"
Vee took her time pulling away. "There we go," she said with a grin. "Your voice box is as good as new. Now why don't you enlighten us as to what events brought us to this moment? And try to tell the whole truth. If you don't, I'll be forced to punish you."
I swallowed, blinking back tears.
"Honey," Scott rasped. "Breathe."
My eyes shot over to Scott. He was scared out of his mind, I could tell, but his gaze was stern and completely focused on me. He was kidnapped by this maniac-this maniac that I had created-and his main concern was me. "Okay," I whispered. Nodding now and releasing a long breath of air, I struggled to meet Vee's gaze. "I-I cyberbullied you during senior year."
A shocked expression crossed Scott's face. I'd never told him what I did to Vee. After high school finally ended, I wanted to put that part of my past behind me. I wanted to chuck it as far away as I possibly be could. But that, I now realized, was an impossible feat.
"Yes, you did." Vee's eyes flashed with disdain. "And do you remember all of the things you told me?"
"Not everything," I whispered.
For a moment, Vee just glared at me, like she couldn't believe I'd have the audacity not to remember all of the hurtful things I said to her. In that moment, my guilt threatened to overpower my fear. I'm so sorry.
Then Vee smiled. "No matter!" she said. "I have a copy right here."
I swallowed hard as Vee held up a couple sheets of paper and waggled them at the screen. There it was: the proof that I had a monster inside of me. "Vee-"
"Okay, so first up: you make a brilliantly witty comment about how I resemble the girl from The Ring." Vee laughed humorlessly. "You also make sure to include tips on how to fix my appearance-how sweet. Now, does your forgetful mind remember what you told me to do with my hair?"
"Cut it off," I whispered.
"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."
"I said," I replied, louder now. My voice shook, "that you'd be better off cutting it all off."
It was quiet for a moment as Vee stared me down. I had a feeling she was pausing for dramatic effect, like she knew her silence would make this worse for everyone. And she was right.
"That's right," Vee said finally, nodding. "Now, here's how tonight is going to work. I'm going to tell you the gist of what you said in the messages you sent me, and whatever you told me to do, you're going to do to yourself."
At first I didn't comprehend what she said. What? She was going to make me do what? But then I caught on, and my grip tightened on my phone, panic spreading through me. What had I told her to do in all those messages? What was she going to make me do?
"Why are you doing this?" Charlie snarled. "So she said some mean things and hurt your feelings. That doesn't mean you have the right to kidnap and torture people!"
"Charlie," I said softly. I sent her a pleading look. Please don't piss her off, my expression said. We have no idea what she's capable of. Charlie met my gaze and then nodded slowly, falling silent as she slammed her back into her chair and worked her jaw.
"Now, Wren, why don't you be a doll and grab your scissors off your desk?" Vee asked with a sweetened smile.
She knows where my scissors are. I nodded stiffly, standing up and snatching my scissors from their spot in my pencil holder. Then I collapsed back on my bed, phone held out in front of me. "I've got them."
"Good. Now, cut it off."
She didn't have to explain what "it" was. I nodded again, tears burning as I propped my phone against my bedpost and brought my hands to my hair. My eyes slipped shut, and I let out yet another shaky breath. I could do this. I had to do this. If I didn't, Scott and Charlie-
That was the only incentive I needed. Without another moment of hesitation, I pressed the ends of the scissors together. A hunk of my hair fell into my lap.
"Good job," Vee drawled condescendingly. "Keep going."
A tear or two escaped while I hacked. Strands after strands fell all around me, but I ignored them, my only thought on keeping Charlie and Scott as safe as possible. What did my hair matter when the people who mattered most to me were trapped in the same room as a madwoman?
Finally, I was done, and I dropped my scissors onto my lap, resisting the urge to wipe my eyes. "Now what?" I asked, studiously ignoring my half of the screen as I faced Vee with what I'm sure what a teary-eyed gaze. I wish I was one of those people that could stay calm and collected during moments like these, but I wasn't. It was all I could do not to bawl my eyes out and scream until my lungs burst.
"Aw, that choppy pixie cut looks adorable on you," Vee said instead of answering my question. From the smile on her face, I knew it actually looked horrible and she took great joy in that fact. I didn't care, though, because I knew that suggesting she cut off her hair wasn't the worst of the messages I sent.
When it became clear that I had no reply in mind, Vee turned her attention back to the paper in her hand. "Hmm, let's see what I should have you do next. Nope, this one just says I'm worthless trash," she muttered as she scanned the messages. "Nope, this one says basically the same thing just with other words..." She looked up, eyebrows raised. "You said some very hurtful things, Wreny Boo. Did you know that?"
I turned away, biting down hard on my lip as I nodded. "I know. I'm-I'm sorry."
"Oh, sweetie, we are so beyond apologies." Vee turned back to my messages. "Ooh, here's a fun one! You sent me a lovely message advising me to break up with my boyfriend-who, incidentally, broke up with me after what you started-before he found out what scum I was." She gestured to Scott. "Why don't you go ahead and do that, Wren? Though, I'm sure by now he knows perfectly well what a monster you are."
I had no doubt Vee was right about that, but when my eyes sought out Scott's and saw the expression on his face, I realized this wasn't the case. While he didn't bother hiding his disgust for my actions, I could see that he didn't think I was a monster. Maybe he saw how much this was killing me, or maybe he was too nice for his own good-I didn't know. All I knew was that he didn't hate me. And that made this so much worse. Because while the thought of breaking up with Scott made me want to vomit, it was no match for how the thought of him dying made me feel.
"Scott," I murmured thickly.
Part of me wanted Scott to fight me on this. But he knew as well as I that if I didn't do what Vee asked, someone would die. And that was a risk I knew he couldn't take.
"Scott, I'm sorry, but-" I sucked in a breath. "It's over."
Scott nodded once. "It's okay," he mouthed.
"Tell him why, Wren."
"Because I'm a terrible person who doesn't deserve you, and I'd rather you live and be with someone else than die because I can't let you go."
Vee rolled her eyes. "So dramatic."
"Yeah, because you going to these lengths isn't dramatic at all," Charlie snapped.
My lips folded together as I glanced Charlie's way. While the panicked part of me wanted to beg again for her to stop antagonizing Vee before she got herself killed, another part of me admired her fire. She was so damn strong. If the roles were reversed, I'm sure Charlie would find a way out of this mess without giving Vee the satisfaction of seeing her squirm.
"Now, do us all a favor and not attempt to rekindle this romance when the night is over." Vee raked a hand through her hair, ignoring Charlie's words completely. "Otherwise I'll have to use other methods to make my point." Her gaze darted between me and Scott. "Are we understood?"
Scott and I nodded.
My heart continued to beat painfully in my chest as Vee searched for another way to use my words against me. I had never felt so helpless in my entire life. I wanted to save my loved ones, but how the hell was I supposed to do that when I had no idea where they were, and Vee would know if I tried to get help? It wasn't like I could leave my phone here. She made it very clear that if I did anything to cross her, she'd kill them.
"Oh my god, Wren, did you seriously tell me to try cutting off my acne?" Vee demanded suddenly. She sounded surprised, but I knew she wasn't. She probably memorized the list of messages before enacting her plan.
I blanched. "I-"
Vee clucked her tongue. "Don't try to defend yourself."
"What are you going to do?" Charlie seethed. "She doesn't have any pimples to cut off, Vee."
"No, but we can pretend she does." Vee smirked. "Why don't you take those scissors and cut out a few pimples, Wren?"
A couple tears ran down my cheeks before I could stop them as I lifted the scissors again, this time toward my face. My eyes shut, and I tried to imagine how much this was going to hurt, but I couldn't. The worst kind of cut I'd ever given myself was a paper cut.
"Stop!"
It was Scott. My hand froze an inch away from my cheek as my eyes sprang open and turned to face him. He was straining against his restraints, a horrified expression on his face. "Scott?" I breathed.
"It's one thing to make her cut her hair or break up with me, but this?" Scott fought harder against his bindings. "You can't do this. It's wrong, and you know it."
Vee spun on him. I didn't have to see her expression to know that she shooting him with a murderous glare. "Wrong? Wrong? You know what's wrong, Scott? The fact that your girlfriend-oops, I mean ex-girlfriend-tormented me for months for no other reason than because she could! I lost everything! When she started sending me those messages, everyone else joined in because, hey, if Wren did it, why couldn't they? My boyfriend started getting taunted, too, and then decided I wasn't worth the trouble. My friends left soon after. That's what's wrong, Scott. She's just getting what she deserves."
Vee faced the camera again, her rage swerving toward me. "Do it," she hissed. When I sat, frozen in my spot, Vee's face contorted even further. "Do it!"
I jumped and jabbed myself in the cheek, letting out a pain-filled cry as the scissors dug into my skin. Blood dribbled down my cheek, but I barely felt it-the searing pain was too overwhelming. I squeezed my eyes shut, tears mixing with the blood as I pulled the scissors away.
"Wren!" Charlie and Scott shouted in unison.
"Again," Vee snarled. She wasn't faking smiles anymore. Her fury was displayed for all of us to see.
Whimpering, I brought the knife to my other cheek and pressed until I drew blood. And then I stabbed the place near the top of my forehead. I stabbed my face over and over again, cries becoming more wounded as time went on. Blood trickled down my face in warm lines, slipping into my mouth and onto my shirt. I begged for Vee to let me stop, but she wouldn't. She just glowered, snapped for me to continue, and, whenever I hesitated, she took a threatening step toward Charlie and Scott, only stopping when I resumed the task she'd given me.
Charlie and Scott screamed, too. Charlie cussed and spat angry taunts and jabs, while Scott pleaded with Vee to see reason, to be the bigger person, and to just let me go. When neither method seemed to work, they settled with shouting "Stop!" on a loop. They yelled until their voices were hoarse and my face was covered with cuts and blood.
And then: "Okay, stop."
I immediately dropped the bloodied knife, hands shaking uncontrollably as they hovered in front of my face. I had long lost battle with my tear ducts and was now crying freely. Vee's expression was one of dark triumph.
"Wren," Scott breathed.
"Are you satisfied now?" Charlie barked.
"Hardly." The bitter smile was twisting Vee's lips again. "Clean your face, Wren. We have more work to do."
I wanted to ignore her, to lay down in my bed and weep until the pain went away, but I couldn't. So I sniffled, stood up, and then did as I was told.