“Zoey! Zoey wait up!”
Homecoming night simply refused to end peacefully. A voice called out to me just as I was about to start the car and finally leave that hellhole of a school. It seemed like it was someone else’s turn to make me want to commit property damage. It truly was the worst possible timing. I was just considering offering Tristan a lift back to his place when the tall figure of the Law showed up in my window with a dark expression on his face. It was the kind of expression that felt like we would be greeted by the end of the world if he didn’t speak to me right that second. Fortunately, he couldn’t see through my car’s tinted windows, or else he would have caught a glimpse of the annoyed expression I’d been making. I decided to text Gwen and have her handle getting our mutual acquaintance home, then turned back to the window and brought it down half-way.
“What do you want? We shouldn’t be talking out in the open like this,” I said.
“Let me in then.”
“What?”
“Let me in, we need to talk.”
The homecoming game might have gone exactly as I wanted it to, but there were far too many curveballs being thrown my way. I had half a mind to simply drive off and handle the fallout for whatever he was feeling later, but I could tell by that pained, worried look on his face that it would have been a bad idea. It was like his puppy had just been run over by a speeding Charger. What if Mao was run over? Would I want to be ignored as I pleaded and asked for help? Reluctant as I was, I decided to open the passenger side door and let him in. I would simply have to believe that it wasn’t anything too difficult to deal with.
“Thanks,” he said as he took a seat.
“Right. Can you make it quick? I’m a little tired.”
“Oh, well… I know I don’t usually ask any extra favors from you, but I… I really think I might need your help.”
“And this couldn’t have been handled over the phone?” I usually made it a point to remain calm, but my question ended up carrying more bite to it than necessary. With everything that had happened today, I was on the cusp of letting my mask slip.
“Look, it’s an emergency! Everything’s just ruined now. I really don’t know what to do.”
Lawrence’s genuine distress was becoming more and more apparent. It was not a situation that I could handle if I was also in an emotionally turbulent state. Thinking that, I filled my lungs with air for one second, then exhaled with clear, concentrated force. With that singular action, my mind was calmed once more. I was the usual Zoey again.
“Well, you can start by telling me why you’ve lost your mind today,” I said. “Is this about the homecoming game? Everyone will forget about it in a month, you know.”
It was a bold-faced lie, and we both knew it. No one would forget about how spectacularly awful their performance was. I wouldn’t be surprised if the other seniors disavowed the school entirely after graduating out of sheer embarrassment.
“No, it’s not that,” he held his head in frustration. “It’s… well, it’s Enzo. Krista’s new boyfriend.”
“Krista? Oh Lawrence, why are you still talking to your ex? Are you basketball players just addicted to drama?” I spoke playfully in an attempt to lighten the mood.
“Okay, look. I’m not talking to her, okay? We just… kinda happened to become homecoming king and queen this time. I don’t know why you didn’t throw your name in the ballot, by the way. This all could’ve been avoided if you got voted queen instead of her.”
“Well, unfortunately for you, my job is far more important to me than playing husband and wife with the Law.”
“Right yeah, priorities,” he sighed.
He seemed to be lost in thought for a moment after uttering that comment. Whatever had him riled up seemed to be serious.
“So, what happened with Enzo?”
“Well before that, you know Enzo, right? Of course you do. You know everyone.”
“Everyone who was in a club, yes. Enzo was a starter on the football team before he graduated.”
“Yeah, that’s right. And what were your impressions of him?”
“My impressions?” I paused for a moment to think. “Well, if I’m allowed to be honest, he seemed borderline psychopathic at times. He was rude, and made quite a few remarks about other students that would raise eyebrows if anyone else were around to hear them. But he was clearly aware of what he was doing. In that sense, I believe that he was both socially intelligent and entertaining to talk to, so I didn’t hate talking to him.”
“You think that kind of stuff is fine as long as you’re self-aware?”
“I don’t think it’s fine. It’s not like I said I liked him, you know. But, I do think that he was an amusing person. Having people like him around every once in a while keeps you on your toes. Surrounding yourself with people who share your world view on every little thing is just a little boring. He did wear on my patience though, so I could only handle him in short bursts.”
“You sure do love playing with fire…” Lawrence seemed disappointed with my answer. It’s almost as if he wished that I would condemn him outright. However, he quickly decided to drop it and continue his explanation. “So, after you took a few pictures of me and Krista, he called me outside to talk. Apparently, he was… not too happy about how today had gone. I mean, Krista had already primed him to hate me because of how… our relationship ended.” I decided not to pick the wound of how his adulterous reputation was a bed he had sown on his own and let him go on. “But between the botched basketball game and watching me stand next to her for all of those pictures…”
“Did the two of you get into a fight?”’
“It would’ve been much easier if it were just a fight.” He laughed to himself. “No, not at first. He started asking me questions.” Lawrence paused. It was a hesitation that was completely out of character for him.
“What?” My curiosity was piqued. “What kind of questions?”
“He was asking about my sister.”
“Your… sister? You mean Laura?”
I had not thought about Laura Young for months until that moment. She had graduated from Deer Valley high one year ago, just before we became Juniors. Of course I remembered her. There are very few people who stand out the way she does. It wasn’t just her beauty that had captivated so many people’s hearts. It was something far more subtle than that.
When most people engage in an act of kindness, they generally try to make a spectacle out of it for social credit. My photography club is the textbook definition of such a thing. At first glance, it appears to be the fun project of a photography-loving girl, just sharing her passion with the rest of the school. But the truth is, it’s a methodical apparatus created for the sake of gathering clout for my own benefit. I have no reservations about it. I enjoy meeting and talking to different people, and they enjoy having their pictures taken. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship between myself and the student body. However, Laura’s kindness is in complete contrast to her cold outer shell. She’s intimidating to approach. It’s probably the look she wears on her face. The one as if she’s about to verbally rip you to shreds if you so much at looked at her wrong. But when it comes down to it, there’s no one I’ve met that’s more caring than Laura Young.
“Why was he asking about your sister?” I asked.
“I don’t know exactly. He just kept asking stuff about her. They both go to Deer Valley State, right? And the kinds of questions he was asking… I... I think he’s going to mess with her.”
“Hmmm… Is that really true?”
“Huh?”
“Well, it just sounds like you’re the one he was getting a kick out of messing with. If he were going to do something to her then he wouldn’t go out of his way to warn you by asking about her.”
“Well, maybe, but…”
“Or what, did he make any demands of you? Something like, ‘don’t talk to Krista or I’ll harass your sister’ or something?”
“No, it wasn’t anything like that… he was just being weird.”
“You’re not being very helpful right now.”
“Right, sorry.”
“Don’t say sorry. Just tell me what kinds of questions he was asking.”
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
He paused.
“Like, if she was single, or if she was seeing anyone right now. Or what kind of guys she’s into. Or… if she’s a virgin.”
I sighed. That kind of childish ribbing sounded exactly like Enzo. Even after graduating he apparently still hadn’t changed.
“Yeah, he was definitely messing with you.”
“What? It sounds like he wants to make a move on her.”
I could only rub my temples in frustration. He was so on edge and defensive about his sister that he wasn’t thinking straight.
“Lawrence, come on. Why would he do that? If he’s upset with you because you hurt his girlfriend, then why would he get back at you by cheating on her just like you did? In fact, if you really think that, then why don’t you tell her what you just told me?”
“She won’t listen to me. She really hates me, you know.”
“Right…” I sighed, deciding not to push the issue.
“Anyway, I got into a fight with Enzo after that.”
“You did, huh?” There wasn’t so much as a scratch on him. Sure, his jacket and vest appeared slightly disheveled, but that was about it.
“Okay, it wasn’t much of a fight. We got pulled apart before it got too bad, but... I kinda lost it over those things he was saying. But like, you do get why I was so upset, right? I mean, Laura isn’t like that. She’s really religious, you know. She still goes to church every Sunday even after moving into her own dorm. She’s a very reserved and spiritual person. To have someone who doesn’t know anything about her ask questions like that, questions that almost, drag her down to their disgusting level, felt so unfair. I just don’t get it. Why couldn’t he just leave her out of it? What? Zoey, you’re making a face right now. Why are you making that face?”
What kind of face was I making, I wonder? What strange expression did his obscene description of his sister’s perceived purity drag out of me? I was usually so skilled at managing the faces I made in front of other people, and somehow, I had no idea what I looked like at that point in time.
“No, don’t worry about it,” I said. “Anyway, if all you needed is someone to lend you an ear then it’s fine, but I don’t know how I’m supposed to help you here…”
“I need you to make sure that nothing bad happens to Laura.”
“Excuse me?”
I was completely caught off guard. He wanted me to… protect her?
“Well, it can’t be me,” Lawrence said. “If I asked her she’d just think I was being nosy and ignore me completely. It has to be another girl. Preferably someone
she already has a history with.”
“Lawrence…”
“Please! I need you to do this!”
“I really, really don’t think it’s that serious. I think you should just drop this.”
“Come on, just help me.”
This was going nowhere fast. I already had Warren to deal with. The last thing I needed was this too. I needed to get him off this ridiculous idea as soon as possible.
“Lawrence, I need you to listen to me. It’s unfortunate that he got under your skin, but you’re probably overthinking it. I really don’t have the time to spare to go over some empty threats he made to get back at you. I’m sorry, but it’s just not going to happen.”
My words seemed to shut him up. He looked down at his hands. I thought that that would be the end of it. I’d said no, he would reluctantly turn away, and our lives would continue on diverging paths until our next meeting. Oh, if only I hadn’t underestimated his affection for his sister.
“Zoey…” he said my name with something sinister lurking in his voice. “Are you sure you shouldn’t be listening to me right now?”
“I don’t follow. Why should I be?”
“Well, if you don’t go along with what I say, and something happens to Laura as a result of that, then do you really think you’ll come out of this unscathed?”
“Please elaborate.”
“From the fact that you’ve been using me to spy on other students, to also helping me hook up with other girls at school. Wouldn’t it suck for you if everyone learned about how much of a pervert you are?”
“What? Don’t be obtuse. Having that come out would hurt you too.”
“Do you think I care about that when she’s in danger?”
“She’s not in danger.”
“SHE’S IN DANGER, ZOEY!”
His voice boomed throughout the interior of the car, dominating the space of the conversation. He was forcing me to be aware of the differences in our sex. Reminding me that, as a man, he held the power in a conversation gone south.
“Sorry. I don’t know what’s coming over me. I really don’t want to have to threaten you. I just... I don’t know what else to do. I need you with me on this.”
I had thought, up until that point, that homecoming could not have gotten worse for me. Naively, I believed that Warren learning so much about me would be the end of it. But here we had Lawrence, who had clearly lost his marbles over a ridiculous dick-measuring contest related to his ex.
I could have asserted myself there, but his emotional instability made it a gamble. So what if I let all of his secrets out? It’s just one year of high school, it’s not like it’ll affect the rest of his life. There’s no reason he shouldn’t call my bluff. But what else could I do? My options were narrowing, and I needed to turn this around quickly.
“Lawrence,” I said softly, reaching out and placing my hand onto his.
“Don’t touch me,” Lawrence said. But I didn’t respond. He could have easily pulled his hand away. Yes, doing so would have been child’s play for him. Yet despite voicing resistance, he hesitated. His hand stayed placed firmly on his leg. “Didn’t you hear me? I said...”
Having thought about it for a moment, he finally tried moving his hand away. But I had no plans to let up. My fingers curled between his burly knuckles, allowing our palms to share a deep kiss. The sudden action caused him to freeze up.
“H-hey, what are you-”
“Lawrence, do you see me as a woman?”
A complete non-sequitur. That was probably what he thought. His eyes were locked on my smiling expression, and his face was quickly turning red. Things were moving faster than he could process. He couldn’t control the situation. And I had no plans on letting his mind catch up to reality.
“What? As a woman…?”
“Am I a woman to you? Am I attractive? Do you like this? Did you want to hold me the first time we spoke back then?”
“Huh? Zoey, I don’t…”
“I guess what I’m trying to ask is… did you want to sleep with me?” I leaned in closer.
“Ah, I mean, yeah… I did. I just… I didn’t think you wanted to…”
“Let’s forget about whether I wanted to or not. You did, right?”
“What? Well, yeah. But why-” Before he could respond, I pulled my hand away from his and my smile disappeared. Why is it so easy to get people to loosen up with just a smile? Without fail, with just a simple tug of the lips, all the anxiety on their face is flushed away.
“Yes, why?” I asked. “Why did you feel so at ease making a move like that with me, someone you’d barely exchanged words with, but the second someone asks about your sister, your first thought is that she’s in ‘danger’? It’s the same situation, isn’t it? A guy expresses his sexual interest in a girl his age, and attempts to make an advance on her…” my voice trailed off, allowing him to fill in the blanks for himself.
“No, I mean yeah, you’re right. But... she’s different. She’s my sister.”
“Right, your sister. But what if I weren’t an only child? What if I was someone else’s sister? Would that brother of mine consider me to have been in danger when you lured me into that room with you?”
“I’m not proud of that, you know.”
“Okay, what about Suzie then? Is she in danger?”
“Stop talking about other girls. Laura isn’t like any of them. She’s saving herself for marriage.”
“So when she’s married you’ll be fine with her husband filling her insides up like a car at the pump?”
“What the fuck is wrong with you?!”
“I’ll tell you what’s wrong with me, Lawrence.” Rather than flinching at his yell, I leaned forward assertively. I was ready for it this time, and that fact seemed to startle him. “You’ve done nothing but bait women with the promise of romantic relationships in order to sleep with them for almost as long as I’ve known you. You’ve done it with no consideration for their feelings or how you might hurt them in the long run. Just dancing to the tune of that ugly snake between your legs without cause or concern for the mental anguish you might be causing them.”
“No, that’s…”
“Different? Are you going to say it’s different? To the person those girls all run to crying after you’ve broken their hearts? The one who’s tasked with mending your reputation every single time?”
Lawrence held his tongue.
“The only thing different in those situations has been arbitrarily decided by you and you alone. If you can’t see how hypocritical you’re being right now despite how obvious I’m making it for you, then we’re done. Forget about me helping your sister, and forget about me easing the general student body’s minds about your sexual escapades. And definitely forget about me being a shoulder for these girls after you break their hearts into a million pieces.”
“Am I that wrong for wanting to protect my sister from that freak?! You’re forgetting that he only brought her up to mess with me.”
“I don’t care about that. I just think you’re wrong for being selective about it. Is everyone aside from your sister free game? Why does she deserve respect while everyone else has to be a piece of meat for your own sexual gratification?”
At my words, he paused and stared out through the windshield. It was not a contemplative stare. He wasn’t seriously considering my words at all.
“I’m a man. Of course I’m going to want to bang as many chicks as I can. I’m not going to apologize for that. I never will.” Once he said those words, he turned back to face me with pleading eyes. “But Laura… we grew up together. We were like best friends. We’re not on the greatest of terms right now, but I… really don’t want her to get wrapped up in something bad because of me.”
This was the first time I’d ever seen Lawrence as vulnerable as he was in that moment. The sound of a man brought to his knees out of his love for someone other than himself. His threats against me did nothing but highlight his desperation. He must have really thought that Enzo was going to do something.
“Don’t project your feelings onto your sister. If she wants to have sex with men who show an interest in her then that’s her decision. Not yours.”
“No, this is…”
He looked away, so I placed my hand on his chin and forced him to turn to me. His eyes showed a weakness I had never seen in him before. His usual cool confident gaze had melted away. He was far from being the Law, that fair and understanding figure that everyone at school knew and loved. He was a fragile, worried brother who was doing his best to protect a member of his family.
“Do you really want me to do this?” I asked with a renewed, calm tone of voice. It was an amusing sight to behold. With just those words, color returned to his pupils, as if he had been granted the one thing that would help him out of the abyss he was walking towards.
“Yes, please. I need this.” At his words, I dropped my hand from his face and pulled my phone out. Laura should have still been in my contact list. I didn’t imagine that she changed her number for any reason. “Thanks, Zoey.”
I silenced him by raising my hand, and put my phone on speaker once I called. It took a few rings for her to pick up, but eventually, the ringing was replaced with the sound of the air conditioning in her dorm.
“Oh, Zoey? Well, that’s a rare surprise. What’s up? How’s homecoming?”
“It was quite the sight to behold. I’m sure you know about it though. There’s no way it hasn’t gone viral.”
“Oh, yeah. Benjamin and the game. I wonder how he feels right now.”
She could have easily admonished him for attacking the referee and losing us the game. That’s what the general reaction has been for the entirety of homecoming. But somehow, the only thing she’d been concerned about were his feelings.
“Yeah, I think he has some stuff to figure out. Anyway, that’s not why I called you tonight. I was thinking about my options for colleges and was wondering if you could help me out by giving me a tour of the campus. Like, say… tomorrow?”
“Oh, that’s smart. Looking into that early might put you ahead of everyone else. Hmm, tomorrow though… I’m not sure. I kind of already have plans. I can do the next Saturday though.”
“Next Saturday then? Sure, that sounds good. Just let me know when you’ll have the time.”
“Cool, let’s do it.”
“I’ll see you then, thanks.”
“Sure. See you next weekend, Oh, and say hi to Larry for me.”
“I will.”
I hung up the phone, then turned to face Lawrence. “Happy, Larry?”
“Don’t call me that.” He was blushing. Anyone who knows Lawrence knew that he hated being called Larry. He only accepted being called Law or Lawrence. Yet apparently, his sister seemed to hold special privileges as far as that was concerned. “Anyway, thanks.”
“Don’t thank me. If I’m doing this, then the two of us are over.”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“You just threatened me. What, did you think I was going to just continue to clean up your messes after that? I’m doing this to buy my freedom from you. And after this, I’m done with you. Outside of the one favor you owe me, we’re probably not going to be helping each other after this. If you’re not okay with that, then I can call Laura right now and tell her I changed my mind.”
“I…”
“But you won’t, will you? Because you’re absolutely terrified that Enzo’s looking at your sister the same way you look at me. It’s a gut-wrenching terror. Like a mirror is being held directly in front of your face, yet you just can’t seem to accept it.”
“Zoey…”
“It’s okay Lawrence. I’ll help you.” His head jolted up to look at me. “I’ll make sure no one lays a hand on Laura. Not Enzo, not anyone.”
“Thank… thank you.”
His feeble smile betrayed the confident, cool Lawrence that everyone knew. The love he had for a member of his family had reduced him to this. Tristan said earlier today that I wasn’t capable of love. That he had felt an emptiness in me when he hacked me that told him as much. So what is it that I felt when I saw Lawrence, who was brought to his knees by love? Envy? Disgust? I couldn’t say exactly.
But I certainly felt something. And to explore that something would only be possible when I finally meet with Laura Young, the source of his troubled emotions.