Elite - Chapter 19
Monday
“Please, Miller,” I said from the back seat.
I tried to hide my tears from him. Matt and Rob hadn’t shown up to our entrepreneurship class.
I hadn’t seen any of the Untouchables the rest of the day.
Even Isabella had left me all alone. Felix was ghosting me.
And Kennedy hadn’t shown up with a smile and her camera at my locker to walk me out of school.
It was like the whole school was hushed.
And being alone with my thoughts? I felt like I was being swallowed whole.
I needed my best friend. I had to go see Kennedy.
I needed to fix whatever was broken between us before I lost everything.
“She’s not on the list,” Miller said.
“Please.” My voice cracked.
He didn’t respond. He just kept driving in the opposite direction of my old neighborhood. “Only if you tell me what’s wrong,” he said.
I lifted my face out of my hands. “It doesn’t matter.” Blabbing on Isabella the first time just made everything worse. I wouldn’t be making the same mistake twice like I had at lunch. As far as I was concerned, around Mr. Pruitt and his staff, Isabella’s name would never fall from my lips again.
“It matters. Tell me and I’ll turn the car around.”
For the first time since James had lunged across the table at Matt, I felt a teensy bit of hope. Miller was going to let me see Kennedy. “There was a fight at school…”
“Are you okay? Did you get hurt?”
“No. Nothing like that.” How could I say this without incriminating my devil sister? “Everything just blew up between some of my friends. Matt…he…lied.” I know he technically just hadn’t told me the truth. But the truth was momentous enough that his omission felt even worse than a lie.
Miller kept driving in the wrong direction, so I figured he needed more than that.
“James is upset with him. They’re all upset with each other. And I just need to talk to Kennedy.”
He still didn’t turn around.
“I think she’s upset about what happened at Felix’s this weekend. I haven’t had a chance to clear the air with her.”
No response.
“And Felix is mad at me too. I’m pretty sure you already knew that. Can you please, please just take me to Kennedy’s? She’s the only person still speaking to me and I’m worried that she’s going to pull the plug on our friendship too. And I don’t know what I’d do without her.”
Miller put on his blinker and I breathed a sigh of relief.
I didn’t say anything else in fear that he’d change his mind. When we pulled up to the curb of my old apartment building, I practically flew out of the car.
I pressed the call button. “Mrs. Alcaraz, it’s me…”
The door buzzed before I even had a chance to explain why I was there. I didn’t even realize that Miller was following me until I heard his heavy footsteps behind me on the rickety old stairs.
Mrs. Alcaraz was standing in her doorway, an apron around her waist and the smell of delicious food hanging in the air around her.
“Mi amor.” She pulled me into her embrace and I felt calmer than I had in days.
The familiar smell of spices in the air and the soft fabric of her worn clothes almost made me want to start crying again, but this time from joy.
It was so good to be home. She squeezed me so tight, like she was happy I was home too. I didn’t ever want to let go.
“I’m so glad you’re here. She won’t talk to me,” Mrs. Alcaraz said. “I’m worried sick.”
I pulled myself out of her arms. I guess I wasn’t the only one worried about Kennedy. But Kennedy and her mom talked about everything. I was surprised Mrs. Alcaraz wasn’t shaking her head at me for being a terrible friend.
“No,” she said before I could respond. “You are not allowed in my home. Be gone.”
I turned around to see Miller standing there awkwardly. “It’s okay, Mrs. Alcaraz. He’s one of the good ones.”
She’d reserved all her head shaking for Miller. “Nunca. Not in mi casa.” She untied her apron like she was going to whack him with it.
“Please, Mrs. Alcaraz.” I grabbed her hand to prevent her from whatever she was about to do. “I’m not allowed to come in unless he comes too.”
She sighed and lowered her slapping hand. “Mi amor, do not trust a rat.”
It was probably one of the rudest things I had ever heard her say. But I didn’t have the energy to diffuse the tension. I needed to see Kennedy.
“Please just don’t touch anything,” I said to Miller as I stepped past Mrs. Alcaraz.
The last thing I needed was for him to turn over every lamp and couch cushion in their small apartment.
There wasn’t anything dangerous here. Especially since it seemed like the only person who wanted me dead was Isabella.
And she’d never be caught dead in a place like this.
I knocked on Kennedy’s bedroom door but there was no response. Less than a week ago, this had been my room too. As far as I was concerned, she couldn’t kick me out of our room. I opened the door.
Kennedy was curled up in a ball on her bed, staring at the wall. Staring at nothing at all.
“Kennedy?”
She didn’t turn her head, but I heard the distinct sound of her sniffling.
“Kennedy?”
She still didn’t acknowledge me.
And that was fine. Because I knew what she needed, and right now that wasn’t words.
I kicked off my shoes and climbed in bed beside her.
I wrapped my arms around her and her body shuddered as her tears started anew.
I just held her tighter. And the longer she let me hold her like this, the more sure I was that I wasn’t the one she was mad at.
“Tell me what’s wrong,” I whispered.
“I can’t.”
“You can tell me anything. You know that.”
She wiped at her eyes and turned to face me. “I lied at lunch. I’m not dating Cupcake anymore.”
“What happened?”
She sniffed. “He dumped me.”
So maybe I wasn’t the only one that understood her confession of falling for drug dealers, plural. “Well, he’s an idiot,” I said. “Screw him.”
She didn’t say anything. “I told him I loved him. The day before we all hung out. And he said it back. How could he just change his mind?” She pulled her knees up to her chest.
“Like I said, he’s an idiot. Hey,” I said and grabbed her knee. “Don’t waste any more time thinking about him.”
“How can I not? I gave him everything. He tricked me.”
My stomach dropped. “What do you mean by that?”
“That wasn’t the first time he drugged me without me knowing, Brooklyn. I didn’t even have any idea he was selling. God, I’m such an idiot. Apparently I was high when I told him I loved him the other night. And when I let him have sex with me.” Her voice was so quiet, I barely even heard her.
“What?”
“I barely even remember my first time, Brooklyn. He used me. And I let him.” She started crying again.
I pulled her into my chest. A million thoughts were running through my head.
Wasn’t that rape? She needed to tell someone.
She needed to get tested. She needed to…
I looked down at the top of her head. Right now, she needed to cry.
And she needed someone to hold her. I cried too.
For everything she lost. For how much she was hurting.
I cried because she’d been alone in this secret for days.
I was so acutely aware of my own pain, how had I not seen hers?
“I really liked him, Brooklyn,” she sobbed. “And I thought he liked me back. Why does no one ever like me back?” Her body shuddered as she cried.
I held her until she ran out of tears.
“You need to tell your mom about this, Kennedy.”
“How? She’d be so ashamed of me.”
“No, she’ll hurt for you. She’ll be mad for you. But she won’t be ashamed. He took advantage of you, Kennedy. He can’t just do that and get away with it.”
“Of course he can.” She finally looked up at me.
“You really think our lawyer - the one who couldn’t even get you away from the Pruitts - is going to get some kind of justice against the Dicksons?
Everyone at Empire High can get away with anything they want.
Except for us.” She sat up and wiped the remaining tears from her eyes. “I just feel so dumb.”
“You’re not dumb, Kennedy.” I sat up too.
“Everyone else knew he was selling except me.”
“I didn’t. Hey.” I grabbed her hand. “You’re one of the smartest kids at Empire High. Everyone else goes there because their parents pay the exorbitant tuition. You’re there because you’re smarter than everyone else. And you’re going to go farther than everyone else too. We both are.”
She sighed. “Well, I might be book-smart. But not relationship-smart. I asked Cupcake to stop selling. That’s why he dumped me.
Apparently money and cocaine are more important to him than I am.
” She shook her head, but the sadness was gone from her voice.
The fiery Kennedy I knew was back. “Puta mierda.”
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing worth repeating. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I was just so mad. And then embarrassed. And then I couldn’t even think about it without crying.” She looked determined not to cry again.
“Can I tell you something if you promise not to get mad?” I asked.
She nodded.
“I’ve always hated Cupcake.”
She laughed. “Yeah, I kinda figured you hadn’t forgiven him for nailing you in the face with a dodgeball.”
“I mean…who does something like that?”
“Cupcake. Ugh. And what a gross nickname.”
“Right?! Seriously, if that kid went to my school back home, he would have been made fun of so hard.”
“I’m just pissed that I already wasted money on a homecoming dress.”
I looked over at the beautiful purple dress hanging in her closet. “I don’t think that should go to waste,” I said.
“Homecoming is this Saturday. I won’t find a date before then.”
“Me either. Which is why we’re going together. We’ll make everyone there so jealous that they didn’t think to go with a friend instead.”
She suddenly looked sad again. “I’m sorry, I didn’t even ask you about what’s going on with Matt. Did you talk to him after lunch?”
“No. All the Untouchables kind of disappeared from school after that.” I tried not to think about the fact that it bothered me that Matt hadn’t reached out.
I didn’t blame him for running after James.
But it was like he’d completely forgotten that the news would affect me too.
“But I’m definitely not going to homecoming with him after that.
And Felix isn’t talking to me. So…will you go with me?
” I’d gone from two dates to none. And I was actually a little relieved. A girls’ night sounded so much better.
“It’s a date,” she said with a laugh. “Do you know what you’re going to wear?”
I had dozens of appropriate dresses now.
But they weren’t me. There was only one dress that I wanted to wear.
The blue one my mom used to wear on special occasions when I was growing up.
I just hoped it would fit me as well as it had fit my mom.
I’d never tried it on before. “Mhm. I already have the perfect dress picked out.”
“I should probably get some homework done. I’ve gotten a little behind over the weekend.”
I climbed off her bed. “Will you tell your mom?” I asked before I could stop myself.
Mrs. Alcaraz would know what to do. And I knew Kennedy would feel better once it was off her chest.
She nodded. “But don’t tell anyone else, okay?”
“I won’t.” Even though all I wanted to do was storm over to Cupcake’s and kick him right in the nuts.
Or ask Mr. Pruitt to sic his lawyers on him.
But what good would that do? Kennedy couldn’t get her virginity back.
She couldn’t undo that night. And Cupcake would always be an asshole.
I’d stay silent because she asked me to.
But I really hoped she wouldn’t stay silent.
I closed the door behind me. Matt had stopped me from trying to have sex with him when I’d accidentally eaten tons of pot sugarcakes.
He promised to be all my firsts. But I was so grateful that he hadn’t taken that one too.
I was done with him. Done with the Untouchables. Done with all the boys at Empire High.