Page 8 of Twisted Minds

Derrick drops down next to me. There’s violent tension radiating off him in waves. It seeps into my skin making me uncomfortable. “Nothing. Just missed you.”

I snort. “Fuck off. What do you want?”

Clutching his chest like I hurt him, as if he has actual human feelings, his eyes turn up. I’d even believe it if I thought he was capable of being hurt or offended. “Just checking on my little arsonist.”

My blood runs cold.

Fuck him. My hands ball into fists. Bile crawls up my throat. I clutch my bag ready to make an escape, but he has me by the balls and I’m towing a line. I have to be careful. It’s getting harder and harder to play the role of friend to Derrick fucking Shaw. He has me by the throat, but what he doesn’t know is that I also have him.

Or at least, I’m doing my best to.

I’ll play the doting friend. I’ll act like I still buy all his bullshit, because if there’s one thing I intend to do before the school year runs out, it’s getting Derrick put away for a very, very long fucking time.

I know it won’t be easy, but I am doing it.

What I don’t need right now is this bullshit. I get up, but Derrick tugs me back down onto the ledge by my backpack. “Not so fast.”

“Get off me.”

“Where’s all this hostility coming from? Is missing his ass putting you in a mood? Is it that good?” Derrick smiles. I want to hit him. “Maybe I’ll have to try and see for myself.”

“Not worth the effort, believe me.” I feel like shit saying it, but I’m not about to let Derrick even think about Noah. Nothing good will come from that.

“Fine. Fine. Just relax, though. Jesus. You look like you’re going to jump out of your fucking skin. You know your secrets are safe with me, bestie.” Only they aren’t. Not even a little. The guilt of this summer eats away at me. I know I’m innocent, that isn’t even a question for me, but more than that, I know Derrick has something to do with it.

I just need him to slip up.

Until then I live in a constant state of anxiety. Sometimes I want someone to find out. Sometimes I think it would be easier if I was caught, even if I didn’t do it. Then I think about my mom,and I feel like shit all over. She’ll be so disappointed in me. When she finds out I lost my watch she’s going to skin me alive.

Glancing down at my naked wrist, I want to cry.Sorry,Morfar.I need my watch back, but getting that watch back means getting Derrick to confess to a crime he says I committed. “What was that slut yelling about anyway?” The hairs on the back of my neck rise.

Easy, temper. Just relax. This fucker will get his soon enough. “I broke it off,” I lie.

“Shame. Maybe I will give it a go. Women are pissing me off lately.”

I’m sure the feeling is mutal.“Not worth the drama. Clinger.” Derrick cringes. I feign nonchalance, not giving Derrick any reason to piss me off further. He’ll get bored, and I don’t want him anywhere around Noah so I add gas to the fire. “Planning our wedding and shit.”

“Okay, never mind.” Good. “Shame, though, that ass looks like it’s made to hug a cock.

I can’t do this. I need him gone. “Why did you want to talk to me?”

“I can’t just want to talk to my best friend?” I snort. Derrick runs a hand through his shaggy auburn hair. It’s quiet for a moment as that deadly tension seeps back in between us. “I got kicked off the team this morning.”

“What?!” Oh shit, what the hell happened? While Derrick gets himself caught up in a lot of bullshit, the one thing he doesn’t fuck around with is hockey. “What happened?”

“The team captain is a dick. He made up some bullshit so he could get me kicked off and get his fuck buddy Benson to replace me as goalie.” Holy shit. I’m not sure who the captain is but they just put a target on their back.

“That’s why you wanted to see me?”

“No. This happened a few hours ago.” Well, that explains the tension. I don’t envy this guy and the hell he’s just brought upon himself. The last person I’d want as an enemy is Derrick.

Although, I guess I’m already there, aren’t I?

I met Derrick last summer, and at first it was fun. For the first time ever, I had a friend group—people who accepted me. We partied, fucked around. I’d met Noah and we started hooking up. Slowly, though, Derrick’s real personality came through, and before I could walk away it was too late. The damage was done. And now I’m stuck being his punching bag, with no way out.

Not if I want Derrick to keep my secrets.

Derrick is the main link between me and the terrible thing I did—or at least, he thinks I believe I did. “What did you want from me then?” I hate to ask, but if this is going to work, I have to pretend. Maybe, though, with hockey out of the picture, he’ll want to party more. If I get him drunk enough maybe I can catch him. Take his phone. Delete the blackmail he’s using against me. Make him confess.

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