Page 90 of Jerk
“Social suicide.” Sitting up, I piece everything together as my gaze stays on Krystal. Tears fill her eyes before she wipes them away as quickly as they came. “I wish I could kill my father," I admit, a hurricane in my stomach. "I actually just wish he would die.” Krystal’s brows furrow, then her brother’s voice hits my head.
“You can’t fight your villains alone, Alfonso.”
Sucking in a deep breath, I exhale before I speak again, “My father is… abusive. I got sent here because he attacked my mother, and I tried to stop him.” My throat tightens, but I push the rest of my words out. “If I had more guts, I would’ve killed him too.”
Silence takes over the room again, but something shifts as the tightness in my chest releases. I never thought I’d admit that. My old therapist told my father everything, and I learned early to keep my true feelings inside.
Krystal lets out a laugh, breaking the silence. “No shit, Alfonso.” The way she says my name like her brother makes my stomach twist. “Is that why you walk around with a stick up your ass?”
It’s hard not to smile at the similarities the Rowen siblings have. For a second, it feels like I’m speaking to Rye. A more approachable version of him, anyway. I ignore the question.
“Did Rye know?” I ask, his face taking over my mind again. That crooked smile. That confident grin. The anger that flowed out of him. “About what you did?”
“Before you told our mom? Yes. While my family was trying to prepare a statement on his death, Ryung was trying to protect me. He didn’t want me to go away again.”
“So why the hell did you come after me?”
“Rye’s been trying to take you down since I got back here.” She shrugs, her head hitting the dirty wall that her bed rests against. “I worried you’d retaliate, and I was sick of not having any power. I was sick of not having any of my own control.”
“I get it.”
“Rye said I needed to be the new queen bee or The Hill would eat me alive, considering how I left." Right. Krystal was a notorious party girl. One even I couldn't keep up with. "I thought you’d come back swinging at some point, and I knew Ryung would take the fall for what I did, so I took my chance to be on top.”
A surprising smile settles on my face, finally hearing an explanation for everything. “You know, I would’ve done the same.”
“Yeah, you would’ve. Then I felt extra threatened when I saw how close you and Rye got."
Her words hit my chest like a mallet.“I don’t know if I’d consider us close.”
Krystal arches a brow like I’ve said gibberish. “You’re kidding.”
“No, he hates me.”
“For someone so quick on her toes, it baffles me that you don’t know he doesn't hate you." Krystal laughs again, wiping away more tears. “He’s obsessed with you. Can’t you tell? He’s never been this flustered by anyone. Not even our father. You’re the only person to ever match his energy.”
My face scrunches. “And look where it got me. I was so mad at everything, I stabbed my father in his leg with a fireplace poker."
“That’s it?” Krystal asks, her brows rising. “Lucky fucker.”
That makes me laugh, our giggles filling the room like we’re best friends at a sleepover.
“I’m sorry I shared the video with your mom,” I say, my body relaxing into the firm mattress. “I got expelled and saw red.”
“I’m sorry I attacked you in the hall," she says, a small smile lingering on her face. Mine too. “Hey, Hannah? Why did you leak the story about my brother and the coach’s wife?”
“He didn’t tell you?” Of course, he didn’t. “He shared my nude photo around the school last semester.”
“And you don’t think that was a big retaliation? He lost everything.”
“You’re defending him? You think I deserved to have a picture of my body shared around the school? I did not consent to that.” I hope she doesn’t see my cheeks redden when I’m reminded of all the things Ididconsent to. “He humiliated me. He made me powerless. So I wanted to show him I could do the same.” And we’ve been fighting for power ever since. “I didn’t think it would get as big as it did. By the tenth headline, I shoved any guilt I felt aside and told myself that he started it.” My voice trails when I realize I sound like a child.
“Okay, you have a point." Krystal stalls, like she’s running calculations in her head. “Wait, why were you guys sharing nudes?”
My stomach flips. The smirk on her face tells me she knows, but she's making me spell it out. “We sent a few pictures back and forth last semester. He sent me a dick pic. Marisol saw it and showed it to some of the girls on campus. Rye got wind of it. So he shared my nude. And if I’m honest, it was a good one. Just didn’t think the entire campus would see it.”
Krystal takes a minute before her mouth twists. “Ew, okay, you shouldn’t have shown Marisol, but she also shouldn’t have shared it.”
“No, she shouldn’t have.”
