Page 39 of Evil Queen

Again, Cherri socked Colette right in the face. That time, she flew back and collapsed on the floor, a splatter of blood splashing across the concrete.

“Colette, stop it,” I said.

She ignored me entirely as she stood up off the ground again and got back in Cherri’s face. More and more people left the sad scene behind as each time Colette got back up, Cherri knocked her back down. Eventually, it was just Colette, Cherri, Sicily, and me in the courtyard. On the last of a series of hits, either because she was growing angrier or because she was ready for the interaction to be over, Cherri cocked her fist back as far as she could, and when it slammed into Colette’s face, her entire body rigidified, and her eyes rolled into the back of her head. As quickly as I could, I slid behind Colette’s body as she fell backward, sending us both toppling to the ground.

Sicily jumped up to grab Cherri’s arm and pulled her back. “All right, Cherri. That’s enough.”

“That’s what she wanted,” Cherri snapped back. She looked down at me, and all I could do was glare up at her with Colette’s limp body collapsed against mine. “Keep her away from me.”

“I knew Deon before you,” I said. “He’d appreciate that you are tough, but he wouldn’t like knowing you’re evil.”

Cherri pulled back. “What’d you just say?”

“You heard me,” I growled back. “He wouldn’t accept this.”

For a long time, Cherri just looked back at me, but her pupils were shifting in all directions, and I could tell she was considering what I’d said. Finally, though, they settled back into their same steel, and she wrinkled up her nose at me. “Just stay away from me. All of you.”

With that, Cherri stepped over Colette and me as we slumped on the floor and walked back into school.

“Jeez,” Sicily said, rubbing the back of his head. “What do you need me to do?”

“If you’re gonna support her, then nothing,” I spat back. “She’ll listen to you if you even try to talk some sense into her. That’s not Cherri, and you know it.”

Sicily nodded. “Yeah, I know, but I can’t blame her. Can you?” It was clear on Sicily’s face that he, either from being insightful or from knowing more than he was letting on, could tell I related to Cherri’s plight as much as I was against it. He didn’t rush an answer out of me, but when it was clear that I wasn’t going to answer him, he nodded. “Yeah. Exactly.” He stepped over Colette and me too. “See ya, Nikita.”

The bell rang to signify classes restarting as Sicily walked into the school and out of sight, but I didn’t even try to move. Instead, I settled back, repositioning Colette in my arms, and just waited. I’d been in more than my fair share of scraps in my day and knew that she wasn’t concussed or suffering from any serious injuries. It was just a matter of waiting until she regained consciousness. Still, both her eyes were totally swollen and already turning black and blue, and her lower lip was also cut and bleeding. I used the edge of my jacket to dab as much of the blood away as I could, but she’d need a formal cleaning up once she came to. She would probably be wearing the battle scars from that fight for several weeks.

After almost an entire class period, Colette shifted in my lap, let out a groan, and then opened her eyes as much as she could with the swelling. It broke my heart how little she could open her eyes, even more so when tears started to slide out of them that I knew weren’t from the physical pain.

“Is Cherri still here?” she asked.

“No,” I replied. “She left.”

“Did she say she’d forgive Avery?” I let out a sigh before I could stop it from coming out, and Colette started to cry a little harder. “I’m not stupid, you know, Nikita? I’m one of the smartest ones in our whole group.”

“I know that,” I replied. “That’s why I don’t get it. Why do so much? Why keep giving Cherri the time? Doesn’t it upset you how she’s acting?”

“She’s my friend,” Colette replied, “and I want Avery to feel better again. I know that they were closer to each other than they were to me. I even knew that they probably didn’t like me a whole lot. I’m vain and kind of stuck up and full of myself, but at the end of the day, you guys are my friends. I’m that way because you guys just accepted me like I was. Cherri did too. I want her to know that, even if this is how she’s going to be from now on, I’ll accept her, and I know Avery would as well.”

“Neither you nor Avery deserves that.” My arms were half wrapped around her, so I squeezed a bit in a sort of half-hug. “You’re a good person. No one deserves to be treated this way.”

“You saw it too,” Colette said. “That look in her eyes. She didn’t want to hit me. Not at first.” I had seen that look. It was brief and fleeting, but it was there. “Somewhere between the Cherri we knew and this version of Cherri is the genuine article. I want her to know that we’ll be with her while she tries to figure herself out and while she tries to get over Deon. She’s angry right now. I can’t blame her.”

“No offense, Colette, but I did not expect you to be the most forgiving and humble out of all of us.”

Colette laughed a little, wincing in pain as she did it. “Yeah. That’s fair.”

“I don’t think anything we have to say to Cherri is going to change her right now,” I said. “She needs to go on whatever journey she thinks she’s on, and then, maybe, once it’s all over, there could be a place for us in her life again.” I wiped some of the tears from Colette’s face. “We’re all starting over from square one. I now realize just how much I love all of you guys, and I can’t just stand back while she continues to hurt you. Whatever she needs to go through, I get it, but I’m not going to let her take out her anger on us. We don’t deserve that any more than she deserved what happened to her.”

Colette nodded. “Maybe you’re right.” She smiled a little. “Jaxon was pretty upset, wasn’t he?”

“Yeah, he’s…” I shook my head. “I’ve never seen him like this before, Colette. You’ve got him right where you want him.”

She let out a squawk that was either meant to be a giggle or a cheer. I wasn’t sure which. “Sooner or later, they all come after me.”

I laughed. “I love you.”

Colette looked up at me. “Really?”

“Yeah,” I said.

She squeezed my arms. “I love you too, Nikki. I’m glad we’re friends.”

“Me too.”

Every time I thought the year had brought the last of its surprises, it threw me another curveball. The respect I’d developed for Colette was beyond measure. So too was the despise that I was quickly developing for Cherri.

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