Page 27 of My Rules for Revenge (Twisted YA Mysteries #1)

When we parked in the theater lot, Heather yanked us out of the car and made us run inside.

We paid for our tickets in the lobby and made our way to the concession stand.

Heather told me that the theater industry was a giant scam and that they sold snacks at insane prices to make up for movie ticket losses.

Despite that, I still wanted popcorn. The warm, buttery smell shot straight into my nose from behind the counter. I was convinced.

I stared at the popcorn machine as it popped and sizzled.

I stood so close that the golden light reflected off my face.

When I glanced up, I noticed a classmate from Brightwood High was at the cash register.

He had a protruding belly and a fading hairline.

His name was Carlos. Apparently, he had no shame at all because he made no effort to hide the fact that he was staring right at me. I swear he almost started drooling.

“Hey, what can I get you?” Carlos asked.

“Just a small popcorn, please,” I replied.

“Four dollars and seventy-nine cents.”

While I searched for the money in my purse, he slowly leaned over and squinted at me.

“Don’t I know you from somewhere?”

“Yeah, I think so,” I said.

“Where do you go to school?”

“I go to Brightwood High.”

“I go there too. I think we have a class together,” Carlos pointed out.

“We don’t have a class together,” I clarified.

“Damn. You sound sure about that,” he remarked.

“I remember everyone in my classes. I would’ve remembered you,” I assured.

Carlos creepily smiled. I found the money and placed it on the counter. He gawked at me as he slid the money into the cash register.

“So, you would’ve remembered me. That’s interesting.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked.

“Oh, c’mon. You know what you’re doing. What’s your name?” he asked.

“My name is Indira.”

“I’m Carlos. It’s nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you, too. Do I wait here for the popcorn?” I asked.

Carlos looked around. I followed his eyes and saw no one in the vicinity. I had no idea where Heather and Vivian went. I grew nervous. I was about to walk away without the popcorn just so I could get away from that creep.

“Yeah, wait here. It’s cooking right now. It’ll be ready in a few minutes. Sorry about that,” Carlos said apologetically.

I peeked inside the machine and saw that it was completely full. He noticed and laughed nervously.

“Oh, no. This isn’t the one we use. This is like a prop. It’s for show.”

“Oh.”

“What movie are you watching?”

“I’m not sure.”

“What? You bought a ticket to a movie, and you don’t know what it is? That’s pretty weird. Are you messing with me?” Carlos asked.

“No, sorry. I forgot the name. I’m not messing with you.”

“Can I have your phone number?” Carlos asked.

“I’m sorry?”

“Listen, I think you’re cute, and I would like to go out with you sometime,” Carlos suggested.

“Oh, wow! Thank you, but I like to keep my phone number private. I’m sorry. Do you think that popcorn is ready yet?” I asked.

Carlos leaned in closer and whispered.

“I’ll be honest, Indira. I’ve heard rumors about you. I’ve heard you like to get around. Look, there’s no judgment from me. You’re a girl who likes to have fun, and I’m a guy who likes that about you. We can have fun together, and no one has to know. It can be our little secret,” Carlos suggested.

My cheeks flushed red as my stomach turned, as I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

Rumors that I liked to get around? It was unbelievable.

I barely spoke with anyone at school, and I sure as hell wasn’t having sex with a bunch of guys.

This bit of news was incredibly frustrating.

I was so angry I wanted to grab Carlos’ head and forcibly push it through the counter’s window, shattering it.

“I have no idea where you heard those rumors, but they’re not true at all. I would like my popcorn now, please. My friends are probably waiting for me,” I explained.

“Damn, you’re a tease. Look, I know that you don’t have any friends. What else do you do in your spare time? We know you’re a little freak. The sexy, nerdy Latinas always are,” Carlos reassured me.

I was so taken aback, I stammered, and no words came out. Before Carlos said anything else, Heather came over.

“Indira, is everything okay? Commercials are about to end,” Heather announced.

“Yeah, I’m coming now.”

I started to walk with her, but Carlos continued.

“Indira, wait. You’re forgetting your popcorn.”

He gave me a toothy smile as he held it in his hand. I looked at Heather, and she must’ve realized that I was really annoyed.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Heather asked.

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine.”

I quickly leaned over to whisper in Heather’s ear what he had said to me.

“Are you freaking kidding me?”

Heather zoomed over to the counter in a flash. She slammed her hands down and glared at Carlos with pure fury in her eyes.

“What the hell are you doing to my friend?”

“What? Me? I wasn’t doing anything. I was just talking to her,” Carlos said fearfully.

“What were you talking to her about?” Heather asked.

“Excuse me, lady. That is private. Just because you’re a customer doesn’t entitle you to talk down to me like that. If you continue, I’m gonna have to ask you to leave,” Carlos warned.

Heather scoffed. She glanced back at me and then at the floor. She snatched the bag of popcorn from him and shot it right back in his face.

“Dude, what the hell?”

“If you say any more perverted things to her, I’ll stuff your bald-ass head in that popcorn machine until you bleed,” Heather threatened.

“You’re crazy. You better get out of here before I call my manager.”

“I hope you do. I’ll suffocate him too for hiring a molester. You’ve got two tiny brain cells fighting for control in that soft little head, don’t you?”

Carlos gaped as Heather led me to our theater.

“I’ll remember that. Trust me, I’ll remember that,” Carlos threatened.

“That’s the idea, you fried idiot!” Heather exclaimed.

“Thank you, Heather. I don’t know what got into that guy. He was saying all kinds of crazy stuff. I don’t even know him,” I pointed out.

“Man, that guy was a total douchebag. He goes to Brightwood, doesn’t he?”

“Yep.”

“If I ever see him again, I’ll smash his head through a desk.”

“That sounds very painful.”

“That’s the point,” Heather said, annoyed.

Before we went inside, Heather stopped.

“Indira, I’m going to tell you something that I don’t think anyone else has told you in your life,” Heather said.

“Okay.”

“This isn’t supposed to come across as mean, but it might. This is a tough pill to swallow, but you need to know this,” Heather assured me.

“Okay.”

“I’m not always going to be there to protect you. You’re going to have to stand up for yourself in these types of situations and fight back. If you don’t, everyone’s going to think they can walk all over you.”

“Right, I understand.”

“If I were you, I’d get a little revenge on him,” Heather suggested.

“What do you mean?”

“Just so he doesn’t do this sort of thing again. That would teach him a lesson,” Heather clarified.

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“C’mon, it’ll be fun. We should pay off a girl from our school and have her flirt with him. Afterwards, once she’s gone far enough with him, we’ll tell her to convince him to send her a dick pic.”

“Oh my god. That’s crazy,” I exclaimed.

“Crazy? It’s genius. We can then leak it and humiliate him. He’ll never bother another girl again,” Heather assured.

“That sounds like it would work, but it would just create more problems. Thank you for standing up for me, Heather. I think things are fine now,” I remarked.

“If you say so. You’re kind of like Vivian, huh? You don’t like stirring up trouble. You like studying and keeping to yourself,” Heather pointed out.

“Exactly. I’m focused on school. I don’t want any other drama in my life.”

“I respect that.”

“Cool!” I exclaimed.

“We’re missing the movie!” Heather shrieked as she dragged me inside.

We both giggled as a few audience members shushed us.

When the movie ended, I surprised myself by having sex on my mind.

There was a lot of it in the movie, and Carlos’ nonsense made me think about it a lot.

I didn’t know much about it and never asked my parents, because it was a forbidden word to them.

To be honest, I became really interested in it because of Eddy.

Sex only became more real to me when I imagined with whom I would do it.

During the car ride home, Heather and Vivian were laughing and having a great time. I felt left out, but I had to understand that they had been best friends for a long time. They had a history I knew nothing about.

“Heather, Vivian, sorry to interrupt, but I have a question.”

They quieted down and looked at me simultaneously.

“Shh, the great Indira has a question,” Heather joked.

“Yes, Indira. You may ask us this question,” Vivian added.

“It’s about sex,” I clarified.

They looked at each other and burst out laughing. Their laughter was so infectious that I doubled over—hysterically giggling.

“Indira, that might be the funniest thing you’ve ever said in your life,” Heather pointed out.

“Sorry, that caught me off guard. What’s your question?” Vivian asked.

“I think I want to experience it. I can’t talk to my parents because they get weird about it,” I explained.

“Same,” Heather added.

“I didn’t talk to my mom about it either,” Vivian pointed out.

“What do you suggest?” I asked.

“You should find a guy on the street, grab his pants, and tell him you want his sausage,” Heather suggested.

“Yeah, definitely don’t do that,” Vivian advised.

“That is a great plan,” Heather assured.

“That is not a plan. That is a crime!” Vivian exclaimed.

“I’m with Vivian—that might get me arrested,” I replied.