Page 32 of My Rules for Revenge (Twisted YA Mysteries #1)

HEATHER - PRESENT DAY

A fter the insanity that went down at Frankie’s party, I decided to skip class the next day.

I took refuge in the book club room while I chugged water and read War and Peace .

It had been over a year, and I still hadn’t finished it.

It was a big task, similar to how destroying Jacob’s life was an even bigger one.

Both tasks were equally enjoyable for a time, but after a while, things got old—I was beginning to realize that.

Eddy cautiously entered the room during his free period.

I put down my book, and we grinned at each other.

“Hey,” I said.

“Hey, Heather.”

“So, last night was pretty insane,” I commented.

“Yeah, it was.”

“I’m pretty hungover. I only half-remember things. I’m sorry if I was mean to you,” I said apologetically.

Eddy sat down at a desk next to me.

“No worries. It was a crazy night filled with alcohol and very angry emotions,” Eddy pointed out.

“Oh, it was definitely filled with alcohol.”

“Heather, I want to talk to you about something.”

“What’s up?”

“I don’t know how to say this, but I think we should stop the whole revenge thing with Jacob,” Eddy requested.

“Why? It’s been fun tormenting him.”

“It just seems like you’ve already gotten your revenge, and you’re going a bit overboard. By this point, you two are just endlessly bullying each other,” Eddy remarked.

“Getting revenge on people who wronged me gives me peace. My dad taught me to never back down from anything. So if Jacob continues, so will I. I’ll only have peace when he’s finished, and I win.”

“Heather, I don’t think there are any real winners in this,” Eddy added.

“One summer when I was little, I used to go to the beach all the time with my mom and dad. Something happened one day during that summer that pretty much changed my life forever.

“My mom was wearing a bikini, and she had a great body, a body she should've been proud of. But some stupid guy came up to her and told her under his breath that she should cover up. My mom was so embarrassed that she started crying. When she told my dad, he went up to the guy, picked him up, and threw him in the water,” I said.

“Damn. He’s one hell of a guy.”

“He always stood up for us. That was the day my dad told me to never let people walk all over me and that the world would be cruel to me if I let it. That’s why I’m doing this.

We can’t let people like Jacob win. They’ll continue being assholes, so they need to be beaten down until they’re broken,” I exclaimed.

“If you break him, what’ll happen to you in the end? How far would you go? All I’m suggesting is that you should maybe try to forgive and forget. Peace can be an option. This can end without someone getting seriously hurt.”

“Forgive and forget? He posted my nudes all over social media and all over the internet. My mom saw those pictures. Do you know how embarrassing that was for me? He completely humiliated me,” I remarked.

“Jesus, your mom saw that? What did she say?”

“What she always says—she told me to ignore it—don’t do anything, don’t fight back, and don’t make it worse. She’s been telling me this my whole life. I love my mom, but I hate that side of her. If you don’t fight back, people will eat you alive,” I said.

“I think you’re eating yourself alive. That doesn’t sound like it makes sense, but you know what I mean,” Eddy commented.

“What? What are you talking about? Honestly, I don’t know why we’re discussing this, Eddy.”

I got up to leave; Eddy followed suit.

“Heather, wait. I’m sorry, but I have to say this: You swung a baseball bat and smashed up Frankie’s house while trying to kill Jacob.

That wasn’t cool. It was intense and kind of scary, and I don’t think it was necessary.

You seriously hurt him, and no matter what he did, there could’ve been serious consequences for you. ”

“Of course, it was necessary. He barged in on Frankie and Vivian and tried to have a threesome with them. He even asked me to fondle his balls. That kid is a menace to society,” I remarked.

“Okay, obviously he’s a flawed guy who’s done some horrible things, but beating him with a baseball bat in public might not be the best idea.”

“Eddy, why do you think like that? You’re being ridiculous.”

“Heather, two wrongs don’t make a right. You can continue to humiliate and bully him, but what will that accomplish? You’re just turning into a bully yourself.”

“I’m not the bully—he is. I’m just giving him what he deserves.”

“You can’t just endlessly try to destroy him. This has to stop at some point. I think it should be now.”

“I think it should never end. I want him dead!” I exclaimed.

Eddy sighed.

“You don’t want to end this? Haven’t you completed your goal by now?”

“Nope.”

“I’m sorry, Heather, but I’m done.”

“You’re done? Done with what?”

“I’m done helping you.”

“Are you serious?”

“I am.”

I looked him over, inspecting him up and down. I thought it came out of left field, but I realized that it had been building up to that, and I never truly noticed.

“I don’t understand any of this. Where is this coming from? You’re never like this,” I exclaimed.

“At the very beginning of all this, when you asked me to help you, I did tell you I’m a person who believes in peace.”

“I know.”

“But it’s not only that.”

“Then what is it?”

“Do you remember what we did at the party?”

My cheeks grew hot as I tried to control my blushing.

“We kissed. I guess.”

“We did.”

“Yeah.”

“Look, the reason I’m getting like this is because I care about you. I have…feelings for you. When I kissed you, it was the best thing ever. There’s no other way to describe it.”

“Oh, please. You’re just saying that. Have you never kissed a girl?” I asked.

“You’re one of the very few.”

“Well, you’re one of my few, too,” I added.

Eddy leaned on the desk and rubbed his head.

“I messed up with the last girl I was with, Heather. It ended pretty badly, and I regret it. I didn’t want a relationship, and things kind of exploded in a way I never saw coming,” Eddy explained.

“I see.”

“I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and I want a relationship with you. There, I said it. I said it out loud. My feelings are out there.”

“You do?”

“I know what I want now, and that’s you. You know, it’s funny. When you asked me to help you in the field, I almost threw up. That’s how nervous you made me,” Eddy admitted.

He was too genuine for me to be angry in that moment. What he said calmed me down. Rarely did anyone have that effect on me. I walked over to him, tenderly grabbed his face, and kissed him.

“Now my feelings are out there too,” I said.

Eddy and I smiled at each other, but it soon dissipated.

“I like you, Eddy, but I need you to choose a side. It’s either me or him. This isn’t a difficult choice,” I offered.

Eddy backed away from me.

“Heather, this isn’t about sides. Obviously, I care about you a lot more than I care about him, but I want this to end.

I can’t be in a relationship with you if you continue with this.

It’s toxic. Look, I want to strangle Jacob and kill him for what he did to you, but that wouldn’t accomplish anything.

I’m not gonna stoop to his level anymore.

I don’t think you should either,” Eddy remarked.

“He’ll never be on my level. He’s an insect.”

“Will you at least consider it?”

“No.”

“I can’t believe this,” Eddy gaped.

“Did you think you were gonna change my mind on this?”

“Maybe, I don’t know. All I know is that I think you’re one of the most special girls I’ve ever met. I was more than willing to try to change your mind.”

“I’m sorry, but you can’t,” I replied.

“Okay.”

He left. I grabbed my book and started to bend it.

I hurled it towards the wall and violently kicked the desk to the floor.

I couldn’t believe that Eddy tried to make me end my feud with Jacob because he wanted to be in a relationship with me.

I felt that was selfish on his part, and he seemed to forget what Jacob did to me.

Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to be with Eddy, and he had good intentions, but my hatred for Jacob trumped everything else in my life.

Later that day, I was at home. I saw my mom reading from a tablet while she sat on the couch in the living room.

I kind of wanted to get juice from the kitchen.

I was still angry at what she said at the graveyard.

Which, by the way, was about the worst place she could have chosen to have a heated argument with me.

“Hi, honey,” she said.

“I’m getting fruit juice. There’s no need for chit-chat,” I replied.

“Okay.”

I got the juice from the kitchen and realized I didn’t want it.

I needed someone to talk to. I already knew what Vivian would have said regarding my situation.

I needed someone different. I knew exactly what type of person my mom was, but I still wondered what she had to say.

I went back into the living room and sat down next to her. She perked up.

“I don’t want juice. I have a question for you,” I said.

“Okay, sure. What is it?”

“I’m still mad at you. So, after we talk, just keep remembering that I’m mad at you and don’t try to be nice,” I warned her.

“Okay, honey. I understand.”

“Okay, so I don’t exactly know how to say this, but I’ll try.

Would you forgive someone who did something really horrible to you?

Like, very horrible, diabolical, and evil.

I know how you are now, but there must have been a time when some girl tried to steal your boyfriend and you proceeded to slap her and pull her hair,” I said.

“Well, that never exactly happened.”

“Okay, whatever, but what would the pre-oh-my-god-I-forgive-everyone Michelle do if someone did something horrible to you?”

“Can I tell you a story?” she asked.

“Is it long?”

“It’s from a time when I was in high school,” she added.

“Oh, god.”