Page 44 of My Rules for Revenge (Twisted YA Mysteries #1)
JACOB
A fter I heard Indira’s voice message, I was shocked, to say the least. It was like a bug-like alien had jumped out from a space portal to beat me with a twenty-seven-inch spiked sword—yeah—that’s how confused I was.
I couldn’t believe that Eddy was even remotely capable of doing something like that to Indira or to any girl.
I figured the only way it got to that point was because he hung around those other arrogant douchebags on the basketball team.
It must’ve had a toxic, residual effect on him—it was the only thing that made sense to me.
You are who you hang out with, or whatever—I would know—I was the expert on douchebaggery.
Once I spoke with Heather, I wanted to prove to her that I did feel genuinely bad for what I did. So, I exposed myself. I sat in my room, flipped my phone’s camera to face me, and touched record.
“Hey, guys, it’s me, Jacob Boruta. I kind of have an overdue announcement to make. I’m the one who leaked Heather’s nudes all over social media, and I tried to pay her to have sex with me.
“Eddy had nothing to do with that. He was being framed, but it was all me. I know that was super pathetic, disgusting, and horrible. I was a bad person, and I’m sorry.
I was being a perverted, creepy asshole, and I’m…
just sorry to all the other girls I’ve disrespected.
Heather, Vivian, Luna, Angelica, Erica… You gals didn’t deserve what I did—I know that now—and I know it sounds crazy, but I’m trying to change.
“If you don’t believe me, I’m supposed to go to Bright Rock on a full scholarship, so I’m putting everything on the line with this confession.”
I ended the video and posted it on a burner account I made. I put my future and what was left of my reputation on the line.
The main reason I realized I needed to change was due to my Ivy League aspirations being in danger of being swept away.
I didn’t care anymore. I didn’t want to pretend to be a better person—I wanted to be a better person.
If that meant my plans to go to Bright Rock went out the window for a while, I was prepared to face those consequences.
The way I saw it, if I were the same person going to Bright Rock, all this bullshit would’ve happened all over again. I didn’t doubt that in the slightest.
Once I posted it, it didn’t take long for nearly everyone in the school to see it. The admissions team at Bright Rock stopped returning my emails. Oh, well. I knew that was coming.
Most of the comments were great. However, I had multiple users calling me a “serial rapist,” a “cucklord,” and a “demented bastard.” It was fine. I knew that was going to happen at some point. I just had to weather the storm of sheer negativity and atrociously toxic comments.
Afterwards, I needed to speak with Carlos, alone. I asked him to meet up with me at Central Lake Plaza. I sat down on a bench outside and waited for him.
When I spotted him, his arms were crossed, and he had a scowl on his face. He tightly held a shopping bag from GameRocks as he walked over to me.
“Hey, man. You wanna sit down?” I asked.
“No, not really. I only agreed to come here because I wanted to get an add-on for Worldly Wizard Quest,” Carlos said reluctantly.
“You could’ve bought it online,” I suggested.
“Whatever, bro. What do you want?” Carlos scoffed.
“You seem angry,” I pointed out.
“Yeah, I saw that little feminist apology video you posted. What the hell was that about? Are you an influencer now?” Carlos asked with an irritated look on his face.
“It’s something I had to do, Carlos. I told you I wanted to end this, and I did. Which brings me to why I asked you here. I apologized to Heather in person for everything I’ve done to her. We talked at school,” I explained.
“Dude, there’s no way. You’re lying. She’s suspended. How did she get in there?” Carlos asked, quite surprised.
“I asked Newman for a favor.”
“Jacob, I don’t know what the hell has gotten into you.”
“I’m done being an asshole. That’s what has gotten into me.”
“You aren’t an asshole, man. You were doing what you had to. We were doing what we had to. We were fighting back against people who always mess with us. Dude, Angelica and Erica almost killed you,” Carlos pointed out.
“Yeah, I know that. I brought that on myself. I called them horrible things, bro. Look, I’m not here to debate over this forever. I’m done being the person I was. If you’re willing to change, then we can continue being friends. If not…I don’t know,” I said with a hint of doubt in my voice.
“Oh, so now you don’t want to be friends anymore. After we’ve known each other for eight years? Are you serious? After everything I helped you do. You were the one who wanted to get revenge against Heather in the first place. That was all you,” Carlos said resentfully.
“I know it was, and I’m taking responsibility for it now,” I clarified.
Carlos began laughing as he paced back and forth.
“Taking responsibility for what? She deserved it—she deserved it all, even her stupid book room being trashed,” Carlos said, rather irritated.
“What?”
“What?” Carlos asked, upset.
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
“Never mind, man.”
“We never trashed the book club room. Why did you say that?” I asked.
Carlos remained quiet and scoffed.
"What the hell did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything.” Carlos smirked.
“Like you said, I’ve known you for eight years. I know when you’re lying,” I pointed out.
“Apparently, you don’t,” Carlos remarked, his face stony.
“You’re the one who’s been vandalizing it,” I realized.
“Good job, detective. You’ve figured it out."
“I can’t believe you. Well, actually, I can,” I said, with a very disappointed look on my face. I then sighed.
“I almost told you at Frankie’s party. Remember when I said I had done bad things?”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Yep, and I don’t regret anything. I trashed that room last year and stole the lock. Some moron didn’t close it properly,” Carlos confessed.
“Why the hell did you do that?”
“I was pissed off at Heather; I told you this. She humiliated me last year when I worked at the movie theater. She’s a total bitch.
She made me look like a pussy in front of Indira.
I was trying to get some of that, and after looking at her nudes, I wish I had.
Even you have to admit, she’s a scrumptious little slut,” Carlos remarked.
“Jesus, Carlos. Do you hear yourself?”
“Yeah, I do, dipshit. Guess what? You used to talk the same way. We would go and find the social media profiles of the hottest girls at Brightwood and rate them. We rated their boobs, their ass, their face, everything. Do you remember that mister ‘oh-I-am-holier-than-thou’?” Carlos said while raising his arms in the air.
I jumped up as I grew agitated.
“I know I did. That’s why I’m trying to be different. Why can’t you seem to understand that?”
“Because I know you’re full of it.”
“You’re even more full of it. What else have you done? What else are you hiding?” I snarled.
“I’m not telling you anything else, princess.”
“Carlos, I can’t be friends with you anymore if you don’t change who you are.”
“Who the hell gave you the right to think that you can decide on what kind of person I should be? Why now? Because you feel like it? You’re only doing this because of Bright Rock!”
“Actually, I may have lost my scholarship. The admissions team probably saw the apology video I made and stopped returning my emails. I screwed myself over without realizing it. But hey, whatever. I accept it. I hate it, but I accept it.”
Carlos sighed and shook his head.
“When did you become the biggest idiot ever? You’re just gonna give in to cancel culture just like that? You’re a pathetic, little drone,” Carlos added.
“Thanks, Carlos. That’s sweet of you."
“I want you to remember something, Jacob. You’re not any different.
You haven’t changed. You’re just hiding it.
You’re still that guy who’s so angry and so full of himself that he leaked the nudes of a girl who rejected him.
You’re a pathetic loser who can’t handle getting rejected. I need you to never forget that.”
I chose to stay quiet as he stomped away. No matter our history together, I had to get away from him. There was no changing who I was if I didn’t change who I surrounded myself with. If he wasn’t willing to change, then so be it.
Ultimately, I decided I needed a change of scenery and transferred schools just for a few months anyway, until my senior year ended.
I kept Carlos’s secret for now. I wanted to purge my mind of all the insane drama, backstabbing, and betrayals that had occurred at Brightwood High.
It was the only chance I had at keeping focused for the remainder of the school year to keep my college dreams afloat for the foreseeable future—I had a lot of work to do on that front.
Before I left everyone behind for a while, there was one last thing I had to do.