Ending

Chapter 35 - Blackmail is the Smartest Kind of Extortion

"Be quiet," Cassandra hissed, as the floor creaked under my foot once again.

Even though it was pitch dark, and she couldn't see me, I glared in her direction. This wasn't my bright idea—I couldn't believe I'd been dragged into her little scheme. I cursed myself for letting her rope me in.

"Remember," Cassandra whispered in a sing-song tone, mocking me, "if you don't do what I say, I tell Ben and Lilly about your little secret." She held a finger to her lips, adding insult to injury, as if I needed the reminder.

I nodded, biting down my frustration, and crept toward the door. Cassandra's hand shot out ahead of me, her bright pink nails curling around the knob as she slowly twisted it open. The faint click of the latch releasing made us both hold our breath.

For a moment, I felt the sweet relief of getting through unnoticed—until Cassandra grabbed my wrist, yanking me roughly through the doorway. She slipped out after me, closing the door quietly behind her.

I stumbled and shot her a glare. "What the hell, Cassandra?"

She giggled, as if this whole situation was just a game. "Sorry," she whispered, not sounding sorry at all. "I just wanted to get out fast."

As if that excused her nearly making me trip. Not that I could do anything about it, not with what she had on me. I sighed, inwardly cursing my own stupidity from a few hours ago.

I'd let my guard down, thinking no one was around when I slipped up to the attic. For a moment, I got too caught up in what I was doing, too distracted to check if I was really alone. Big mistake.

Cassandra, for all her childishness, was far too smart for her own good. She didn't need to know the whole story to figure out that whatever was up there, I didn't want anyone to see it. And that was all she needed to blackmail me into sneaking out tonight.

"Do you even have a plan?" I muttered, hoping this wouldn't turn into a complete disaster.

Before she could answer, the sound of an approaching truck interrupted us. A red pickup rattled its way up the driveway, its engine roaring as it came into view. I froze, heart hammering in my chest.

A boy stuck his head out of the driver's window, flashing a flirty grin toward Cassandra. It took me a second to recognize him—he was the same guy I'd seen her making out with before.

"Hey babe, you ready to go?" he called out, voice dripping with the confidence of someone who thought he owned the world.

Cassandra waved excitedly, practically skipping toward the car, while I trailed behind, feeling less than enthusiastic. "Perfect timing, Nick," she chirped.

The moment I climbed into the backseat, a wave of musty air hit me. The smell of stale cigarettes mixed with the sour stench of garbage, and I fought the urge to gag.

Crumpled wrappers and cigarette butts littered the floor, and I couldn't decide if it was the smell or the cramped space that made me feel nauseous.

Meanwhile, in the front seat, Cassandra and Nick seemed more interested in each other than anything else.

Their mouths locked together for what felt like an eternity—an uncomfortable three minutes, if I had to guess. I half-expected them to suffocate, but somehow they managed to keep going.

Finally, Cassandra pulled away just long enough to give him a grin. "Alright, let's get this show on the road. We've only got so much time, you know."

Nick nodded, looking dazed as he started the engine. As the car rolled out of the driveway, I let my eyes wander, searching for something to distract me from the awkwardness. The dashboard clock read 1:30 AM, far too late for me to be awake. Every gentle sway of the car made my eyelids feel heavier.

Just as I began to drift off, Cassandra swooped in to save me from any chance of peace, shaking my shoulder and shouting, "Stay awake!"

I groaned, shoving her hand away. "What difference does it make? I'm in the car."

She shook her head, flashing a wicked smile that, in my exhausted state, seemed particularly sinister. "It's about the experience. A girl's gotta remember her first clubbing night."

Clubbing—a word I had no context for. I stared blankly at her, feeling completely out of the loop. But Cassandra didn't seem to notice my confusion, too busy chatting with Nick, who seemed more interested in the road ahead than anything else.

"How long till we're there, babe?" Cassandra asked, her voice drawing out in a whine.

Nick hummed, swaying his head side to side in thought. "I dunno, maybe another thirty minutes? We had to go to the next town over, so it's gonna take a while."

I sighed, sinking further into the uncomfortable seat. Thirty more minutes of this? Great.

A wave of discomfort washed over me as I realized just how far we were from Ben and Lilly—from safety. The distance gnawed at me, making the world outside the car seem vast and unwelcoming. I sucked in a breath, trying to steel myself. There was no backing out now.

As we drove on, the dense woods slowly gave way to rows of cars and towering buildings. The bright lights from the skyscrapers shone like stars against the dark night sky, and I pressed my hands against the window, leaning forward, awestruck by the glowing city.

It was overwhelming, but in the light of those tall structures, a small part of me felt more at ease, as though the brightness might protect me from whatever was lurking in the shadows.

The car jerked to a stop, snapping me out of my thoughts. Before I could react, Cassandra grabbed my wrist, yanking me out of the backseat. Her grip never loosened as she led me forward, her hand sliding down to intertwine with mine. I glanced at her, confused and a little irritated by the sudden contact, but when I tried to pull away, I realized we were surrounded by a crowd. I hesitated and decided against it, tightening my hold on her instead, more for security than comfort.

Ahead of us, there was a loosely formed line of people, snaking down the sidewalk like an endless parade. I couldn't help but wonder how long we'd have to wait, and whether or not I was wearing the right shoes for this. My feet already ached at the thought.

I started to follow the line, assuming we'd take our place at the back, when Cassandra tugged me sharply, pulling me in the opposite direction. "Not that way, c'mon," she said, her voice low but insistent. Her boyfriend, Nick, was on her other side, their fingers interlaced as we moved toward the front of the building.

We bypassed the large bouncer at the door and veered into a dark alleyway. The brightness of the city lights faded behind us, swallowed by the sudden, smothering darkness of the alley. 

My heartbeat quickened, fear prickling at the edges of my mind as the shadows closed in. It felt like someone had snuffed out the light in an instant, leaving only the unsettling gloom.

"Hey, Nicky!" A booming voice echoed through the alley, cutting through the silence as a figure approached. He clapped Nick on the shoulder, grinning. "Good to see you, dude. I see you brought some company." His gaze flicked to Cassandra, lingering too long on her short skirt.

Nick stiffened beside her, his expression hardening. "Eyes off my girl, man. Not cool."

The man gave a sly grin but didn't argue. Instead, his gaze shifted to me, and I felt a wave of nausea at the blatant curiosity—and worse, the intrigue—in his eyes. He took a step forward, his expression hungry, and I instinctively shrank back.

But before he could get any closer, Cassandra stepped in front of me, her hand raised. "And eyes off my girl. She's not into that kind of thing." Her voice was firm, and for the first time since I'd met her, I was genuinely grateful she was there.

The man's face twisted into a brief scowl, but before he could retort, Nick stepped in. "We gonna go in or what?" he asked, his voice sharp with impatience.

The man's scowl disappeared as quickly as it had come, replaced by a pleased grin. "Right this way." He led us to a back door, opening it with a flourish. The loud thrum of music and chatter spilled out from the building, welcoming us inside.

We stepped past the man into chaos.