"The vultures are disguised as humans."
Scarlet Turner has her last semester of high school planned out: graduate as best as she can and take care of her sick mother. But when she's told she won't graduate because of the pile of tardies she's collec...
"THAT IS SUCH A repulsive thing to do," her mother said, leaning back on their couch and resting her forehead on the palm of her hand. "And do that to you and that girl Bonny? What is wrong with this kid?"
Scarlet didn't know what else to say. After confessing everything that had been happening with Elliot since the beginning of the semester (while leaving out a few details in between), her mother's face transformed into a full expression of disgust: her eyebrows furrowed and her nose scrunched up.
"Did he say anything else after you... said those things?" Her mother continued. Her brown eyes hardened, and she shook her head. Her mother didn't like Scarlet's eloquent way of speaking captured on video, but even she couldn't deny that it put the point across. If that didn't do it, Scarlet didn't know what could. Ever since the event happened, she hadn't heard anything from Elliot, not even a rebuttal.
It was safe to say Scarlet won the battle.
"Last I checked, my friends told me that everyone was going against him online," Scarlet said. Right after coming home and checking her phone, Aura and Sierra sent screenshots of comments under the video berating Elliot in insane ways. She almost felt bad. "He became the most hated guy in Hales Bay in a few hours. I mean... he broke Jake's nose alone, and Jake has quite the reputation around here."
Her mother narrowed her eyes. "What was his last name again?"
"Who's name?"
"Jake's?"
"Miller," she replied. The hum that came out of her mother intrigued her. "What?"
"I think I know his family," her mother continued. Her eyes held a faraway look. "But that was ages ago. It was when you were little. Your father used to work for the Miller's. I'm assuming we're talking about the same family."
Scarlet almost choked on her own saliva. "Wait—Dad worked for the Miller's? But he worked at a company for prosthetics, and he didn't even make them."
Her mother nodded. "Vincent worked with prosthetics, yes. That company is owned by James Miller, who I'm assuming is Jake's father. He also had another son, but I can't recall that one's name."
She blinked a couple of times to get rid of her shock. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that her family had a link to the Miller's. Her father worked for Jake's father in the company that Jake was going to take over one day.
"Holy crap," Scarlet let out.
Her mother chuckled. "This is a small town after all. We're all connected one way or the other."
"I hope we're not connected to Elliot that way," Scarlet said.
"You never know," her mother continued, leaning her side against the couch. "His parents or family members probably worked with your dad in James's company."
Scarlet turned the other side, staring at the black screen of the TV, which showed her distorted, troubled reflection. Evening came without remorse, hiding the sun in its horizon and throwing a heavy blanket of navy blue overhead as the day's events settled into her mind like an aching video player. Every moment from the beginning of her day until she made it to that very couch came back to her, and she sighed. At last, the day was over and done with.
"Don't worry, sweetheart," her mother spoke up. "It doesn't mean we can't untie ourselves from those that bring us hurt. Let Elliot go and enjoy the rest of your senior year as best as you can."
The notion brought her a sense of calm, but a feather of an itch remained as if lodged in the back of her throat. Her hands had been holding the scissors to cut the thread that connected her to Elliot, but that thread was made of steel. No matter how much she tried, the scissors never cut through.
She feared this attempt would end in a similar way, their ties holding tighter than ever. Nothing proved that to be true. Elliot hadn't struck again, and the people of Hales Bay sided with her.
Yet she couldn't help but feel like perhaps that tie connecting them hadn't shredded around them.
"What if Elliot refuses to let me go?" Scarlet said, biting down on her lip. All the times she told him to leave her alone did nothing in the past. He would slither right back into her life. "What if he doesn't let me untie myself from him?"
"Then we call the cops," her mother said, like it was the easiest solution. "I know the sheriff. He had a thing for me once."
Scarlet gaped at her mother. "Mom!"
"What?" She shrugged like it was so normal to talk about. The thought of other men that weren't her father being with her mother didn't feel right. "It didn't matter anyway because your father told him to back off. We were dating at the time, but Sheriff Merlo kept trying to test the waters."
The cheeky smile that adorned her face shocked Scarlet. She wasn't sure if she should be disgusted or start laughing with her. The grimness of the previous conversation melted around them until her mother glowed bright, matching with the light yellow of her pajamas of choice.
"So don't worry, I can always give Sheriff Merlo a call. Even if he's married now, surely he can do me a favor for old times' sake." Her mother winked at the end, and this time Scarlet grimaced. Unwanted mental images plagued her mind, and it took all of her willpower to bury them under a pile of useless information.
"This is getting weird," Scarlet confessed. "But I guess that can work, if anything." Her mother hummed, looking away. She wondered if she thought of Sheriff Merlo and what had gone down between them. Had they shared moments together that no one else knew about?
"Don't worry, sweetheart. All will be fine."
Scarlet let her shoulders drop as she exhaled. "Yeah, I know. For now, I'll focus on my date tomorrow."
The second she blurted it out, she regretted it. Her mother's eyes widened as her jaw unhinged. Scarlet flushed and laughed it off as if it was nothing, but it was most definitely something. The closest she had ever been to a date was when Jake took her out to eat nachos by the shore. Otherwise, nothing else could compare.
Now, they were actually going out on a date labeled as such.
"My baby is going on a date?" Her mother stood up from the couch. Scarlet jumped up to make sure she didn't trip or hit herself against anything. "With Jake, right? Of course it is. Oh, then why are we here sitting? We need to go plan your outfit and everything. Come on."
Scarlet couldn't even get another word in as her mother dragged her back upstairs to her bedroom. Her cheeks aflame, she sat down on her bed as her mother opened up her closet giddily. As if anyone would want to unveil a storm with happiness in their eyes.
In the blink of an eye, the topic of the video and Elliot dissipated. None of it mattered anymore. Her date with Jake took full focus, and while it filled her with a big shot of embarrassment through her bloodstream, she preferred the feeling rather than worrying about Elliot and his tendencies to spread falsehoods about her to all of Hales Bay. Watching her mother dig into her mess of a closet for ideas on what she could wear, she smiled, wanting to carve the moment into her memory forever.
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