BAMBOOZLED

Notes From Vice

"What?" I asked. "No, this is Rick, you guys know him!"

"Do they Vice?" Rick questioned. There was a slight look of guilt on his face.

All at once it hit me: George, Fred, and Sin had never actually met Rick.

That one time George came to a party, Rick disappeared. He didn't make it to my birthday party or our New Year's Eve party. He never visited me in the hospital. Every time I took George to The White Wyvern, Rick was never working.

With the way he was dating Annie and was the topic of so many conversations, I don't think any of us realized that he never actually hung out with us. And now I knew the reason.

"Oh my god," I whispered.

"So this has been Rick the whole time," Sin whispered. "My ex. Vice, how could you?"

"I-I didn't know!"

"How could you not? We all went to school together! You said he dated Monica."

"He did, but they dated for like five seconds, I never officially met him. I just..."

"You kissed my girlfriend?" George demanded, his eyes on Rick.

Cedric. His name was not Rick. That had been a lie.

"She has such soft lips." Cedric smirked.

I had to stop George from lunging at him.

"Why Ced?" Sin asked. "Why would you do this?"

"Because you hurt me, Sinthia. I was devoted to you. I gave you everything! And I make one mistake and you decide that's it? You toss me aside and immediately get engaged again?"

"Cedric you drugged me! You had me under a potion for months! You made decisions for me and changed my entire personality! You think that's okay? You think I should still be with you after that?"

"Honestly, I did. Because I loved you Sin. I really loved you. But you had to pay. So I did everything I could to ruin your relationship. Do you really think a random woman would come up to Fred in a pub and just kiss him?"

"You sent Joanna?!" Fred questioned.

"Yep. And look how easily you fell for it Fred. It was so easy for you to betray Sin. And Sin you just rolled over and took it. I thought you were stronger than that." Cedric shook his head.

"Fred made a mistake and he loves me. For real, unlike you."

"So you can tell that my love is no longer for you?"

"What does that mean?" Fred asked.

"I've moved on from Sinthia, actually. I'm in love with a new woman now. She's everything I've ever needed."

"That poor girl."

"If you're over me, why are you here? Why are you trying to ruin my wedding?" Sin demanded.

"Because I still needed revenge. But you should know I didn't do it all alone." Cedric grinned.

"Vice?" George asked.

"No! I swear, I had nothing to do with this, I swear!" I insisted.

"Rick?" Annie asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Just telling our friends about our grand plans." He smirked.

"Annie?!" I asked. "You knew who he was the whole time?"

Annie's eyes widened. "Vice, please let me explain-"

"No! How could you? I trusted you Annie! I stood up for you with Sin and made excuses for you! I treated you like a friend and you were playing us the entire time?"