Player's Guide To Catfishing (PLAYBOOK #1)

CHAPTER 57: Even the Weak can be Wicked

ODESSA

I'm not married.

I'm back on campus after my weekend visit from Brown. Which was a success because due to Chase and his cousin's help, who is an actual lawyer, it has been confirmed that I wasn't really married for many reasons.

For one, the name on the certificate is from my fake ID (Isadora Katana) who is 23 and a Caucasian. Two, the person who ordained the marriage wasn't qualified to marry us despite the certificate being real.

Lastly, I was so drunk and incoherent, I didn't even finish signing the papers which means the marriage is invalid and I am not married.

Thank heavens for that.

I walk into the house Sunday evening to find most of Jessica's stuff in boxes around the living room. Her hair is back to its natural auburn color and the piercings are off as she sits on the couch holding our bracelets.

"Hi," she stands when she sees me. "Can we—can we talk?" She's even wearing baggy brown clothes.

"Where is America?" I sit on the other couch and she hands me an old British all girl school yearbook.

"I don't know," she picks at her clear nails. "I haven't seen her since...you know."

Since she refused to open the door, yes I do know.

"What's this?" I open the bookmarked page.

Ironically, a photo booth strip that used to be on our fridge door is the bookmark. It's of the three of us at our favorite dive bar. More ironically is that we haven't been there for a while.

"That is me, in high school. Bottom left."

I follow her instruction to find a chubby girl with messy hair and red dots all over her face. The name under the photo says, Jess-Ann Beerbottom.

"Who's Jess-Ann?" I run my fingers over the laminated picture.

"You see, I wasn't always Jessica Beer." She adds jazz hands to her name for emphasis. "Most of my life, I was invisible Jess-Ann Beerbottom. I ate my feelings, had a horrid skin problem and the climate in the UK was not good for my hair."

"I don't understand?" I look at the girl closely and she looks nothing like the Jessica in front of me.

"I adapted Jessica Beer when I came to the states because I was enrolled to this early pre-med program here at O.U. I used the money my family gave me to get a car, for a boob job."

She gestures at her C-cup chest.

"After I dropped out of the program, I finally saw a dermatologist. I joined soul cycle and by the time I reached my goal weight, I auditioned for the performing arts program here and got in." She exhales heavily, "on my 18th birthday, I changed my name legally and with the money left I got a nose job."

"Okay?" This is a lot to take in.

"But even after all that, I still felt like ugly, fat Jess-Ann then I met you," her smile confuses me.

"Me?" I point at my 32 A cup chest.

"You were tall, beautiful, had nice clothes and your skin was like fancy cream." She moves a strand off her face, "no at blemish in sight."

I close the yearbook and hold it firmly on my lap.

"You, Odie Vecker had the bluest eyes I have ever seen and the face of girls that ignored me my entirely in high school, so when you talked me that first day..."

She falls speechless when I release a controlled breath.

"When you complimented my boots that day, it made me feel seen. Having a girl like you talk to me finally made me feel like Jessica Beer."