Inflicting Pain (gxg)

● T H I R T E E N | Coin ●

† C H L O E †

Every coin has two sides, and only when we flip it do we see the full picture. It's a reminder that nothing is ever just one thing or the other-it has different perspectives. But in the end, it's up to us to decide which side we choose to focus on.

A heavy silence filled the room after Quinn left, pressing down on me like a weight. I stood there, speechless, realizing just how wrong I'd been. All this time, I blamed Quinn for Elise's injuries, and now guilt was washing over me in waves. How would I ever face Quinn again?

"Chloe?" Elise's soft voice pulled me from my thoughts. "What happened back at the dorm? I heard you shouting when Quinn called."

I took a shaky breath, struggling to keep my tears in check. "I made a mistake, Elise," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I thought Quinn was the one who did this to you."

Elise's words broke through the haze of guilt clouding my mind. "She really has a bad temper at times. But honestly, Chloe, Quinn is not a bad person." She smiled softly, and I could feel some of my doubt slipping away.

She's not a bad person, I thought to myself, repeating Elise's words in my mind.

Suddenly, a memory resurfaced-one I had nearly forgotten. That strange encounter at the coffee shop a while back. A woman had stopped Quinn, but she'd called her by a different name...

I remembered Scarlet stepping in, quick to correct the woman before she could even get past the door. "Her name is Quinn. I think you really have mistaken her for someone else," she said, sounding almost protective.

The woman wasn't convinced. "Uh-uh! That's a face I will never forget. That ain't who you ever called Quinn-that's Jacoby."

Scarlet's curiosity got the better of her, and she pressed further. "Are you one of the women she hooked up with before? Did she also... slit your skin?" she asked, her tone nosy and a bit too blunt.

The woman's reaction was immediate, her voice rising as she replied. "Say what now, girl? Sounds like you're saying Jacoby is some kind of torturer or what? Jacoby ain't gonna do that to no one. She ain't a bad person."

Those words echoed in my mind now, blending with Elise's. Maybe there was more to Quinn than I had allowed myself to see...

"I know she has a lot of darkness within her," she said, her voice gentle. "But that's only one side of who she is. She doesn't talk about her life with me-or with anyone, I guess. But I can see and feel that, deep down, there's another side of Quinn that no one else knows about."

I took a slow breath and approached her, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "You told me earlier that you made a deal with her. Is that the same deal she makes with the other students on campus?"

Elise let out a small, soft chuckle. "Oh! I guess I can see why you'd think she did this to me."

"But... didn't you?" I asked, the curiosity gnawing at me.

She paused, looking down and fidgeting with her hands. "We did something, yes." Her words made my heart race, but she quickly clarified. "But-not in the way you're thinking." I furrowed my brow, waiting.

"She didn't touch me. She actually refused to. Instead, she taught me how to... well, touch myself," she added, a hint of embarrassment in her voice. My jaw nearly dropped at the revelation. "She said she could never do it to me." Elise continued, smiling at the memory. "She didn't like the idea of me hooking up with someone random either. Can you believe she told me that, if I want to do it, I need to make sure it's with someone I feel connected to?" Elise let out a soft laugh, a mixture of amusement and fondness.