If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them // Kendall Vertes

Chapter 9

"Nick!" Maddie and I gasped.

"Kendall got it right. Paige..." He looked fondly as the shadows, "... did all of that."

"But why?" Maddie asked.

"She was bored, maybe... and she did it for me. I asked her to."

Nick looked pleased with himself.

"You?" Maddie's face contorted with rage and she leaped onto Nick.

She scratched and clawed at him.

"Mads, stop!" He pushed her off, onto the floor. She glared at him, tears in her eyes.

"Mads, I'm sorry..." He crooned guiltily, offering her his hand. She took it.

For about a second.

She twisted it round to his back, kicked him in the groin, and pushed his to the floor, her knee digging into his back and his arm twisted around. Nick tried to free himself but couldn't.

"How'd you learn how to do that?" I gaped at them, ignoring Nick's yelps.

"She's coming!" He managed to choke out. Maddie let him go, confused.

"Paige is coming. She... I need revenge on that two-faced bitch. And you two are going to help."

"What?" Maddie and I blurted.

"I'm hiding in the closet, and if you don't convince her to spill then you'll go from number 1 to number none at school." Nick told us.

"What are you going to do?" She asked shakily.

"Look, I sent her a message from your phone, Maddie. She's coming." Nick told her finally. He hid in the closet.

A shadow moved.

She apeared.

"Your mom let me in." Paige told Maddie, who looked at the cupboard where Nick was concealed.

"Oh, so you think it's okay to just walk into Maddie's house after all you've done!" I yelled at Paige.

"What is she on about?" Paige said carefully to Maddie.

Maddie looked at the closet again.

"I know what you did to Kendall, Paige. I just want to know why..." Maddie looked down to her feet.

She knew this was wrong; but we were being blackmailed into it and there was no way we could get out of it.

"How'd you find out?" Paige asked shakily.

"It doesn't matter. Please, please, I just need an explanation." Maddie begged.

"I will if Kendall gets out."

I rolled my eyes and walked out of the closet. The door was closed behind me.

I threw myself onto Maddie's bed, playing candy crush. There was really no point listening, I'd hear it all at school, most likely.

~

Almost an hour later, Paige and Maddie walked out- arguing.

"How could you! You basically told her to go for him and him to fake like her! You're twisted!" Maddie yelled.

"Good. I'm glad you think of me that way, cause I think of you at a slut!"

"That's rich, coming from you, clymidia!"

"Clymidia?" I asked.

Paige pursed her lips and Maddie covered her own mouth in horror.

SLAP.

A bright red handprint covered Maddie's cheek.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Paige yelled.

"WHO EVEN CARES? THE WHOLE SCHOOL ARE GONNA KNOW TOMORROW, THANKS TO YOUR BEST FRIEND WITH BENEFITS, NICK!" Maddie screamed back.

"What?"

"Paige, look, I'm sorry, Nick blackmailed-" I started.

"Don't be sorry, Kendall," Maddie snarled, "She's been seeing- or rather, sleeping- with Oliver."

I was ready to kill the bitch.