Rekindle

7

I got the chance to vent to Dexter about it the next morning, but he was so hungover and stoned that it was like talking to a cinderblock. I kept going though, because I needed to verbalize my complaints one way or another, and Bridget still wasn't awake. Neither was Tom. I didn't know exactly what had happened the previous night anyway, so most of my complaining was also me actively trying to figure it out.

I spent some time on the computer, for once. I looked up University of Valmont and people throughout the US with the last name Malloy, but couldn't get much information on either. Discouraged, I searched around for some paper and pencils and redrew my tree, since it had begun to bother me I'd left it unfinished. I got to the same point of having nothing left except the branches, and then couldn't think of anything again. Tree after tree I drew, until my trees turned into snakes and snakes into shooting stars. There were sketches strewn about my room with food wrappers and dishes, but it was my bedroom and no one else could come in ever since Bridget put a ban on anyone inviting themselves into a room I resided in with only one exit. I was still pissed at Charlie. Fucking pissed. I wanted to kill the fucker.

Eventually though, Dexter came to. I went to the living room downstairs and talked to him between episodes of some animated comedy show to cool myself down. Carefully, I coaxed more information about the roots of the whole group from him. I was going to put the previous night behind me for the moment. It was embarrassing, above infuriating.

"Tell me more about Tom and Bridget," I probed.

"I thought I explained them already," he said, taking a bite out of a pepperoni stick.

"Tom, Bridget, and Charlie then."

"Okay, that's a different story," Dexter said, chuckling and shaking his pepperoni at me. "It all starts with Bridget getting to the top of this whole thing. Recruited Tom on the way up strictly for personal gain. That turned into something more, kind of, and then she picked Charlie up after that. Charlie was somewhat of an old friend of hers and was obviously jealous. You know, has that whole nice guy complex goin' on. Still hasn't gotten over himself, but then again, Bridget and Tom don't even have a real relationship. And I highly doubt anyone would be safe in a relationship with her." He took another bite. "Dumb bastard doesn't see past his own infatuation."

"So it's a love triangle?" I said.

"Just like a shitty romance novel."

I snorted. "That's so stupid. Why even bother with it all."

"I wonder the same thing," Dex responded, yawning.

The show came back on, and I waited for another commercial break to continue questioning. "What do you mean by it not being safe to be in a relationship with her?" I asked, eyes ahead. "Aren't we all, to some extent?"

"You don't really think she's a good person after all of this, do you?"

I turned and stared at him, confused. "Huh?"

He chuckled and shook his head in disbelief. "You're brainwashed, little warrior. You can't trust anyone around here."

I furrowed my brow. "Even you?"

"Even me."

"Why not?"

"I won't hesitate to kill you if you get in my way."

I paused, déjà vu flooding in.

Dexter chuckled deeply again and added, "But I don't pride myself in killing girls."

I rolled my eyes and said under my breath, "How reassuring."

"Or forcing myself on them, so you don't have to worry about any Charlie repeats."