Death of the Perfect Girl

70- The Wicked Ones

Brody handed Sadie a cup of tea. Then he sat down on the couch in front of her. "What happened?"

Sadie began to cry. "I don't know what came over me. I got so mad and I hurt her."

Brody looked at the all black Sadie wore.

"I just wanted to scare her...That's it," Sadie lied. "But when I got there..."

"Sadie did you do anything that will jeopardize you staying out of prison?"

Sadie slowly nodded.

"Is Poppy.. Is she dead?"

"No," Sadie sighed a little from relief and disappointment. "Jenna posted a video online," she frowned. "It said that she was alive and in the hospital."

"Then whatever it is...don't tell me. You already have my freedom in your hands."

"Don't you want to know so you can blackmail me back like Fisher?"

"I don't care about that. What I care about is you getting help."

Sadie groaned and turned away.

"You went out there tonight with revenge in mind. Am I wrong?"

Sadie slowly shook her head.

"And you're not satisfied. You think that revenge means satisfaction. Well, guess what. It doesn't. Nothing we ever do here will really satisfy us. Like, C.S. Lewis said 'if nothing I do in this world satisfies me...then maybe I'm meant for another'."

Sadie ignored him. "I know when I'll be satisfied."

"And when's that?"

"When Poppy's dead."

Brody frowned. "Sadie...things don't work that way-"

"Because you've killed your worst enemy's sister and you know how it feels to hate, right?"

"I've never had my brother shot by a classmate's older sister. But I know what it's like to want someone to die."

Sadie looked at him.

"My uncle. He robbed my mother to the point where she had no money left and was living off of my father even though they were divorced. Then my mom got sick. We tried everything." Brody looked at the floor. "I got a teaching job and my dad tried working three jobs. But then this little girl got me drunk-"

"I'm not a little girl."

"But you act like one," Brody looked at her. "Sadie, maturity doesn't come with age. It comes with experience. So does wisdom. I lost my job because of you. I'm...," tears filled Brody's eyes,"...I'm in rehab because you decided to put alcohol in Orange juice and give it to me at your party."

Sadie's heart stopped. "Oh my God-"

"I'll get better. I'll get over it. My mom's struggling on her death bed and I'm out of a job and famous for being a pervert. I should be looking at you right now and thinking a life for a life."

Sadie frowned and turned away.

"But I will never...ever wish death on someone else. Because I believe that we can all change for the better."

"Bullsh*t," Sadie scoffed. "I'll make a deal with you." She looked at him. "After I get Poppy over the edge and get her to kill herself, I'll put the gun in your hand and tell you to shoot me. How about that?"

Brody stared at Sadie in shock.

Sadie stood. "It's up to you. But you're values are different to mine. And I believe that we're all bad. Wicked. And the only thing that keeps us in check is karma. And for Lisa, I'm karma. And I'm going to make her pay for destroying me life."

"You're lonely," Brody stared up at her.

She froze.

"That's why you're doing this. You're lonely and your brother was all you had and Lisa took that away from you."

Sadie shook her head, her eyes burning with tears.

"I went to school with Lisa."

Sadie furrowed her brows.

"She was a grade under me but she was just like Poppy. She was the weirdest girl I knew," Brody snickered, tears flooding his cheeks. "And she was scared because so many people bullied her."

"So...you knew my brother?"

Brody shrugged looking down. He knew Sadie couldn't handle hearing the truth.

"Why didn't you tell me that you knew them?"

"Because I didn't want you to ask me what they were like. I didn't want you to...I-"

"My brother," Sadie folded her arms," what was he like? A bully? A jock-"

"From what I know, he was just like you. He craved love and found it through popularity. And that night, when he went to that party and no one gave him attention...he decided that pranking Lisa would get him what he needed. So...he took them there and you know what happened next."

Sadie shook her head profusely. "You're lying."

"I was in college but I heard what happened-"

"They said he tried to rob Poppy's house," Sadie wept.

"I know...they lied-"

"No, you lied. You knew what happened! Who's party was it? Do I know him?"

Brody shook his head. "I can't tell you-"

"Tell me!"

He sighed. "Noah..."

"Noah? Noah who?"

"Noah Wood."

"Wasn't he a freshman-"

"He's...he's older than you. He was in high school before you were. He threw the party."

Sadie grabbed her bag. "You're so righteous and holy. But you lie and manipulate people-"

"I felt sorry for you-"

"So you listening to me cry for a year and didn't tell me that you knew everything about me. When you came to my house with your father...did you know who I was?"

"I...I just got back from college-"

"I'm done with you." Sadie walked over to the door. She looked back at him. "You think people can be good? Look at yourself. There's nothing good about you. You're an act." She walked out the door.

Brody wept in his hands. He wiped his cheeks then he stood and walked over to his cabinet. He stared at the bottle of alcohol that stood on the shelf. Just the thought of drinking made him sick but be couldn't live without it. He took down the bottle and opened it, putting it to his lips. He looked at he the floor as it stung his throat. He had been looking at Sadie as if she was a problem but he had problems of his own.