Fish Out of Water.

Chapter 25

We were home from the hotel and I called Tyler and set up a meeting at Starbucks with our group. Including Joy. I needed to talk to her. I looked out my window and saw a moving van next door. Yes, I loved new neighbors but then they met Axel and they usually moved.

I met my girls at Starbucks. I ordered the drink with the most chocolate I could find. I sat down at the table with Em, Riley, and Tyler. We nodded to each other. We had gone over what we needed to cover with Joy earlier on the phone.

The door opened and Joy walked in. She sat down and Riley began, "Hey Joy. We've been talking and we have a question to ask you. Did you spike Tyler's drink?" Joy looked up, "I did." Tyler looked really hurt, "Why would you do that?"

Joy looked scared. I felt bad for her, "Hey Joy, take your time." Riley said. Joy nodded. "Can we go somewhere else? I feel really scared." We all nodded and went over to the park across the street. Joy still had that look on her face.

No one was here, honestly it was creepy. "Jay. Are you dating Ryker?" I looked shocked. "No Joy, I'm not." I tried to handle this calmly. Joy's expression swapped from scared to a snotty smirk, "I know how this is going to go. I'm about to be kicked out of the group." Everyone else shook their heads, "No you won't! We just want to help." Tyler said.

"You want to know everything? Fine, here we go. It all started in eighth grade when I first went to Jay's house. I never actually like Jay, I was supposed to find something embarrassing. Then I saw Axel. I decided that I liked him, I only stuck around for him. Then you trusted me, you invited me into your group. I faked it for a long time, then I met Tyler. I hated her." Tyler looked really sad, I stepped up and interrupted Joy, "Stop it. She never did anything to you." Joy laughed.

"Don't even get me started! I don't hate just Tyler, I hated all of you. I hated Tyler because she was so friendly and always outshone me at everything. I hated Em because she was so honest. I hated Riley because you were so understanding and how smart you were. Jay, I hated you most of all. You and your brave little remarks on everything. Standing up for people. It's disgusting."

Everyone was staring at her, what was happening? "Joy, why were you friends with us then?" Riley asked. "You guys are oblivious. I never was friends with you! Didn't you notice that when anything bad happened to you, I wasn't there?! Like when Jay's gym clothes were taken, I made sure that the whole boys basketball team was in front of the girls locker room. Or when Riley's diary 'disappeared' and her crush found it? Do you remember Em's performance when she wore makeup she was allergic too? I made sure that the whole school was there to see her face blow up. Tyler's accident was recent but it didn't go right, I had spiked her drink and made sure that Nick was there to grab her afterwards. He was supposed to take away her virginity and I would have taken pictures, but... well someone saved her." She glared at me.

Tyler's mouth dropped open. "You are one sick freak Joy." Joy smiled. "Guilty as charged, sweetheart." She walked up and punched Riley in the face; breaking her glasses. Tyler, Em, and I ran at her.

Joy escaped the fight and the rest of us sat down on the grass. "My face hurts." Riley said. Riley had gotten her glasses broken and her face punched, Em had a major bruise on her forehead, Tyler had a cut on her cheek, and my knuckles had cuts and blisters on them.

"If anyone else is a friend like Joy, please leave now." I said. We all groaned. Em screamed "My face!!! oh my beautiful face." We laughed but it sounded like someone was strangling us.

Tyler put her face in her hands, "Uh, let's just go home." I never even got to tell them about Ryker.