chapter 3

The gnarled roots of the old oak of Sheltam Park burrowed deep into the earth. Its scarred trunk sat riddled with a hatching of cuts and flourishes, memories of others that had come and gone with time. Old and new relationships were inscribed here, signatures of past lovers that had faded as time moved on. To what and who? Suzy found it fascinating. She’d sit on the lone bench under that grand canopy of leaves, scrutinizing each crude inscription. Running her fingers over the unrefined cuts, How many had sat in this very spot and been compelled to leave their mark? Hundreds? Thousands? Immature love wasted on foolish endeavors. Vain attempts to broadcast themselves to the world, to leave something behind. She pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose and sighed.

It was just past midnight now. Nearby, a single moth fluttered around the bright bulb of the overhead streetlight. She watched it and waited, laptop and black book clutched firmly in hand. Christine was late as usual, and Suzy was rapidly running out of patience when the queen bee finally strolled out of the darkness.

The gorgeous redhead walked with eyes firmly planted on her cellphone. It never left her grasp nowadays, and Suzy could scarcely remember a time when she hadn’t seen Christine without it. Her dress was a pale blue. Light and airy, it seemed to flow around her body as she moved, giving her an almost ghostly visage as the lights shone down on her. Suzy pondered how she didn’t get chilled, but knew with Christine practical matters fell much lower on the priority scale than attractiveness. Watching the vapid cheerleader plop down on the bench beside her, it became all too clear why the dress had been chosen and what purpose it served. Christine’s large breasts protruded upward and formed a vast canyon of cleavage because of the dress’s low neckline.

Christine said nothing, her fingers nimbly moving over the screen in front of her, lost in a distant conversation. Suzy crossed her legs and cleared her throat. An act she always assumed would force the slut to recognize her presence, but never proved fruitful. Every time. Over and over. Suzy was well-aware it was a subtle power play. This was the third time she’d put up with it. This was the last time.

She stood, lingered there in the dark for the briefest of moments, before turning and striding away down the path. It was a bold move. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, Suzy needed Christine. At least for now. This was a risk, and if she was being honest with herself, an unneeded one. However, she wouldn’t sit silently waiting for attention like one of Christine’s many flunkies. These meetings were necessary, an important part of her plan, but she’d be damned if she’d be treated as secondary. Not again.

“Where are you going?” Her voice was matter of fact. A commanding undercurrent, the way a captain would talk to a subordinate.

“Hmm?” Seven steps. Suzy had counted seven steps before the cunt had spoken up. She’d expected five. It would appear she caught the queen bee off guard. She smiled to herself before forcing the smirk from her lips and turning to face Christine.

“Present your progress.”

“Oh, are you ready to pay attention now? Or are you going to waste more of my time with your droll attitude and lack of common courtesy?” Suzy arched one eyebrow, though she doubted Christine could see any such thing in the dark.

Christine huffed, turning her head to the left she ran one hand through her dense auburn hair. “Sit and present. It’s late and I want to get to bed.”

In the distance, Suzy heard a lone car drive past. That was as much an apology as she was going to get. Christine was conceding, and to push more would end in conflict. She didn’t need that. Not now. She needed to be seen as an equal, not as an enemy. Time and place for everything. She crossed the gulf between them with measured steps and took a seat next to her co-conspirator.

The light of the laptop illuminated the dark and cast the two girls’ shadows on the large tree behind them. When Suzy spoke, her finger traced the line graph in front of them both. “Everything is going to plan. I’ve hit a few speed bumps here and there, but nothing out of the ordinary. The initial sell of the idea was rocky, but she now seems to be enjoying the concept.”

Christine chuckled at this, “Of course she is, she’s a fucking selfish cunt who feeds on attention.”

Suzy ignored this and continued, “Starting weight was 157, and currently, as of last measurement, we are at 179….”

“Holy shit! I guess attention isn’t ALL she’s been feeding on!” Christine cackled at her own joke.

“If our time table still holds, and with the proper motivation, I’m confident I can get her barely at or slightly over 200 by the end of the year.”

“And she still believes all this about the money and council and head cheerleader nonsense?”

“Absolutely. That’s imperative to this entire thing. She’s still intent on beating you out in hopes of exacting revenge on you for sleeping with her old boyfriend. It’s critical to the entire scheme.”

Christine let out an irritated snort, “How is it my fault if the bitch can’t keep a man? She had her chance.”

Suzy stopped momentarily and let the statement hang in the air. “Be that as it may, I will need to draw upon that fire soon. On October 4th, I will need you to text her. Nothing elaborate. I just need you to send a text to her reigniting that specific hatred for you. Make it something short, but flashy. How good Jake was in bed or how you loved bouncing on his cock. Doesn’t matter.”

Christine chuckled and leered across the bench at Suzy. “Why, look at you, dirty girl! I think that’s the first vulgar word I’ve heard from your virgin lips!”

Suzy gave Christine the slightest of smiles. “Focus. This is a critical piece, and if you miss it, I won’t be able to promise as much of a return.”

Christine set her phone down and angrily snapped the laptop closed. The hard click as the lid sealed shut hung in the air as she stared at Suzy. “No, YOU focus right now. I hired you. I’m paying you well and It’s only through me this opportunity has even presented itself to begin with, don’t you dare think for a second you are in charge or that we are on equal terms. We aren’t. We never will be. I lifted you up for this, Suzy Q. Do the job and don’t tell me what to fucking do. We clear?”

The tone in Christine’s voice, that belittling harshness, rocketed Suzy back to high school. All the bullying, slander, and intimidation that had plagued her teenage years. For the briefest of moments she saw herself standing in those tiled hallways, books and papers scattered beneath her. Alone. The distant sound of laughter fading as the classrooms closed their doors one by one. The memory mentally stunned her, and her eyes fell away from Christine’s as she turned away. A barely audible “of course” nearly lost to the wind rustling the branches overhead.

“Good. Glad we get each other. I’ll send the text, let me know the time when we get closer to the date. Until then, progress looks good. Keep going. We done here?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Contact me if anything comes up.” Christine gave one last tiny snort and began texting again as she stood and stormed down the path and away into the night, phone illuminating her face like some bodiless spirit.

Suzy lingered on the bench for a while longer, and when she was sure Christine was gone, turned her attention back to the gnarled tree behind her. Beneath the light of her phone, she searched the chipped bark until she found what she was looking for — two initials. Eye-level. A hastily carved “S” matched with a deeper cut “A”. A fragmented and poorly etched heart connected the two letters. She trailed her fingers over that heart, closed her eyes as her hand moved over the roughness, and there in the darkness Suzy banished the bleaker memories with more passionate ones.

To be continued...

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