The Quiet Girl by Nichole Heydenburg

Author:Nichole Heydenburg [Heydenburg, Nichole]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Poisoned Ink Press LLC
Published: 2022-10-17T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20: After Jess

October 16, 2019

The ball rang, interrupting their conversation.

“Look, can we talk about this at lunch or something?” Jess asked, scratching the back of his neck and looking around the hall at the students milling around.

It seemed like everyone stared at them and whispered. News spread fast in high school, especially when Mallory was involved.

Violet grabbed Jess’s arm when he turned, as if he was about to leave in the middle of the conversation. “No! What are you hiding from me?”

Jess sighed loudly and stepped back into the alcove, sitting on the window bench and patting the seat next to him. Violet sat beside him, attempting to keep as much distance between them as possible. The halls emptied as students scurried to class. She had a perfect attendance record, but she didn’t care about ruining it at that moment.

“You’re right. I dated Mallory last year. When she paid attention to me over the summer before high school started, I was excited. Who wouldn’t be?” He backtracked when he saw the look on Violet’s face. “I got caught up in it all—her parents’ crazy wealth, the popularity, the attention, having so many friends, the social life, and of course how gorgeous she is. I know it’s stupid, but I really thought I was falling in love with her. We spent almost every day together that summer. By the time school started for freshman year, she started acting differently. She became more distant as time passed. When her parents were out of town, she invited me over to her house to stay the night. She seduced me and convinced me to have sex with her. I was unsure about making such a big decision, but she talked me into it. Afterward, I felt awful—like she used me for sex. She wasn’t a virgin and had dated tons of guys—I knew that when we got together—but I thought maybe things would be different with us. I thought she cared about me,” he said, sounding choked up, looking down at his designer shoes. He looked back up at Violet after a moment. “After that night, we drifted apart and spent less time together. I was frantic. I didn’t want to lose her, so I became obsessive, trying to keep tabs on her, constantly asking who she was texting and what she was up to on the weekends. Then, when we were at a party a few weeks later, she disappeared and left her phone with me. Somehow, I got the idea into my head that I needed to check her phone. I suspected she was cheating, but I needed proof. When I searched her phone, I found sexy pictures she had taken and sent to Tanner, one of my close friends at the time. I went looking for her and finally found her in one of the bedrooms, making out with Tanner, nearly naked. I remember punching him and all Mallory did was scream at me to leave so she could ‘have sex with a real man.

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