Mon,

Oh my God I'm so sorry for taking so long to reply, I've been so busy. School work, Orange Is the New Black marathons, passive aggressive arguments between my parents... you know how it is.

Currently awaiting that longer message you promised. What's keeping YOU busy? Friends? BOYfriends? What's going on in Monica-world without me there to brighten it?

Love, Chloe.

"What?" I said, unable to come up with anything else suitable after the statement which had spilled from her lips.

"Pregnant," she repeated, straightening and tugging at the ends of her hair, as if half-attempting to pull it out in stress. "I took a test yesterday because my period was three weeks late. And it was positive."

My throat dried at the thought of my next question. "Maddy, who is the—I mean who did you—"

"The father?" she asked solemnly. "Someone who doesn't exist to me. And never will, especially now."

"Maddy..."

"I'm telling you because I trust you, Chloe. Not a word of this to anyone. Especially any of the witches sitting on that table out there," she said, with a tone so furious it startled me.

But I needed to know. Was it Francis, or was it someone else that she'd been with? God, she seriously could be pregnant. I thought of all the drugs and alcohol Maddy had consumed since the start of the school year and shuddered. She'd had her drink spiked only this weekend.

I pressed a hand to my eyes for a moment, trying to comprehend and analyze the situation which had just become increasingly complex. "Maddy, I know you were sleeping with Francis."

Maddy's expression grew cold and even harder to decipher as her eyes flickered to the roof. "And how did you know that? God, he would do anything he could to protect that. How do you know, Chloe?"

She'd grown almost frenzied, her voice escalated to the point that I was worried people outside could hear us. I cringed, scared for what my revelation could bring. "Lola and Sophie. I overheard them one day talking about it."

"How the fuck does that bitch know everything?" she hissed, her heels slapping against the tiles as she made her way to the basin, running cold water over her hands. "It's not like she hasn't made it obvious, though. Fuck, my life is over, Chloe."

"It's him isn't it?" I asked, my voice wavering. If Francis had really gotten Maddy pregnant then I couldn't even comprehend what she was about to go through.

"I'm not as much of a slut as you think," she said dryly, slapping water over her reddened cheeks. "About a month ago we had a thing. We did it three times. Three times only. And yes, we used protection. But that shit doesn't work all the time. Clearly."

Tears shimmered in her eyes as she gave her reflection a look so hateful I thought the mirror might have shattered before her.

"Why?" I asked, my words careful. I wanted to understand. "Why him, Maddy?"

She let out a rattled breath. "It's all about power and secrets. What we can use against each other is our only currency, because god knows how much money our families already have. That's how it works for us. So when perfect little Lola's boyfriend pulled moves on me I reveled in it. It gave me power. It infuriated her."

"I didn't realize Lola's rage was something anyone wanted," I muttered.

"Oh no, it's not what I wanted. It was a fucking stupid decision, one I made out of hate for her and the way she tries to manipulate me. I regret it so much, Chloe, I don't know why I kept going back."

Is that why Monica slept with Francis? Was it about Lola, or was it about her infatuation with the boy himself, the king of Arlington's student body and the status he could bring her? Maddy could be vain. She could be attention hungry, I could never deny that.

"God, I don't know what to do," Maddy continued, her voice wavering further and further. "If he finds out he'll try and kill me. I'm not even exaggerating. He'll either kill me, or pay me off to go and live in Iceland or something for the rest of my existence. And oh my god I'm having a child."

Her last word was stolen by a wave of sobs as the tears finally broke through and she cried. Instinctively, I grabbed her around the shoulders and hugged her, her breathing rapid and her tears quickly welling through my shirt.

"A fucking baby, Chloe. I can't even look after myself and somehow I've created a fucking baby with someone."

If I were in Maddy's situation I'd die. Not literally, but imagining it alone made my stomach twist in severe anxiety. Suddenly, the idea of a baby made the whole list seem distant, and instead of plotting ways to destroy her I was sympathizing with Maddy.

"Maddy I think you should see a doctor," I said. "I mean, I'm not an expert but the test might not be right, and if it is then you should make sure – you know – that the baby's healthy."

"No shit," she said, roughly wiping the tears from her eyes. Now I could see why she didn't wear makeup. God, I was surprised she'd even made it to school. "That's why I was telling you. I'm not going alone. I want you to come."

"Yeah," I said automatically. "Yeah, I'll come."

"Thanks, Chloe," she said. "Even when my life is fucking itself over I can at least count on you."

I felt regretful that that wasn't exactly true. It wouldn't be long before I fucked her over too. But everything was becoming much more complicated and much less black and white, and for now, I'd settle for following my gut.

Maddy went home sick, complaining of a stomach bug to the teachers, and by the time she'd gone and I'd walked her to the parking lot, lunch was over. I breathed a sigh of relief as I watched her chauffeured car pull down the street, away from Arlington. My mind was still in a whirlwind as it continued to process her revelation.

After school, I avoided any and every member of level one I could by sneaking around the side of the campus to my car. From there, I pulled out my printed copies of Google Earth images, which detailed Mike's unit from every available angle. Then, I made my way to the other side of town, a wide pair of sunglasses shielding my upper face.

I was nervous. Mostly because it was broad daylight, and even though I blended in with the other cars crowded around the housing development, I felt out of place in my Audi. Why hadn't I considered taking my mother's less conspicuous black sedan?

Luckily, a nearby elementary school finishing up for the day meant that I wasn't alone in hanging around the street with an idling car for the first half an hour or so.

The house, just like the ones surrounding it, was small compared to the houses of my classmates. It was four bedrooms, all one floor with one garage from what I'd gathered from the floor plan. Which room was Mike's, I wasn't sure.

I'd need to scout the house more closely, possibly at night time. I doubted the security in the house was as extreme as my own, especially if it was owned by three relatively young men who lived together to share expenses. No, the arrangement was much more clinical than a family home. Maybe a lock on each of the bedrooms, but that could be easily discarded...

I waited outside of Mike's house for two hours. Two hours of my stomach grumbling from skipping lunch and my nerves running haywire in paranoia that someone was watching me. I tried to do some of my physics reading while I waited for something to happen, but I couldn't focus, my eyes darting from the page to scout out every detail – the angle the curtains were pulled over the front window, the array of envelopes poking out of the letterbox. Anything that could be a useful detail.

At half-past five the first car pulled up the driveway. It was a middle-class car, its driver a tall blonde boy who I recognized from Mike's Facebook account. As he stepped out of the vehicle and collected the mail, my heart leapt from my chest and I hurriedly looked in the opposite direction. It was too easy for him to see me, I was too suspicious in my car – I had to leave.

Once I'd had a piece of fruit and tucked myself into bed with my homework – my parents mysteriously absent – I dialed Will's number, wanting to know how the interview had gone. I mean, the fact that I hadn't heard from him had my stomach in knots.

"Chloe," he answered after two rings. "I was just about to call."

"Sure you were," I said sarcastically, playing with the edge of my notebook. "How did it go?"

"Good and bad," he said. "The school offered a one week suspension to both me and Francis, but the Greenes negotiated for him to only have three days. Because I started it."

I sighed. "Well, you weren't expelled."

"I wasn't," he confirmed. "But then there's my parents. Well my dad, explicitly."

"Your dad?"

"Yes, he's very worried about our family's reputation," he said. "I'm problematic, and he's a paranoid man."

"He seemed so nice when I met him," I noted, though I knew impressions could be very deceptive.

"That's because he has a strategic charisma he can turn on at any time," he said, letting out a frustrated breath on the other end of the line. "Anyway, I'll keep you updated. How was today?"

I bit my lip. I couldn't tell him about Maddy. There was just some moral block preventing me from telling him about her possible pregnancy, and it wasn't something I wanted to talk about anyway. It made me conflicted, and I was tired of being conflicted for now.

And I couldn't tell him about Mike's house, not yet at least, because he'd already made his hesitation clear about the whole idea. I didn't need more lectures from him.

"Today was fine," I finally said. "I didn't go to lunch, I had to help a friend in the chemistry lab."

It had been a while since I'd last lied to him.

***

I found myself unable to get out of bed the following morning. I knew William wouldn't be there as my usual protection, and after yesterday the girls would be eager to intimidate me at school. And then there was the whole Maddy situation, swimming around in my head, reminding me of its terrifying significance.

But, even if my mind was in turmoil, my face still had to be pretty. I dragged an outfit from the closet and pulled on some ankle boots, my head still groggy from my unsettled sleep.

I was late to class, which wasn't good considering the limits I was pushing my teachers to lately. In fact, I'd received my first ever B-grade since freshman year, and I was still riding on a two week extension for an assignment in math. I fell into my seat next to Claire like a zombie, and her eyes searched my face as if trying to absorb whatever drama was projecting from me in my haggard state.

But, the tired fog that was cloaking my mind that morning was quickly cleared when I saw Maddy in the hallway just before lunch. She was dressed as glamorously as always, her hair in a tall ponytail and her lips a deep plum, as if nothing was unusual in her perfectly orientated life.

"Hey, Chloe," she said absent-mindedly as I stopped beside her. I'd expected her to take more time off from school, or at least to avoid the spotlight. But, everything from the way she was dressed to the way she held her posture screamed level one.

"Hi, Maddy," I said, using the same chirpy tone to hide my wariness. "Coming to lunch?"

She nodded once before closing her locker and turning in the direction of the cafeteria. "Hope you're prepared for a shit-storm."

I looked at her, frowning, about to ask exactly what she meant, when I sensed it myself. The atmosphere in the cafeteria was different. The whole student body was quietened, their eyes turning to Maddy and I as we entered. Instead of mingling between friend groups and standing up to get more food, everyone was seated, their attention directed towards the middle table.

Maddy lifted her chin and walked in front of me, and I couldn't help but feel as if we were walking with pride towards our execution. Perhaps we were.

It was then that I noticed what had drawn everyone's attention. Sophie was pacing the area around the table like a lioness stalking her prey, her hips swaying slowly with each step and her smile wide, like a young child granted with the candy they so desperately desired. In her hands was a bell, its chime long fallen. She'd already caught the attention of the whole lunch hall.

And that's when Lola climbed up onto a seat and onto the table, her stilettos sharp as they sat dominantly besides level one's lunch trays. By now, she had the attention of every single person in the room.

"Sorry to interrupt your lunch hour," she called, her voice hardly needing to be elevated. Everyone was holding their breaths in silence anyway. "I have a gift to share with everyone today, one I've been saving for a while."

Her eyes fell on Maddy and I, her teeth shining menacingly as she grinned.

"I hope you all enjoy it. Feel free to share it with the world, it's a gift from me to you."

And then, as if we were in an excerpt from an episode of Gossip Girl, the whole cafeteria erupted in a synchronized emission of text tones and vibrations. Even I felt my phone chime in my pocket, and I instinctively pulled it out and unlocked it as fast as possible, my fingers clammy.

My hand flew to my mouth just as the student body flicked their switch from deathly silence to outright noise.

AUTHORS NOTE (SORRY)
Thanks so much for reading. Again, I can't express my thanks for your comments and votes. Never hesitate to just jot down whatever goes through your minds when you're reading this story! And each vote, though a small effort on your part, is huge for me. It is a really big support for the time I put into this story and its regular updates.

So... what do you think has been sent out to the students of Arlington?

- Ann 💕