Hayden climbed out of her car and walked over to Kelly on heavy legs. She felt like her shoes had been made of concrete, every step seeming to fall with more weight than the last.

Maddie, her head full of shiny pageant curls, excitedly kept her phone camera trained on Hayden the whole way.

"Twenty-four," Maddie said.

Hayden had no clue what Maddie meant, but Hayden tried not to let her confusion show. The only thing on her face was sadness, yet she was feeling slightly annoyed at Maddie--always on her phone, broadcasting everything in her life. Hayden normally wasn't one to put her personal life out there for all to see. She and Kelly should probably go somewhere more private, she thought, and she started to say so, but stopped.

The same concrete feeling of her shoes was spreading to her guts, as though she were turning into concrete the way gargoyles turned to stone in the daylight. As she neared Kelly, Hayden saw that the girl's eyes were cruel slits. Kelly's hands were tight fists. Hayden's hands felt numb, as if they'd disappeared right off the end of her wrists.

Lucas stood behind Kelly, looking like a guilty puppy who'd puddled on the floor. Hayden ignored him, ready to defend herself. Kelly was smaller than Hayden, but not by much. Maybe ten pounds and an inch or two in height. The fury radiating from her somehow made her seem larger to Hayden.

"Kelly, I'm so sorry-" she said. Her words caught as she saw the photo of herself in Kelly's hand, blackened with heat at the edge. She saw the box and the fire, something burning in the fire that looked like her jacket. "Are you burning my stuff?"

"You deserve it, you bitch," Kelly spat.

The words showered Hayden like ice water. It stung, but she recovered. "I know I should have told you," she said. "But it's no reason to burn my things, Kelly!"

"Should have told me? That you had the hots for my boyfriend?" Kelly said, ignoring Hayden's other statement. "That you were trying to screw him behind my back?" As Kelly said the words, her face grew angrier and redder. Her lips twisted into a snarl of disgust. She tossed the photo and the flames welcomed it.

"No! No, it wasn't like that!" Hayden said. Seeing her face char took her breath. She looked away, behind Kelly, at Lucas. He was staring at her as though waiting for a building to crumble around him. Whatever he's told Kelly, he doesn't seem to believe it's very solid, and for good reason. It was obviously a lie. Hayden had suspected something like this as soon as she saw him. She also knew that Kelly would be willing to believe him, at least at first, because she loved him. But she was Kelly's best friend and that should count for something also. "Whatever he's told you is a lie."

"Oh?" Kelly said. She reached underneath the box, Maddie's cam following every angry movement. She pulled out a small stack of papers. "Are these lies?" She demanded. She held up one page showing a conversation between Hayden and Lucas...but Hayden knew something wasn't right.

Hayden: Come over.
Lucas: I can't, going to Kelly's.
Hayden: Ditch her. I can make it worth your time *winks*
Lucas: You know I would never do her wrong

"Bullshit," Hayden said. "That's not-that's not what was said. That conversation was the other way around! He switched the names somehow!"

"Really, Hayden?" Kelly spat venomously. "Is this bullshit?"

In Kelly's hand was a print out of the most damning evidence. The photo of Hayden in her bra, eyes heavy with drink, a silly grin on her face because she hadn't even known a photo was being taken.

"Or this?"

She flung that page away to reveal another...one that Lucas blackmailed from her. Hayden stood backward in front of a mirror nude, her hair long and loose, her bare bottom showing. Hayden's breath shortened at the sight of it. She had tried to shove it out of her mind and forget it ever happened, but there it was.

"Kelly, he made me-"

"He made you? What the fuck did he do, Hayden? Hold a gun to your head?" She riffled through the paper. "I don't see any fucking guns in these pictures, slut!" She threw them and they fell all around Hayden. Porn vomit.

"I didn't mean it," Hayden sobbed.

"Damn," Cameron commented impressively, he had picked up a sheet, staring down at it with big eyes. "Looks like you meant it."

"Yeah, she did," laughed Lucas.

Hayden was being tossed around in wild waves of emotion, unable to steady herself until she heard Lucas. Suddenly all the shame, all the regret, everything melted to leave only hate for him.

"Liar! This is all your fault!"

"No!" Kelly shouted. "It's your fault!"

She slugged Hayden hard and unexpectedly. The blow smacked against Hayden's jaw and dumbfounded her for a moment. Did she actually just get hit? What now? She had never been in a fight her entire life. Before she had time to react, Kelly's fist contacted with Hayden's nose, then a numbness spread through the middle of her face. She touched the space between her nose and lip, pulled it away covered in red.

"Come on, bitch," said Kelly. "Fight back."

"No!" Hayden cried. "I don't want to fight you. It's stupid."

"No, what was stupid was messing with my boyfriend."

Kelly slammed her knuckles into Hayden again, this time it caught above her brow. Hayden's hands went up defensively. She staggered backwards. That blow had addled her a bit.

"Stop it, Kelly!"

But Kelly didn't stop. She tried to hit Hayden again, but Hayden's hands were in the way, blocking wildly. Maddie laughed behind the camera. Cameron and Lucas cheered Kelly on. Nobody was stepping in or offering any type of protest.

Why won't they help me? Hayden wondered desperately.

Kelly was spring profanities now, getting angrier every moment Hayden shoved her fist away. Hayden felt the heat of the bonfire on her back. She couldn't back up anymore, so she had to shove Kelly backward just so she wouldn't get burned. Kelly stumbled, her shoe caught on the flagstone and she fell, scraping her hand and her pride. She let out a furious shout of rage.

"I'll kill you, you slut!" she screamed.

"Please stop this," Hayden said.

But it was too late. Kelly would not stop, especially not now that Hayden had fought back. Kelly wasn't going to stop until Hayden paid dearly for what she'd done.