On the way home, Zoe became hyper-aware of her surroundings. Every movement out of the corner of her eye made her flinch. She couldn’t shake the chill that attached itself to her spine, making her shiver uncontrollably.
The moment she knew she was alone, she pulled out her phone and texted the first person who came to mind. ‘Are you okay?’
Three dots appeared in the message and then disappeared. She held her breath until she saw the dots again.
‘No,’ was the only reply.
And that was that. Her fingers hovered over the screen, unable to figure out what to say. I’m sorry, wouldn’t cut it. It will all be okay, would be a flat-out lie.
She turned up the ringer volume of her phone and shoved it in her bag. If he wanted to talk to her, he could contact her.
Zoe decided to cut through the park near her house. It was the shortest route, and she wanted to feel safe for once that day. She couldn’t believe that morning she wanted to go to detention to get away from her life, and now she wanted to open the back door and feel the safety and security of her home.
There were a few kids and parents at the playground, and she swiftly walked passed them, feeling better that she wasn’t alone. If something were to happen to her, they would notice.
She thought she was home-free when the person she thought was a parent stood from one of the benches and turned to her.
‘Holly,’ Zoe said, her breath catching in her throat.
‘You can call me Megan,’ she said. ‘Holly has done her work.’ Megan’s plan had been impeccable. Now there was only Zoe’s life to screw up.
‘I could go to the police,’ Zoe threatened. ‘What you’ve done isn’t right.’
Megan shrugged one shoulder. ‘Sometimes lessons need to be taught in more unconventional ways. I guarantee Jackie will think twice before making rude comments to anyone. Cece will stop stealing. Q and his arsonist days are over. And Teddy will stop dealing. He has a bright future, anyway—’
‘Not anymore, you took away his money!’ Zoe shrieked. ‘How will he afford college now?’ Megan had no idea what she’d done to Teddy by taking his money. She was just as bad as Cece the night of Jacob’s death.
A few of the parents looked their way, but Zoe couldn’t hold it together anymore. She needed answers and to know what Megan had in store for her.
‘I didn’t take it away,’ Megan said. ‘I gave it to a good cause. The home that Jacob came from has a small budget for scholarships for trade programs for troubled youth. The money will be well spent. And Teddy has the grades to get scholarships.’
‘People make mistakes,’ Zoe pleaded, more for herself than the others.
‘They do until someone dies from those mistakes. They will go through life with scars from today, physical and mental scars that will shape them into better people.’
Zoe steeled herself. ‘Fine then, give me my task, I want this to be over with.’
‘I never wanted to involve you in this,’ Megan said. ‘You were the first person who was nice to me when I came to the school.’
‘Then don’t do it,’ Zoe said, wondering if she could get out of this unscathed. ‘Just walk away.’
‘I’m afraid I can’t,’ Megan said. She glanced over Zoe’s shoulder. ‘He needs to pay.’
‘Who?’
‘Your boyfriend,’ Megan said.
A weight pressed on Zoe’s chest.
‘Mr. Curtis,’ Megan said.
There it was. Megan did know Zoe’s secret. She wasn’t sure how, since they were careful. The others thought they were careful too.
‘He’s not cooperating as I hoped,’ Megan said. ‘All he had to do was confess to running over Jacob. He could have pleaded for a lower sentence saying he was scared, or maybe he thought he ran over a deer or something. He’s protecting himself. As he always does.’
‘What are you talking about?’ Zoe asked.
‘You aren’t the first student he’s been with.’
‘Wh-What?’ Zoe asked.
‘Oh, you didn’t know?’ Megan asked. She unzipped her jacket and pulled out her phone. She entered her password and showed the screen to Zoe. ‘This was his last girlfriend, Gina Price, from his previous school.’
Zoe leaned forward, getting a better look at the girl. She was pretty. She had short blonde hair and bright green eyes. The hairstyle reminded Zoe of her own. In the photo, Gina stood next to Mr. Curtis, holding a certificate. Zoe could care less what the award was for. She could only see the glimmer in his eyes and the way his hand casually draped over the girl’s shoulder. She could feel his touch on her own shoulder, and she shuddered.
‘She was with him the night Jacob died,’ Megan said, putting her phone away. ‘That’s why he’s not confessing. Not only would he be in trouble for killing a boy, but he would also have to admit he sleeps with his students.’
Zoe clamped a hand over her mouth and heat moved behind her eyes. ‘You’re lying,’ she said through her fingers. ‘You’re trying to make him look bad. He would have told me about her. He loves me.’
Megan sighed and shook her head. ‘Poor Zoe. I thought you were smarter than this.’
‘That could be him with any of his former students,’ Zoe said, pointing at the phone.
‘Zoe, this is sad, even for you. You’re an intelligent girl. You’ve seen the signs. Don’t be blinded by his empty promises of love.’
Zoe looked around the park, her breaths coming hard and fast. What would happen to her if she ran home? Would Megan follow her and demand she go through with her task or expose her and Mr. Curtis’s relationship to everyone?
‘Have you ever gone anywhere other than the school with him?’ Megan asked. ‘He sought you out after finding you in the library one Saturday when you were hiding from your mom? He told you things that you wanted to hear?’
‘Stop it!’ Zoe said through clenched teeth.
‘That’s what he did to Gina,’ Megan said. ‘She told me. He finds a target and becomes whatever they need. He’s a manipulator and a murderer. He’s a sick man and needs to be punished.’
‘I can’t,’ Zoe said. Mr. Curtis had been the light when there was only darkness in her life. She couldn’t let that go so easily.
‘Do you want to know what his task was?’ Megan asked.
Zoe only nodded, her need to know more about the game was overwhelming.
‘He was supposed to give himself up. He had to tell the police what he did. And he refused. Even after I explicitly stated in his consequence that his involvement with students wouldn’t be revealed. After his refusal, I changed my tactics. I told him I’d come after you next. I told him I would expose a secret about you. And do you know what he said?’
Zoe shook her head.
‘Exactly. Nothing. He refused to cooperate when you were protected and then continued to resist after you were in trouble. That should show you how invested he is in this relationship. You don’t mean anything to him. Why should you protect him?’
Zoe’s legs almost gave out from under her. She trudged over to the bench before they gave out.
Megan sat on the other end of the bench but said nothing, leaving Zoe alone with her thoughts.
How could she have been so stupid? After Dad had died, her home became a toxic place. Mom couldn’t handle losing the love of her life and completely forgot she had a daughter who still needed her. Eventually, Zoe found ways to linger at the school much longer than necessary. She would hide in the library until Victor had to close the school for the night. Eventually, Mr. Curtis noticed and would stay with her, both of them completing their own work. It was casual at first, but Zoe connected with him. Detention each week was his idea. There was no chance of getting caught like there was during the week. On the weeks they were alone, they would hook up in the librarian office. It was the perfect setup.
For him.
‘If he loved you, then he would have done anything for you, Zoe. That’s what love is. You would do anything for that person in your life, no matter what the consequences. I would have done anything for Jacob. And I did.’
‘What do you want me to do?’ Zoe asked, her voice trembling. Her chest heaved, feeling as if her ribs were crumbling in her chest followed by a hollow feeling. One that she only felt once before the moment her mom told her that Dad was gone.
‘If he’s not going to admit to the crime, you’re going to report him,’ Megan said.
‘What if I can’t?’
‘Remember when Cece failed? That video?’
‘Yeah?’
‘Let’s just say I have a pretty graphic one of the two of you taken several weeks ago.’
Zoe swallowed. ‘Why don’t you just show it then? If I report him, people will find out about us anyway.’
‘Seeing this video will implicate both of you. And with the Internet, it’s hard to unsee these things. If you report him on your own, this doesn’t ruin your entire life. Sex tapes are forever.’
‘But we didn’t have sex,’ Zoe said. She wasn’t embarrassed to be a virgin like Jackie was. And Mr. Curtis never pushed her. The thought of kissing him now made her stomach lurch.
‘I use the phrase loosely, but how long do you think he would have waited until he went off and found someone else who would take it further?’
‘I can’t ruin his life,’ Zoe said softly. She hated that he had a hold on her like this.
‘Would you rather another kid get killed? Or another teen girl to fall for his false charms for his own gain?’
‘No,’ Zoe said. ‘Of course not.’ The idea of Mr. Curtis with anyone else made her stomach twist. She still wasn’t sure that he killed Jacob but Megan hadn’t been wrong about anything that day.
‘Then you know what to do,’ Megan said. ‘If there can be justice for Jacob, that’s worth all of this.’
Megan turned away from Zoe, but not before Zoe reached out and touched Megan’s shoulder. The girl stiffened and glanced back.
‘I’m so sorry for your loss,’ Zoe said. ‘I know what it feels like to lose someone important in your life.’
‘Thank you.’
Zoe dropped her hand to her side and watched Megan walk away from her across the playground to the parking lot. Several of the parents gave her a suspicious look, but no one approached her.
Zoe was about to walk away when Megan stopped at a car, and the door opened next to her. The man stepped out, and Zoe’s world flipped upside down. She squinted, unable to believe who came out of the car to meet Megan.
Victor wrapped his arm around Megan and pulled her close.
Zoe’s jaw dropped as Victor’s gaze locked on hers. Megan had someone helping her the whole time. The most invisible person at the school. The perfect accomplice. He had access to everything school-related that Megan needed to begin her research on all of them.
Victor, Megan’s father, nodded his head at Zoe.
Zoe didn’t move from her spot until the car was long gone.