Chapter 2

One week had already elapsed since disaster struck. Although the school was rife with rumors, those still had not reached the teachers or, more important, their parents.

Marie was again in front of her brother’s door. This week had been hell for her, every meal waiting for Peter to reveal everything to their parents. At least in the case of her friends, they didn’t live with one of their victims. But Peter had stubbornly kept silent. Their parents had noticed the tension, but decided that they would be available if any of the siblings wanted to talk or ask for help, but otherwise they would allow them to fix their problem by themselves.

Once again, Marie’s hand hovered inches from the door, trembling. She could hear muffled voices inside - Peter and one of his friends, probably. Her throat tightened as she imagined them laughing about her, about all of them. The “Faithless Four.” How had everything fallen apart so quickly? Just two weeks ago, she’d felt invincible - dating whoever she wanted while secretly hooking up with Ross. Now her reputation was in tatters, her friends were outcasts, and her own brother despised her. She let her hand drop, defeated. What could she possibly say to make this right? “Sorry I enabled my friends to use you while we secretly hooked up with a college guy” didn’t quite cut it.

As she turned away, her phone buzzed. Another message from Jenny:

“My parents know. Dad saw some comments online. I’m grounded indefinitely and they’re talking about sending me to live with my aunt in Idaho. HELP.”

Marie’s stomach lurched. It was only a matter of time before her own parents found out. She imagined the disappointment in their eyes, the lectures about using people, the blame for failing to instill values in her.

Back in her room, Marie’s fingers hovered over her phone screen, unsure how to respond. What could she possibly say to comfort Jenny? Their carefully constructed facade had crumbled, leaving them exposed and vulnerable. She typed out a brief message:

“I’m so sorry, J. We’ll figure something out. Hang in there.”

But even as she hit send, Marie knew her words rang hollow. There was no easy fix for this situation they’d created.

A soft knock on her door made her jump. “Marie?” her mother’s voice called. “Can we talk?”

Marie’s heart plummeted. This was it - the moment she’d been dreading. With shaking hands, she opened the door to face her mother’s worried expression.

“Honey, is everything alright? You’ve seemed so withdrawn lately. And I overheard some concerning gossip at the grocery store today...”

Marie’s shoulders slumped as the weight of her actions finally crashed down upon her. She couldn’t bear to see the concern in her mother’s eyes turn to disappointment and disgust. With a choked sob, she collapsed into her mother’s arms.

“Mom, I ... I’ve made such a terrible mistake,” she whimpered, her words muffled against her mother’s shoulder.

Her mother’s arms were around her in an instant, guiding her to sit on the edge of the bed. For a moment, Marie allowed herself to be comforted, to feel like a little girl again instead of the young woman who had made such grown-up mistakes. “Oh, sweetheart. Whatever it is, we’ll face it together. Just tell me what’s wrong.”

Through tears and halting words, Marie poured out the whole sordid tale - the arrangement with Ross, the manipulation of their dates, the fallout when the truth came to light. Her mother listened in stunned silence, her expression shifting from shock to sadness.

When Marie finally fell silent, her mother took a deep breath. “Oh, Marie,” her mother sighed, shaking her head. “I’m so disappointed. Not just in your actions, but in the fact that you felt you needed to do this in the first place. Where did we go wrong?”

Marie’s heart sank even further. “Mom, it’s not your fault. We just ... we thought we were being smart, you know? Having fun without ruining our reputations. We never meant to hurt anyone.”

Her mother’s eyes hardened. “But you did hurt people, Marie. Those boys cared about you girls, and you used them.

You girls treated those boys like they were disposable - used them for attention and favors while giving your affection to someone else. Of course they’re angry and hurt, including your brother.”

Marie nodded miserably. “I know. I feel terrible. Especially about Peter. He won’t even look at me now. I want to fix it, but I don’t know how. No one will even talk to us anymore.”

Her mother was quiet for a long moment, considering. “You have a tough road in front of you, dear,” she started. I seriously doubt your brother will believe anything that comes out of your mouth now. You have single-handedly destroyed all the trust that should exist between siblings and poisoned your relationship with a lot of people.”

Marie nodded, tears streaming down her face. Her mother was right - she had shattered so many relationships, including the one with her brother. The weight of her actions felt crushing.

“I know it seems hopeless right now,” her mother continued, her voice softening slightly. “But if you’re truly remorseful, you need to take responsibility and start making amends. It won’t be easy or quick, but it’s the only way forward.”

“How?” Marie whispered. “No one will even talk to us.”

Her mother sighed heavily. “There’s no easy fix, Marie. Trust, once broken, is incredibly difficult to rebuild. You’ll need to take responsibility for your actions, apologize sincerely to everyone you’ve hurt, and be prepared for a long, difficult process of rebuilding relationships - if they’re willing to give you that chance at all.”

Marie’s shoulders slumped. The task ahead seemed insurmountable.

Her mother sighed. “Start with a sincere apology - to Peter, to the other boys you dated, to everyone you’ve hurt. Don’t make excuses or try to justify your actions. Take full responsibility. Then, give them space and time. You can’t force forgiveness.”

Her voice hardened.”Also, I think it’s safe to say you won’t be attending prom.”

Marie nodded slowly, wiping her eyes. “I wouldn’t want to go, anyway. Everyone in school hates us now.”

Marie’s mother stood up, her expression a mix of disappointment and concern. “I need to talk to your father about appropriate consequences for your actions. And Marie? No more contact with Ross. That ends now.”

As her mother left the room, Marie felt a strange sense of relief mixed with dread. At least the truth was out now, but the hard work of facing the consequences was just beginning.

She picked up her phone, staring at the group chat with her friends. They were all in various states of panic and despair. Claire was threatening to run away, Jenny was begging for help to avoid being sent to Idaho, and Zoey hadn’t responded in hours.

Marie took a deep breath and typed out a message:

“Girls, we need to face this. No more hiding or making excuses. We messed up, big time. I think we need to apologize - to everyone. It won’t fix things, but it’s a start.”

After sending the message, Marie went to bed, where she spent a sleepless night tossing and turning, her mother’s words echoing in her mind. By morning, she had made a decision. She would face the consequences of her actions head-on, starting with an apology to her brother. Since now all parents knew, his threat was no longer effective.

With trembling hands, she knocked on Peter’s door. No answer. She tried again, louder this time. “Peter, please. I need to talk to you.”

After what felt like an eternity, the door creaked open. Peter stood there, his face a mask of indifference. “What do you want?”

Marie took a deep breath. “I ... I wanted to apologize. What I did was wrong. I should have had your back. I’m so, so sorry.”

Peter’s expression didn’t change. “Is that all?”

Marie felt tears welling up in her eyes. “I don’t know what else to do.”

“Nothing,” Peter said. “You have done enough.” Marie saw his door close on her face.

Meanwhile, Zoey was sitting on a rock, watching the waves on the lake’s surface. It had been the place where she had refused to kiss Peter, thinking that he needed to work harder to earn her favor. It was the same place where Ross had taken her doggie-style several times during the last six months.

Zoey stared out at the lake, her mind swirling with regret and shame. The peaceful scene before her was a stark contrast to the turmoil inside. She thought back to all the times she’d been here with Peter - his shy smiles, his gentle attempts to hold her hand. And then the memories of Ross - rough, demanding, exciting. She’d thought she was so clever, having the best of both worlds. Now it all felt hollow and meaningless.

Her phone buzzed again - another frantic message from Jenny about being sent away. Zoey ignored it. What could she possibly say to make any of this better?

A figure appeared in her peripheral vision, walking along the shore. Her heart leapt for a moment, thinking it might be Peter. But as the person drew closer, she realized it wasn’t Peter - of course it wasn’t. He wouldn’t come here, not after everything.