Chapter 7

Thursday June 29

I asked Paul if he would be interested in going to the Rocky Horror Picture Show with Kevin and Brie.

“People still do that?” He asked.

“You know what it is, then?” I countered.

“Oh, yeah!” He told me. “My friends and I used to go when I was in college. It was a great time. If they’re still doing it like they used to then it’s definitely something you should experience.”

“We can go, then?” I asked, excitedly.

“I take it this is a midnight showing?” He inquired. I nodded. “Sweetheart, I can’t stay up that late any more. I’m just not wired for it.”

I made a pouty face.

“You should go. Have fun with your friends,” He said. “You’ll enjoy it more with people your own age.”

“I don’t want to leave you alone on a Friday night,” I said.

“Alexis, go,” he said. “Be young, have fun. You can tuck me into bed early and then go out with your friends. Just text me if you’re not going to be home by morning. Or call if you need anything.”

I hugged him. He’s turning out to be a pretty good boyfriend.

Friday June 30

The delivery guy dropped off another thumb drive just before Paul and I went out to dinner at a Cajun place. Dinner was good, but curiosity about the thumb drive itched in my head.

I convinced Paul to have sex like I used to with my ex Miles: Me on my side; him straddling my leg and humping me in a steady roll. He was holding my hand when I came, which I liked a lot.

After that I got dressed and met Kevin, Brie, and Mary for the show. It was so much fun! The music, the people, the costumes, and so many weird rituals! I could write about it for pages! But I won’t. Instead I’ll just say this: Go! See it in a theater where weird people hang out at midnight. Streaming it to your TV at home won’t do.

I was actually pretty tired when I got home, but I just had to know what was on the latest thumb drive.

The pictures were of a thirty-ish woman and a high school boy. In one they were holding hands; in the other she was clinging to his front, arms and legs wrapped around him, kissing him. The background looked like it was probably a school.

The audio recording was sex: presumably those two. There was lots of moaning, but also a lot of talking.

“Tell me what you want.”

“I want you to fuck me!”

“Like that?”

“No, fuck me harder!”

“Like this?”

“Don’t tease me you son of a bitch!”

“Use my name.”

“Give it to me hard, Thomas! I’m not one of those fragile little waifs who are always making eyes at you. I’m a god damn fucking Marine! Hammer me!”

There were a couple minutes of howling then. He really was hammering her. You could hear flesh slapping together and the gurgling of sloppy kisses.

“Is this better than the last time, Coach?

“Oh yes...”

“What about the time before that?”

“Yes!”

“And the time before that?”

“Better than all of them. You’re a god damned prodigy with that cock!”

“You taught me everything - uh! - I know - uh! - Miss Klein.”

It went on for another three minutes. There were plenty of sounds coming from their mouths, but no words. I actually got the impression that came twice in the last segment ... but that’s not possible, right?

I have some suspicions, but I’m tired. I’m going to bed.

Saturday July 1

We went to another fancy party tonight in a hotel ballroom. Penny insisted that this dress, too, must be worn with a thong, so I just skipped underwear all together. I flashed Paul a peek in the car and he smiled approvingly.

Remember how I said I can’t wear my glasses around Paul - especially when I’m out socializing with him? So I was looking to rejoin Paul after a stop at the restroom, when I heard a woman’s voice: “Lexi Green don’t you dare pretend you didn’t see me.”

My accuser was Simone, one of the girls who, thanks to my sleuthing, was arrested for the Chi Omicron conspiracy at college.

“Simone!” I said with surprise. “I’m sorry - I really didn’t see you. I don’t have my glasses: I’m blind past ten feet. How have you been?” Stupid, stupid question.

Simone was wearing a hotel bartender’s uniform. “How have I been? You mean besides the three months in jail? Well, there’s the twenty-two thousand dollars I owe for a degree that was revoked and another five thousand for legal expenses. And there’s the fact that my parents had to move because of all the harassment we were getting. And now I’m here on my feet twelve hours a day, dressed like this, serving drinks for people like you! So I’m doing great, Lexi, how about you?”

“Simone, I’m sorry that your life sucks, but you need to take responsibility for your choices,” I told her. “You cheated every student at the University out of a level playing field, and you got caught. I’m sorry that the price was so steep, but you brought that on yourself. Anyway, I wanted to give you guys a chance to shut the whole thing down quietly, but then you sent goons to beat me up.”

“Should have sent more,” she muttered with a smirk. She continued: “And don’t be so high-and-mighty: you’ve used sex to get what you want,” Simone accused. “Or are you really going to tell me that taking Hailey’s virginity in Piper’s bedroom was just a spontaneous outburst of sapphic love?”