Chapter 10

“Hello,” a groggy Emily said into her phone at ten past eight.

“It’s me. You’re still in bed?” I asked a little astonished. Her mother never let her sleep past eight, even during the summer.

“Yeah, I sort of make my own rules now. You really think my mom and dad have the authority to tell me what to do anymore?” she responded back with an obvious rhetorical tone and somewhat obnoxious tone. “I’m glad you called though. You think we could hang out for a bit? I don’t have to be anywhere ‘till noon,” she continued flipping the switch to a much more pleasant one.

“Ashley’s making you go somewhere I take it?” I asked her, already knowing the answer.

“Um yeah, but do you really want to talk about that?” she asked nervously.

I really didn’t, but for things to work out, I would need to be kept up to date on everything, not just yet though. “Look, I sort of came up with a plan last night. I tried to get Ashley to stop what she’s doing to you, but she’s not done yet. You also need to understand that we can’t hang out.”

“Oh,” she said immediately cutting me off. “I just thought that we could still be friends. That maybe we could talk you know. Give me someone besides Amy who would be willing to listen.”

“It’s not what you think Em. I can’t tell you where I stand with us right now, but we can’t be seen with each other. Look Em, this plan, we need Ashley to let her guard down, and that means we can’t be seen together.”

“OK, I get it I guess. What did you come up with?” she asked sounding down and upbeat at the same time.

“Well, first off, I need to know whether you think Amy is really on your side or not?”

“Yeah, she is. She hates Ashley. She’s only pretending to still be friends with your sister because she’s been trying to figure out a way to get that tape back.”

“Alright, I need Amy’s phone number Em. I need to get together with her. We’ll need her help.”

“Sure, you got a pen a paper?” Emily asked, sounding truly upbeat now. She may have enjoyed the sex, but she didn’t want to be forced to do it by Ashley.

I wrote Amy’s number down and put it in my wallet. The next question I had for Emily would not be easy for either of us.

“Emily, I uh ... I need you to answer a question for me.” I said nervously.

“You’re sounding funny. What could you need to know that we haven’t already talked about?”

“Are you,” I had thought this would be easier, “are you pregnant yet?” I said rather quickly just trying to get it out.

“Oh, um ... look, Evan,” she started but I cut her off by tapping a little bit of courage from deep down and continued.

“I need to know Em. It’s important if we have any chance of destroying her.”

“OK, but what would that have to do with anything? You know I’m not on birth control. So you know full well with what your sister has been making me do would ... wait, is that what she wants out of this? She wants me pregnant? God, she’s so fucked up Evan. How could a brother and sister from the same parents be so totally different? You are such a good guy, and she’s a sick evil bitch,” she was almost yelling at the end.

“I don’t know Em, but yeah, that’s what she wants. She’ll only stop once you’re pregnant. So are you, and if you are, does Ashley know?”

“Well, I’m a couple days late. I haven’t said anything to Ashley or anyone. You are the only one who knows,” Emily said as she began to sniffle. She was going to be full on crying soon.