Lovely Girls(74)

The two girls stared at one another, squaring off.

“Who blasted out the video of us? Was it that loser new girl?”

“No,” Callie said. “It wasn’t her.”

“I know you wouldn’t have done it,” Daphne said. “You don’t have the balls for it.”

Callie took a step closer toward Daphne. “Then you don’t know me as well as you think you do. Because it was me. I sent it to everyone you know, and they sent it to everyone they know, and now everyone’s seen it.”

The two girls stared at one another, their expressions lit by the flickering fire. Callie looked triumphant, Daphne coldly furious.

“Come on, you guys, I thought we were here to make up. Not just get into another fight,” Shae said. “Who wants more vodka?”

Callie held out her cup. Shae poured more vodka and orange juice into it. Callie turned away from the other two girls and tipped her chin up to drink the vodka in one gulp, a long drink.

“Anyway, you did me a favor,” Daphne said. She tossed her ponytail back.

“What do you mean?”

“I was getting tired of Seth. I mean, I think having him arrested was a little extreme, but at least I don’t have to deal with him anymore. And my mom thinks I’m traumatized, so she’s taking me to the Bahamas in a few weeks for a vacay. Really, I should be thanking you.”

“I thought you’d be pissed off.”

“Not even a little bit.”

Shae looked uncertainly from Daphne to Callie. “I thought we were going to do something fun tonight?”

“Okay, let’s do something fun.” Daphne peeled off her T-shirt and discarded it on the sand near the bonfire. “Let’s go for a swim.”

“No way,” Callie said. “It’s too cold.”

“It’s, like, seventy-five degrees out,” Daphne replied.

“I meant the water is too cold. I stuck my feet in when we got here. It’s freezing.”

“Are you chicken?” Daphne asked in a mocking tone.

“Are you seriously going to try that? Yeah, okay, I’m chicken,” Callie said.

“Come on, Shae. I want to go for a swim,” Daphne said.

Daphne and Shae stripped off their clothes, which they left in a pile by the fire. They ran naked toward the ocean, squealing as soon as the water lapped over their feet. Undaunted, they both dove into a wave. Callie stood on the beach watching Daphne and Shae while they bobbed in the water, shrieking to one another, their faces silvery in the moonlight.

“Come on, C!” Shae yelled. “The water isn’t that cold!”

“Yeah, stop being such a lame ass,” Daphne called.

Callie hesitated. Finally, she set down her cup and slowly and deliberately pulled her T-shirt off over her head and dropped it on the sand beside her. Once she was naked, she ran toward the ocean, where her friends were cavorting in the waves.

“Oh, shit,” Alex said off camera, her voice soft. “This is a bad idea.”

Callie dove into the surf and then broke back up through the surface, yelling, “It’s freezing!”

All three girls bobbed in the water, moving constantly to stay warm. They chatted and laughed, although their words were lost in the wind and the thrum of the surf. Alex zoomed in the picture. The three girls appeared to be play fighting, splashing one another and dunking one another under the waves.

Suddenly, Daphne jumped up on Callie, her hands pressing down on Callie’s shoulders. Callie disappeared under the water. Daphne struggled to keep a grip on Callie, who suddenly broke the surface of the water, coughing violently. Daphne lunged at her, and Callie flailed, trying to strike Daphne, although Daphne evaded her. Daphne looked at Shae, who had gone still while she watched. Daphne said something inaudible, and Shae moved toward her. Together, Shae and Daphne pushed Callie back down under the water.

They held her there as first seconds, then minutes ticked past. When they finally stepped back, Callie’s body was floating facedown on the water.





CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR




* * *





KATE

The video ended. I stared at the blank screen, my hands cupped over my mouth in horror.

“They killed her,” I gasped. “Daphne and Shae killed Callie. The two of them together.”

I had wanted something bad to happen to those girls. I had wished for it. But the reality of it was more awful than I could have possibly imagined. I thought of how terrified Callie must have been in those final moments, and shame burned through me.

I glanced at Alex, who sat next to me on the sectional sofa. Tears were streaming down her face.

“What happened next?”

“I don’t know. I left right after the video ended.” Alex clutched the throw pillow she was holding closer to her chest. “I was afraid Daphne and Shae would see me if I stayed where I was. I climbed down off the lifeguard tower while they were dragging Callie’s body up on shore. They didn’t see me.”

“Why didn’t you call for help? The police, or an ambulance, or me?”

“I don’t know,” Alex said again. “I wasn’t thinking. I panicked. I just wanted to get away from there, and . . .” She stopped, and a terrible sob ripped out of her. “ I shouldn’t have left. I should’ve stopped them. She’d be alive if I had.”