Chapter Six: Friend

I freeze, all the blood in my body sinking down to my toes. Tears build in my eyes at the thought. Not sure whether I'm going to burst into sobs or throw up, I shake my head and cover my mouth. "No," I whisper. "I can't."

"Please," Jen pleads to Monica. "Monica, whatever I did, I am so so sorry. You don't have to do this."

She laughs manically. "I don't? Well, shucks! Then everyone can go home!" She shakes her head. "Fuck you, Jennifer Ewen. You are a coward. That's all you've ever been and all you'll ever be. You might as well spare everyone else around you from it."

All of a sudden, Jen loses the composure she's kept up. She screams, letting it all out. "I don't know what the fuck you're talking about!! I'm so sick of your mind games! Just spit it out! Tell me what you think I did!"

"You wanna know?" She ticks an eyebrow. When Jen nods, she steps towards her. "Let me paint you a picture. Junior year, the girls bathroom. Adrien is bullying me. I tell her to stop it, to leave me alone. She shoves me onto the ground and threatens me. She laughs when I cry. Then she leaves, and guess what? You step out from one of the stalls. I knew you were watching me. I begged you to help me, to go to the principal to tell him what Adrien was doing. But you know what you said? You said no, but you emphasized how sorry you were. You know what, Jen? That was a fucking slap to the face. Oh, you were so sorry, but you wouldn't help. Fuck. You."

My heart beats hard in my chest. Shit. I had did something similar. When Monica and I were friends, Adrien came back for round 2. I didn't stand up for her. I didn't help. If she was mad about Jen doing this, I can only imagine how pissed she is about one of her only friends doing the same thing.

Jen waits patiently until Monica is done. "I'm sorry you were hurt by that," she says calmly. "I didn't mean to hurt you. But you have to understand my position."

"Oh, poor you!"

Like a switch has been flipped, Jen squares her shoulders and steps towards Monica. "You sure you aren't talking about yourself? It's always been 'woe-is-me' with Monica. Monica-this, and Monica-that. Just a sob fest."

A nasty scowl twists on Monica's face. But instead of lunging at her like I expected, she turns towards me. "Time to choose, Zoe. How will she die?"

I shake my head defensively. "No. I can't."

She tilts her head. "Would you prefer to have me shove this dagger somewhere else, say, your throat?"

My breath hitches in my throat. Fear bubbles through me. Instinctively, I meet Jen's eyes. I wonder if she'd understand, given she did the same thing to me in the previous game.

But she doesn't. "Please," she begs.

"Monica," As bravely as I can muster, I lock eyes with her. "Please don't do this. She's my friend.

Her scowl deepens and I swear I caught pain shine in her eyes. "I thought I was your friend. And look what you did for me." She grips the dagger in her hand. "Choose. Now."

I clench my eyes shut and say, "I don't know, just... do it quick and painless. Mercy."

There's no way I can meet her eyes. I hear Jen gasp before she lets out an ear-ringing scream. I keep my eyes closed and I bury my head into Rodney's shoulder. I can't look. But all I hear is her cries and screams deafening me.

When I manage to peel my eyes open, I see a fresh coat of blood on Monica's knife and Jen lies motionless on the floor, blood pooling under her body.

She's dead.

I can't look away. My body shakes violently as tears stream endlessly down my cheeks, and all I can see through my blurred vision is Jen. Although the wheel chose her, I can't help but feel partially responsible. It's like I put the knife in Monica's hand.

Speaking of, my eyes drift to Monica as she uses Jen's shirt to wipe the blood of her knife. I gasp. She ignores me though. After lifting up her skirt, she slides the dagger back into her garter before reaching into her pocket.

Within the next second, I hear that godawful click. I flinch as the lights go out. I tighten my grip on Rodney while I squeeze my eyes shut. When the lights fade back on, I slowly peel them open to see Monica is missing.

"Where'd she go?" Rodney asks. James shrugs and Ximena is silent. Her eyes are glued to Jen.

"She's really dead." She holds her hand over her mouth. "Oh God."

Something dawns on me. I gasp aloud and sit up, wincing the moment my shoulder moves. Rodney is at my side though. I lock eyes with him. "She had something in her pocket."

His eyebrows furrow. "What?"

"Before the lights went out, she reached into her pocket. Literally a second later, the lights went out."

His eyes never waver from mine. "What are you saying? That she's controlling the lights?"

I nod. Ximena glances up at the lights above us and James shakes his head.

"You really believe she'd go to the trouble of setting something like that up?" He asks, clearly skeptical.

Again, I nod. "Yes. I do." I gesture to the room with my good arm. "This is her game. Of course she would set it all up so it would be perfect. Including rigging the lights to control them in her pocket."

Rodney nods thoughtfully. "She has a point. She wants control over everything in this fucked up game."

"Exactly."

"You guys," Ximena whispers, true fear plastered on her face. "You should be quiet. What if she hears us?"

Since I woke up in this room, I haven't gotten up from my seat except for when I comforted Monica and then when she stabbed me. But now, the curiosity is burning in my blood. With caution, I stand up - with Rodney's help too. I wobble to the only door in the room.

It's a normal looking door. It's wooden and has a single rounded knob on the right side.

"No keyhole," Rodney says from behind me. "So nothing to pick."

I glance over my shoulder at him and try to hide a smile. "You know how to lock pick?"

He smirks playfully. "Maybe."

Looking forward, I shake my head and smile to myself. He's right though. There's no keyhole or lock. Either the door was always like this or Monica rigged it to where it only locks from the one side. So how did she unlock it at all?

"Do you think she has help out there?" I ask uneasily.

Rodney sighs. "It's possible."

Nervously, I lean towards the door and press my ear against it. I hold my breath and try to listen but all I can hear is the insanely fast beating of my heart.

"I can't hear anything," Or anyone. Although it's stupid and pointless, I absentmindedly reach down and put my hand on the doorknob and twist.

I freeze instantly. I expected the knob to catch on the lock and not twist. But it didn't. It twisted with ease. "Oh my God," I whisper quietly enough for just Rodney to hear. Quietly, I pull the door towards me and it opens a crack.

My mouth gaps as I turn to look at him. He gives me a shocked look in response. I glance at the other two. James has leaped to his feet and Ximena hangs back hesitantly.

"It's unlocked," I say, albeit redundant. "It's freaking unlocked."

"Let's get the fuck out of here!" James hisses. "Before she gets back!"

"Wait," Ximena rushes towards us, moving in front of James to put her palm against the door. "What if it's a trap or a test?"

Rodney looks curiously at her. "You think she left it unlocked on purpose?"

She nods slowly, her eyes showing terror.

"But what if it's not?" I ask, looking specifically at Rodney. "What if this is our only chance to get out and we don't do it because we think it's a trap?"

Our eyes meet and for a while he just searches my face. I plead with him through my eyes, saying, please, Rodney. Just trust me. Finally, he sighs and nods. "She's right. It's now or never."

Ximena shakes her head, a sob slipping through her lips. "I can't! I don't want to end up like... like Adrien." She buries her head in her hands and cries.

James shushes her. "Do you want her to hear us!?" He meets my eyes. "Let's go."

I nod. "Just give me a second, okay?" Without letting him answer, I shoulder past him and approach Ximena. I put my hand on her shoulder, and she looks up at me with bloodshot eyes. "I know you're scared. I am too. I'm fucking terrified. But we need you. Do you really want to stay behind and be here alone when she shows up? I don't know what I'd do if we left you here all alone with her."

Her breath catches when she inhales but she nods and wipes at her red-rimmed eyes.

"Okay?" I ask.

She nods. "Okay."

I stand in front of the door again. I have no idea what awaits on the other side, whether it's an empty hallway or Monica herself armed with a butcher's knife. But I do know that if we don't take this risk now, we're dead either way.

I grab the knob and twist. Relief washes over me when it twists over the lock. Part of me was worried it would be locked all of a sudden. I hold my breath and swing the door open, revealing a quiet, empty corridor.

Before I can step outside the room, I feel a warm hand slip into mine, threading his fingers through mine. I glance back to see Rodney give me a reassuring smile.

Together, the final four step outside the room and into uncertain territory.