Victoria's Cross

by Kirk Baldridge

After the events of the game, Victoria and Kate find comfort in one another.

TITLE: Victoria's Cross

AUTHOR:

Blackwell Academy was a mess.

Just three months back the Oregon boarding school had some of the most well-respected science and arts studies in the country. Then one seemingly ordinary Monday afternoon one of the students killed a girl in the bathroom, and his confession implicated both the school's photography teacher and his own father in a massive conspiracy. By Friday Nathan Prescott and Mark Jefferson were in jail, Sean Prescott's massive business empire was in jeopardy, and Chloe Price was being laid to rest along with another former student, Rachel Amber.

One week ago, Blackwell had finally reopened after the police finished their investigation and a new photography teacher was hired. There were some changes. All teachers and faculty were stringently vetted so no one like Mark Jefferson could slip through the cracks again. David Madsen, Chloe Price's stepfather and the head of security, quit to be with his grieving wife Joyce, and the new head of security, Helen Green, implemented a part of his security plan to place cameras in public areas and to hire more, better trained officers. The Vortex Club, which had proven to be instrumental in the drugging of numerous girls who were violated by Prescott and Jefferson, was disbanded, and most of the other members had gone their separate ways or formed new cliques of their own.

Except for Victoria Chase.

While Jefferson took the brunt of the blame, legally, for the various crimes committed there was no denying Nathan's involvement, and it deeply affected how people looked at and reacted to Victoria, his best friend. Co leader of the Vortex Club, along with Nathan, the 'queen bee' of Blackwell was ostracized by both her peers and those students she had so casually stepped on during her climb up the social ladder. She went from being the snobby rich girl everyone envied to the sad little rich girl no one wanted to be seen with.

Victoria walked with her head down, books clutches to her chest, as she returned to the dorm after class. Half the time people stopped talking and just stared when she walked by but she could hear some whispering and laughing and did her best to ignore all of them. Few people would actually say anything directly to her face, though, some of them were no doubt still just a little bit afraid of her and her legendary temper. As she got to her room she stopped and turned to look at the door across the hall, which was surrounded by cards and flowers and drawings.

Room 219 belonged to Max Caulfield. A recent arrival at Blackwell Academy, the photography student—who Victoria had irrationally been both attracted to and annoyed by from the start—had quickly become one of Jefferson's favorite students and friends with several of the other kids. Even some members of the Vortex Club liked her, though Hayden and Dana were the only ones who'd admit it. She apparently had also been close friends with Chloe Price when they were younger and rumor had it was in the bathroom when Nathan killed her. Max had not been seen at Blackwell since it's reopening and no one seemed to know if she was even coming back.

Shaking her head, Victoria went into her room. She spent the rest of the evening in front of the TV, watching Netflix and drinking wine. She couldn't help thinking about how she would normally be at a party, or else hanging out with Nathan and the others smoking and drinking and wasting their parents money. She didn't so much miss the partying itself as the company, even if she wasn't really close to anyone but Nathan. And clearly, there was a side to him she had never known, it gave her chills to think how close she had come to being one of his and Jefferson's victims. Literally. According to police reports hers her been one of the names on an extensive collection of binders of bound and drugged girls in Jefferson's so-called dark room. Rachel Amber had even died while in their clutches.

Victoria didn't like thinking about any of it. Rachel and Max and the Price girl had all suffered at the hands of a boy she thought she knew and a man she'd had a massive crush on. It wasn't her fault but a part of her wondered if maybe there wasn't something more she could have done, even if it was just being a little more observant. So she continued drinking until she couldn't see straight and wound face down on the floor, snoring.

The next morning she woke with a pounding headache and a dry mouth with a tongue that tasted like her carpet. She gulped down several ibuprofen and drank a few glasses of water then decided to go take a shower. She grabbed her shower supplies and headed down the hall. As much as she wanted to she couldn't spend all day under the hot spray, the water pressure was crap, it wouldn't stay hot for long—especially not if someone else came in—and she had a test she could not afford to skip. As she was rinsing her hair the water suddenly turned ice cold.

"Shit!" Victoria quickly turned the water off and reached for her towel. She wrapped it around herself and opened the shower curtain to find three other girls in the bathroom. One who she recognized but did not know the name of. The other two were Juliet Watson and her former 'minion', Courtney Wagner. The latter had her hand on the sink tap and a big smile on her face. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Chill, Vickie." Courtney crossed her arms. "Not so much fun when it's happening to you is it?"

Victoria gritted her teeth. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" The other girl shrugged. "Laugh all you want. But if you really think I'm afraid of you C, of all people, you have another thing coming."

"What about me?" Juliet stepped forward. "You tried to steal my fucking boyfriend, Chase. I haven't forgotten that. I couldn't do anything about it before, but you don't have the Vortex Club and Nathan's connections backing you anymore. So why don't you and I throw down and see who's the biggest bitch at Blackwell?"

"Why don't you all leave her alone?"

They turned to see someone standing in the bathroom door. She was only wearing a t-shirt that reached her knees and had long blonde hair cascading over her shoulders. It took them a moment to recognize her.

"Go away, Marsh." Courtney shook her head. "This doesn't concern you."

Much to the surprise of many at Blackwell, Kate Marsh was still standing. Back in October she had attended a Vortex Club party, where she got drunk, stripped, and made out with other party goers. Video of her antics was later uploaded to YouTube, leading to her being bullied and humiliated by other students. Unbeknownst to anyone else at the time she had actually been drugged by Nathan, and in her vulnerable state was also taken to Jefferson's dark room. When the truth came out she was vindicated, though few people had seen her since school restarted.

"Why the fuck do you even care?" Juliet asked. "She made your life more miserable than any of us."

Kate shook her head. "Just because we have been mistreated, does not give us the right to mistreat others. You should strive to be better than those who grieve you." She stepped forward with a gentle smile on her face. "Surely there is something more worthwhile the three of you could be doing right now?"

Courtney and the other girl looked to Juliet, who shrugged. "Whatthefuckever." They left.

Victoria frowned as Kate turned to her. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. And before you say anything else, the irony of this situation is not lost on me." Victoria grabbed her things. "I could have handled them myself you know."

"Of course." Kate put her things on the sink and walked toward one of the shower stalls. "By the way, Victoria?" The taller blonde stopped in the doorway on her wait out. "I forgive you."

Kate's words weighed on Victoria for the rest of the day.

"I forgive you."

She had thought it was hilarious at the time. The prissy Christian girl getting wild and sexy at a party was a gem she had to share with the world. Pretty much everyone else enjoyed it just as much as she did. She was vaguely aware it upset Kate but assumed was her own choice to get drunk in the first place.

Of course, as it turned out, it wasn't.

'It's not like it's my fault. It was Nathan and Jefferson. I didn't know. How could I have known?' Thinking about it now made Victoria upset. She had been so distracted with Courtney and Juliet joining forces against her she wasn't sure whether or not Kate had been mocking her. The bible thumper probably had a score to settle. And she was in the mood for a cat fight right about now. It would be the most fun she'd had all week.

After classes Victoria went back to the dorm and knocked several times on Kate's door. Nobody answered. She got more and more frustrated. Seeing all the well wishes around Max's door and knowing how many friends the hipster had made in her short time at Blackwell just made it worse. She needed to vent. So she went into her own room, turned up the music as loud as she could and just screamed. She did this until her throat hurt and dulled the pain with a bottle of wine. She hadn't eaten anything since lunch and ended another day face down on her bedroom floor.

Victoria was still thinking mostly about Kate during class the next morning. She blew off lunch and went looking for the other girl. She saw Courtney with Taylor and Hayden, eating and drinking at a table, but gave them a wide berth. She wasn't in the mood to deal with them. It took a while but she finally found Kate on the far side of campus, and she wasn't alone. A half dozen people, mostly girls but a couple of guys as well, were sitting in a circle. She watched from a distance, assuming the gathering was some religious thing. She recalled Kate trying to start bible studies and celibacy talks back in the day but couldn't get many attendees for either. Apparently times had changed.

Kate smiled. "Well, does anyone else have anything to share?" The others shook their heads. "Okay good. Then I guess I'll see you guys day after tomorrow?" They got up and began to gather their things. "And don't forget, you all have my number. So if you need anything at all, don't hesitate to call, okay?" Her smile dimmed ever so slightly when she saw Victoria coming toward her. "To what do I owe this...pleasure?"

"Save it, Marsh. Coy doesn't suit you." Victoria crossed her arms. "What was that? In the bathroom?"

"When I stopped the others from bullying you?" Kate slung her bag over her shoulder. "I realize it may be a foreign concept to you, Victoria, but that was me trying to be nice."

Victoria almost had to smile at the jab. "Not that. You said 'I forgive you.' For what?"

"I'm not sure I have enough time to fully answer that question."

"Wow. Sounds like time away from school helped you find your spine. So let me hear it. All of it."

Kate shook her head. "I'm not looking to play the blame game, Victoria. My therapist helped me come to terms with the fact I can't change the past. I have to try and move on. So, I forgive you."

Victoria opened and closed her mouth several times. She wasn't sure how to respond. She had thought Kate was making fun of her. Saving her in the bathroom so she could lord it over her. This wasn't right. "No. You can't just..." She shook her head. "...let it go like that. There's too much...you don't..."

"Hey, are you okay?" Kate put her hand on Victoria's shoulder. "You're shaking."

"This isn't what I expected. I thought we were going to fight. I thought you'd yell. Why don't you hate me? I let you get taken from that party. What Nathan and Jefferson did to you..."

Kate shook her head. "That wasn't your fault. They were playing everybody, including you."

"But..."

"No. What Jefferson and Nathan did to me is on them, not you."

Victoria put her face in her hands. "Damn it."

"How about we go back to my room and I'll make us some tea? We can catch up."

Victoria laughed. "I'm not much of a teetotaler, Marsh."

"I know. But you're welcome to stop by, any time. Or call me." Kate sent Victoria her number. "You know. If you want to hang out or just talk some more."

After having dinner with Alyssa and Stella, Kate Marsh returned to her room. She gave her pet rabbit Alice some of the leftover lettuce from her salad and changed into sweat pants and a t-shirt, undid her hair from its bun and settled on the couch with the intent of watching television while she studied. She had just decided on a show and was opening the text book in her lap when she heard a knock on her door.

"Victoria?" The pixie-cut blonde was still wearing her skirt and cashmere sweater, but from the mess of her makeup it appeared she had been crying. She had a green bottle in her hands. "Is everything all right?"

"I don't fucking know anymore." Victoria's words were a little slurred. "I was gonna get wasted and pass out in my room again, but I started thinking about this morning. Is that offer to talk still good?"

Kate nodded. "Of course." She stepped back and opened the door. "Come on in."

"Thanks." Victoria held up the bottle. "Want some wine?"

Kate blanched. "No, thank you. I haven't touched any alcohol since...the party." She missed Victoria's pained expression as she was closing her door. "Feel free to partake if you want. I don't mind."

"Nah, I think I'm good." Victoria let go of the bottle as she plopped down on the couch, and Kate was barely able to catch it in time to keep it from spilling all over her carpet. "Nice rabbit."

"Thank you." Kate put the wine bottle out of Victoria's reach. "Her name is Alice."

Victoria laughed. "Cute."

"So." Kate rested her hands in her lap. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Oh right. Talk." Victoria looked her in the eye. "You said you forgave me, right?" Kate nodded. "It occurs to me I never actually apologized for my part in this mess." She held up her hand as Kate started to protest. "Not the stuff with Nathan and Jefferson. Like you said, that wasn't my fault, or yours." She sighed. "But what happened at the party itself, with the video and all, that is on me. I thought you were drunk. Showing off your bra..." Kate blushed. "...dancing like one of those girls from the rap videos, and kissing everybody you could get hold of."

"Did you know, I still don't remember most of that night?" Kate shook her head. "Weeks of therapy, hypo-regression, and all I get are flashes of heat, indistinguishable faces, and a vague idea of being in a cold, clinical place. I was told later that was probably Jefferson's dark room." She pinched her brow. "At the party, who did I kiss?"

Victoria frowned. "Wow. Let's see...Hayden, I think. Juliet. Taylor." She blinked. "And me. Holy fuck. I completely forgot about that. You frenched me, Marsh. Big time."

"I'm...sorry."

"Don't be. As I think back, it was actually a damn good kiss."

"Who..." Kate cleared her throat. "Do you happen to remember who I kissed first?"

"Not really. Why?" Victoria's eyes widened. "Wait a sec. Don't tell me that was your first kiss?' Kate nodded. "Fuck. And you don't even get to remember? God, Nathan is such an asshole." She paled. "Shit. I'm sorry. I don't mean to make light of what happened to you."

Kate shrugged. "It's okay. I knew what you meant." She bit her lip. "So, is that why you were picking on me in the first place? Why you posted that video? To humiliate me, just because I kissed you?"

"Oh please. You think you're the first girl to french me at a party? I might have critiqued your tongue skills but no...I did it because you were a stuck up prude." Victoria frowned. "Shit. That came out blunter than I intended." She shrugged. "Still true though. With your bible and your bun and that damned abstinence club? Little miss priss gets wasted and gets some at a party was the funniest damned thing I'd seen all month."

"You just did it for a laugh?"

"Basically."

"So, you're a bully?"

"Basically."

Kate cocked her head. "You admit it?"

"It's kind of hard to deny. I got off knowing you were miserable. Made me feel better about myself." Victoria lowered her head. "Until I found out Nathan drugged you. What happened, what you did, it wasn't your choice. You didn't decide to get drunk and get freaky. You were violated, and I'm so fucking sorry."

Kate put her hand on Victoria's arm. "You have to stop beating yourself up over this. What happened with Nathan wasn't your fault. You can take responsibility for the video, but that's it."

"That's what I meant. I'm sorry for that. Posting it, and for all the shit your got because of it."

"I accept your apology. And as I told you, I forgive you."

Victoria grinned. "We should celebrate." She looked around and saw the wine bottle. "Ahh! There it is!" She got up, took a step, and fell flat on her face. She laughed as Kate hovered over her. "I'm okay."

"You need to sleep it off. Do you think you make it back to your room?"

"Depends. Can I swim through the carpet?"

In spite of herself, Kate giggled. "No."

"Then probably not. I can't feel my feet. Or my face. And my boobs are all tingly." Victoria rolled over so she was on her back. "That's better. Would you mind if I just rested my eyes for a minute?"

Victoria woke with a start.

Her head was pounding and her mouth was dry, her tongue felt like sandpaper. She ran her fingers through her hair as she struggled to sit up, and wondered why she smelled sawdust. 'Why the fuck are my sheets pink?' It wasn't her bed she suddenly realized. She wasn't in her room. 'Where am I?'

She looked around, trying to remember what had happened the night before. She saw a cross on the wall. The sawdust smell was apparently coming from a rabbit cage. She blinked. 'Wait.' As far as she knew only one person in Blackwell had a pet rabbit. 'Am I in Kate Marsh's room?' There was no sign of the other girl, but Victoria did find a bottle of water and some ibuprofen, along with a neatly folded note sitting on the nightstand.

Victoria-

Had to go to class. Thought you might need this. You're welcome to stay as long as you like.

-Kate

"Class?"

Victoria checked her watch. It was 10:45. She was late.

"Shit!"

She scooped up the ibuprofen and downed them along with most of the water and headed out the door. She went back to her room and changed clothes, it wouldn't do to be caught in the same outfit, and slipped into her seat while the teacher had his back turned, just as he finished his lecture. Once the bell rang and everyone else started shuffling out of class she cupped her face in her hands and groaned. She was in trouble now.

"Hey." Victoria looked up to see Kate's smiling face. "You feeling okay?"

"Not really, but thanks for asking. And thanks for the pills. My head only feels like a bass drum going off, rather than splitting in half like it usually does."

Kate shrugged. "You're welcome. Oh, by the way." She handed Victoria a folder. "These are my notes from class. You can copy them if you want. Just make sure I get them back before the end of the day."

"Thanks." Victoria was stunned. They had a test at the end of the week, and she just remembered this was supposed to be an important lecture. Maybe she wasn't screwed after all. Kate started to walk away. "Hey. You did me a huge favor. Maybe I can return it by...buying dinner? If you don't mind delivery, that is."

Kate grinned. "That sounds lovely."

"Great. What are you in the mood for?"

"How about Chinese?"

Victoria nodded. "Sounds good to me. Come by around six?"

"Okay." Smiling, Kate turned and headed for the door. "See you tonight."

Victoria couldn't helping smiling back. When she left class a few minutes later, thinking about what to order, she passed Courtney, who was watching her with a curious intensity.

When Kate arrived at Victoria's room she was greeted with a bounty.

Fried rice. Egg rolls. Sweet and sour and orange chicken. Chow Mein. Wonton soup. And more. All of it piled up on the coffee table and the floor around the couch.

"Sorry about the mess." Victoria had just finished changing, into shorts and a sleeveless blouse. "I don't exactly have room for a table and chairs in here."

"It's fine." Kate moved some containers and sat down on the couch. "It smells delicious."

Victoria sat down beside her. "I wasn't sure what you liked, so I ordered a little bit of everything." She looked around at all the containers. "Had to give the delivery guy one hell of a tip."

"At least you'll have leftovers."

"For days."

They ate in silence for a few minutes. Victoria was amazed at how so small a girl could pack away so much food, but Kate insisted on sampling a little bit of everything.

"Wow, Marsh."

"It's fine. I'm going to work this off at the gym later."

Victoria blinked. "You go to the gym?"

"Absolutely. Exercise isn't just good for the body, though that's obviously a plus. Working out can also help with depression and anxiety. And trust me, I've been dealing with both."

Victoria sipped her drink. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Where's your cross?" Victoria watched Kate's hand drift toward her throat but stop. "I just noticed you weren't wearing it but I don't think I've ever seen you without it."

"It's complicated."

Victoria's smiled bemusedly. "Don't tell me the bible babe has thrown away the good book?"

"Hardly. I'm still very much a Christian. It's just..." Kate sighed. "After the video of me at the party went viral it was seen not just by the kids at Blackwell but my family, and my church as well. If you thought the bullying here was bad, you're all amateurs next to church folk on a mission. My sisters and my father were sympathetic, if distant, but mother and my aunt joined their voices with most of my parish to condemn me for my whorish ways."

"But after Nathan and Jefferson were arrested, and the truth came out..."

Kate shook her head. "It didn't matter. You know why? Yes, they knew I was drugged, but in their minds I wouldn't have been in a position to get drugged if I hadn't been at the party in the first place. It was because I was drinking and cavorting instead of sitting in silence and reading scripture. It was just as much my fault as theirs."

"That's insane."

"Which is what I tried to tell them. But they wouldn't listen. I couldn't keep going to a parish that would condemn the victim for something they had no control over. I don't believe God does either. So I left the church. I still go, I still believe, I just found a parish that is more accepting and forgiving. I haven't spoken to my mother or my aunt since coming back to school." Kate shrugged. "And to answer your original question..." She held up her right wrist, on which hung a bracelet with, among other symbols, the same cross she used to display proudly around her neck. "Since I was a kid religion has always been the defining motivation of my life. Devotion to God is still important, but I've decided to use part of my time here on Earth to try and help people in more concrete and immediate ways. I've stopped trying to arrange bible groups and prayer meetings for students clearly not interested and instead have focused on something I personally know a great deal about. I'm part of an anti-bullying group. We've only met a couple of times so far but it shows real promise. You saw them yesterday, as a matter of fact. We don't just help those being bullied either, we also provide support and teaching for those who are inclined to bully themselves, if they're willing."

Victoria's frowned. "Too bad they weren't around before. Might have kept me from treating you like shit." She shook her head as Kate put a hand on her arm. "No, it's okay. I was a bitch. I'm trying to be better, I swear, but even if I were inclined to apologize to people, no one wants to be around me enough to hear it."

"I do." Kate smiled. "I'm here."

"Yeah, but you're a goodie two-shoes. Doesn't really count." Victoria laughed as Kate nudged her with her elbow. "Hey would it be okay if I came to one of those anti-bullying meetings of yours?"

"Of course. Everyone is welcome. We're getting together tomorrow, in fact, under the same tree as yesterday. If you want to come by, it starts around one." Kate reached for some more fried rice. "And you don't have to worry. Even if they're not happy to see you personally, no one will treat you badly."

Victoria had every intention of going to meet Kate and her group.

After class she returned to her dorm room to drop off her books and to change clothes, she had no intention of sitting on bare grass in Versace slacks and a cashmere sweater. After spending a few minutes in front of her closet she settled on the simple jeans and t-shirt she usually wore when she was washing clothes. They were still twice as expensive as anything the others would likely be wearing. A Chase had standards after all.

Finally satisfied, Victoria looked at her watch. It was one o'clock on the dot. She grabbed her purse and headed out with her phone in hand to text Kate and tell her she was on her way. As she left the dorm she had her face down and thus didn't even see the balloon coming before it hit in the chest and exploded, covering her not in water but in what appeared to be blue dye or paint. She staggered back, dropping her phone and unable to see. She heard people laughing and footsteps as someone ran away but it took her some time to wipe enough of the mess off her face to open her eyes. She had tears in her eyes as she looked around to see passers-by and those who had just arrived on the scene pointing and whispering. There was no sign of whoever had done this to her.

Victoria stomped back to her room, grabbed her shower supplies and went straight to the showers without saying a word or acknowledging the questions and comments of girls she passed in the hall. In a stall she peeled off her clothes and underwear, turned the water on as hot as she could, and began desperately scrubbing. Whatever the blue substance was it thankfully washed off her skin fairly easily. Her hair was another matter. It took an hours worth of effort, along with an entire bottle of shampoo and bar of soap, to get clean. That was well past the time the school's pitiful water heater was capable of maintaining a comfortable temperature, the water was ice cold by the time she finished but she was beyond caring at that point. She slumped to the shower floor, head between her knees, her whole body shaking as she sobbed and cried herself to the point of exhaustion. She heard several other girls come and go, some laughing and others sounding concerned, but she ignored them all and sat there until someone knocked on the curtain.

"Victoria?"

"Go away, Marsh."

"Are you okay? I saw what happened."

Victoria frowned. "What do you mean you saw?"

"There's...umm..."

Victoria closed her eyes. "Don't tell me. A video?"

"Several, I'm afraid."

"Fuck! You must be loving this."

Kate crossed her arms. "Come on, Victoria. You know that's not true."

"Are you telling me you didn't smile? Just a little bit?"

"Of course not. I don't think anything about this is remotely funny. Would you please come out?"

"Why?"

"I'm worried about you. I know firsthand how emotionally distressing it is to have someone treat you like this. If you want to go back to your room we can talk about it."

After a moment Victoria stood up and turned off the water. "I think I've had my fill of talking." She wrapped a towel around herself and slapped the shower curtain open. "Thanks anyway." Kate reached out but she brushed her aside. As she walked into the hall she heard Kate ask about her clothes. "Throw them out. Burn them. I don't care." She slammed her door, leaving Kate standing in the hall, tears in her eyes.

It was the weekend, so there were no classes for two days.

Some students at Blackwell took the opportunity to bunker down in their rooms or the library and study, though they were in the minority. Most arranged parties and/or various road trips.

Kate got up early on Saturday morning and went to check on Victoria. She knocked on the door several times but there was no answer. She also tried calling her, with no luck.

"She's not here." Kate turned to see Taylor Christensen leaning in her doorway with her arms crossed. "I saw her leave just after the sun came up."

"What were you doing up so early?"

Taylor shrugged. "Haven't actually gone to sleep yet. I'm going to crash later."

"Do you have any idea where she went?"

"Maybe. Why do you care?"

Kate frowned. "What?"

"Word is you guys have been hanging out the last couple of days. Nobody understands why."

"It's no one's business, really. Please, I have to find her. Did you hear about yesterday?"

Taylor nodded. "It's the talk of the school. Victoria Chase gets put in her place. That'll be a meme pretty soon if it's not already. Cour is really having a field day."

"Wait, Courtney Wagner? She's the one who threw the water balloon?"

"No she had someone else do it. Doesn't want the ink on her hands if you know what I mean. But she arranged it. V threw a lot of shade at her while we were her 'minions'. She's just returning the favor."

Kate crossed her arms. "And what about you? Did you get a good laugh at Victoria's expense?"

"Me? Not really. But what's the big deal? It's not like it hurt her."

"Maybe not physically. But Victoria feels like she's been abandoned by the school. By her friends."

Taylor laughed. "Victoria doesn't have friends. She has followers. Lackeys. People she walks over to get what she wants. I was the closest thing she had to a friend at this school and she treated me like dirt half the time."

"What about your mother? I heard when she got sick, Victoria stood by you."

"That's true."

"So when she gets in trouble, you stand by and let it happen? Even if someone isn't a good friend to you that doesn't mean you shouldn't be there for them. I'm trying to help her."

"You're too nice for your own good, Marsh. Palling around with V these days is social suicide."

Kate shrugged. "I've already been dead in the eyes of the students here. You and your hit squad made sure of that. I came out the other side stronger for it. Let them talk. I'm more concerned about Victoria."

"Holy shit! You really are." Taylor shook her head. "Look, I don't know where V is but I can tell you where to start looking. Check her car. If it's gone she's probably at the pier. When she's feeling down she likes to go there to stare at the ocean and to window shop, without having to deal with all the crazy people downtown. If her car's still here I don't know what to tell you. The Victoria I knew never liked to be alone."

Kate did as Taylor suggested and discovered Victoria's car was in its usual spot. Which meant she was still somewhere on campus. She checked the library, the cafeteria, the classrooms, but there was no sign of her. Remembering one of their earlier conversations she even checked the gym but the students and teachers there hadn't seen her. She decided to go back to the dorm and see if Victoria had returned to her room. Outside she found Samuel Taylor, the janitor, on his knees scrubbing away the remainders of blue from the concrete. "Hi Samuel."

"Well hello, Kate. How are you this fine morning?"

"Not so good actually. Have you seen Victoria Chase?"

"I have."

Kate blinked. "Umm...recently?"

"Indeed. Samuel sees everything. The Vortex thought they were so clever but Samuel knew they had a key. He let them go up so long as they harmed no one. She still has hers."

"Up?" Kate raised her head and gasped. Someone was on the roof of the dorm room building. She caught a flash of blonde hair before the figure stepped away from the edge. "No!" She ran inside and up the stairs to the roof, where she found Victoria stumbling around in shorts, a tank top, and no shoes. Empty bottles of wine coolers were scattered around. "Thank god. What are you doing up here?"

Victoria shrugged. "I like it. It's private." She frowned. "Usually."

"You scared me half to death. When I saw you near the edge, I thought for a minute..."

"That I was going to jump?" Victoria shrugged. "I have to admit, it crossed my mind. I thought about what would happen if I took a swan dive. Would anybody care? Would anybody miss me?"

"Your parents. And...me."

Victoria rubbed her forehead. "I know. And I appreciate it." She sighed. "Like I said, it crossed my mind. I wouldn't actually do it. I just needed some space. Is that all right?"

"Totally." Kate stepped closer. "I know what you're going through, believe me. It feels like the world is against you. But I think it's important you know you're not alone in this. I'm here for you, Victoria. I'll listen if you need to talk, hold you if you need to cry, and show you how to punch things if you need to vent."

"I think what I really need right now is to crash. I didn't get much sleep last night. Then I had a six pack of wine coolers for breakfast." Victoria frowned. "Can you help me back to my room?"

Kate held out her hand and after a moment of blank staring Victoria took if. Both smiled. "Of course." She helped put Victoria to bed and sat beside her until she finally fell asleep. Once she was sure the other girl was okay she got up and went back to her own room, where to her surprise someone was sitting on her bed. "Taylor?"

"How's V?"

"I think she'll be okay. She just needs time. What are you doing here?"

Taylor stood up. "Easy, Marsh. I just want to talk. I thought about what you said. Me and V have a complicated history. I don't like what Courtney and the others are doing but I'm not ready to stand up to them. At least not yet. You can. Do me a favor and keep an eye on her. I know she acts like an alpha bitch, and can be one when she needs to, but deep down she's just a big softy. That's a side of her most people don't get to see."

"I'm trying. She doesn't make it easy."

"Yeah, but believe me, it's worth the effort if you can make it past her outer shell."

Kate bit her lip. "I know this isn't any of my business but it sounds like...did you guys used to date?"

"Like I said, it's complicated." Taylor stood up. "You don't have to worry about me. I won't stand in your way. And I'll try to keep Courtney's antics to a minimum, though sooner or later she and V are going to have to have a reckoning." She started toward the door. "Oh. I almost forget." Digging through her purse she pulled out Victoria's phone. "V dropped this when she got it. I swooped in and picked it up before anyone else could."

Kate took the phone and nodded. "I'll make sure she gets it."

"Thanks."

"Hey, Taylor, are you okay?"

The other blonde shrugged her shoulders. "We all have our good and bad days, right?"

"Like I told Victoria, if you ever want to talk..."

"I'm good. But thanks."

Victoria slept for most of the day.

It was late in the afternoon when she finally woke up, ate leftover Chinese food, and went to take a shower. Afterward she wanted to check her messages, but let out a string of curses as she remembered she had dropped her phone after getting hit by the balloon. She made a mental note to check lost and found later, though considering how expensive the damn thing was she felt pretty sure it was long gone. She ate some more Chinese food and stayed up until 2 AM watching TV before deciding not to risk messing up her sleep schedule too much and going to bed.

Sunday morning she woke up to find a note slid under her door.

Victoria-

I'll be at church until 1. Come by my room around 2. We'll have lunch

and I can give you back your phone.

-Kate

Victoria perked right up.

After noon she did her makeup, fixed her hair, and spent an hour in her closet trying to decide what to wear. She settled on a black skirt and a Gucci top with a cashmere vest. As she stood in front of the mirror she wondered why she was going to so much trouble. They were just going to hang out in Kate's room.

'It's not like this is a date.' Why then, she wondered, did she feel a little nervous as she knocked on Kate's door? 'Get it together, Chase.' She smiled as the door opened. "Hi."

Kate smiled back. "Hi." She stepped aside. "Come on in." She gestured to the couch and Victoria sat down as she closed the door and went to her desk, where she picked up the other blonde's phone. "Here."

"Thanks." Victoria was not surprised to see the only messages were from Kate herself. "Did you find it?"

"No, actually, it was Taylor."

"T gave it to you?"

Kate nodded. "She was apparently there when Courtney arranged the incident with the balloon."

"Cour? Seriously?" Victoria shook her head. "I didn't think she had it in her."

"You should probably have a talk with her. Before this escalates."

"But that's half the fun." Victoria sighed at the disapproving look Kate gave her. "Fine. I'll talk to her. Later." Her cheeks reddened as her stomach rumbled. "I didn't eat breakfast."

Kate smiled. "I had a feeling. Thought you might be sick of Chinese by now." She got up as someone knocked on the door. "Good timing." She paid for two pizzas, a big cookie, and sodas. "Since I don't know for sure what you like either, I got one plain pepperoni and one deluxe."

"Smells delicious." Victoria glanced at one of the boxes. "Wait, Mike's? I love that place. How'd you know?"

"I remembered seeing a menu in your room."

After eating they took their trash out to the dumpster and then returned to Victoria's room, where they decided to spend the rest of the afternoon watching television. Kate asked Victoria to show her something she enjoyed and Victoria chose an anime series called Fireblade, about a group of warrior women competing to win the titular weapon. It was violent but not gory and had some nudity but no real sexual content, and though Kate did blush a few times she did not look away or ask Victoria to turn it off. When the thirteen episodes were over Victoria turned to her.

"So, what did you think?"

Kate licked her lips. "It was...interesting."

"Good interesting or bad? Because that word could go either way."

"No, I liked it. It's just...not what I'm used to." Kate sighed. "You have to understand. I was raised very conservatively. In my house the only entertainment was bible recitals, Christian board games, family gatherings, and the occasional Christmas nativity special. My mother wouldn't even let us listen to the radio on long car trips because she thought all musicians were lewd and lawless heathens. I sometimes got to see some of the popular TV shows my friends were watching if I happened to be was over at one of their houses but otherwise..."

"Your mother sounds kind of like...and forgive me for saying this, a loveless prude."

Kate was silent. Victoria feared she had offended her and was about to apologize when she nodded. "You're not wrong. I can take comfort in the idea she genuinely thought she was doing what was best for us."

"Domineering or not, at least your mom was around. I saw my parents for brief moments on the weekend, maybe, even when I was living at home. The two of them were always away on business, or visiting one of our other properties. I knew they loved me, that was never in question, and at least one of them always showed up to take me out for my birthday, but I got to see my nannies and other support staff a lot more than I ever did them."

"I'm sorry." Victoria shrugged. Kate glanced at the TV, with the Fireblade emblem still burning on the menu screen. "I have a question about the show. And a follow up personal question."

"Ask away."

"So, Sienna and Claira are best friends who become lovers, right? I know they never actually showed them sleeping together but that kiss was hard to misinterpret."

Victoria nodded. "According to the director's commentary, yes. They chose not to be explicit so it could be left open to interpretation and to make it an easier sell in other markets."

"Is that like you and Taylor?"

"Are you asking if we used to go out? Or whether or not we ever fucked?"

Kate's face reddened. "You don't have to be so crude." She elbowed Victoria as the other girl grinned. "Both."

"We never dated. Not really either of our style. As for the other thing...let's just say we've seen each other naked, and you can interpret that however you like."

Kate nodded. "It's really none of my business."

"I don't mind you asking." Victoria cocked her head. "I assume you've never...done either?"

"A safe assumption. I have thought about it. That's kind of how I got in trouble." Kate crossed her arms. "My mom was not happy when I chose to come to Blackwell. She always assumed I would go to one of the Christian schools she'd picked out for me since I was little, but I was eighteen and going to be on my own for a change and I wanted to see at least a little bit of the world outside the church. I guess that was as close to rebellion as old me got. And I'm glad. If I hadn't come here I wouldn't have met people like Max and Warren and Alyssa...and you."

Victoria laughed. "I wouldn't count that last one as a positive. I was an asshole to you."

"You were."

"Wow. Don't sugar coat it, Marsh."

Kate smiled. "Were, being the operative word. True, not all the experiences were positive ones, but they were new and they were fascinating to me. I even decided to try going to a party." Kate lowered her head. "We both know how that turned out." She nodded as Victoria put a hand on her shoulder. "But I survived. I made it through all of that and have come out the other side a stronger and better person."

"Damn straight."

Kate woke up with a crick in her neck and went to stretch, only to find she couldn't move her left arm. She opened her eyes to find a face full of blonde hair not her own.

Her eyes widened. Victoria Chase was snuggled up against her, fast asleep.

It took a moment for her to remember what happened the night before. They had been watching a movie on the couch and she mentioned her legs being cold so Victoria got a blanket. It wasn't quite big enough so they had to sit a little closer than she was used to, and she kept getting distracted each time Victoria's leg would rub against hers. She didn't remember much about the movie but now she was very familiar with Victoria's perfume.

Obviously they had fallen asleep. From the light coming through the window she guessed it was morning but her phone was in her purse and she couldn't see a clock. A part of her knew she should wake Victoria. It was Monday and they had to get ready for class, assuming they weren't already late. But she also felt so warm and comfortable and...weirdly, safe, and another part of her wanted to stay like this all day.

Then Victoria stirred. "Mmm...Kate?" Her face paled and her green eyes widened. "Oh shit!" She lurched back, hands going up in the air. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay." Kate stood up and stretched her arm and neck. "You didn't do anything wrong."

Victoria rubbed her eyes. "What time is it?"

Kate reached into her purse and pulled out her phone. "Eight thirty."

"I have class in half an hour."

"Me too." Kate gathered her things. "I'll see you later, Victoria."

Victoria fell back on the couch and groaned. "Fuck!"

The rest of the morning her mind kept wandering, and Ms. Grant even called her on it when she asked her a question and she failed to respond. She tried to focus, but her thoughts kept going back to Kate. 'Damn it, I'm acting like a schoolgirl with a crush.' Then she got a text, inviting her to the anti-bullying meeting they were having in their usual place. She thought about changing clothes but decided not to. When she arrived Kate smiled but she got a sense all the others were not as pleased to see her, though no one said anything as she sat down.

Victoria listened in stunned silence as the others told their stories.

A girl had been picked on because an attempt to darken her blonde hair instead left it bright green.

One of the guys was depressed about the way he was treated for being overweight.

Two girls, sisters, were dealing with the fact their father was in jail and one of them was gay.

And the other guy wasn't a victim but he had a temper and was scared because he had almost struck his girlfriend the last time they got in an argument.

Kate listened, hugged those who needed it, and gave what advice she could.

"Victoria? Did you have anything you wanted to say?"

"I'm sorry." Victoria was looking right at Kate as she spoke. "For everything. All the times I made fun of you. And posting that damned video? God, I'm such an idiot." She shook her head. "As for the rest of you, if I ever made any of you feel inferior or unimportant, I'm sorry. I really am. I'm trying to do better. I swear."

One of the guys and two of the girls shook her hand when the meeting was over, though only one openly forgave her for something she had said in the past. The others acknowledged her with a nod. It was more validation than Victoria was expecting given her reputation. By 3:15 she and Kate were the only ones left.

"So what did you think?"

Victoria sighed. "I think I need a drink."

"If you're talking about cappuccino, I'm in. Otherwise..."

"Actually, I have an idea I wanted to run by you if that's all right?"

Kate nodded. "Of course. What is it?"

The next day a group of students was having lunch outside.

Courtney was seated at a table along with Juliet, Zachary, Hayden and Dana. Taylor, while not part of the gathering, was leaning against a tree nearby, on her phone.

Hayden's eyes widened and he nudged Zachary, who in turn whispered something to Juliet. She got Dana's attention and after looking over her shoulder, she said something to Courtney.

Victoria was approaching, with Kate a few steps behind, and she had a water balloon in her hand. Courtney turned but remained seated, while the others got up from the table and backed away.

Taylor held up her phone.

"Really, V?" Courtney eyed the balloon. "You couldn't think of anything original? You had to copy me?"

Victoria glared. "I wanted to make a point." She held up the balloon. "I was all set to throw this and make sure it hit as many of you as possible. But thankfully, a cooler head prevailed." Behind her, Kate smiled. "We need to stop this petty bullshit. It's exhausting. You lash out at me, I hit back, where does it end?" She sighed. "I say it ends with the both of us deciding to be grownups for a change. We don't have to be friends. We don't have to hang out or braid each other's hair but I think we can at least be civil." She sat the balloon down at Courtney's feet. "But if you want to keep going, have the guts to do it yourself. Consider this a free shot. But before you take it, remember..." She flashed a trademark cocky Chase grin. "I'm the one who taught you how to be an alpha bitch. I play this game better than anyone. Take me on you will lose, and you will lose bloody." She turned and walked away. "Your choice."

Kate shook her head as she followed. "Was that really necessary? The threat, I mean?"

"Absolutely. She would never have believed what I was saying otherwise. I taught her well." Victoria chewed on her lower lip. "Speaking of, what's she doing?"

Kate glanced over her shoulder. "Nothing. She's just sitting there."

"Good."

"Did you think she was really going to do it?"

"Honestly? I wasn't sure."

Several days went by with no sign of retaliation from Courtney.

Victoria actually started to relax. Not just because her protege had apparently backed down, but she found herself less concerned by the pointing and staring of the other students. Most of them had moved on from recriminations about Mark Jefferson and Nathan Prescott, to whispers about the new person in her life.

Kate Marsh.

There was no question the two of them were spending time together. They were often seen walking together between classes and met in the cafeteria for lunch. After class they would usually study in Kate's room and later move to Victoria's to have dinner and spend the rest of the evening watching TV. Rumors that they were dating were going around but no one had yet found the courage to come out and ask, and they weren't offering.

On Friday morning Madison Lee, the new photography teacher, gave out an assignment.

"I want you guys to take a picture." She held up her hand to suppress the snickers and whispering. "You only have two requirements, the details are up to you. The subject has to be a person, and it has to be shot on campus. Somewhere recognizable, like in front of the Blackwell statue for example. Though not required I'd encourage you to pair up, otherwise you'll be competing for shots and locations. If you do, just make certain the names of all involved are with the photo you turn in. It's due Monday, so you have the weekend." The bell rang. "Class dismissed."

Even though she wasn't a photographer and didn't even own a camera Kate was still taking the class. The lessons about light and shading helped with her art work, which had moved away from simple cartoons to more detailed sketches and drawings since coming back to school. She and Victoria had started sitting together the last couple of days, which drew curious whispers and stares from the other students. "What do you think?"

Victoria shrugged. "Sounds simple enough. I've got the camera, you've got the looks."

"Wait. You want me to be the model?"

"Of course." To her credit, Victoria recognized Kate's wide eyed, pink-cheeked expression of shock rather quickly. "I just thought...I mean, you're so pretty, you'd be a wonderful..." Victoria frowned. "Damn it I'm screwing this up." She took a deep breath. "Yes. Kate, I'd like you to model for me. If that's all right?"

"I just wasn't expecting..." Kate sighed. "Okay. I'm not sure I'll be any good but I can try. For you."

"Great. Meet me in my room after classes. I know the perfect place to shoot."

Kate looked around. "Are you sure about this?"

It was after seven PM and they were in the swimming pool building. Victoria had tried giving Samuel a 'donation' but he refused, only agreeing to leave the door unlocked and look the other way after Kate assured him they weren't doing anything bad. Victoria asked her to stand near the water while she turned on only one bank of lights, which bounced off the white linoleum walls and bathed the rest of the area in darkness.

"Trust me. It's going to be great." Victoria had her camera hanging from a strap around her neck. It cost, Kate guessed, as much as nearly everything in her own room combined. "Take a step to your left. Perfect. Now, to start, put one hand on your hip...good. Raise your head...there. Perfect." She began taking pictures.

Kate felt uneasy. She wasn't sure why. She moved when and where Victoria told her, but every step made her stomach clench a little more. Her heart was pounding. Victoria had stepped back into the shadows, out of sight, and her voice was intermingled with the sound of the shutter. Soft and familiar. She gasped. A flash. Jefferson. The dark room. She felt hands on her. "No." Nathan laughing. "N-No." As the panic set in she began to hyperventilate. All she could hear now was blood pounding in her ears. "Vic..." Her eyes rolled back in her head.

Victoria looked on in horror as Kate's body slumped suddenly and she fell into the pool. She screamed and without stopping to think jumped into the water herself. She swam over to Kate, who was floating face down and didn't appear to be moving. "Nonono." She turned Kate face up and checked to see if she was breathing. Thankfully she was. She knew she couldn't lift her so she pulled Kate through the water until she got to the stairs and was able to drag her out that way. She lay Kate down and checked her pulse. It was racing. "Kate?" The other blonde moaned. "Hang on. I'll go get some help." She started to rise, only to feel a hand on her arm.

"Wait." Hazel eyes fluttered open. "I-I'm okay."

Victoria shook her head. "No, you're not. You passed out. You're lucky you didn't hit your head."

"I'm all right. I just had...I don't know, I guess you'd call it a flashback?" Kate sat up. "When you were talking, taking pictures of me, a lit space in an otherwise dark room..."

Victoria paled, her eyes as wide as saucers. "Oh fuck. Kate, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I didn't mean to..."

"Of course not. It's okay. I haven't hard my picture taken since all that happened. I didn't realize anything like this could happen. My therapist is going to have a field day." Kate looked at her soaking wet clothes, and Victoria's, and blushed when she realized all of them were semi-transparent. And that wasn't all. "Oh no. Your camera."

Victoria nodded. "Even the most water resistant camera was never intended to be fully submerged in chlorine filled water." She shrugged. "Don't worry about it."

"It's ruined."

"Like I said, don't worry about it."

"But..."

"Kate, it's just a thing. I can make a call and have a dozen more just like it delivered by morning. It can be replaced. You can't. I'm more worried about you right now."

"I appreciate that. But I'm fine. I just need to go back to my room and rest."

Victoria nodded. "You know what's best for you. But if anything else happens, I'm calling an ambulance, okay?"

"Okay."

"Come on. I'll help you."

A few minutes later they were back in the dorm.

Victoria returned to her own room just long enough to change clothes. She was heading to Kate's when she was stopped by Courtney. "What's going on? I saw you and Marsh. You looked like half-drowned cats."

"Not now, Cour." Victoria knocked on Kate's door but did not wait for a response. She went in and found Kate had changed into a nightshirt and was laying on her bed. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. A little embarrassed, but fine."

Victoria cocked her head. "What would you have to feel embarrassed about?"

"I fell in the pool. In the old days you'd probably have posted it to YouTube by now."

Victoria sat down on the bed beside her. "I'm trying hard not to be that girl anymore, but I wouldn't be so sure about Courtney. I ran into her in the hall. She saw us coming back from the pool apparently."

"Do you think she's going to do something?"

"Probably not. I hope I got through to her. But if she does, we'll deal." Victoria put her hand on Kate's arm. "Forget about Courtney. I did this to you. I'm so sorry. I was a fucking idiot. I pushed you into modeling for me, you didn't really want to do it, and I didn't even stop to think about what it meant for you."

Kate shook her head. "You pushed, but I didn't have to go along. I'm not a porcelain doll, Victoria. I have my own mind and I can make my own decisions. I chose to do it. So stop."

"But..."

Kate grabbed Victoria's shoulder, pulled her in close, and kissed her. Hard. Victoria froze, eyes wide. When she finally pulled away they were both breathing a little heavily. "Was that...okay?"

"A little late to ask now." Kate blushed and Victoria smiled, cupping one side of her face. "Yes. Of course. But are you sure about this? You've been through a lot. You may not be thinking clearly."

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life. I really like you, Victoria. A lot. I have for a while. I was afraid to say anything because I wasn't sure whether you felt anything for me. I didn't want to pressure you." Kate bit her lip. "But recently I've started to get the sense you like me too." Her eyes widened. "Am I wrong?"

Victoria shook her head. "You're definitely not wrong. I do like you." She smiled. "It's funny. I was going to say the same thing. About not wanting to pressure you. But you beat me to it."

"We're starting to think alike. That's a good sign."

Victoria took Kate's hands in her own. "I know you were worried about this earlier, but what happened at the Vortex Club party? That wasn't our first kiss." She smiled. "This was."

"First?"

"Of many."

Kate smiled. "I hope so."

"I think it's time for our second." They both smiled. "Come here." Victoria leaned in and this time they put their arms around one another as their lips pressed together.

END