Chapter 4 – But Lies Worse
'Fuck, fuck, fuck' Emily watched as Naomi's face dropped suddenly.
"W-What you on about?" Naomi stared at Emily in desperation. The whole group had become silent, all somewhat stunned by Katie's outright question. They all had some suspicion, sharing knowing glances with each other, especially Effy and JJ, but now finally getting to hear the truth right from the horse's mouth was too good an opportunity to miss.
"You know what I'm on about muff-muncher. Answer the question." Katie pressed on. She wasn't going to let this one drop. She was drunk and high and wanted to embarrass the girls. They made her sick.
"She hasn't munched my muff or anyone else's." Emily spoke up, deciding to save the usually robust Naomi the embarrassment of being associated with her. She was lying through her back teeth, and even though it killed her inside, she just couldn't watch the girl's character being destroyed by her sister. "She's a cock-cruncher, right Naomi?"
Naomi looked down and nervously started to run her hands through the blades of grass near her feet. After a moment she answered. "What she said."
"Question answered. Let's move on." Cook spoke up, effectively ending the conversation. For once Emily wanted to kiss him and not kill him for taking the heat off of her and Naomi. Katie seemed satisfied enough with the answer for now, but she knew there was more to it than that.
The game continued on around Emily and she wasn't paying any attention. The lies on her tongue tasted even more bitter than the alcohol she was consuming. She felt a gaze burning into the side of her face, hot like the atmosphere that was building around the campfire. She looked up into a beautiful pair of blue eyes. Naomi mouthed a 'Thank you', ironically the first words she'd heard from her since she'd told her that she felt happier and not so alone around the red-head. More fucking lies. Emily was sick of lying. Lying to her sister, her family and friends. More-so she was sick of lying to herself. She shook her head, barely acknowledging Naomi's words. Wanting nothing more than to get up, get away from these people and run far away, till her lungs burned and the tears dried on her pale cheeks. But she couldn't. That would be too obvious. Everyone would know. Maybe she didn't care anymore. Maybe.
She focused her attention back to Cook. It was his turn again and the bottle had landed on Freddie. Poor, love-sick Freddie. Poor Freddie, who was so similar to her in so many ways. She felt for him, she wanted to protect him and his precious heart, but she couldn't protect herself or her own.
Cook looked deep in thought for a moment before turning to his ex-best friend. For a second it seemed like he wasn't going to say a thing. But that would be a pussy thing to do. And one thing Cook wasn't was a pussy.
"Freddie, my main man." Cook mocked.
"Cook, I'm bored of this now. Can we do something else?" JJ spoke up, desperately trying to intervene. He didn't want another situation to occur. He could feel another lock-on attack coming on.
"Shut it Gay Jay." Cook maliciously cut in. "Game ain't over till I've asked Frederick here a question." Freddie just carried on rolling his next joint, not even bothering to look up at Cook as he spoke.
"Do your worst Cook."
"Alright. Look at me when I'm talking to you Fredster." Cook wandered over to Freddie and squatted down in front of him. Emily watched with a nervous anticipation of what the 'Cookie Monster' was going to say. Effy too looked concerned for what was going to happen next, for once actual emotion being shown on her face. "Who are you really desperate to fuck? Effy or me?"
"Cook you twat." Effy shouted out. Her cool exterior being cracked by the audacity of the question.
"Shut up Effy." Cook waved his hand dismissively at her as Freddie got to his feet. Cook also rose, pushing himself forward suggestively up into the other boy's personal space.
"When are you going to grow up Cook?" Freddie pushed Cook aggressively in the chest, who just smiled back infuriatingly at him.
"When are you going to realise the fucking world doesn't revolve around you?" Freddie's voice started to rise now. "This isn't The Cook Show. We aren't just a bunch of puppets on a string for you to play with." He punctuated his statement with another push. "This isn't a game; this is people's lives Cook. People with potential like JJ. You're fucking ruining him Cook. Just because you don't have a future. You're dangerous. You're out of control." Another push. "You almost ruined me too, but I'm not going to let it happen. Look at me!" Freddie shouted into the other boy's face.
"Freddie come on let's just go" Emily tried to reason with the boy. It was getting out of control. She wanted to go home and sleep until everything was better again. "Please." She begged.
"No!" He screamed. "It's got to stop Em. He's fucking me up." Freddie sobbed. The tears now running down his beautiful face. Everybody's eyes were on him and Cook. This was what had been building, threatening to happen for weeks. He looked over at Effy. "He's messing you up too Effy. Why can't you see?"
"I'm already messed up" The make-up smeared, tear-stained girl replied.
"There mate, I ain't doing to her anything she doesn't want or need." Cook laughed provoking Freddie once more. "You probably couldn't get it up nancy boy."
That was it. Freddie swung his fist so hard and fast into Cook's nose, that no-one saw it coming until it was too late. The sound of his fist connecting with the other boys face was sickening enough but as he fell back into the log behind him, the sound of his head hitting with the hard wood reverberated around the silence of the field. Then the screams came, the shouts, the "Oh fuck, what have I done". The cries of 'call an ambulance', the sound of sobbing amongst friends and the hyperventilating of a boy who locks on. But the loudest of all, the footsteps of a frightened boy running away from his troubles, his life and the girl of his dreams.
"Freddie come back." Effy sobs. "Please."
