Drake
Caleb, now the polite boyfriend instead of a stranger, insisted on taking Charice out to eat one Saturday. "We're going to a party tonight," he informed her as they walked out of the restaurant. "Until then, I'm not quite finished with you. Where would you like to go?" The girl laughed. "You want me to choose?" Caleb smiled, the dimples in his cheeks prominent. "Anywhere as long as you don't have to leave my side, darling." Rolling her eyes, Charice found a store that looked interesting and dragged him inside. It was a music store, but there were lots of other things. There were books, instruments, old records, and art supplies. Charice found a record with a man's face on it and held it up to her own. "Do you find this attractive?" she giggled. Caleb looked up from his phone with a concerned expression, but then laughed.
Tilting her head, Cherry set the record down and looked over his shoulder. "You've been texting furiously since we got in here. Why so busy?" It was no big deal, Charice tried not to be one of those needy girls. Still, Caleb rarely had his phone out when they were together, claiming that it was rude. The boy looked up, turning his phone to sleep mode with a click. "Oh, my friend was just asking about the party. It's at one of our sororities, but I'm allowed to bring a guest, so I chose you. Anyway, he was just asking if he could get away with bringing a few of our Pu- I mean our other friends." Cherry looked at him knowingly. "A few people you Purge with? It's fine Caleb, I understand. This friend, what's his name?" Caleb answered nonchalantly, but his answer made Charice go pale. "His name is Drake. Drake Adams."
The young woman shook, her ivory skin taking on an even more ghostly pallor. "Um, can I see? I mean that name sounds familiar." Caleb's eyebrows furrowed as he noticed her dramatic reaction, but he handed her the phone. Sure enough, the photo for the contact showed a pale boy with tousled brown hair and eyes that were nearly black. Charice quickly handed the phone back, trying to play it off. Caleb glared. "Alright, what's the matter? You're freaking out." Cherry shook her head, trying to make her eyes less wide and fearful. "I'm fine, really, it's just cold in here…and yeah, let's finish up." Her excuse was a lame one, but Caleb didn't push her.
Cherry went home to get ready for the party that evening, her mind playing over a dozen cruel memories. Drake's hands skimming her waist, fingertips against her cheek as he leaned in too close, his lips brushing across her neck. "Come on Charice…nobody says no to me…" Shivering, she tried not to think about him. Instead she straightened her little black dress and stood, checking her makeup in the mirror one last time. She would have fun with Caleb, regardless of whether Drake was there or not.
Charice met Caleb at the party, waiting with her friend until he arrived. Sonny was crazy happy that Charice was dating, but the fact that it was Caleb was even better. "There he is!" Sonny squealed, pointing as Caleb entered the room in his usual button-down shirt and elegant smile. Charice darted over to him and kissed his cheek. "How are you?" she asked, reaching up to place her hand on his cheek. "I heard you got in an argument earlier, after one of your classes?" Caleb shrugged. "Some kid tried to fight with me, that's all. He got what was coming to him." Sighing, Cherry turned to Sonny as the girl bounced on her feet in excitement. "I'll go get Drake, he was asking when you would get here." She dove into the throng of partiers to find Charice's tormentor. Nobody knew what Drake had done to her- she had been afraid to tell anyone.
Keeping that secret had consequences. Charice's spine stiffened, covered in chills, as Drake's voice soon greeted her from behind. "Caleb," he said, sounding pleased. His voice then deepened to a cat's purr. "And Charice. Sweet Charice, it's been so long since we last met." Cherry whirled to face him, looking much like a fawn in the path of a car. She felt like a child in his presence. Caleb seemed not to notice anything as he talked to his friend.
Caleb's vocabulary changed immediately. Around strangers he was classy and his grammar was extreme; around Charice he made cute little jokes; around Drake he lost all enthusiasm and he seemed to be teasing more than joking. It occurred to Cherry that perhaps Caleb was very two-faced. "Drake, this is the longest you've gone without pissing someone off," Caleb said, fixing his collar. "I will be back, I am going to get some water." Cherry wanted to shout for him to stay, to protect her, but she said nothing. Instead she was left alone with Drake. She would never tell Caleb about Drake, ever. If they were friends, she wasn't going to ruin it; this would be her one secret. Shivering, she looked at Drake and tried to calm herself down. He couldn't mess with her here, not in front of Caleb, but he would know she was nervous and use it. There were ways to mess with her without Caleb knowing. Drake seemed to realize that too, as he smiled creepily at her. Cherry bit her lip, unable to hold his gaze and instead looking over in the direction Caleb had gone. She had noticed Caleb's demeanor change when Drake showed up, not just the way he talked. His head was higher, his eyes sparking like he was up for a challenge. Drake looked like that as well: like they were two brothers fighting for the same prize- friendly, but rough and teasing. Cherry looked at Drake again with narrow eyes. "So. You've been friends with Caleb for how long?" Drake smirked, and when he spoke his teeth gleamed like fangs. "Longer than I can count my dear, and I'm sure longer than you can. Being so into art, I'm not sure how much practice you've had with numbers. At any rate, he and I share the same...interests." Charice looked down again, her lips pressed together in anger. He couldn't even answer one question without insulting her. Not to mention he was talking about the Annual Purge, admitting that he did it, too. Not that it was surprising. He was more than cruel enough.
When Caleb returned, Drake looked almost happy with himself. "You two have been going for what, a few weeks? Seems a bit long for you, Caleb." Drake was having trouble containing his chuckles. "Have you dated anyone else before?" Charice spat furiously. "Yes, of course. And perhaps a few weeks might seem long to you, but not everybody's just in it for sex." Drake laughed darkly. Cherry's eyes were burning with hatred. "Everybody has his own opinion," Drake said with a shrug, not denying her assumption. Caleb sighed deeply as the tension between them grew and grew. "Three months Drake. We've been dating for three months, technically." He looked at Cherry sympathetically, finally seeming to realize that Drake and Cherry should not be in the room. "Do you want to go dance with Sonny? Drake and I haven't talked in a while."
When the two boys were gone, Charice chose not to dance. Instead she went to the front porch and curled up on the porch swing. It was impossible to stop the flashbacks now- she let them take over.
It was only last year, her senior year of high school, when she met Drake. It was right after she moved to the new town, before she knew what to expect. He had approached her around late September and asked her out on a date. "That's sweet of you, but I'm really busy lately. Trying to get settled, you know. Maybe another time." The truth was that Drake was not her type. He was a player, the worst kind. Cherry never believed in high school stereotypes, but Drake was one. He slept with every girl he met, he drank, he smoked pot, and he Purged. She would never go near him.
A few weeks later, she started getting texts and notes from him, but again she rejected his offers. He caught her alone in the hallway one day, taking her wrist and pulling her close before she could leave. "Come on, Charice," he whispered. "Your body, my expertise? We could be explosive. I've never met any girl so gorgeous…or innocent." Cherry tugged her wrist away, her tone firm. "No, Drake. I already told you, I'm not interested." He looked murderous, but quickly covered it. "Fine. You will be."
It was another month before he cornered her again; literally cornered. He pinned her roughly against a wall of lockers, his left hand sliding up her thigh, pushing up the skirt of her dress. His right hand started on her ribs, but steadily drifted higher until there was no doubt he could feel her heart pounding in fear. "Poor Charice," he murmured darkly. "So weak. Can't you defend yourself?" He finally moved his hands to her shoulders, only to yank her forward and force his lips to hers. She could feel his tongue slide along her lower lip, but when she gave him no reaction he slammed her against the lockers again. "You'll regret this, even more than you already do, I can promise you that."
He never physically confronted her again, but the strange messages and paranoia did not cease until the end of the school year. Sitting on the porch swing now, Cherry felt like that defenseless kid again. If Caleb found out…no, he would not find out. She could handle Drake, of that she was sure.
Caleb walked out of the sorority house with his friend, the dark night welcoming. They used to hang out all the time, causing trouble and picking up girls. They also liked Purging together, but last year was the first time they split up. Caleb followed him around back where a lot of people were also partying. "I know, ha-ha, I am dating some artsy girl. I am such a loser she is worse than Brittany. You hate her I got that. At least you're not flirting with her like you did my last girl friend." Caleb said, rolling his eyes but not annoyed. "Please don't be a bastard and don't tell her anything about our past or I'll hit you so hard you wake up in the 90's." He narrowed his eyes, but he was not angry. It was normal for them to threaten each other.
Drake chuckled at Caleb's request. "I wouldn't flirt with her. I have no interest in your little dancer. I've actually known Charice for a while now. She went to my high school last year. Fun times. You know, the 90's weren't so bad I hear. Weird fashion, though." Looking around, he smiled. "I love college parties. Girls in slut dresses, punch with alcohol, and plenty of food." Shoving his hands into his pockets, he sighed. "You know, I could really use a smoke right about now. Got one handy?" He held a hand out hopefully, knowing Caleb almost always had something on him. Sure enough the boy produced a pack, and Drake lit himself a cigarette. He leaned against one of the trees at the edge of the yard. "I really don't get how you go from Brittany to Charice. She doesn't even put out, it's like dating a nun." Brittany was Caleb's ex, a blonde girl that also used to Purge with him. The longest Drake had ever dated a girl was two weeks, and that was just because she looked so good.
Caleb snorted shaking his head and lighting a smoke for himself. "How do you know she doesn't put out?" he said looking over at his friend, who gave him a look. "Okay fine she doesn't but who said Brittany did?" Caleb tried again, receiving that same look again and sighing. " I think you will understand this. If a girl that hot strutted up to you and turned around, not having any interest in you, wouldn't you want her? Its like I couldn't have her so I wanted her." If he had known about Cherry and Drake's past, he wouldn't have needed to explain.
The two talked for a while, their comments turning more and more into insults until Drake playfully raised his fists. "You still think you can take me on?" Drake was a fight-starter. Caleb was always the one who got attacked for being better, and ended up beating up his attacker. Drake was the one who blackmailed. He would whisper insults in a guy's ear for weeks, leave messages on lockers, start rumors. Once the person couldn't handle anymore they would go after him, but instead of beating them he would let himself get hurt so teachers would punish the kid in a worse way. He had gotten two boys expelled and three suspended just in high school alone.
The two men scuffled for a minute, but Caleb ended up pushing Drake away. Drake growled and brushed himself off, his mischievous expression familiar. A girl passed by and Drake whistled. Caleb only laughed instead of making him stop. "Hey, I should get going. I want to see Cherry." Drake crossed his arms like the smartass he was. "Like I said. Have fun with the nun." Caleb's jaw tightened as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Who cares if she doesn't want to fuck all the time? She's my girlfriend. You're just pissed that I have someone better to talk to then you. Drake you have like 50 bitches, why don't you grow up and get someone valuable, someone worth having and not forgetting about?" Caleb took a deep breath. "Look we should hang out tomorrow, like the good old times. I haven't gotten my hands bloody in a long time…but right now I just want to see Cherry. Sorry man." Caleb turned and head back around the house, searching for Charice.
From the shadows behind him came the girl, her arms running along his back before wrapping around his waist. Charice stood on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his neck, lingering for just a moment and allowing him to turn around. "Would you care to dance with me?" she asked, her chocolate eyes glittering. Caleb smiled and took a deep breath, forgetting about Drake. He played with the ends of her wavy hair as he replied, "I would love to." It was a slow song, naturally. They talked at first, Cherry not needing to think about the steps; the benefits of being in love with a dancer. After talking for a moment Caleb pulled her closer, resting his chin on her head as she buried her own face in his neck. They stayed that way even after the song ended, Caleb only breaking the silence to whisper loving words in her ear.