Gregory Girls Gone Wild - Chapter 43: Chapter 43

Danika stood in front of her, holding a bag of potato chips and her car keys. She looked like a hot mess, wearing a pair of faded sweatpants and tank top, with a jacket thrown on top. Her eye bags were dark and her hair was swept up in a messy bun, as if she wasn't expecting to see anyone. Judging from how open her mouth was, she definitely hadn't expected to see Rainey.
"Where the hell have you been?" Rainey demanded.
Danika recovered from her initial shock by snapping her mouth shut. "Here and there."
Rainey resisted the urge to punch her. After all, that would get her nowhere.
Instead she said, "You missed work this week."
Danika raised an eyebrow. "My bad."
As if the conversation had ended, Danika spun around promptly and headed to her dorm.
Rainey blinked. "Wait!" She followed quickly on Danika's heels. "Where do you think you're going?"
"Inside." Danika moodily stabbed the buttons on the keypad, swinging open the door.
Rainey opened the door wider. "Okay, let me in too."
Danika made a loud huffy sound. She turned around and stormed off in the opposite direction.
Rainey struggled to keep up. Danika was heading to the parking lot.
"Can you stop—for just a second?" Rainey demanded, finally catching up to her.
Danika clicked the button on her car keys. Without thinking, Rainey grabbed her keys and threw them in the nearby bush.
Danika's mouth fell open again. "You did not just do that!"
"You're not listening to me!" Rainey exploded. "Why the hell are you ignoring me?"
Danika looked furious. "Doesn't feel good, does it? Being ignored?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Winter break," Danika threw at her. "You ignored me for weeks! You didn't seem to have a problem then!"
Rainey's eyes flashed. "I seriously hope you're joking. If this is some way to get back at me—"
"I. Don't. Care." Danika interrupted. "Where the hell are my keys?"
Rainey grabbed her arm. "We need to talk."
"Whatever."
"Seriously, Dani! We need to talk about what happened!"
Danika jerked her arm away. "That's funny! You didn't feel like talking after auditions!"
"What?"
Danika waved her hands, looking frustrated. "After the—you know...I called your name but you ditched me to run after your girlfriend!"
Something clicked in Rainey's brain. She recalled running after Fiona without a moment's thought. "You're pissed at me. Fuck, Dani, I didn't mean to ditch you—"
Danika looked at her coldly. "It's fine."
"No, it's not," Rainey said, shaking her head. "I'm an idiot, I'm sorry. I didn't think about it that way."
"Okay, well I need to look for my keys now." Danika turned her back stiffly.
Rainey opened her mouth and then closed it. She hadn't expected Danika to be this angry with her. Looking back, of course Rainey had been right to run after her girlfriend after what had happened...any reasonable person could have seen how hurt Fiona had been...
The bushes rustled with the sound of Danika looking for her keys. Rainey stood in the same place. Her mind was moving at sixty miles per hour.
"Fiona's not my girlfriend anymore," Rainey said, watching her.
Danika froze, hand plunged in bush leaves. She stood up slowly.
"It, uh, happened right after the—" Rainey gestured uselessly. "You know. When I ran after her."
"Oh."
Rainey scratched her head. "Yeah."
There was an awkward pause.
"Why though?" Danika asked suddenly. Her mood seemed to have changed, but for the life of her, Rainey couldn't figure out what she was thinking. Danika played with the edges of the chip bag. "We were acting, right? I kissed, like, fifty girls at the audition."
"That's what I said!" Rainey nodded emphatically. "But you must have—or we must have been good actresses, because she didn't...well, Fiona was really upset..."
She trailed off, flushed, remembering the kiss. She looked up and saw Danika coyly staring at her before looking away.
"Anyways," Rainey said quickly. "That's why I wanted to get ahold of you. You need to check your phone once in a while."
"Why are you telling me all this?" Danika asked.
"All of what?"
"About your break up."
"Because you're my friend," Rainey answered, frustrated. "Who else am I going to talk about this with?"
Danika shrugged, looking down. She looked like she wanted to say more, but instead shifted the weight on her feet. Her back was towards her car, her reflection blurrily displayed on the window.
"Unless you wanted another reason," Rainey said slowly.
Danika's eyes dragged from the ground until their eyes met.
Rainey swallowed hard. She felt like their friendship was hanging on by a thread. "I came to find you because I wanted to talk this out."
"Talk what out?" Danika taunted. She licked her lips, and Rainey was drawn to them instantly. Plump, wet. "Can you even talk about what we did?"
Rainey shot her hands out so that Danika stumbled backwards, her back flat against the window. Rainey placed both of her arms on the car, trapping Danika in.
"We kissed."
"I—Okay." Danika looked flustered.
"We need to talk about it."
"Then talk."
Rainey's throat felt hot. She couldn't believe how close she was to Danika and how it made her feel. It was like the kiss had broken what little civility they had towards one another; like it had exposed the ways their bodies really felt in each other's presence.
Danika looked frightened, like a rabbit caught in a hunter's cage. Her usual scent of cotton candy was absent, as if she hadn't bothered to care for her beauty routine. Rainey wondered if she was partly the reason for Danika's less-than-together appearance. It was a messed up thought, but it made Rainey feel good that Danika too, had been affected by what had happened at the audition.
"I told Fiona, that we were acting," Rainey whispered into the sophomore's ear. Danika's head was bent low, her arms limp by her sides. "I told her it was the princess who kissed me that day. Not you."
"You said it yourself," Danika murmured. "I'm a good actress."
"Lying doesn't suit you, Dani," Rainey said, touching Danika's back tentatively. "You're not good at hiding things either. You're so naturally open most of the time. In my experience, when someone has a secret, they tend to act out more. They get angry at a drop of a hat—sometimes they even do stuff they wouldn't normally do, 'cause they're keeping it all inside. Does that ring a bell?"
"I don't know," Danika whispered. "I haven't felt like myself lately."
Slowly, Rainey's hands crept up behind her back. After meeting no resistance, she drew Danika closer to her, so that their tummies were flat against each other. Her breathing became erratic, out of tempo.
"What are you doing?" Danika mumbled. Her cheek was pressed flat and hot against Rainey's cheek.
"We're making up, aren't we?" Rainey answered roughly. "People hug when they make up."
Danika thought about this for a second and then wrapped her arms around Rainey's shoulders, returning the embrace. "Yeah."
They stood still for a long time, touching each other in all the right places. Rainey's heart was thumping wildly, but she pretended to stay cool, stay calm...
"I'm surprised you came all the way to my dorm," Danika said, her voice muffled. "I thought you'd have forgotten about me."
"You're all I've been thinking about."
Danika made a noise.
"Dani, I need to know," Rainey said quietly. ""Who did I kiss that day? You? Or the princess?"
Danika stilled in her arms. "I can't say. Not if you're going to get back together with her."
"Fiona and I are over," Rainey whispered.
A beat passed.
"Then you. I was kissing you. I loved kissing you. I want to kiss you again and again and—"
Rainey kissed her then, cutting her off. She was just about to deepen the kiss when,
"Hey, bitches!"
Horrified, Rainey tore herself away from Danika. She saw Ethan Kankle in a huge black truck, windows rolled down. The streetlight was blinding behind him.
"YOU THINK THE COPS CAN KEEP ME IN JAIL, MOTHERFUCKERS?" Ethan screamed. "Y'ALL MESSING WITH THE WRONG GUY!"
Rainey grabbed Danika and hurled them both towards the ground.
Ethan threw something at Danika's car. Belatedly, Rainey realized what it was.
It was a firebomb.
She covered Danika with her body, as the car exploded from the Molotov Cocktail.
BAM.
Danika screamed, and Rainey's ears almost went deaf from the sound. Dirt and debris covered their bodies. Shaking, Rainey allowed Danika to crawl from underneath her.
"What the fuck, Ethan?"
Rainey could hear faint shouting, but her ears were ringing too much to make out the words. She felt like the world had narrowed into her line of vision. Coughing, she struggled to get up as quickly as Danika had, touching the back of her shirt, which felt singed by the fire. Her fingers were gritty and black.
"The Phoenix Kings....the dumbass cop..."
Rainey fought to keep up.
"Vandalised...Stella...Rainey was there too!"
Danika whipped around, staring at her in absolute fury.
"What did he say?" Rainey heard herself saying. "He's lying, he's crazy!"
Her hearing came back in full.
"Shit, I better dip before the cops come back!" Ethan shouted from the truck. He slammed on the acceleration, turned a full 180, and drove like a bank robber on the loose onto the main road. Rainey watched him go, aghast, and then looked back at the burning car. Her brain struggled to keep up with the quickness of what was going on.
"We need to move away from the car!" Rainey said hoarsely. She grabbed Danika's hand.
Danika wrenched her hand away so quick that it looked like she dislocated her shoulder.
"Ethan was in jail!"
"I know! Detective Nguyen called me, I was about to tell you—"
"You didn't tell me that you've been going to their meetings!" Danika shouted, furious. "You heard Ethan! You vandalized that frat house! It was on the news! RAINEY, ANSWER ME!"
"Yes, yes," Rainey said angrily. Danika's car is burning and she's worried about what?  She grabbed Danika's arm again. "We need to move, Dani! I'll explain later!"
"Don't touch me!" Danika screamed, and Rainey knew she was in more trouble than she realized.
The bumper of the buggy fell apart and sparks flew like crazy. The fire illuminated Danika's eyes.
"Has everyone gone crazy? Why the fuck was Ethan in jail? Why on Earth would you lie to me when I've been helping you?"
"I didn't mean to!" Rainey shouted, guilty. "I was going to tell you, Dani!"
Danika looked like she wanted to throw her over the gated fence. Her hair was flying almost completely out of her bun. "Oh, you were going to tell me! That would have been great to hear before Ethan blew up my car!"
"That's not my fault! He's mad we've been working with the cops! I never wanted to work with the cops to begin with!"
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Danika shouted sarcastically, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry I wanted to help take down the group who's been trying to KILL US!"
Rainey stared at her. Danika was clearly in shock.
She backtracked immediately, "Okay, Dani, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, let's talk about this later...
Danika stared at her car, looking devastated.
"We need to move..e on, I'm sorry."
Danika let herself be moved mechanically by Rainey who guided them towards the edge of the parking lot, towards the curb. People gaped at the car wreck, pulling out their phones. Many students, on their way to class, steered clear of the parking lot, as if they had seen cars on fire everyday. The sound of police sirens became more pronounced as seconds ticked by.
Rainey whipped out her phone and called Detective Nguyen.
"I got the call from the station, we're on our way," Detective Nguyen said quickly, before hanging up. Rainey wanted to kick the detective in her shins...she had started this whole mess and set off Ethan...now, Danika's car was ruined...they had nearly been killed...
Rainey was afraid to look at Danika. After all, everything was Rainey's fault, no matter how she looked at it. The Phoenix Kings...Ethan...
"Danika?" Rainey sat down besides Danika on the curb. A firetruck skidded into the parking lot, parking diagonally across the handicap areas.
"What?" Danika's head was between her legs.
Rainey started to wipe some of the dirt and grime off of Danika's clothes. Danika recoiled, and Rainey shrank back, hurt.
"I'm sorry, Dani," Rainey said hoarsely. "I'll pay for the damages to your car."
Danika muttered something.
"What?" Rainey frowned.
"I said—" Danika cleared her throat. "It's not your fault. It's Ethan's."
"But still—"
Danika looked at the wreck of her car. She closed her eyes, as if she couldn't bear the sight. "I'm mad that you lied to me, Rainey. Again."
"I know, I'm sorry," Rainey said urgently. "I really truly am, but you can't push me away, please, Dani, not after what just happened—"
Danika wiped the corners of her eyes. "This is a lot for me. I'm not talking about Ethan setting my car on fire—" she laughed hysterically, gesturing to the surreal scene of witnessing firefighters hose her car down. "Although yeah, what the fuck. But just now, I told you how I really felt. God, Rainey, you've been pushing me to be honest, but this whole time you've been lying to me? Have I just been some idiot you can manipulate whenever you want?"
"That's not fair—"
"I never said a word when you and Fiona started dating and it's been killing me inside—"
"Since me and Fiona started dating?" Rainey interrupted. Her mind was working up a storm. "That was fucking months ago! You mean to tell me you've wanted to kiss me like that since January?"
"Don't turn this around on me!" Danika stood up. "You're the one who started dating her!"
"Since freaking January, you've been acting like you didn't care for me, after I fucking told you about my feelings!" Rainey shouted, despite herself. She stood up, but kept her space from the sophomore.
"I was respecting your relationship!" Danika cried.
"By lying to me?" Rainey asked, seething.
"Because you've been so honest with me!" Danika scorned. Her black hair was wild and completely out of her bun. "You act like you hate the Phoenix Kings, but you've been going to their meetings, networking, allowing them to pay for your tuition—"
"Is that so bad?" Rainey argued furiously. "You have no idea what it's like to have no money, to work multiple jobs, on top of school! At least the Phoenix Kings care! The world could give a shit!"
"I care!" Danika said, her voice cracking. "I've always cared!"
A parade of police cars screeched into the parking lot, the wails of the sirens deafening Rainey's already weak ears.
Rainey moved closer, forcing herself into calmness. "I don't want to fight, Dani. I know I was in the wrong. C'mon, five minutes ago, we were hugging." Rainey swallowed. "You can't lie to me anymore. You can't fake a kiss like that."
Danika hesitated, her body tense. She shook her head slowly. "You're right, I don't understand what it's like to be you. But you have no idea how hard it is to feel yourself change into someone you don't recognize."
"I could have helped you," Rainey said, in a low, urgent voice. Finally, it made sense, Danika's sudden mood changes, her jealousy, the hole in the wall of her bathroom. Her heart ached to think of Danika trying to deal with her feelings all by herself.
She glanced towards the police cars; she spotted Detective Nguyen making her way towards them.
Danika's brown eyes met hers evenly, and sparks flew as they always did. Rainey desperately wanted to grab her, bring her close—comfort her, like she had before.
"I can't trust you, Rainey," Danika said miserably. "Not with the Phoenix Kings, and not with my feelings either."
She sat back down on the curb and put her head back down between her legs. "Just leave me alone."
Rainey wiped her face quickly before Detective Nguyen approached them. She could barely grasp the detective's heated questions, over the feeling of her chest splitting open.
"We need a statement from your friend as well," Detective Nguyen said.
Helpless, Rainey watched as Danika was led away by another police officer. She wanted to explain her actions, but she was ashamed of herself. She prayed that she hadn't ruined things between them forever.