Chapter 2: It's A Chess Match

[T.W.: Violence]

Suzan couldnʼt believe her eyes. What she had just found out made her heart break into pieces. Jason was cheating on her.

'You were sooo good last night baby... we should do this again ;)ʼ. That was the message. To Suzan, it was obvious that he had cheated on her with that girl. Her whole world had collapsed.

No matter how bad Jason had ever treated her, she never thought heʼd cheat on her. She did not see that coming. Her tears started falling immediately, running like the river.

Still, she couldnʼt do anything about it. She couldnʼt tell him that she knew. She was too scared. If Jason found out she had been going through his chats, he wouldnʼt go easy on her. She knew that for sure, as the times he had hit her before werenʼt just few.

So, she knew she couldnʼt say anything to him or be mad at him. All she could do was to cry quietly and lay beside him. And that's what she did.

Sue dived under the cover next to Jason. She couldnʼt even look at him. She was plain disgusted by the person beside her. All she wanted was to just get up and leave, but she was too scared. She closed her eyes and tried her best to fall asleep.

~~~

The following day was the day of the party. Seven friends all gathered in Emilyʼs house, setting up snacks and drinks.

When Suzan told them all about the previous night with Jason, it took a lot of effort to hold the boys back from going and beating him up.

"I canʼt believe this bastard! How can he be doing this and look at you at the same time?" Maryse told Suzan.

"See? I told you one day you would realize heʼs no good for you!" Emily crossed her arms.

"You need to break up with him, like, ASAP!" Lexi then said, stacking up some paper cups.

"The girls are right, Sue!" Theodore then took his turn.

"I canʼt break up with him, guys!" Suzan protested, curled up on the couch.

"Why? Because you love him so deeply much?" asked Bobby, sarcastically.

Suzan sighed. It was far from that. "No! Look, I have my reasons, I just canʼt do it!"

The girl hadnʼt told anyone that Jason had hit her many times in the past or about all the threats he gave her. Not even Emily. And she wasnʼt going to tell them either, as things would get much worse.

"Right, of course you have your reasons!" Emily rolled her eyes.

Sometimes, she just couldnʼt understand her friend. She just couldnʼt understand how Suzan could be with someone who treated her like this; as an object. Emily could never find herself in Suzanʼs shoes. She would never let someone treat her like this, especially a man.

"Still, Sue, you canʼt leave it like this, you need to do something! I mean, if you're not gonna break up with him, you can at least cause a scene!" Maryse said, placing her hand on the blondeʼs shoulder.

"Or...!" Lexi smirked, "I have a better idea: tit for tat!"

Everybody looked at her, not quite understanding what she meant. She rolled her eyes as if everyone was too dumb not to get what she meant.

"You're gonna do to him what he did to you! You're gonna sleep with somebody else too!" Lexi explained.

"Absolutely not, itʼs NOT happening!" Suzan exclaimed. This wouldnʼt improve anything and she knew it. She had to figure out something else.

"Sheʼs right, Lexi, this canʼt be a good idea!" Theodore mused.

"No, guys, wait! Actually, it might just work!" Bobby said.

"Yes! He is cheating on you, you cheat on him too!" Emily got excited.

"No, guys, this is not a good idea! It will lead to no good!" Suzan protested.

"Think about it, Suzan! This will be your personal revenge! And he doesnʼt even have to know! You will do this for yourself only, just so you donʼt feel so betrayed!" Lexi tried to convince her.

"Guys, I still donʼt think thatʼs a good idea! What do you think, Isaac?" asked Theodore, worried as always.

Everyone looked at Isaac, hanging from his words. They all trusted him, knowing that, if he said something would happen, it would. And Suzan trusted his words more than anything. If Isaac told her to jump off a cliff, she would do it.

Isaac thought for a second, analyzing the situation. "No, guys, I donʼt think itʼs a good idea. It'll only lead to more trouble, especially with the wrong guy," he said.

"See? Isaac said it!" Suzan protested.

"Still, Sue! You should do it! Nobody is getting hurt! It's gonna be just a one-night thing, then everyoneʼs gonna forget about it!" Bobby said.

"Guys, I donʼt know, I mean... even if I agreed, who would it be with?" Suzan rubbed the back of her head.

"That, my friend, is a very good question..." Lexi tapped her chin.

"Even if I donʼt agree, still, it canʼt be just anyone..." Maryse said.

"Look, Sue," Isaac took his turn to speak, "Iʼm not okay with the idea of this happeninʼ, but it's your choice and I canʼt forbid you. But if anybody here cares 'bout my opinion, I think it should be someone you know, but you're not familiar with."

"What do you mean?" Sue asked, actually starting to consider it.

"Well, I mean, someone you know, but not so well. Not somebody youʼve never met your entire life but not somebody you talk to frequently either," Isaac explained himself.

"Thatʼs right, but who?" Emily questioned.

At this point, everyone started wondering who that one guy could be.

"Hereʼs an idea: how about Harry?" Lexi suggested.

"Harry who?"

"Harry Styles!"

"Okay, what?" Suzan looked at her. It was true Harry matched Isaacʼs description perfectly, but it still felt weird to her.

"Wait! She has a point, actually!" Emily said.

"Really, though, Harry?" Bobby asked, not quite having it.

"You were okay with it in the first place, okay? Harry is the perfect guy for this!" Emily turned to him, and he agreed, not having another choice when it came to Emily.

"AND heʼs so damn cute! Perfect match for Sue!" Lexi added.

Ignoring Lexiʼs comment, Isaac looked around at everyone, "You know what, guys? Maybe it ainʼt so out of the question after all! I mean, we know Harry, we trust him, it canʼt be that bad!"

"But... when will I ever see him, you know? I mean, the last time I saw him was yesterday and it was by chance! Who knows when I'll ever get to see him outside of school again?" said Suzan.

Emily smirked mischievously. "Seems to me you're forgetting that we have a party tonight!"

"What if he doesnʼt come?"

"Oh, heʼll come," Bobby reassured them, "He told me."

"Great! This is gonna be your shot!" Emily smiled.

"Thatʼs right! One of the guys will be with him so we can make sure we have him alone, and then you will come and the person will leave so it's just you and Harry! And then you'll start hitting on him!" Lexi told Suzan.

"Sounds like a plan!" Bobby raised his hands victoriously.

"I canʼt believe we're having this talk..." Suzan rolled her eyes, face-palming.

~~~

Everybody was all set for the party and people had already started coming. Emily and Suzan were up in the Emilyʼs room, adjusting the final touches to their looks. Suzan was worried and it was obvious.

"I mean... what if he doesnʼt want? Maybe heʼs not the slightest bit attracted to me!" she told Emily, referring to Harry.

"Come on, Sue, you're a blonde Cheerleader, what else could Harry possibly want from his life?" Emily replied.

"What if he likes brunettes?"

"You donʼt have time to dye your hair right now so we're just gonna have to rely on your natural charm!"

"Ha, ha, seems Bobbyʼs sarcasm is contagious!" Suzan rolled her eyes.

"Okay, shut up! Letʼs recall the plan: Theodore will be keeping Harry busy, then you will go and start talking to them, Theodore takes off, you hit on Harry, you guys start kissing, you come up to the guest room, lock the door behind you and you do your magic! Simple as that!"

"My magic? Really?" Suzan laughed at her friend.

"Hey, I know itʼs cheesy but it works! You know what to do!" Emily smirked, causing Suzan to laugh again.

The blonde peeked out of the door. "Wow, this party has started for good!"

"Come on, baby, itʼs my party we're talking about! Has Harry come yet?"

Suzan peeked outside again, scanning the whole room with her eyes in order to spot Harry. And there, talking with Theodore, she saw a tall guy with curly, brown hair and green eyes.

"Heʼs here!" Suzan said, feeling cold sweat running down her back.

Emily gave her a hug. "Good luck, Sue! Now, go! And remember, this is your revenge!" she said and pushed her friend out.

Suzan sighed to herself as she started walking to where Theodore and Harry were talking.

When she got there, she heard them say something about the X-Factor, though she didnʼt pay that much attention. "Hey, guys, howʼs it going?" she glued her most attractive smile on her face.

"Hey, Sue, just talking here with Harry!" said Theodore, knowing exactly what he had to do.

A bit of light talking led to Suzanʼs signal to her friend. "So, Teddy, I think Miranda just arrived and sheʼs probably looking for you!"

Theodore looked at Harry. "Okay, man, you know how it goes. I need to leave, but you donʼt mind if Sue here keeps you company, right?"

"Sure, lad, go ahead!" Harry replied.

When Theodore left, Suzan flashed Harry a bright, sexy smile, before handing him a drink, sipping on one herself.

"Here. Donʼt tell me you donʼt drink..."

"Um, sure, I'll take it..." said Harry and took a long sip.

From the look on his face, Suzan could tell he was attracted to her, and she felt bad about playing with his feelings, but it had to be done.

"So, I, uh, I donʼt think we have officially ever hung out, I mean, the two of us, get to know each other..." she said, getting closer to him.

That was the pass they needed for a conversation with every word. Suzan was getting closer and closer to him and the atmosphere was getting hotter. She kept giving Harry more and more drinks, as she thought heʼd be easier to manipulate when drunk.

The party was getting louder and louder and everyone was too busy drinking, dancing and making out rather than watching them, so Suzan knew it was her shot.

She wrapped her arm around his neck and got as close to him as possible, placing Harryʼs hand on her waist. "To be honest, I never really noticed how hot you are..."

Tipsy as he was, Harry didnʼt have the chance to reply before Suzan kissed him. Harry kissed her back, not minding the girlʼs move the slightest.

After a few seconds of kissing, Suzan pulled away and looked him in the eyes. It felt weird, kissing him. It had been long since the last time she had kissed someone other than Jason, and she wasnʼt sure how to feel about it, but, if she knew one thing, she was already feeling better. She was feeling free.

"Come on, I wanna show you something..." she mumbled in his ear, her voice lost in the loud music.

Holding her hand, Harry followed her up the stairs to the guest room, not questioning her once. He knew what was about to happen and he wanted it, even if it was only happening because they were both drunk.

They entered the room. It was dark and there was nothing but a small closet, a desk and a bed.

Suzan locked the door behind her, then took the key off the lock.

"What are you gonna do with that?" asked Harry, looking at her.

Suzan hid the key in her bra. "If you want it Iʼm afraid you're gonna have to find it yourself..."

She knew she was humiliating herself, but things were going exactly according to plan, and that was all she wanted. And she was used to always getting what she wanted.

Staring at each other with lust, Suzan stepped closer to him, until they were both standing next to the bed.

Harry threw her gently on the bed and got on top of her. "That shouldnʼt be a problem..."

There was no going back. It was happening and nothing could stop it. Suzan was taking her revenge on Jason. It was final. He wasn't supposed to find out, but it was about her. Even if it meant using Harry to her advantage, he was there, with her and there was no going back. And so it happened.

~~~

The next morning, Suzan woke up alone under the covers of the guest room, with a terrible hangover. She was pretty sure she had fallen asleep in Harryʼs arms the previous night, but she supposed he had already left earlier.

The girl sat up straight on the bed. She felt weird. She hadnʼt been with someone other than Jason in over a year. Harry definitely felt different than him. He was way sweeter and more gentle. And with him, she actually felt something that sheʼd forgotten how it looked like with Jason; she enjoyed it. She didnʼt even feel guilty about cheating on her boyfriend. Instead, she felt satisfied. For the first time, she managed to take her revenge on Jason and stand up to him. Even if he wasnʼt supposed to know about it, she still felt good with herself.

With a big, satisfied smile on her face, she headed to the bathroom to wash her face, then downstairs. At the kitchen, she saw all her friends, having breakfast together.

"Morning, guys," she smiled and joined them.

"Please donʼt tell me you liked last night this much!" Emily rolled her eyes.

"I was right!" Lexi chanted under her breath.

"No! I mean, it was just nice and much different than Jason, thatʼs all!" Suzan replied.

"That will do! Why donʼt you hook up with Harry instead then?" Bobby said.

"Come on, Bobby. I canʼt break up with Jason, this was just my personal revenge on him, we talked about this!" Suzan told him, pouring herself some orange juice.

"But what if Jason finds out? What will you do then? How do you think heʼs going to react?" asked Theodore, sipping some coffee.

"Well, better hope he doesnʼt find out, then?" Suzan sighed. She was scared of what would happen if Jason found out about her cheating, but she didnʼt see Terence or Angelo at the party, so she was hoping he wouldnʼt find out.

It was true that she only did it because Jason had cheated on her first, but it wouldnʼt matter to him. He would just blame everything on her and make her feel guilty. But Suzan didnʼt care. She didnʼt feel bad about what she did, Jason deserved it.

"Um, guys, let me ask you something... When did Harry leave?" asked Suzan.

"Well, he was there when I peeked through to check on you -you guys were so cute as you cuddled- and he was there when Bobby and I went to sleep, the guys all woke up a few minutes ago, so I guess he left a few hours ago?" Emily mused.

Suzan was okay with that. It wasnʼt like she expected him to stay in the morning for breakfast in bed or something, so she didnʼt but nod.

The day was pretty weird, because Suzan couldnʼt stop thinking about Harry and what she had done. All she could do at that point was to doubt her decision, but there was no turning back. The river only ever moved forward.

~~~

Monday, a brand new day and Suzan was at school, walking along the hallways with Isaac. He was the only person at that point who was able to help her because he understood her, and because Suzan trusted him with her life.

"If you liked it, then thereʼs nothing to worry about," he kept saying.

Suzan was ready to believe him, she wanted to, because fear was eating her alive. She was going to believe him, when Jason stepped in front of her, looking angrier than ever.

"Well, well, well, thereʼs the little slut..." he said.

"Hey, watch it, bro..." Isaac stepped in front of Suzan, angrily narrowing his eyes at Jason, even though Jason was about five or six inches taller than him.

"Or what, Jones?" Jason stepped closer to him, until they were face to face. It looked as if they were going to start a fight, though Suzan stopped them before it was too late.

"Look, Isaac, I, uh... I will handle this, alright? Just go and Iʼll meet you in a while, okay?" Suzan said, pulling Isaac back.

Isaac let out a frustrated sigh, but gave in. "Okay. If he touches you I swear heʼs good as dead," he growled, then glared at Jason.

Jason paid him back with a sarcastic look on his face as he waited for Isaac to leave so he could have his talk with Suzan. It was obvious in his face, he was angry. And whenever Jason was angry, it was never good news for Suzan.

"You thought I wouldnʼt find out, huh?" he crossed his arms, the most terrifying look on his face.

"W-what are you talking about?" Suzan said, looking down. Could he have found out about Harry? And if so, how?

"You had sex with another guy you slut!" he said, angrier than she had ever seen him.

Suzanʼs heart started pounding, threatening to escape her chest. She was speechless, she didnʼt know what she was going to do, Jason was crazy enough to do anything at that point. Still, she knew she had to get out of the hallways, enough heads had turned to look at them already, and at that point, she didnʼt need more attention.

"Look, Jason, letʼs just go outside and talk about this, okay? Please," she begged him.

"Donʼt think that itʼs gonna change anything whether we're in here or outside," he said, his anger still not fading as he followed her outside, at the back of the school.

"Jason, listen, I donʼt know who you heard that from but-" she tried saying, but Jason interrupted her. Obviously there was no way she could convince him that nothing had happened between her and Harry. And she could very well imagine who had told Jason too, but she didnʼt remember seeing any of his friends at the party, so that confused her.

"Oh, really? You're just gonna lie now, huh? Well, nothingʼs gonna save you now, Suzan! Now tell me who it was!" he yelled at her, way too loud than appropriate for school grounds.

"I-it was no one, I promise!" Suzan replied, tears almost escaping her eyes. She didnʼt know how she would get herself out of that situation, but the worst part was, she didnʼt know if she regretted getting herself in it either.

"Your promise means nothing to me, you slut! I know you cheated on me and Iʼm gonna make sure you fucking pay for it!" he said, dangerously taking a step closer to her.

Suzan instinctively stepped back. She knew what was about to happen. She knew what he was doing, she knew he wasnʼt afraid to do it, it didnʼt matter where they were. He was doing it anyway.

"Jason, no!" she whined as Jason slapped her across the face, causing her to fall down with tears on her eyes.

Right then, he grabbed a fistfull of her hair, pulling her head up a bit. "We are over, you little whore. But donʼt even try to think that you've paid enough for what you did. You ain't seen nothing yet. Oh, and I will find who that person was, and he will regret ever touching what's mine."

With that, he spat on her face as he aggressively let go of her hair, causing her to fall down again before walking away, leaving her there, on the ground, unable to do anything at that point but burst into tears.

𝓢𝓸 𝓵𝓮𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓻𝓲𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓻𝓾𝓷...