Vicious Boys by Nora Cobb
Chapter Seventeen
Vicki
Next Tuesday, I head into the woods with the rest of the cinematography club to shoot scenes for the film short entitled Snow White in Gluttony. We had no one to star as Snow White, so Rosie suggested Paloma for the role. Liam, who is directing the short, eagerly agrees when he sees Paloma in her costume. She looks gorgeous in a fairy-tale gown with oversized puffy sleeves and a velvet skirt. Her dark hair is twisted around her head, and her lipstick is the brightest red. She’s delighted with the star treatment, but soon we find out to our collective horror that she can’t act. Liam and Rosie try to work around her unnatural delivery by telling Paloma to look wretched. All she has to do is pretend to eat the plastic food spread across a dining room table. It was Liam’s idea to have Snow White unable to eat the food that she most desires. Deprivation. I get that feeling. None of the boys have spoken to me in a week.
Dom stares at Paloma with a slight grimace on his face. It hurts him the most to witness bad acting. I’m curious to see how he’ll handle her wooden delivery. He takes Paloma aside and flatters her ego by telling her that she looks beautiful. Paloma giggles, and her stiff posture relaxes. Dom adds that her movements are lyrical. Encouraged, Paloma sweeps her hand across the table in a grand gesture and damn near swipes all the prop food onto the ground.
Rosie picks up a basket of plastic grapes and shakes them out. “Good thing we can hose these off.”
“Maybe we should ask someone else,” suggests Liam. He looks nervous. The film will be a significant part of his portfolio, with his name on the opening credits.
Dom shakes his head. He pulls Paloma aside again and speaks quietly to her. Listening intently, she nods her head. Everyone watching is quiet, speculating on what he could possibly be saying to her.
“Smaller movements,” Dom says as he pantomimes a gesture across the table. “Move from the shoulder, not the hand. And ignore the camera. Instead of acting on purpose, pretend we’re not watching. Focus on the food, not us.”
“I don’t know if I can,” Paloma bites her lip as she looks at a worried Liam, who watches her with a hopeful gaze. “I mean, everyone is staring at me. And they look miserably disappointed.”
Dom rubs his chin thoughtfully, and then he calls Liam over. “I have a crazy idea, but I think it will work.”
“I’ll try anything at this point.” Liam stares forlornly at the fake food while Rosie dusts off a plate of plastic spaghetti with the hem of her T-shirt. “And I think it might actually work.”
Paloma remains by the loaded-down table while we head out past the tree line. From her vantage point, she can barely see us hidden behind the wide trunks. We aren’t invisible, just less noticeable. Liam shouts out random direction and waits for her to relax into the movement. Soon Paloma forgets we’re watching, and she does some inspired improvisation that makes Liam smile. His mouth widens into a massive grin as he pumps the air with his fist.
“Cut! This is going to be great,” he shouts, “Thanks, Dom.”
Over Liam’s shoulder, I watch the film on the viewfinder and pat his arm. “Paloma’s acting was more relaxed without us hovering over her. I think you’ve got a winner for your portfolio,” I say to him, “Great job.”
Liam smiles. “If you need help with yours, just ask.”
I sigh. “I have a lot of editing on both my projects, but I hate going into the basement alone.”
Liam looks side to side, careful that he won’t be overheard. “Truth be told, that place is creepy. But I’ve got to get my work done. What if we meet after school? I’ll reserve it, and we can work down there together.” Liam is a tall guy with huge hands, and even he’s scared of the basement.
I grin and pretend to wipe the sweat off my forehead. Jagan told me to build a network. “Thanks, I’ll be there after class.”
Dom continues to talk softly to Paloma, and I’m about to leave to go back to the town house. I want to eat something, try to call Luna, and then figure out what else I need for my shoot. Most of the frames for Lust are shot, but I could use some long shots of the woods at different times of the day.
I glance over at Dom, but he’s busy talking to Rosie about her project, Envy, which I’m starring in. This is the first time I’ve ever seen him actually work. Sure, he tried to help me with public speaking, but that was a disaster. Our minds were only focused on hating each other back then. I start to walk away, looking behind me to where Dom is standing. We have been a little closer since Luna left, but today, I get the feeling he just doesn’t want to talk to me. Dom and Chase must know about their parents’ seedy business practices, but maybe they didn’t know. But I can’t name all the companies my dad is involved with. I have to check Talia’s thread.
In a few minutes, I’m in sight of the town houses. I walk the back way from the parking lot and glance up at the center window out of habit. I remember that feeling of being watched when I first came here, but it’s gone now. Chase hasn’t come back, and Dom has grown more distant. I let myself into the suite, and the loneliness hits me hard. I never really noticed it before, with Luna always around. Even when we were just roommates, I felt comfort knowing she was on the opposite side of the wall.
I toss myself down on the living room couch like I don’t have a shit ton of work calling my name. I know what I need to do. I need to come clean with Silas, but I’ve been making up excuses not to speak to him.
There’s a knock on the front door, and I stare at it as if the doorknob has teeth and it’s ready to bite my hand off. There’s another knock, louder, and I think it’s ironic that only a minute earlier, I was lamenting being alone.
Silas enters the suite without speaking as soon as I open the door. A pang of sadness enters my heart as I gesture toward the couch. He tosses a paper onto the coffee table and sits in the armchair. I switch on the electric kettle since we both drink Earl Grey. I hand him a mug and sit down with my mug on the couch. Silas has given me a second chance, and he has warned me there wouldn’t be another.
“You want to talk?” I ask quietly, crossing my legs.
He finally makes eye contact with me. “You went through my binders while I was sleeping. Didn’t you?” He pauses. “It was either you or Talia.”
He offers me an easy way out. I could easily blame Talia. He’d never believe her if she denied it, no matter how hard she tried. It’s lame to even consider it. It’s bad enough I peeked, and it will be even worse to blame someone else.
“I did look,” I reply plaintively. “I was planning to tell you, but I didn’t know when I would have the nerve to do it.”
Silas is up out of the chair and towering over me. His expression takes on a rage that shakes me, and now I wish I had spoken to him with a door in between us. For a moment, I’m petrified as my legs begin to shake. I lean away from him, my back pressed tight against the stuffed pillows. My eyes dart around the room, and I’m not trapped. I could escape. I could make it to the door. A hiccup of nausea rises quickly from my belly as I try to convince myself that it’ll be okay.
His voice is colder than ice. “I didn’t see mention of what I told you in the paper.”
My eyes widen. “I don’t understand…the paper?”
He scoffs. “You really need to read the trades. There’s a tiny article in Variety about the Evanses and Mel Vaughn.”
I shake my head vehemently. “I didn’t contact the paper. I only spoke to Talia. I only wanted to protect Luna and nothing else. I wanted to make sure she’d be okay. Her parents plan to sue, and they needed something solid against Barton.”
“Barton’s fled,” replies Silas, “he’s fled the States.”
I pick up the paper and read what he has to report. In the article buried on the fifth page, Barton has been accused of filming underage girls. Though Luna was legal, other rumors have started, and questions are being asked. Barton didn’t want to turn over his records, so he made himself scarce. The expectation is that Mel Vaughn or the Evanses will testify against him if it goes to court. I checked the thread every day after I told Talia, but she didn’t post it. Instead, she contacted a reporter.
“I’m so sorry, Silas. This isn’t what I expected. I didn’t think she’d go to the press.”
“I can’t imagine why you didn’t think this would happen,” He sits down heavily in the chair. “Thank you for not revealing my secret and for telling me the truth, but our deal is off.”
“You mean you’re breaking up with me,” I correct him, and Silas stares at me as if he’s only just realizing that maybe I had a different reason for dating him. “I’m sorry, but Luna didn’t deserve it. I hope she’ll heal if there’s closure. If it had been me, I could handle it. I’m already broken.”
“You wouldn’t have deserved it,” he says softly, “I’d have done something if it had been you.”
“Thanks,” I say softly. I sip my tea as he watches me.
Silas’ anger seems to have died out, and it’s replaced with an overwhelming sadness. I don’t want him to leave, but I won’t ask him to stay. For a couple of hours, we just hang out. He sits beside me with a pillow stuck between us. We don’t speak to one another. We just sit and watch an entire series, laughing at the silly jokes. It ends, and he sits on the edge of the couch. I wonder if he’s going to get up and go now.
Silas brushes my hair off my cheek. “Good luck, Vicki.”
Silas walks out into the hallway, and I miss him before the door shuts. The emotions I had concealed all evening rush to the surface. Tears spring to my eyes as I let myself lose it and indulge in an ugly cry, pressing my face into the couch as my shoulders shake with each sob. I wonder if I’ve ever cried this hard over a boy before.
***
Silas can be thoughtful, but Dom can be cruel. It wasn’t my imagination last Tuesday. Dom is ignoring me during the Friday club meetings. I understand, but I also don’t get it. It’s Luna I’m protecting. And he loves her like a sister. Dom made that fact clear after he drove her to Palm Springs. His attraction to Luna is strictly platonic. Plus he’s never shown an ounce of love for his father. If the cops were driving my mother off to jail, I’d run out into the streets dancing as they dragged her away. I spend the meeting rationalizing my reasons in a detailed mental list, but I’ll have to talk to him to know why.
A distracted Dom answers questions from a subdued group. Our personal friction has filtered down and crushed everyone else’s enthusiasm for the project. It’s warm outside, but the basement is chilly even on the hottest days. I pull my sweat jacket around my body. Some people find it refreshing, but I think it’s dreary and dank.
The meeting ends without a scene, and I’m ready to hustle my ass over to the editing room. Liam has signed out the studio from today until graduation. I don’t think there’s a legitimate sign-in sheet, but he’s made one and taped it to the door with silver duct tape.
I grab my canvas bag with all my film shit and head toward the door. My toe touches the hallway, and Dom calls me back in. “I just want to talk to you for a minute,” he says calmly.
I would make a crack, but the vibe is too heavy for sarcasm. So I let the comment go as I slip down into a chair and wait for our discussion to start. Dom will dump me, too, but I don’t think I’ll cry again. It doesn’t suit me to cry over a boy. I’d rather glare. My gaze lands on Dom like a laser, and he narrows his eyes on me. Slowly, I’m starting to realize the danger I’m really in.
“What the fuck, Vicki?” he hisses as the footsteps fade in the hallway.
“That seems to be your favorite phrase.” I fold my arms as Dom gapes at me. Oh well, sarcasm is my sharpest weapon.
“I can’t believe you,” his voice lowers, “No, I can, but I can’t believe how cold you are.”
I understood why Silas was upset. After all, I stole from him. He let me into his bedroom, and I went through his things, but Dom? I harden my gaze. “And what did I do this time?”
He gawks at me. “You ruined my father’s business.”
I scowl at him as if I truly hate him. “He was exploiting people.”
“You don’t understand, do you?” he replies, shaking his head, “My name is linked to Mel’s. And people aren’t bothering to tell us apart. I’m ruined.”
My jaw drops and shuts repeatedly as I imitate a fish out of water. It hadn’t occurred to me the ramifications my actions would have on Dom.
“I’m fucking ruined!” he shouts, and it echoes down the hallway. “That business was my legacy. The old man was going to retire, and I was going to clean it up. Make it legit again, but now I’m scum too. Why didn’t you at least tell me what you were going to do?”
I can’t answer that because I don’t know why. It makes sense as soon as he says it, but I don’t know why I didn’t go to him first. I shake my head dumbly, and Dom misunderstands instantly.
“Don’t lie to me, Vicki.” He points a finger at me. “I know it was you.”
“I don’t deny it,” I reply heatedly, “Besides, who told you I did it? Silas?”
“Luna,” he says indignantly, “She warned me what was coming.”
He could have punched me in the gut, and it would have hurt less. I sit there in a daze while Dom resembles Mel more each minute that he rants about my sneaky, manipulative behavior. My Malibu boy is forever gone.
“Mel had contacts, Vicki, and now doors are slamming on me. No one is saying anything out loud, but that’s how it’s in Hollywood. You don’t want to diss someone you may work with later. But you don’t know that because you refuse to learn the rules.”
“Would you have worked with Barton?” I ask.
Dom’s fist slams down on the corner of the desk, tipping it over with a loud clatter. The look he gives me should have buried me on the spot. I’ve really fucked up, and there’s nothing I can do but apologize fast.
“I’m sorry, but Luna needed my help.” My tone sounds as if I couldn’t give a fuck.
He glares at me coolly. “Did she ask you for your help?”
I stutter, looking down at the desk on the floor. “Luna would’ve, but her parents are strict. She can barely speak on the phone. So I did what I thought would help her.”
Dom then tells me what he knows. Luna hasn’t left California yet, thanks to Jagan. He traveled down to Palm Springs to meet with her aunt in person. Jagan turned on his charm, and they discussed everything under the sun but Luna’s dilemma. He even called her parents the next day, and they were delighted to speak to him after the glowing review her aunt gave him. Luna received a reprieve and was allowed to attend classes online. She’s okay with it. She isn’t ready to return to Redwood until graduation.
I can’t admit that I made an enormous mistake and maybe an unnecessary one. It seems that Luna is handling her problems with the help of her family. And I’m just her crazy roommate again.
“I’m sorry, but your father deserved it.” It isn’t a kind thing to say, but it’s honest.
Dom scowls at me, but I don’t feel the waves of anger coming off him like before. “I have to start from scratch because of your gossiping. Because that’s what it was. You have no clue how things are done around here, and you even have the nerve to be smug about it.”
I give him a dirty look, wondering why I ever gave him a chance with me. “Maybe we should stop seeing one another.”
Dom blinks his eyes as he staggers back a few steps. “Maybe? Try forever, starting now. Don’t even think you’ll have a career on the West Coast. Because I swear, I will build myself up just to get even.”
“Do it if you must!” I shout as Dom stalks out of the room.
A chill air sweeps over me. I tremble and realize I’m sweating. I try to stand but sit down again, giving my stomach a chance to settle. Then an unpleasant thought occurs to me. I wonder if Uncle Spear would help his nephew get even.
