Forever Crimson

Chapter 33

THE ODD STARES FADED into nothing by the end of the day. Scarlet smirked to herself on the way to her car after her last period. Elliot lost that round. Hopefully he got the memo and ceased fire.

After Sierra posted the video from her angry speech in front of History class, her phone blew up with notifications from people saying she did the right thing and taking her side. A few people even wrote on her page how they couldn't even believe the rumors were true.

Scarlet rolled her eyes at that. They didn't act like that in person, but at least the truth was out.

When she sat down inside her car, her phone buzzed with an incoming call from Jake. Resting her hands over the steering wheel, she put him on speaker as she watched all the other seniors drive out from Winter Bay.

"Thief, what the heck happened today?" his voice filtered through. Scarlet laughed and sat back. There was no way to describe in full detail her day at school.

"How much do you know?" Scarlet asked.

"I go to school only to be told you have STDs and want to spread it to me because I'm a Preppy," he explained. Scarlet snorted and shook her head. "And then at lunch, I get about a thousand links to a video that Sierra posted and it's you... going off at Elliot."

Scarlet bit down on her lip, waiting for him to continue. Silence engulfed her. She didn't know what else to say. Those were the events that transpired. Not much else to add to it.

"Scarlet, what happened?" Jake asked finally.

"You saw the video," Scarlet muttered. "Elliot spread those rumors about me. He's done this before, you know. He did it to Bonny Park, she helps backstage at the play too. And after last Friday... well, he snapped. So I snapped back, as you saw."

Jake sighed. "Is this guy ever gonna quit?"

"I don't know, Jake. I hope he does now. Most, if not all, of Hales Bay probably knows that he spread those lies about me because of the video. I don't think he could do anything else now."

"He better not," he said. "I hate that I can't be there right now. I wanted to call you in the morning when I first heard the rumors."

Scarlet raised an eyebrow. "Did you think they were true?"

"Of course not!"

"Alright, for a second there, it seemed like you believed it." She crossed her arms, even if he couldn't see her.

"I didn't," he promised. "I was more so shocked that that's what was spreading around about you. And then the video... by the way, you're hot when you go off."

Scarlet flushed bright red. "I am so not having this conversation."

His laugh went through as she turned on the ignition of her car. With the school parking lot emptying, she was confident enough to start driving home. Her mother most likely waited for her, and she had to check on her to see if she was alright.

"Are you driving?" Jake asked. She pulled out from her parking spot and hummed a yes. "Where are you?"

"Getting out of the gates of hell," she replied, driving out of the exit of Winter Bay. "And then I'll be back tomorrow."

Jake chuckled from the other end. "Going home, I suppose?"

"Yep!"

"Well, I guess this is as good a time as any... to ask you something."

Scarlet stopped at a red light, frowning down at the phone on her lap. "What is it?"

The tone of his voice wasn't his usual high-spirited one. After the day she'd had, she expected him to deliver even worse news. Maybe his nose got infected. Could a broken nose even get infected? What if he wouldn't be able to be around her for his safety? He was a rich kid, and his family were probably even more overprotective about their image. Well, she assumed so for a family with such status in Hales Bay and the rest of California.

"Would you maybe like to go out with me... on an actual date?"

The car behind her honked, and she squeaked while stepping on the gas. She broke hard when the car behind her passed her illegally, honking at her as she held up her middle finger. "Would you just relax? Jesus. I'm going! You idiots."

Her fingers tightened around her steering wheel as the car drove off in front of her. Jake chuckled from the other end of the call.

"So?"

Her mind wandered back to his question and short-circuited again. Disbelief ran through her veins, shaking her fingers around the steering wheel. Jake Harrison Miller asked her out on a date. Not Lindsey Donahue or any of the Preppy girls. Her. Scarlet Turner. The girl who got drenched in dirty rumors and then told off a guy all over the internet.

"Yes," she decided. Because sometimes her heart liked to take the reins, and it had been screaming for control for the longest time. She knew her mother would be proud. "I'd love to."

"Perfect! I—I can't believe this actually happened."

Scarlet snorted a laugh. "You and me both. It's not every day you get asked out on the same day STD rumors spread about you."

Jake laughed as well. "Well, you handled it like a pro. So... pick you up tomorrow afternoon at five?"

Scarlet parked right in front of her driveway, her eyes shining. "Sounds great. I'll send you my address soon."

She got out of her car, fighting back a smile. Her mother opened the front door before she could do anything. Her bandana was a light yellow, complimenting her skin tone, which matched her dress pajamas. However, her frown dulled down her bright glow that only came about every once in a while.

"Scarlet, what is this I hear about you spreading STDs and this video you're in?"