Nathaniel Jean's Senior Year

16: Nathaniel Jean's Creation

It was no secret the Shawn Morgan ran Listrougth High. His peers, whether they liked him or hated him, never questioned his superiority. Adults, oblivious to his actions and the harshness of his personality, saw him as the polite, talented, better son of the Morgan family—the best boy in town.

His word was law, at least among his fellows. The school was wrapped around his accusing finger.

It was also no secret that Shawn Morgan was a ladies' man. He loved girls, and girls loved him. He was toxically charming when he wanted to be. He'd been playing the field since he was in diapers.

And when Shawn Morgan slept with a girl, everybody knew it. Even if the poor girl was interested in keeping her personal affairs to herself, the news would be out and about before school commenced the following morning.

He found some sort of pleasure in the numbers. Rallying up his "conquests" gave him a weird sense of validation. And if nobody knew about a conquest, had it ever really happened? In his eyes, the answer to that was no. As much as he loved sleeping with girls, he loved the attention he got from sleeping with girls more. He got satisfaction in knowing that the person to his left probably had some idea about who he'd been with—or better, in—the night before.

Until that day, I'd been sure that their wasn't a single girl Shawn had fooled around with that I hadn't heard about. He'd have to be ashamed of a hookup to refrain from sharing it. It would have to be with someone who he didn't want anyone, under any circumstances, to know about. An event he'd rather pretend never happened.

Which was probably why I'd never before known that Shawn Morgan had slept with the one and only Sister Marsy.

     Lucas wouldn't tell me how he'd found out, and I didn't care to pry. I only cared that this could be my way out of the hole I'd fallen into.

      Lucas also unfortunately said that I wasn't allowed to actually tell anybody Shawn's secret—I could only threaten him. It was sad how protective Lucas still was of his brother, even without realizing it, after all of the shit Shawn put him through. Nevertheless, I agreed.

If the secret got out, it would ruin him. His reputation would go straight to the bin. Everything Shawn did, it seemed, was catered around approval. He would have none of that if the world knew of his scandalous, rather disgusting affair. Adults would see him as nothing but trouble, sleeping with a woman who could be his mother and who was supposed to remain chaste. He wouldn't be able to walk a hallway without hearing jokes and jeers whispered and shouts. He would, in an instant, lose his reign.

I was hesitant, though. As bad as his secret was, mine was undeniably worse. His would bring him temporary disapproval—mine would bring me permanent exclusion. I could only hope that a threat would be enough to scare him into withdrawal.

If not, I would be dead meat. I could imagine a million ways it could go wrong. If I blackmailed Shawn, and it wasn't enough—if he realized that the rumor he was brewing would do me more damage than my secret would do him—I would be left worse off than before. He would be angry, no doubt. And in his anger, he'd disregard my threat, and I wouldn't have a chance to save my name. The other boys would all team up against me, and even if I tried to deny their rumor, or turn it back around against them, it would be too late.

It was really, really risky. But it seemed like the best shot I'd get at recovering. Hopefully, the fact that his threat was of a mere rumor he'd started, whereas mine was of a fact we both knew was true, would be enough. If it worked, Shawn would be quiet. And once Shawn was quiet, the others would be, too. And I could finally be a boyfriend again.