by Olivia Myers
“What, exactly, would you like to know? As you can probably guess, things stay pretty calm for my part.” Megan would have deadpanned, were she able to speak on her own accord. Blake tensed slightly before chuckling in what was likely supposed to be a warm manner.
“Oh come on, Megan. A young woman like yourself, so full of life and energy! There has to be something you do besides your assignments. Any particularly accessible web pages you would like to note for the users at home?” Blake urged, and Megan stared at him blankly for a solid minute before narrowing her eyes and turning her attention to the computer screen once more.
“I’ve found the News7 web page to be specifically easy to access. It’s where I get all my news. The News4 web page, unfortunately, has too many popup ads for me to have a go at truly navigating it. I suppose a popup blocker is something they need to install in their machines as well.” The narrator chirped cheerfully, but the underlying snide tone was more than a little obvious. Blake choked on his own saliva, coughing violently to clear his throat before pulling away from Megan, facing the camera with a strained smile.
“Well, we’ll be sure to make our webmasters aware of the issue. Thank you very much for your input, Ms. Brookes. With that, we bid goodbye to the young woman who has rightfully won the hearts of so many. This is Blake Templeton, signing off.” He smiled into the camera, waiting until the red light blinked off before rounding on Megan again. She stared at him complacently, and he looked as if he was prepared to curse her every ancestor—alive or otherwise.
“What’s the problem, Blake?” The narrator cut through the room, and he shuddered slightly, clearly unused to the robotic tones.
“No problem at all, Ms. Brookes. I just wanted to thank you for your time, and wish you a speedy recovery. …Oh. Wait.” He snorted, gesturing for the audio and video technicians to pack up their gear. “I’m not getting paid enough to deal with moody college kids.” He bit out under his breath as the news team left the room, and Megan desperately wished she could laugh as he sulked out. She didn’t particularly care if the news story cast her in a negative light as repercussion for her snide behavior. Perhaps they wouldn’t even air the segment. That would have suited her just as well. Once the men were out of the room, she brought up Vivian’s video feed, blinking in shock as she took in Angelina’s tear-streaked face. She could make out that she was in one of the campus classrooms, and Vivian seemed to be holding Angelina’s falsified medical records. Turning up the volume, she settled in for the show.
“As you can see, Ms. Clark, your latest test for sexually transmitted diseases came back with several positive results. Specifically, we find that you have a case of the hepatitis virus that we urge you to treat immediately. I am very sorry to report this in front of your…” Vivian paused, glancing across the classroom towards the other students who were watching intensely. “Your peers. But it is essential that you receive treatment as swiftly as possible. It’s a simple manner of treatment in this day and age, though we do urge that you try to tone down the promiscuous behavior for the sake of yourself and your partners. Thank you for your time.” She announced, in a voice entirely unlike her usual gruff tone, and turned to slip out of the classroom. Angelina’s wails could be heard even as she made her way down the hallway, tapping her earpiece before tossing a well-made blonde wig in the garbage can beside her.
“Hear that, boss lady? There’s gonna be an extra charge for the supplies to disguise myself into passing as one of the campus health technicians. I expect the payment to be wired through quickly,” Vivian announced, paying little mind to whether or not there were other individuals in the hallway. Megan might have cringed, but instead traced a pattern of praise across her screen.
“Good job.” She offered, wiring the money to Vivian’s account with a handsome bonus.
“Yeah, sure, whatever. Listen, I came up with another plan that might completely seal the deal on this whole… life ruining scheme.” Vivian said, grabbing a flyer that had been pinned to one of the walls. “There’s a frat party in about a week. Football team’s gonna be there, the whole school is gonna be there. I say we get her drunk, and get her caught fooling around on her meathead boyfriend,” Vivian said somewhat more quietly as she walked through the halls.
Megan stared at the screen for a long moment, internally weighing her options. On the one hand, it seemed like a very cruel thing to do. On the other hand, it was nothing compared to what Angelina had done to her. She hesitated for but a moment longer before tracing a pattern with steely resolve in her gaze.
“Do it.” She ordered, and Vivian laughed a nasally little laugh before nodding her head.
“Ten four, boss lady. I’ll see about procuring enough booze for the party. Most of these jerkoff kids are too stupid to get a fake ID made,” Vivian murmured, the fact that Megan would have to immediately transfer more money going unsaid.
Megan was quick enough on the uptake however, and rolled her eyes at herself as she transferred another chunk of change to Vivian’s account. The funds intended to cover her tuition were running a bit low, but frankly, Megan was growing less and less interested in pursuing an education from which she would never secure a career. Not with what had been done to her.
She glanced at Vivian’s screen for a moment longer, noting that the other woman seemed to be piling bottles and bottles of vodka into a bag. Once she had secured what seemed a dozen bottles of vodka in what seemed to be a large duffle bag—god knows how she got that in the store, she headed towards the door, bidding the cashier a ‘blessed day’. The cashier was an elderly man who smiled obliviously back at Vivian as she slipped out the door with her stolen stash. Megan wanted to curse Vivian’s name, curse herself for allowing the other woman to milk her for all the money she was worth. It was for the greater good, however. She could allow this indiscretion to slide, as long as Vivian got the job done. It was simply a matter of waiting. Again. Seemed like her life was becoming a repeated ‘hurry up and wait’ situation. It was all the same to her.
Her computer dinged loudly, and she glanced to the device, noting an alert from the News4 web page. She had been lying through her teeth when she had said she used News7 for all her news. Well, so to speak. She brought up the indicated window, watching as they ran the segment on her. Seemed they weren’t so hasty as to give up their exclusive feature. The actual segment that included her was rather short, but it seemed the news station had traversed the campus to speak to various students she only vaguely knew. At least, she scarcely knew who they were until they crossed paths with Angelina. The blonde haired bimbo looked entirely withdrawn and defeated as she spoke, arms carefully wrapped around herself.
“This is a bad time, “she said in an attempt to slip away from the reporter.
“Please, miss, this will only take a short moment,” Blake urged, following her with the cameras as he jabbed a microphone in front of her face. Angelina rubbed at her eyes, her far too expensive smudge resistant makeup taking the hit like a champ.
“We’re going around campus and trying to get some insight on why Ms. Megan Brookes has reached a status comparable to some sort of folk hero here. Angelina drew her lip back in a sneer, and Megan could feel her stomach churning in both excitement and dread as she waited to see what the blonde haired beauty would have to say.
“Well. Considering her circumstances… I think it only makes sense that people would come to respect her. I simply hope it doesn’t go to her head. After all, in a way, I’m the one who got her to this point. Do you think she’ll see this?” Angelina prompted, and Megan’s heart pounded in her chest as the news reporter hesitated.
“I’m most certain she will,” he offered by way of reply. Angelina wiped her eyes and turned to the camera, smiling coyly and blowing the camera a little kiss.
“Hugs and kisses, Meggy Meg. We’re all cheering for you.” She smirked, and the irony of the statement was not lost on the paralyzed young woman. She could have screamed, closing out of the window as Blake
Templeton spoke some final, parting words.
If she had been hesitant about Vivian’s scheme before, any doubts she may have had were little more than dust on the wind. She closed her eyes, mind wandering to the humiliation Angelina would feel after being caught fooling around on her boyfriend with another women. It was delightful enough that her falsified medical records had been announced in front of a class of people, the thought of the tears in Angelina’s eyes stirring something in Megan that she had not felt for some time. Hugs and kisses, indeed, she thought to herself, mind tracing over every detail of her rival’s face. As much as she hated the blonde bimbo, she was certainly a beauty. No one could deny that. Truth be told, she couldn’t help the slight feeling of arousal she felt at the thought of orchestrating such a fall from grace for the other woman. It was just going to be a long week that she had to wait before the culmination of her plot. Just for the sake of her own amusement, she brought up Angelina’s social media profile, almost thankful that her cackling remained internalized. Thousands of posts made in a single day, all inquiring about Angelina’s newfound diseases and where she was going to seek treatment. Jocks on various sports teams announcing that she should look them up once she was clean. Close to the bottom of the page was a single comment of support—from Angelina’s meathead boyfriend.
“I’ll be by your side, no matter what,” he had typed, followed by a blinking heart emoticon. Just when Megan thought her revenge could get no sweeter, she realized that she was going to turn the one person who would remain by Angelina’s side against the cheerleader. With her body feeling almost as if it were thrumming with happiness, Megan settled in for a day of watching trashy pay per view specials. It would all go on the school’s tab, and they would be never the wiser. For her life to have been so thoroughly shattered, Megan couldn’t help reveling in her satisfaction.
***
Though Megan had grown somewhat accustomed to the loneliness of her isolated hospital room, after the news segment aired, more and more students were coming to visit her on a nearly daily basis. She couldn’t do much in the way of entertainment, but by the end of the week, her once barren room was covered with balloons, flowers, and stuffed animals of various sizes. She cast her eyes across the room, internally sighing as she mused that she should feel at least a little guilty for squandering her crowdfunding earnings on Vivian. As that thought crossed her mind, Sara burst through the door, tears spilling from her eyes. Megan looked at her curiously, and Sara darted across the room, hugging Megan though she could not feel it.
“I’m so, so sorry, Megan,” Sara sniffled, tears and a bit of snot staining Megan’s hospital gown. Megan might have cringed were she able, but instead she was more concerned with what had her friend in such a tizzy.
“What’s wrong?” she traced along the computer screen, and Sara choked back another sob, pulling away from Megan and rising to her full height to consider the computer before them.
“Apparently the funds in your tuition account weren’t as secure as the bank assured us. Someone has stolen your information and has been wiring copious amounts of money to an unknown recipient. We tried to get the bank to dispute the payments, but they said there’s nothing we can do. For some reason, it’s showing your information as wiring the money, and because the account is in your name…” Sara trailed off, wiping a tear away.
Guilt sunk its claws into Megan’s chest, and she tried to think of some way to console the other woman. Before she could try, Sara was speaking again. “We transferred the remainder of your funds to another bank account, but… oh gosh, Megan I’m so sorry. It’s not going to be enough to cover your tuition, at this rate,” Sara sniffled. Megan stared at her former roommate, tracing a path along the on screen keyboard.
“So they’re transferring me out of this facility?” Megan inquired, hoping she didn’t upset the other girl any further. Sara scowled, rubbing her eyes more angrily this time as she barked out a humorless laugh.
“We managed to talk them into giving you a grace period for a month after the next tuition payment is due. We’re rebooting the crowdfunding account, and I’m almost positive we can earn enough money to put you through, especially after the News4 segment. They’ve agreed to link to the crowdfunding campaign on their website as soon as we get it back up. I just… I can’t believe someone would do this,” Sara bit out. Megan closed her eyes for a moment, wishing she could sink into the floor beneath her bed. She opened her eyes a few moments later, looking Sara up and down before tracing a path on the computer screen.
“Me either,” the narrator said in almost unacceptable cheery tones. Sara chewed on her thumb nail, a habit that used to drive Megan insane when they were roommates. Her distress was like a palpable force radiating through the room, and after a moment, she sighed and drew her hand away from her mouth.
“Well. I just wanted to give you an update. I’m going to stash the information for your new banking account in the computer so it’s easier for you to access. We have David looking for the access point at which your account was compromised, but he said whoever did it was pretty thorough in their work. In the meantime, just try to relax and keep doing your assignments. I know it feels pointless, but hopefully…” Sara trailed off, entering some information into the computer before stepping away, offering Megan a sad smile. “Stay strong, okay?” She said almost pleadingly.
“You too,” the narrator announced, and Sara chuckled weakly before slipping out the door of the hospital room.
Megan felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes once she was alone, but she blinked them away, focusing on the task at hand. The frat party was coming up sooner than she expected, and though she had her fair share of regrets about getting herself into this mess to begin with, she was in too deep to back out now. Vivian’s video feed was blank for the time being, indicating that the other woman was either sleeping or had passed out from one of her drug binges. She could make out the occasional sounds of something like snores, or snorts, or something along those lines. She simply hoped her hired hand wasn’t laying dying in some hotel room somewhere. She couldn’t stand the thought of all of this being for nothing.
“Vivian,” she input into the earpiece. She received little more than a soft groan in reply. Megan narrowed her eyes, checking the settings on the earpiece software for a moment before finding an alert option. She initiated the alert sequence, and she could make out a series of what sounded almost like banshee screams that faded into the more tame sounds of a siren. Vivan’s eyes popped open, and she jolted into a seated position, leaning over the edge of the bed and spilling her guts on the shag carpet. Megan might have felt bad for the person who owned the home, but shag carpet had never been acceptable, not even when it was in style what must have been nearly a hundred years ago.
“Fuck!” Vivian bellowed, and Megan felt some lingering satisfaction as Vivian stuck her foot in the vomit, cursed loudly again, before dragging her foot across a clean section of carpet and pulling her boots on. “What the fuck do you even need?” Vivian demanded through the earpiece, stalking down a set of nondescript steps after she had fully dressed herself. Megan hesitated, debating what to say.
“I wanted to give you a fair warning. The group that organized my crowdfunding campaign found out that money is being transferred out of the account. They have some techie trying to find the access point, I really have no idea what that means—“ Megan input, her words coming out jumbled.
“Okay, okay, I’m gonna stop you right there. Do you still have access to the money?” Vivian demanded. Megan narrowed her eyes before typing in the affirmative. “Alright. Listen. Let those jerkoffs think you got hacked. It’s all the same to me, I covered my bases so they couldn’t find me even if they tried. Keep sending payments for the work. We’re in the home stretch, boss lady. You can’t back out now.” Vivian insisted.
As much as Megan regretted how far this whole thing had come, she was thankful that Vivian wasn’t ready to back out.
“Now lis
ten. I need the cash to buy me a sexy little number to work my magic in. You know the drill,” Vivian said. Megan stared uncomprehendingly at the screen for a moment, deciding not to question the other woman any further before wiring the money over. She mused that Vivian seemed to have enough luck landing herself a few bedmates without her assistance, but hell, she was happy enough to have the other woman on her side. She would just have to be a bit more careful with her last few bucks. She watched the screen as Vivian made her way to a notoriously expensive boutique in the middle of town. Only vaguely remembering Vivian’s exact appearance, she supposed that the clothes pile the other woman was sorting through would suit her well enough. Who she was trying to impress slipped just beyond Megan’s personal grasp. Vivian slipped into the dressing room with a pile of clothes, and Megan began to politely avert her eyes as Vivian stared directly into the mirror whilst undressing. As Vivian’s breasts fell free from her bra, Megan felt suddenly all too aware as to why the other woman found partners so easily. Arousal flushed Megan’s cheeks, and Vivian had the gall to wink into the mirror, tweaking one of her own nipples before trying on the clothes she had chosen.
“Like what you see?” She inquired abruptly, and Megan felt herself growing increasingly embarrassed. “This show’s for free. As a show of good faith,” Vivian announced, slipping her jeans down her well-toned legs. Megan watched with rapt attention, too absorbed in the sight to draw her eyes away. It had been so long since she’d seen another woman’s nude form. Sure, she’d had her fair share of bi curious females before… well. The incident. Watching Vivian lit a fire in her that she had not been certain she was still capable of feeling. She supposed the mind played a large part in arousal, even if her body wasn’t functioning as it should. Vivian traced her fingertips up along her inner thigh, twisting her body to the side and giving the mirror a sultry look. She rolled her hips, eyes dancing with wicked amusement. Megan thought she very well might have a heart attack, and glanced towards her heart monitor which was reading a rapidly increasing heartrate. She could very well be caught red-handed, but she couldn’t help drawing her eyes back to Vivian’s video screen. As soon as the show had begun, however, Vivian stopped her little strip tease, making quick work of pulling on a skimpy little number. “Think your little princess will like this?” She purred, and Megan traced the words on the screen with little thought.
