The Woods

“Would that be so bad?” Becca asks back, after arguing that telling Paige your secret (based only on her proximity to your group) would mean that you’ll have to tell a lot more people your secret rather than just Paige.

“I admit I’m not the best guy at keeping secrets, but I’m pretty sure it’s easier to keep a secret if less people know about it, right?” You argue.

“I know how secrets work, yes.” Becca playfully answers you. “Need I remind you, that when you first told me about the app and that if I was the one that had it, I’d take a secret like that to my grave. Did I not?” Becca reminds you.

“So you need not remind me of the importance of playing things close to the chest.” Becca tells you. “That being said, your secret is out in the open now, Jay. It’s a fact we have to accept.” Becca points out.

“Secrets are easiest to keep when no one else knows the secret. The moment you told someone about it, the potential of your secret being revealed multiplied exponentially.” Becca argues.

“I told you girls about it because I didn’t want to start a relationship with any of you without you knowing. I would have been deceiving all of you if I kept the secret to myself.” You argue.

“And we’d be deceiving Paige just as much, now that she has connected enough dots. It’s a different story when the person is blissfully ignorant of the app’s effects. Vivian’s remarks have allowed Paige to figure out something’s amiss with our behavior. I am not blaming Vivian for her mistake, but it was a mistake nonetheless. Another mistake we’ll have to adapt to. If we continue to pretend that you don’t have the app, I believe the colloquial term to describe it would be ‘gaslighting’.” Becca argues back, and you have to swallow whatever argument you were going to come up with after hearing her argument

Becca’s right, of course. That’s exactly what you just did to Paige when she started connecting the dots. It didn’t feel right then, but it felt necessary. Would it ‘feeling necessary’ still be a valid excuse if she starts connecting the dots even more?

“I… I’ll think about it.” You concede to Becca.

“It is ultimately your decision, and I trust you to make the right one.” Becca tells you sweetly.

“But just as an added point, it’s not improbable for Paige to continue piecing it together once you start farming for points again. And I believe that’s an inevitability at this point. With all of us being caught in the middle of my family’s drama, we’ll need the app to help us as much as it can.” Becca adds, and you can only nod in agreement about possibly needing more points.

“Though I’m not sure how the app can help us in dealing with Courtney and your sister. Courtney’s immunity to your app’s effects would be a challenge, but there has to be a way for us to ensure she’ll help us in our interests.” Becca says, reminding you of the cold and calculating Becca you’re more accustomed to.

“I may have good news on that front.” You tell Becca. “Based on our talk, Courtney doesn’t seem to be working with Lainey.” You reveal.

“It took her no time to try and mention the app to someone. Whether or not she was sure that the other person had prior knowledge of the app. I would rather not chalk that up to an honest mistake.” Becca points out. “Do you think she told your sister about the app and that was one of your sister’s suggestions to mess with us?” Becca asks in concern.

“I guess you’re going to be the first to know.” You say in realization that you haven’t broken that news yet to your girlfriends. “Courtney didn’t need to tell my sister about the app. In fact, it was my sister that explained how the app works to Courtney. Lainey’s ex-husband had the app too.” You reveal to Becca to her utter shock.

“No.” Becca utters in disbelief. “That is a horrible joke to make right now.” Becca tells you angrily.

“I’m afraid I’m not joking.” You tell her.

“That…” Becca utters, but unable to piece together a sentence as her mind is racing much faster than her mouth’s ability to keep up. “My father…” Becca utters again, telling you where her fearful mind immediately went.

“Your dad doesn’t know about the app, Becca.” You tell Becca, though your assuredness in your answer doesn’t soften her doubt by any measure.

“I actually talked to Courtney about needing points for traits that might help us deal with our problems. How we’re trying to have the app’s magic influence Lainey and your family so they can back the fuck off. That’s when Courtney corrected me. She said Lainey wants out of your family’s mess just as much as we do.” You tell Becca.

“It could be a ruse to have us lower our guard.” Becca points out.

“Possibly. But I don’t see the need for Courtney to lie to us. In fact, I don’t think she will.” You tell Becca.

“Your assuredness in that assessment borders on hubris.” Becca tells you, and you have to chuckle with her reaction since it was Becca’s confidence you were trying to mimic with your tone.

“It just might be. But after talking to Courtney, I don’t think she’s a heartless person. Selfish, yes. But not, heartless. I don’t think she has it in her to betray Brooke like that.” You argue, causing Becca to go to her thinking pose—the knuckle of her index finger resting just underneath her bottom lip, while her chin rests on her thumb.

“What does the app say?” Becca asks.

“About? Courtney?” You ask in confusion, since Becca obviously knows Courtney’s immune to the app already.

“No. About our situation in general.” Becca clarifies. “Have you had the chance to check the app for traits it recommends?” Becca then asks.

“No.” You answer. “And I’d rather check it when all of us are together to freely discuss it. There’s no point in checking it now when we won’t be able to act on it anyway.” You add, before Becca can tell you to check it immediately.

“I agree.” Becca thankfully replies. “Let’s not tempt fate and possibly ruin this night further by discovering a worst case scenario.” Becca adds with a defeated smile.

“And what’s the worst case scenario?” You ask.

“That it’s magic is hopeless against the obdurateness of my family.” Becca answers.

“Well, there is one way to find out.” You tell Becca. “I do have enough points for one trait that I know that can help us.” You add, causing her to raise an eyebrow.

“I have enough points to buy ‘Supportive Parents’ for you, Becca.” You reveal, and Becca looks away from you upon hearing it.

“I’m sorry for bringing it up again. I know you didn’t want me to buy—” You start saying, before Becca cuts you off.

“Buy it.” Becca surprisingly tells you.

“Are you sure?” You ask, as Becca’s unable to hide the shame that fills her voice and the expression on her face.

“Positive.” Becca adamantly answers. “I will no longer allow for my stubbornness to endanger our group any further.” Becca adds.

“If I allowed you to buy it sooner, my mother would have probably left us alone and none of this would have happened.” Becca voices her regret.

“Hindsight is 20/20, Becca. Don’t fall into that trap. It gets you nowhere.” You advise her.

“Your wisdom is duly noted.” Becca says with a knowing smile.

“But will unfortunately be ignored?” You jokingly ask, knowing you fall into that trap all the time too.

“Inadvertently, of course.” Becca says with a more genuine smile of amusement.

“Of course.” You say with a smile of your own.

For a brief moment, you and Becca just smile at each other. You know that behind the happiness in your smiles, that they’re both still Schadenfreudian. As you both recognize that your shared amusement is from the newly shared fault in your psyches that’s ironically forging a stronger connection between the two of you.

“It sucks that the universe had to bring you down to my depressed neck of the woods.” You jokingly observe, which Becca thankfully takes in stride.

“I think I just grew tired of waiting for you to find your way out. I decided to come and join you.” Becca jokes back.

“So you’re saying you know the way out?” You ask.

“I~... am just as lost as you are.” Becca answers honestly, and the two of you share another quiet laugh.

“I’d like to say I’m glad you’re here with me, but that’s just depressing.” You joke.

“Then don’t look at it that way.” Becca tells you seriously. “I don’t.” She adds with an appreciative smile.

“I look at it like this — I was fortunate enough that you found me just when I realized I’ve been in these woods all along. I know for a fact that I would have been more lost if you didn’t.” Becca clarifies, before taking your hand and squeezing it in gratitude.

“We’ll find our way out of this.” You tell her confidently. “I promise.” You add more emphatically, but it only gets a disbelieving chuckle from Becca.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Jay.” She tells you.

“I’m not.” You reply, without a hint of doubt in your voice, and it’s these words that get Becca’s eyes to moisten a little, before nodding her head to concede.

“Then lead the way.”