Chapter 6: The Phone Call

The collar is finished. Heather has held it in her hands, felt its weight, imagined it around her neck. It's real. It's happening. And now she has to make the call.

She stood in her kitchen, the phone in her hand, her finger hovering over Tonya's name. Keith was at work. The house was silent. Everything was ready.

Tonya doesn't know, she thought. She doesn't know what I've been planning. She doesn't know what I'm asking her to be a part of. She's going to be shocked. She's going to be uncomfortable. She might say no.

She might say no.

The thought was terrifying, but Heather pushed through it. She'd come too far to turn back now. She'd been brave once before, and it had worked. She could be brave again.

She pressed the call button.

Tonya answered on the second ring. "Hello?"

Heather opened her mouth, but no words came out. She tried again, and finally managed a trembling, "Tonya."

Tonya's voice shifted immediately, sharpening with concern. "Heather? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I need to see you," Heather said, her voice shaking. "Tonight. Please."

"Heather, you're scaring me. What's going on?"

"I'll explain everything when you get here. Just... please. Come over after work. Please."

There was a pause. Then Tonya said, "I'll be there. Heather, whatever it is, we'll figure it out. Okay?"

"Okay," Heather whispered. "Thank you. Thank you."

She hung up and stood in the kitchen, her hands trembling, her heart racing. The collar was in a box on the counter, waiting. Keith would be home in a couple of hours. Tonya would be here soon.

This is it, she thought. This is the moment you've been waiting for your whole life. This is the moment you stop pretending and start living.

Be brave. Be honest. Be free.

She took a deep breath, and she waited.