The Smartest Girl in the Room (25 page)

There it was. A plastic box filled with
bottles and a ledger. Emily reached up to grab it, but Richard
stopped her. He got two washcloths from the bathroom and wrapped
his hands before he pulled it down. "Don’t touch anything." He took
out his cell phone and took pictures from all angles. Then he
opened the top. They could see the names of some of the vials-
Oxycodone, Percaset, Rohypnol, and a bunch of other names she had
never heard of before.

He closed the box. "I’m taking this away, and
then we’re leaving. Get packed now, alright?"

Emily headed to the bedroom as Richard walked
out the door. She threw all of her clothes, books and toiletries
into her suitcase and backpack.

The rattling that first morning, the ledger
in the drawer. Stupid.

She had just brought her bags into the living
room when Drew opened the front door.

She stood in front of the fireplace. "Hi
honey. How was work?"

He lunged for the fireplace. He frantically
patted his hands inside of it. "What did you do, you stupid little
idiot?"

"Where should I start? I met Sophie. I found
out about your job. I found out about the apartment. I found out
you haven’t told me the truth about anything. And I took your
drugs."

He shook her by the shoulders. Her head just
barely missed hitting the wall. "Get off of me!" she screamed,
digging her nails into his arms. The smell of his sweat, which had
bothered her before, now disgusted her.

"I’ll kill you, you little bitch!"

The next thing she heard was Richard kicking
in the door. He pushed Drew away and pulled Emily to him.

"Do you have any idea what you’ve done?" Drew
cried. "I’m dead now!"

"Then you’d better leave," Richard said
calmly. "I’m giving you two days. If you aren’t out of here by
Wednesday, I’m going to the police. Think about it." Never taking
his eyes off of Drew, Richard picked up Emily’s bags and led her
out.

Emily didn’t believe the sharp air, didn’t
believe the car was running, didn’t believe they were driving.
Richard put his hand on her head. "I think I should take you to the
hospital."

"No," she shook her head slowly. "No
hospital."

"You might have a concussion."

"My head. I didn’t hit my head."

"But he was shaking you like a rag doll. I
ought to send him to jail just for that."

"I don’t care," she said, ready to be sick.
"He’s gone. I’m gone. It’s over."

"Where do you want me to take you?"

"What did you do with them?"

"I put them in one of the safest places in
Boston. No one will find them unless I take them there."

Emily nodded. "Take me to Zainab’s."

He stopped in front of Zainab's apartment ten
minutes later and helped her with her bags.

Richard touched her face. "Are you going to
be okay here? Because if you’re not, you can come home with me and
I’ll call a doctor and get a nurse and have someone look after you
until you are."

Emily blinked back her tears. "I’m gonna be
okay."

He pulled her into a hug, and Emily wanted to
melt into his chest. "I’m calling you tomorrow and checking up on
you. Don’t say no, because Jessie will never forgive me."

"Jessie…You can’t tell her about this right
now, alright? She’ll do something stupid." A tear streamed down her
face. He wiped it away.

"Whatever you want, my dear."

"Phone call is good."

Emily wiped away the rest of her tears as
Richard drove away. She buzzed Zainab’s door. She had to buzz three
times before Zainab buzzed back. Emily made it up the stairs. She
knocked on the door. After a moment, Zainab opened it.

"You’re here," Zainab said. She moved out of
the way as Emily brought her bags in.

"Go ahead, Z." She was so tired. "You told me
so, and I’m an idiot because I didn’t listen. The only consolation
is that it was so much worse than you could have thought."

Zainab sat down. "You’re not an idiot."

"Well, now you’ve got a roommate, and maybe
someday I’ll even be able to pay you rent." Emily laughed, but
Zainab didn’t move. Emily held her breath. "Zainab, if you don’t
want me to stay anymore, it’s fine-"

"No." Zainab looked up at Emily. She was
crying. "Please stay."

Emily wouldn’t have known who Drew was if she
saw him. She knelt down next to Zainab. "Honey, what’s wrong?"

Zainab shook her head. "I’m the one who’s
stupid."

The hair on the back of Emily’s neck stood
up. "What happened?"

"I was talking to everyone, and Joe got me a
drink. And that’s the last thing I remember before..." Her lip
trembled. "I woke up. I was bleeding. There was a used condom on
the floor. It hurt to move. I didn’t know where I was. I... I put
my clothes back on and went outside. Someone said Joe had left a
while ago, and it was three in the morning. There weren’t any buses
or trains, so I had to walk home. It was cold."

Zainab sobbed. "He put something in my drink.
I know. My head hurt all yesterday and today. I couldn’t leave the
house. I didn’t want to leave." Emily put her hand on Zainab’s
back, and Zainab cried harder. "I took a shower. I know I shouldn’t
have, but I had to. I couldn’t be dirty like that. And the drugs
are out of my system now. It’s all gone. I was so stupid. But no
one would have believed me anyway, because everyone knows I’ve had
a crush on him for so long. You believe me, Em, don’t you?"

"Zainab..." Emily never had to think so fast
in her life. She would not say anything to make this worse. "Of
course I do. I’ll leave with you, I’ll take you-"

"No!" Zainab shrieked between her sobs. "I
can’t tell the police! They won’t believe me!" Emily wanted to say
that of course they would, but as Zainab’s face contorted with
tears, she knew there was no way she’d convince her of that.

She held Zainab and willed herself not to
cry. She thought for a moment about the handshake between Joe and
Drew and then thought for a second that she was wrong. But she knew
she wasn’t wrong.

She had to do something. "Everything is going
to be okay," she heard herself say. "I promise you. But you have to
lie down now, alright? You need to sleep."

Zainab sniffled and wiped her nose. "I don’t
want to sleep."

"You have to rest. I’ve got to go out to get
something, but then I’m coming right back. You have to trust me.
But you need to rest."

Zainab let Emily put her into bed. Emily
didn’t leave until she was sure that Zainab was asleep. She got on
the train and waited.

She got to the university and marched into
the SGC offices. "Is Joe here?" she asked one of the girls. "I need
to talk to him about the canvassing."

"Yeah, he’s in the back office," the girl
said as she neatly stacked Joe's flyers.

She walked into the back office. Joe was on
the phone, his back turned. "Hey, Joe." He held up a finger, not
looking to see who it was. After a minute, he hung up and turned
around.

Emily didn’t realize what she was doing until
her fist made contact with his jaw. He nearly fell off the chair.
"What the Hell?" he shouted, spitting out blood.

Emily leaned over him, balancing herself on
the desk. "Ask me why, motherfucker. I’ll tell you." She heard
people pile into the doorway. "I’ll tell them too."

"I think someone should call campus police,"
one of the younger girls said in a frightened voice.

"That’s a great idea," Emily whispered.
"Because I’ll tell them too."

"Guys, it’s fine," Joe said quickly, waving
them off. "Just a little disagreement." They waited a moment, but
then most of them left. Emily stared down the two who remained
until they were gone. She heard someone on the phone.

"You can’t prove anything," he hissed as soon
as they were alone.

"You don’t think so? Then call the police."
She leaned in again. "Call the papers, the students groups. Maybe
you’ll get the sympathy vote because someone sucker punched you.
Except that could go really badly for you. Because sometimes you
don’t have to prove something, you just have to make enough people
think it might be true. That’s, what, like criminal law versus
civil law? Maybe you won’t get your punk ass thrown in jail, but
you’ll never be President of anything."

"You can’t prove anything, and I’ll sue you
for libel!"

"Oh my God, you are stupid. That’s if I put
it in print. And I won’t. I’ll just make sure someone uses those
words. And no matter what it’s called, I’ve got enough proof to
bury you in Hell."

"Yeah? You think?" Joe wiped the blood off
his mouth. "Because I’ve got about a hundred people who can tell
you that Zainab drank like a fish any time she was at a party, and
another hundred who will tell you she’s all over me. That’s why
Zainab hasn't done anything."

She had always known he was a reptile. "Yep,
you called it. Zainab drinks, and she was so into you. You could
have had her months ago. But you needed to do it with a little
insurance, didn’t you? Why is that?" He didn’t say anything. "You
are one sick little monkey, aren’t you?"

"Zainab isn’t going to do anything." Joe
stood up. "You’ve got nothing."

"Are you really such an idiot? God, how did
you get this far? I know about the drugs, asshole. I’ve got your
dealer."

"What dealer?" His smile was so smug; she
wanted to slap it off.

"You’re not cute. Remember when you got them?
I was there. It was the day you weren’t picking up flyers." Joe’s
eyes darted back and forth, and then they stopped wide eyed.

"That could have been anything."

"Remember the name of the guy you bought them
from? Drew. Drew Strand. Maybe he inherited you from your old
dealers, maybe you just asked around. It doesn’t matter. I know who
it was."

"So what?" His face was next to hers. There
was nothing charming about him up close. "I am nothing compared to
the rest of his clients. I don’t think he’ll even remember me, and
I didn’t pay with a credit card."

Emily pushed him away, ready to hit him
again. "You don’t get it. I’ve got the dealer. I’ve got his drugs.
And you’re probably right. There must have been bigger buyers,
because you should see his stash. He could go to jail until he’s
forty with what I’ve got. But I only have eyes for you. I will make
everything else go away if he gives you to me. And if you’re going
to say that still might not be enough to send you away, you’re
probably right again. But it would be enough to ruin you for a
while." She moved closer. "How long do you think it will take
me?"

He sat on the desk, looking down at the
floor. He looked back up. "What do you want?"

"I want you to go away. I don’t ever want to
see your face again. In fact, I don’t think I ever want to hear
your name again."

He laughed. "Do you know how hard I’ve
worked? Do you think I’m going to let you take all that away?"

"I know how hard Zainab worked. That’s why
it’s so perfect. I mean it. I so much as read your name in a
newspaper twenty years from now for a traffic violation, and you’re
mine. Do you understand me?" Nothing. "Drew Strand. Pill after
pill. My friend who had to walk home bleeding. Do you
understand?"

He leapt up. "Yes!" She didn’t move. "Just
get out!"

"Happily, you piece of garbage."

Everyone was staring at her as she walked to
the exit. She wondered how many of them had been at the party. She
wondered how many of them knew Zainab. She wondered how they were
able to sleep.

"Emily!"

She stopped. The green eyes and the perfect
smile were standing in the doorway. At Christmas she would have
been happy to have seen him, or any time she’d walked by the
Reflecting Pool. Or been in the library. Or any time before right
now.

But this was now. "What are you doing
here?"

He was smiling like he had a right to be
happy to see her. "Someone called. They said someone hit Joe."

"You’re such a good friend. What a shame you
couldn’t have been there on Saturday."

"Saturday? Were you there? I’m- I’m sorry, I
was moving the last of my things- "

She felt the blood rush to her feet. "If I
had known you weren’t going to go, I would have gone." She took a
deep breath to steady herself and stood up as tall as she could.
"Leave me alone." She pushed past him and walked to the stairs, but
once she was out of sight she had to walk down very slowly for fear
that she might fall.

~~~

Mitch was about to follow Emily when one of
the younger girls pulled him by his arm. "He’s in there, and that
crazy girl is the one who hit him!"

"What?!?"

He found Joe cursing while he moved papers
onto a chair. There was blood on his mouth and sweater.

He planted his feet. "What did you do to
Emily?"

"What did I do to her?" Joe asked
incredulously. "That crazy bitch! I didn’t touch her."

"Don’t call her a bitch."

"Don’t tell me you’ve got a thing for her!
She’s a nut job."

Mitch knew she wasn’t. "Why did she punch
you?"

"Just leave it."

Saturday. "What did you do?" He hadn’t gone,
and Emily hadn’t either. But Zainab must have. "What did you do to
Zainab?"

"Nothing she hasn’t been begging for!"

"Did you force yourself on her?"

"Hey, I didn’t have to. I just gave her
something to make it easier to get along. It wouldn’t be a big deal
except that little bitch found the guy who gave me the stuff-
hey!"

Mitch pulled Joe up by the collar. "I should
kill you for what you did, but that’s going to make sending you to
prison harder. If you want to stay in one piece 'til then, shut
up." He pushed Joe away from him and ran out and down the stairs,
praying he could catch Emily.