Nicole’s expression became more and more sad as she looked Phil in the eyes. “Look me in the eyes and tell me you didn’t do it.”
Phil’s eyes never wandered. “I didn’t do it, Nicky.” he softly said.
Nicole’s expression never changed, but a single tear travelled down her left eye. In one single motion she pulled Phil in by the sides of his neck and gave him a deep, passionate kiss.
Needless to say, this was the last thing Phil was expecting, but as soon as he registered what was happening, he kissed back with passion to match hers. His hands went from her shoulders to her waist, and Nicole responded by grinding her pelvis up against his. Swiftly and suddenly, she broke away the kiss, lightly gasping for breath.
“I’m so sorry for my part in all of this.” she mumbled. “I’m going to make it up to you, any way I can.”
“…How?” Phil was still in a daze.
“No more lying about my feelings. You… you fucking deserve this. Have me. Use me. I do want you to be assertive with me, Phil. I want you, and I want you to be happy by any means necessary.”
“Nicole…” Phil softly murmured. “Where the fuck is this coming from? Are you sure?”
“Don’t… make me second guess it. Just trust me right now. This is what I want, I want to be used. I wanted this for a while and didn’t know how to say it, okay? I wanted you. Even if it’s not romantic, I never stopped wanting you.”
She paused, hoping Phil would say something, but he didn’t. She continued. “If shit like this is going to happen, I can’t just wait around and be coy or subtle. I just need to be direct and take advantage of how we’re still around each other while I still can. I want this, Phil. If I ever don’t want it… I dunno, we’ll come up with a safe word or something. I just feel so bad about all this shit and… this is the only way I can think to make it right. Please, Philly?”
“This is so much to take in.” Phil mumbled.
“Don’t think, just take.” Nicole mumbled right back, going in and kissing his neck. Phil, surprisingly, pulled her away.
Nicole looked him in the eyes, partially in surprise, then started nodding. “I guess now’s not the best time to be starting this.” she admitted.
Phil gazed back to the council room. Odds are the vote would end soon. “So, were you fucking with me?” he asked.
“What?”
“Were you fucking with me to just segue into wanting me again?” Phil couldn’t help but chuckle. “‘Secret meetings’ and everything? Come on.”
Nicole’s expression didn’t change. Phil piped up again. “I mean, that just doesn’t happen.” No response. “Nicole, say something.”
Nicole approached him. “This is it, Phil. Someone’s going to come out here and tell you you’re no longer the president.”
But Phil was the president. All throughout this year, that’s who he built himself up to be. It’s how he identified. He spent his entire high school career being his best to represent the school. The President of Student Council was Phil. The two were synonymous. Strip that title from him and you may as well get rid of his name along with it.
Phil was shaking. Who the fuck was he going to be after today? He found himself shaking his head in disbelief, when he heard a loud, muffled outcry of disgust from the council room.
“Th-that was Jeff.” Phil remarked in a panicked tone. There could only be one reason why Jeff Swanson was acting that disgusted.
Nicole bit her lip and nodded solemnly. She began to get blurrier. Before Phil knew it, tears were coming. Everything he worked for, everything he was… was it really coming to an end? Over something he didn’t do, orchestrated by someone he didn’t even fucking know? This wasn’t the world. This wasn’t how the world worked. This wasn’t… necessary. Someone needed to come along and fix this, this was just an error. A bad dream. Fucking something.
Phil had lost his balance and before he knew it, his head was on Nicole’s shoulder and he was crying. Phil didn’t cry. The sound of his crying was alien even to him. He couldn’t help but hug Nicole in support, not wanting to believe what was happening and just wanting her to save him from all this.
At some point, the door to the room opened. Phil hated crying in front of others, so he didn’t dare look back at the door to see who it was. Luckily, Nicole happened to be facing the door in the hug, so he felt her head life off his shoulder, and tell the person, “It’s okay. He knows.” A silence followed. “Could you give us a minute please?” Phil heard the door shut again a second later.
“Hey.” Nicole’s voice coaxed his head back up. She wiped a tear away from his cheek and smiled sadly at him. “For what it’s worth, from today onward, you have me.”
“A-as… as in we’re b-back together?” Phil managed.
Nicole grimaced. “No, not like that. Sorry. I can’t. I just can’t. Not with anyone. But you have me to use. Any way you like.”
Phil sniffled. “Any way at all?”
“Any way possible, girlfriend notwithstanding.”
Phil wiped his eyes and his expression turned serious. “So you were at this secret meeting?”
“Yeah. I’m sorry I co-”
“Shut up.” Phil replied, feeling another change in the wind.
Nicole’s eyes widened for a second, then realized something was happening. “Yes sir.” she said submissively.
“So you know who planned to vote against me.” Phil continued.
“Yes sir.”
If Phil’s life could be ruined after being a good president by one stuck-up bitch and a few easily swayed comrades, then Phil had no friends, and at least wanted them to find out how he felt. “I want to take revenge on them. Every single person that voted against me.”
Nicole didn’t hesitate. “How?”
“We’re going to figure out a way to do that together. Aren’t we, pet?” This time, Phil was the one that grabbed Nicole’s neck and kissed her.
She was breathless as she replied, “Yes, sir.”
***
“Just like that?” Olivia asked him as she took the blunt back from him and took a hit.
Phil nodded. “Just fuckin’ like that. And even at that point, I could tell something was up. Nicole was gonna turn on me, I just knew it.”
“Then why’d you keep her around?” Olivia asked after taking the hit. “Wait… you said you kept her around, right?” She paused. “Yeah! Yeah. So why’d you do that?”
“I said I wanted revenge and I took it.” Phil replied simply, moving his head around excessively to feel his head move, something he found he did often when he was high. “Everyone paid.”
“Fuck.” Olivia commented dryly, forming a grin. “It’s like a mobster movie.”
“And I was the mob boss.” Phil grinned back. “But then, it was like… a few weeks after the vote, after Nicole helped me fuck over everyone who voted me out, after Nicole and I boned God knows how many times… she just fucking turns on me. Great. Great great fucking great.”
“What do you mean, turns on you?” Olivia asked.
“Like, out of nowhere, she just decides she doesn’t believe me anymore again and she hates my guts again and she probably invented more reasons to hate me. You know, like she did every time before, and admitted to it.”
“She sounds toxic, dude.” Olivia replied.
“Yeah, I fucking know that now. You know what? I think Adam curdled her.”
“You blame him for everything.” Olivia dismissed him.