One Night With Her Destroyed Their Perfect Futures Chapter 04
Results Day
A few days later, the scores come in.
Every guy in class scored high enough for Ivy League admission. Every single one except me and Vivian.
The group chat explodes.
[OMG I got a 1580 on my SATs! I swear it’s because Vivian helped me “relax” the night before ??]
[Same. 1560. Wouldn’t have scored that high without her lol]
Vivian drops a voice note, all breathy and sweet: “You guys don’t need to thank me~ You were always brilliant~ I just helped you loosen up a little~”
[Vivian’s a real one. Meanwhile Scarlett’s supposed to be class president and she didn’t do SHIT for us]
[Don’t be mean lol she’s gotta keep her “good girl” image intact so she can trap a rich guy later ??]
More praise for Vivian follows, with a few jabs at me sprinkled in.
Then someone types: [Yo has anyone else had a low fever the past couple days? Thought it was the flu but it won’t go away]
Another reply: [Yeah me too. Low fever, nosebleeds, and my skin’s been itching like crazy]
Vivian jumps in immediately: “You guys are being paranoid lol~ It’s just stress. Give it a few days, you’ll be fine~”
I close the chat.
One week later, acceptance letters arrive at school.
When I walk into the classroom, everyone’s already there.
I head to my seat and stop.
My textbooks and backpack are smeared with actual feces and black ink.
Vivian’s voice floats over, dripping sarcasm. “Oh look, it’s Scarlett the Snitch~ Sorry about your stuff. If you’re upset, you can always go tattle to Mrs. Patterson again~”
I don’t respond. I find a clean corner and sit down.
From here, I can see everything clearly. Half the class is coughing. Ethan leans against the wall, pinching his nose to stop another nosebleed.
He stands up, voice hoarse but confident: “Listen up. We all got into top schools. If we band together and petition, we can pressure Harvard into giving Vivian a spot too.”
“Yeah! They won’t risk losing all of us over one extra admission!”
“You guys are so sweet,” Vivian coos. “Too bad Scarlett didn’t even score high enough for community college~”
She doesn’t know. Only the state’s top scorer has their results withheld for verification.
I already have an early admission letter from Harvard in my desk drawer at home.
But none of that matters right now.
Because through the classroom window, I can see Principal Harris walking across the courtyard, flanked by two police officers and three people in CDC windbreakers.
The door bangs open, and the officers step inside.
The officers’ eyes lock onto Vivian.
“Vivian Lane. You knowingly engaged in sexual activity with multiple partners while HIV-positive. You’re under arrest for criminal transmission of an infectious disease. Come with us.”
The room goes dead silent.
Every drop of color drains from Ethan’s face. His voice comes out as a whisper.
“Principal Harris… there’s been a mistake. Vivian can’t… she doesn’t have…”
“A mistake?” Principal Harris slams a stack of medical reports onto the front desk.
“These are your STD screening results. Every. Single. One of you tested positive for HIV.”
“Now get on that bus outside. The county health department is taking you in for immediate treatment. Move. NOW.”
Nobody moves or even seems to breathe.
Then, one by one, they file out in silence, their faces blank and their eyes hollow, like dead men walking.
I stand by the window and watch them climb onto the white bus.
They disappear down the road.
Good riddance, I think.