Carlson Melody - Stealing Bradford

“Doing it?” shrieked DJ in disbelief. “You mean doing it, doing it?”

“Yes.”

“Oh no…”

“Poor Rhiannon,” said Conner.

“Where is she?” demanded DJ. “You didn’t leave her there, did you?”

“No, of course, not.”

“We took her home,” said Harry.

“To be by herself?”

“Casey was there,” said Eliza. “I called to make sure. Casey said she’d stay with her. And Kriti was supposed to be back from her little debate thing by then. Rhiannon is in good hands.”

“Unlike when she was with you,” said DJ bitterly.

“That seems a little uncalled for,” said Eliza in a hurt tone.

“Well, you should’ve known better,” scolded DJ.

“You should’ve warned me.”

“I tried, remember?”

“Sooner, you should’ve tried sooner.”

“So, it’s my fault?”

“Ladies,” said Harry, stepping between them like a referee. “Let’s not fight about this.”

“I’m sorry,” DJ said to Eliza. “It’s just that Rhiannon has been through so much…and we all know Taylor well enough to know what she’s capable of. To think you could beat her at her own game, Eliza…well, that’s just not going to happen.”

“This isn’t over yet,” said Eliza with what sounded like steel resolve.

“It is for Rhiannon.”

Eliza nodded. “Maybe, but now I’m really furious at Taylor.”

“Get in line,” said DJ.

“WE WEREN’T ACTUALLY DOING IT,”said Taylor in an offhanded way.

DJ had waited up for her, determined to read her the riot act before she went to bed. “Yeah, right.” DJ socked a throw pillow and then tossed it to her bed.

“Fine, if that’s what you want to think…sure, we were doing it, DJ. We were just going at it like a couple of sex-starved—”

“Shut up,” said DJ. “If you can’t be honest, just shut up.”

“So, you believe me?” Taylor looked surprised. “That we weren’t really doing it?”

“No, I didn’t say that. I just don’t want your bull.”

“Believe what you want,” said Taylor. “You will anyway.” She pointed to DJ’s Bible now. “I wonder what that book says about judging people, or misjudging them as the case happens to be here.”

DJ didn’t say anything. She wasn’t sure what the Bible said about judging, although she’d heard Rhiannon say it was wrong. In fact, tonight when DJ and the others had sat around the living room trashing Taylor’s character and plotting against her, Rhiannon had refused to participate. She’d said it was wrong, and then she’d gone to her room.

“Do you even want to know the truth, DJ? Or are you going to be one of those Christians who make it up as they go along?”

“What would you know about being a Christian anyway?” demanded DJ.

Taylor laughed. “Oh, you’d be surprised.”

“I’m sure.”

“Fine,” said Taylor. “I’ll tell you what your fat green Bible says about judging, DJ. It says ‘Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.’ Matthew seven verses one and two.”

DJ blinked. “How can you possibly know that?” She grabbed up her Bible and tried to find where that section might be so that she could prove Taylor wrong, but she didn’t even know where to begin.

“Here,” said Taylor. “I’ll show you.” She took the Bible and opened it, turned several pages, and then stopped where the page was marked with the bookmark and sticky note. “Hey, it looks like you were already reading right here. Guess it didn’t really sink in.” She shoved the Bible back at DJ now, pointing to a section that was a little way past where DJ had just read this morning. Not that the bit about being nice to her enemies had done her much good.

DJ slowly read the sentences that Taylor had pointed out, and although the wording was slightly different, she could tell the meaning was the same. It basically said that if you judge others, you would be judged too. DJ peered at Taylor curiously. “How did you know that?”

“What difference does it make?” Taylor sat down in the window seat and picked up her magazine.

DJ closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.

“Something wrong?” Taylor asked.

“Yeah,” said DJ, “you seriously make my head hurt, Taylor.”

Taylor snickered. “Yeah, I get that a lot.”

“Okay,” said DJ, determined to try this again. “Tell me the truth, Taylor, if you and Bradford weren’t doing it , why did Eliza and Rhiannon say that you were? Why would they lie?”

“Because they did catch us in a pretty heavy make-out session.” She shrugged. “I suppose it was possible that we might’ve taken it further if we hadn’t been interrupted…but I don’t really think so. I actually think it would be rather tacky to have sex in the backroom of Bradford’s mom’s gallery, don’t you think?”

“Well, of course, I’d think that. But I’m not you, Taylor. Sometimes you seem to have the corner on tacky.”

“Thanks a lot.”

“Can you deny that you’ve had your tacky moments?”

Taylor almost smiled. “Okay, you’re right. I suppose I have lacked discretion from time to time.”

DJ sighed loudly. “Do you have any idea of how badly you’ve hurt Rhiannon?”

“Me?” Taylor frowned. “Like I did this all on my own? What about Bradford’s role? Or Eliza for that matter. I mean, what was she doing snooping around the back of the gallery like that? What was she trying to prove anyway? Rhiannon wouldn’t have been hurt if Eliza hadn’t been butting her nose into places it didn’t belong.”

“They were looking for Bradford.”

“And so they found him.”

“With you.”

“So, that makes the whole thing my fault—and my fault alone?”

“I don’t know…” DJ shook her head. “Sometimes when I talk to you, it’s like I can’t even think straight. You have such a gift for twisting things.”

“Or maybe I just show you some different angles.”

“Right.” DJ pulled up her comforter now. “I’m tired. I’m going to bed.”

“You’re going to bed mad, aren’t you?”

“Maybe. What’s it to you if I’m mad? Don’t I have a right to be angry?”

“I guess you don’t know what the Bible says about that then do you?”

“I’m supposing you do.”

“That’s right. ‘Do not let the sun go down on your wrath.’ Ephesians four verse twenty-six.”

“You are a total enigma, Taylor.”

“Why, thank you, DJ. That’s one of the nicest things you’ve said to me.” Taylor removed a pair of white satin pajamas from her drawer. “But are you going to bed angry or not?”

DJ considered this. “Not.”

“So, you forgive me?”

“Don’t push it.” DJ pulled the comforter over her head and groaned as if in severe pain. But she could still hear Taylor laughing after she went into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Was it possible that DJ was rooming with the devil?

The next morning, DJ wanted to sleep in, but Inez knocked on her door at eight thirty to inform her that Mrs. Carter was waiting for her downstairs.

“Car shopping,” said Taylor as she stretched sleepily. “Do I still get to come along?”

DJ frowned at her. “You really want to?”

“Sure, why not?”

DJ figured she couldn’t exactly uninvite Taylor. Besides, her grandmother might expect her to come. So, without really talking, they got ready, went downstairs, had a quick breakfast, and then rode to the neighboring town of Borden. The weather was changing; clouds were rolling in off the ocean, and it felt as if rain was in the air. Hopefully, it would hold off until the guys’ soccer match was over this afternoon.