Chapter Text
I ask myself: is every story that has ever been written
in this world, a story of suffering and affliction?
– Clarice Lispector
📓
“So, is Regina gay?”
The question hung heavy in the air of Janis's garage. It was a movie night when the subject Regina popped up and Janis finally let Damian explain what happened between them both. Her friends were now looking at her with a mix of curiosity and confusion, their expressions indecipherable yet contemplative. After all, Regina did kiss Janis, didn't she? Yeah , it happened back in middle school, but she kissed her, and kept her pride pin so...
She heard a brief whisper from Janis. It sounded more like a conclusion she muttered to herself, and Cady didn’t quite catch all the words, but she managed to understand “it does seem like comphet." Cady didn’t know what comphet was, so she kept quiet.
“Are you gay, Cady?” Damian asked, with a glint of curiosity.
“Well, I, um, I don’t know.” she stammered, glancing around nervously. “I mean, Regina is really pretty ,” she admitted, her cheeks flushing slightly, “but I mean, doesn’t everyone think the same?” Her voice wavered with a mix of confusion and a hint of embarrassment. It was true, wasn’t it? It wasn’t her fault she had to be so beautiful and out there for anyone to see!
"I think..." Janis interrupted the conversation, and Cady silently thanked the heavens for that. "That we can kill two birds with one stone." But her relief didn't last long.
"What do you mean by that, evil genius?" Damian asked, raising an eyebrow with a mix of skepticism and intrigue.
"So, is Regina gay?" The question lingered again, unanswered yet pressing, as they contemplated what Janis had in mind.
"Woman, I have no idea where you're going with this." Damian remarked, breaking the tension. “Is this about plotting some revenge or just unraveling Regina's secrets?"
Janis smirked. "Maybe a bit of both," she replied cryptically, a mischievous glint in her eye. “We'll figure out if Cady is into girls, and maybe we'll uncover Regina's true preferences too."
Damian chuckled. "You're insane, Janis. But I like the way you think."
Cady looked torn between amusement and disbelief. "I don't know, guys. This sounds crazy."
Janis leaned in closer, her expression turning serious. "Listen, Cady, this could really help us. Regina humiliated me in front of everyone, and I know she’s done worse to others. If you fake date her, we could gather all the dirt on her. Every weakness, every secret, and then we expose her, just like she did to me."
Cady's eyes widened. "You want me to spy on her?"
"Well, haven’t you been doing it since we asked you? It would be the same thing, but now you would have to document it all for us! Just think about it," Janis urged. "You get to figure out your own feelings, and we get to take Regina down a peg. You saw how she operates. She's manipulative and cruel. This could be our chance to level the playing field. Plus, soon we’ll all leave for college, and we won’t even see each other anymore!"
Damian nodded thoughtfully. "It's not a bad plan. Regina won't suspect anything if Cady's dating her. She'll let her guard down."
Cady hesitated, the moral implications swirling in her mind. "I don’t know if I can do that. It feels wrong."
"Regina doesn’t play fair," Janis said softly, but firmly. "Sometimes, you have to fight fire with fire. You don’t have to make a decision right now. Just think about it."
"But… I already told Gretchen I like Aaron…”
“Do you, Cady?” Janis asked, tilting her head. “Or you just think you do because it would be more reasonable to just say you like the ‘cutest senior boy, football player’ that everyone craves attention from?”
Cady took a deep breath, her mind racing with thoughts she never considered before. Hearing Janis say that was like feeling a key turning in her brain.
"I... I never really thought about it that way," she said slowly.
Janis smiled gently. "It's okay to not have all the answers right now, Caddy. But think about it. This could be a way to explore your feelings and bring down Regina at the same time."
Cady glanced between Janis and Damian, who both watched her expectantly.
"Okay, I'll think about it," she said finally. "But I'm not making any promises."
Janis smiled, a hint of triumph in her eyes. "That's all I ask."
As they moved on to other topics, the plan simmered in the back of Cady's mind, the possibilities and consequences intertwining in a complicated web of intrigue and uncertainty. This was all completely out of her own morals, but it could be for good… right? ‘Cause like, Regina is beautiful, and maybe she could be a great kisser too and, well, apparently everyone wants her and she smells good and her clothes are pretty and… Yeah… maybe this could work. Right?