The Last Letter

The last letter Chapter 1 It all started my senior year of high school. I couldn’t believe that I trusted all of my friends and boyfriend. Let me start from the beginning of my tragic story and rise from the ashes story. My name is Peyton Renee Gomez, and I am 17 years old and a senior at North High. I have a boyfriend named Eric Rodriguez that is also 17 and a senior. We were what everyone said was a perfect couple. I thought we were as well. That was until I caught him cheating with my best friend Jesscia on prom night. It started three weeks before prom and my friends and I were out shopping for dresses and other items. Erica and I went in dresses extravaganza. Hey Jess, we will meet you and Jenell at the food court I told Jesscia. Erica and I liked the same style meaning not slutty. My parents had raised me and my sibling to save ourselves for marriage and to respect our bodies. Jesscia and Jenell were not raised the same. We all met at cheer camp freshman year and became instant friends over boy band groups. I pulled out a blue dress that came just above my knee and was strip less. What do you think of this dress. I think it will match my eyes beautifully. Erica looks at the dress for a second. I think it would look perfect with the heals you got last weekend. Erica pulls out a green dress that matches the same style as mine. We laugh because we’re called twins at school because we have the same style. We looked around for some accessories but didn’t find any that fit with our dresses. Let’s go check out and head to the food court, says Erica. We check out and before we get to far Erica starts telling me that Jesscia and Jenell have been acting weird. I don’t know what’s up, Erica says. When I came up to them before fourth period yesterday, they stopped talking. I think they’re going to cause some problems with some girl’s boyfriend at prom. Jesscia was always stealing some poor girl’s boyfriend. She never stayed with them long. I think because she just liked the chase, and she doesn’t have s*x with them. I asked Erica if she heard them mention any names before they stopped talking. Erica takes a minute to think about it. I think Jesscia said Eric’s name, but I can be sure. Just be careful around her, Erica tells me. I think of the past three months that Eric has been acting off. Hey Erica, do you know why no one talks in our group chats anymore? We have a group chat in this app that’s called what’s new. Erica thinks about it for a second. I really haven’t noticed to tell you the truth, but I have been studying a lot. Erica has been accepted into Yale University. She wants to become a lawyer like her big brother. I have also been studying a lot. Eric and the rest of the group have been accepted to USC. I am only going because of the group. My dream college has always been Harvard. I also want to study business and hopefully help run our family business. I spot Jesscia and Jenell with Eric and his friends. Jesscia is flirting with Eric and sitting very close to him for my liking. Hey guys, both Erica and I say at the same time. We laugh because we do this all the time. Jessica just rolls her eyes at us. Eric moves away from Jesscia and pulls me into his lap. We kiss for a minute and then Eric starts to talk to Mike about the summer. We have to hit the gym hard this summer. I really hope to make first string this year and not the practice squad says Mike. I started to get up to go get some food. Where are you going, says Eric. I am going to get some food with Erica, I tell Eric. Can you get me some fries ask Eric while pulling out five dollars. Yeah, I am going to burger barn to get their bacon burger with chili fries and a chocolate milk shake. While I stand in line, I watch Eric and Jessica. Erica comes up to me. I think something is going between the two of them Erica says to me. I think you’re right I tell Erica. I am just going to keep an eye out on them. Can you ask the guys if they know anything I ask Erica? You know the guys will never tell me, says Erica. We get our food and head back to the table. Chapter 2 The next morning, I make a mental note to talk to Mateo about how to find out what’s going on with Eric and Jesscia. I get dressed in my skinny jeans and black tank top with my Vans. I go get my makeup done with winged eyeliner and light blush. I apply lip gloss for the finishing touches to complete my look. I grab my bookbag and phone and head downstairs to have breakfast. I’m just finishing when Erica pulls up in her car. “You have a good day,” my mother tells me as I grab my backpack and phone and head out the door. Hey girly I tell Erica as I climbed into her Toyota. It’s going, she tells me. I have been thinking I tell Erica. I think I am going to talk with Mateo and see if he will tell me anything. I don’t know, says Erica. He might not say anything to you, says Erica. Well, I will then have to call Juan and have him help. Juan is my very overly protective big brother. Juan and Jose are friends. Jose is Mateo’s older brother. If that doesn’t work out, I think you need to ask Brett if he can hack into Eric’s phone, says Erica. Brett is a friend of Erica and me. He is kind of geeky, but we think he is cool. That is an awesome idea Erica I say. Hey, you will always be honest with me, right Erica. I say to her as I am biting my nails. Girl, you know the answer to that Erica says to me. I know but with how everything that has been happening with Eric and Jesscia. My trust has been put to the test I tell Erica. You never have to worry about me, Erica tells me. I don’t want your boyfriend. You know I have been wanting Mateo since freshman year. Yeah, I know, and too bad Jessica had to ruin that by getting with him. Mateo swore off the girls in our group after that. Erica was heartbroken for a month after that and would not talk to Jessica the entire time. We finally got her to come out of it with a girls weekend and the promise that Jessica wouldn’t go after anymore of the guys anyone of us had a claim on. You know says Erica as she is pulling into the school parking lot. I don’t think Jessica ever fulfilled the promise that she made to us Erica tells me. What makes you say that I ask her. Well, I think she went after Jennell’s boyfriend Brian last month. Brian turned her down flat. Jessica and Jennell had a big fight but would not tell me. Jessica already had a very bad reputation and had almost no friends besides our group. If we would decide to kick her out, then she would have no friends. Let’s get to class before the bell, says Erica. We only have this week before finals and prom. I can’t wait for the summer to start, I tell Erica. My family goes to Europe every summer to visit family in Spain and Ireland. Erica’s family is going as well to Spain, and we all meet up. Yeah, it’s going to be awesome she says. As we are coming down the hall to go to our lockers to get our Algebra two books. We see Jessica and Eric a little too close by Eric’s locker. Hey Jessica, are you coming to class Jennell says to her. I look at Erica with a look that says yeah something is going on between them. We grab out books and get to class as Eric heads to P.E. without some much as a good morning to me. I can’t believe he didn’t say anything to you Erica says to me. It’s ok I tell her as I am trying to hold back the tears and get my head back into gear. You have to put him out of your mind, I tell myself. I want to make my papa proud. My grandpa is one of my favorite people and we have always been very close. I think it has to do with him always wanting a girl and my grandmother only having boys. I spent the next couple of hours forcing on my classes. Before I know it. It’s lunch time and Erica and I are headed to lunch. What do you want to get, I ask Erica. Let’s get some tacos she tells me. That sounds awesome, I tell her. We get in line and saw Eric and Jessica talking again. Let’s go and sit with Brett today, I tell Erica. Yeah, Erica says as she looks in the direction that I am looking at. We grab out food and head to Brett’s table. Hey guys Brett says to us. What do I owe the pleaser of having you two beautiful ladies at my table today says Brett. We both giggle at Brett’s statement. “Well Eric and Jessica are acting strange” says Erica. Eric is an a*** I tell Brett. I am saying this Eric is standing behind me. I didn’t notice him coming up behind me. Yes, I tell him. You can go back to your table since you don’t want to talk to me today. I tell him as I take a bit out of my taco. I don’t want to fight with you, Eric tells me. I just wanted to tell you I will be busy tonight. He turns and walks back to his table before I say a word to him. Brett, I have something I would like your help with. Whatever it is I hope it’s to get rid of him. Brett points to Eric. Brett and Eric have never liked one another. I think it’s because Brett always thought I could do better. Yes Brett, it has to do with Eric. I tell Brett everything that has been going on in the past three months. Some of it that even Erica didn’t know. He has been standing me up on dates that we had planned. Can you hack into his phone and access his text messaging, his location, and his camera I ask Brett. Ok says Brett but I am going to need to have his phone to do this Brett tells me. How about tomorrow during first period I say to Brett. That might actually work for me as we have finished up in my computer class. Eric has P.E. first period I tell Brett. He always leaves his phone in his hall locker as the ones in the locker room don’t lock. I will get his phone for you and bring it to you. Where should I meet you at, I ask Brett. I don’t know if this is a good idea Erica says. Why not, I ask Erica. Erica looks away but doesn’t say anything else about the matter. We finish up lunch and head to our final class for the day. Chapter 3 I get home from school and head to the kitchen to grab some food. I usually grab some food with the gang after school, but with everyone acting weird. I decided to just head home. Hey butthead Juan says to me as he pushes me to get a bottle of water out of the fridge. I thought you would be home later, said Juan. Everyone is acting weird lately, I tell him. How so says Juan. I tell him about everything. Let me see what I can find out, says Juan, I don’t tell him about my plan with Brett because he will make me promise not to do it and plus, he is an attorney. Juan only sees things in wrong and right. I would never break my promise to my brother. My family is very tight knit. I grab my sandwich, apple and water and head to my room to study before dinner. An hour later I was called down for dinner by my mom. Hey, can you please make a salad for dinner my mom asks me. Yeah, I tell her as I am pulling out the items that I need. Hey buttercup my dad says to me. How was school today, he asks. It was ok I tell him. Juan gives me a weird look. I shake my head no to him and he stops. Juan, can you please set the table while Peyton and I finish up in here my mom says. Juan grabs the dishes and goes into the dining room. What was with the look Juan gave you Peyton my asks. I told her what was going on with my friends, but not to worry because I am not going to let it mess with school. We have dinner and I head to my room to take a shower and go to bed. I got a text message from Brett to meet him behind the gym in the morning. I shot off a quick text telling Brett I will meet him there at 9. I also have a message from Erica asking me to give her a call. I dial Erica and put it on speaker phone while I dry my hair. Hey girly, I say once she picks up the phone. What’s going on, I asked her. I didn’t want to tell you this Erica said, but I really think Jessica and Eric are messing around behind your back. What makes you think this, I ask her. Well, when I pulled up at the diner after I had dropped you off. Everyone was there, but Jessica and Eric. They showed up together right after I got done ordering my food. It looked like they had been making out. Eric had once told me he couldn’t stand Jessica because of how she treated Mateo. He thought she was a tease. Chapter 4 The next morning, I met up with Brett and talked with him for a bit until the bell rang. I will be back in a second, I told Brett. No problem, said Brett, I am just going to hang and get my computer set up. I walked to where both mine and Eric’s lockers were. I did Eric’s locker combination, and his phone was right in front. I grabbed it and shut the locker. I hurried back to Brett behind the bleachers. I went to hand Brett the phone. Can you please unlock it. I put in this passcode and thankfully he still had not changed it. It was the date of our first kiss. When it opened, I saw he had a text message from Jesscia. Hey Brett, can you look at text messages and keep them from showing read. Yeah, I can but let me first get into his phone and I have to shut off his location on Snap. It took Brett only a few seconds to get into Eric’s phone. I’m going to make you a second device to his phone, but whatever you do. Don’t reply to any messages Brett tells me. Yeah, I promise not to reply or go on any apps. I have also placed it on silence, says Brett. I look at my watch and hurry back to the lockers, to the phone back. I go to the bathroom to look at the phone to see what Eric has been up to. I can’t believe my eyes. Every one of my friends except Erica knows that Eric had been cheating on me and plans to sleep with Jessica on prom night. My parents will not let me go to any after parties. I totally respect my parents’ decision on this and understand why. I will not have s*x before marriage or do anything sexually. I want to give myself to my husband and only my husband, Eric, and I have had fights about this many times. I suspected that Eric had been cheating on me since we first started dating. I would write him letters during the summers and let him know of my dreams to hopefully get married in Spain. I have a lot of family in Spain. I started planning on what I am going to do on prom night. I message Brett and see what his plans are for Saturday. I received a message back from Brett in seconds. I’m not doing anything new but chilling out with a pizza and movies, but I suspected that you might need me. I told him what I had found, and he said that he saw. I can’t believe that he is cheating on you with her, says Brett. I know I told him, but I am ending this, and I am not going to USC with them. I have to talk to my grandpa and see if he can help me change my college plans. “Are you going to change to Harvard, asks Brett. Yeah, and I know you are happy about that, I tell Brett. Brett wasn’t happy when I changed my plans from Harvard to go to USC. My grandpa was also less than pleased with my decision. I get kind of excited about going to Harvard, but I am still heartbroken that Eric is cheating on me with Jesscia. I wipe away the tear from my face. I can’t let them know that I know. I put the phone away just as the bell rings that first period is over. The rest of the day passes, and I am like a zombie. I don’t remember going home. Chapter 5 I called my grandpa and asked him if he could come by my house tomorrow after school. Yes, sweetheart my grandpa tells me. What do you want to talk about my grandpa asks me. I say that I want to change my college plans and if there is anything he could do to help me. I will see what I can do, but why the change of heart he asks me. I told him that my boyfriend had been cheating on me. I don’t want to continue this into college grandpa I tell him. If I must wait a year, then I will just enroll in the community college. I don’t think it will come to that my grandpa tells me. My grandpa has connections and is an alumnus of Harvard. I told my grandpa I will talk to him tomorrow. I then texted Erica to see if she could come over for a bet. She texted me back that she is on her way. It’s only about five minutes before Erica gets here. “Hey what’s up Erica says to me as she closes my door. I just handed her the phone that Brett made of Eric’s phone. Her eyes get really big as she continues to read the message. You might not want to read all od them I tell her. There are some very gross pictures of her and some pictures of Eric’s d****. As she continues to read her looks up at me for a minute. So, everyone knew but you and I asked Erica. Yeah, it looks that way. So, what do you plan on doing, Erica asks me. Well, I am not going to USC this fall for one thing I tell Erica. I am going to talk to my grandpa about helping get into Harvard I tell her. I can’t believe that Jenell knew and said nothing. They even created their own group chat so they could talk about all of this say Erica. They even called the both of us prudes Erica tells me. Yeah, but we are going to have the last laugh on all of them. You know that blog we have for our entire school I ask Erica. Yeah, most of it is very lam Erica says. Well, I am going to upload all the info on there on the last day of school. I’m going to use the backup phone Brett make so it can’t be traced to me and have Brett make sure my IP address is not attached to anything. I have been thinking about sending Eric a letter, but I want to catch him cheating first. I am going to have Brett help me so once I confront Eric and Jesscia. I can leave and Eric can’t follow me. I am willing to help you in anyway I can Erica says to me. I will get back to you about that I say to Erica. We are going to have to ask Brett of anything he might need. Do you know which hotel they’re going to Erica asks me. They have not texted that info yet, but I am going to ask Brett to do a little bit more hacking. We talk a little bit more about the plan before Erica must leave for the night. Chapter 6 The next morning, I get everything ready and let my mom and dad know grandpa will be coming over tonight. Honey why is grandpa coming over mom says to me. It’s not like he isn’t welcome anytime, but he usually tells us a couple of days in advance, so I can make his special dessert mom says to me. Dad didn’t say anything to me Kelly my dad says to my mom. It’s about my college plans I tell both. My grandfather is the one who controls my inheritance and college account. I want to switch colleges and go to Harvard I tell them, but what about USC says my dad. I have decided that my future is better going to Harvard, and I am choosing myself I tell them. Well, when you’re ready to talk about it just know the both of us are here for you sweety my mom says. Ok I tell my mom while grabbing my bookbag and heading to the door. I have to get to school, and I will pick up the dessert on my way home. Thanks sweetie my mom tells me. I get into Erica’s car and turn down her music. I don’t want to go deft today I tell her. Hey that was the good part Erica tells me. Cry me a river I tell her. We get to school and as soon as I get to my locker Eric slams my locker shut. Where have you been Eric says to me.