Fifth Wheel

I agreed to go to the cabin with my best friend, Sara, and spend the weekend with her and her boyfriend, Brenden. A third wheel. I had thought that until now as I am standing in the driveway. In my heavy purple parka, leggings under my pants, two pairs of socks, and my pink winter boots starting at the black Chevrolet pick up truck. His truck. My ex-boyfriends. My face falls into grief looking at it because I know that if he is here, then she is here, too. Chelsea. Mack's new girlfriend. The blonde bombshell cheerleader that giggles at everything, like, a spaz. I met her at school just before the holiday break and immediately I didn't like her for many reasons. 

I am walking to the front steps of the cabin in a waddle. I added too many layers of clothes. I didn't know how cold it would be this weekend and assumed it to be more frigid than it is now. I am wrong. Wrong about a lot of things. I am the fifth wheel - not the third. It's only been six months since Mack broke with me. I can still feel the pain of it.

 "This is going to be fun," I mutter to myself standing at the door willing myself to open it. I am trying to decide if I should go home or stay for Sara when the door opens. Sara smiles greeting me with her arms going around my neck for a hug. 

"You didn't tell me he would be here," I murmured by her ear. I raise my arms and tap her back to let her know that's enough hugging. She leans back from me. "I didn't know until they showed up an hour ago," Sara said. 

I walk into the cabin and begin taking off my parka and boots. I am unhappy with this but I can fake being happy about it for Sara. I can. No, I can be genuinely happy and have a good time. I give myself a pep talk. I hope it helps. And, for a moment I am hopeful but it's a quick shattering slap of reality when I hear the giggle coming from Chelsea to my left. 

I dare to look over and I see Chelsea sitting on Mack's lap looking back at me. Her blonde hair lays in spirals down her shoulders and her green eyes seem to twinkle with her laughter. She is in the cheerleading uniform and doesn't have socks on. Mack has his hands on her hips and has the drunk expression he carries when making out. Gross. I immediately wish I didn't look over there to see that. 

"Hey, Gwen! You're dressed for Alaska!" Chelsea giggles more. I want to be mean and say something about the way she is with Mack right now and I stop myself. I have to be the bigger person. I nod and smile. "Yeah, silly me," I admitted and I look at Sara with a roll of my eyes. 

Sara and I go to her bedroom and sit on the bed to talk. I am rubbing my arm trying to collect my thoughts so I don't come off as a bitter ex-girlfriend who is jealous of "Mack and Cheese" -- their ship name. 

"I am glad you're here," Sara says and lights a cigarette. I don't smoke and I don't like the smell of it but I can tolerate it for Sara. I am used to it by now. Sara has been smoking for a couple of years. She started when her parents got a divorce and as many times as I have tried to get her to quit. It hasn't worked. I won't give up trying, though. She pinches the filter and holds her cell phone out to me. I look at the photos of Brenden and Chelsea together by a Christmas tree. I am confused. "Why is Brenden with Chelsea?" I ask. Sara takes a pull of the smoke and moves her braid off of her shoulder. 

"The giggle beast is Brenden's sister." She informs me. 

I gape in shock. "What? No way." 

"I know right? I didn't know that either until two days ago." 

Brenden is in college, Sara just graduated from school last year, and I am a senior and so is Mack. Chelsea is a junior. "So, I guess that means that I will have to get used to seeing Mack around?" Assuming I join another event with Sara and Brenden especially if Chelsea came too. 

"Maybe not. Brenden doesn't have much time for anything during the week due to school and work. Just the weekends, maybe." Sara forces a smile. "Huh," I reply trying to wrap my head around this news. 

At bedtime, I take the couch, and the couples each have their room. I have trouble going to sleep with the knowledge of who is with whom and where. I force myself to relax and think of a happy place to fall asleep. I sleep and dream. 

I bolt straight up hearing screams coming from the next room. Sara is standing in the living room looking at me scared; eyes jutting out and mouth agape. I push my long brown hair from my sweaty forehead, blinking my sight into focus, and stand up on shaking legs. "What?!" What is it?! What's wrong?!" I panic in concern. 

Brenden walks up to Sara and wraps an arm around her, pulling her away from me and I am so confused. "What is wrong?" I ask again and I notice Brenden's eyes are red and puffy; he had been crying. I furrow my brows and step forward to reach Sara when Mack comes in yelling in my face. 

"YOU DID THIS! HOW COULD YOU!?" 

Mack shouts at me and I flinch at his words. I have no idea what he is talking about. I look to Sara for help and she hides her face against Brenden's shoulder. 

"I knew you were jealous, Gwen. I didn't think you would be able to kill someone but you did it. You killed my fiance!" 

"Fiance?" I repeat. "Who? What?" I don't know what to say or do. Sara isn't paying attention to me anymore, she is upset, they're all upset and I am just waking up. 

Mack points to my parka on the back of the other couch and top of it is a bloody knife with blood all over my parka. I cover my mouth, eyes wide, and jerking my head no. "I didn't do anything!" I protest. "I...I went to sleep and I just woke up now. What happened?" 

Mack leaned his blotchy face close to mine. His black hair swinging down across his forehead and eyes glaring through me. "You killed Chelsea." He blamed me coldly.

I clutch my hair. I see the look on Sara and Brenden's faces. They think the same thing but I didn't do it. "No, no I didn't. I could never hurt someone. You all know me better than that. I can't do anything like that. Please, believe me!" I beg. 

Brenden lets out a gargled cry and leaves Sara's side to look out of the window. He pulls the curtain back and I can see a lot of snow fell last night. "What are we going to do with her body?" Brenden wonders out loud. 

Mack looks at me. "Two bodies." He adds.

----------------------

Willie P. Trellis stands underneath the floorboards in the cellar with a sinister grin on his face. He killed the girl and would have drug her body down to put with his other snacks if one of the men hadn't woken up and nearly caught him. He planted the knife on a coat before escaping through the trap door. 

His keen eyes on the hooks he had prepared for his next dinner. He will wait for the opportunity to strike again.