When Jake came home from school, he didn’t understand why Madison was waiting for him.  

 

He still didn’t understand - at first - when Madison said, “So I’m going to go see Isaac.”

 

“Okay,” said Jake.  “That was the plan, right?”

 

“Yes,” said Madison.  But she made no move to head for her car.

 

Jake was about to open his mouth to ask if she needed something from him, but a sixth sense made him pause, and stop, and think.

 

He reached out a little with the Leash, hoping for a hint, but Madison’s mind was closed to him.  There was a crack - a strong undercurrent of insecurity - but not enough for him to penetrate her psychic defences.  And anyway, Jake had only wanted a vibe - it would feel wrong to take any more than that from Madison without her invitation.

 

Insecurity.

 

And then he understood.

 

“Sure,” he said.  “Let’s go.”

 

Madison would never, ever have been able to bring herself to *ask* Jake to go with her.  She was strong, she was tough, she was independent.

 

And last time she had been face to face with Isaac, he had nearly raped her.

 

She was in control now, having applied no less than three separate leashes to Isaac’s sexuality.  There was little chance of her being in danger.

 

But… still…

 

Madison smiled, and Jake saw visible relief pass across her face.  But even under such circumstances, she couldn’t resist pushing back a little.

 

“Who said you could come?” she said.

 

“Madison the Bitch stepping on Isaac’s balls?” said Jake.  “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

 

And that was enough.  Minutes later he was in the passenger seat of Madison’s car, and they were on their way.

 

===

 

“Fuck,” said Madison as she drove.  “I can’t even remember what I did to him.  Specifically, I mean.  Something about him being a worm?”

 

It wasn’t like Madison to be sketchy - but Jake understood she had reasons to not want to remember the specifics of her last meeting with Isaac.

 

“The worst feeling he’d ever felt in his life, and you in control of it,” said Jake.  “You made it a fetish.”

 

Madison made a face.  “That’s intense,” she said.

 

“The whole thing was intense,” replied Jake.  “And serving you.  I think you said ‘being a worm who does what it’s told’.”

 

“I knew there was a worm in there somewhere,” said Madison.  “That one’s more useful, I guess.  And keeping the secret - I made that a fetish too, right?”

 

“Yes,” agreed Jake.

 

Madison nodded.  “I wish that the Leash was actually mind control,” she said.  “Then we’d know he’d do as he was told.  A fetish - that just leaves us relying on him thinking with his dick.”

 

Jake shrugged.  “If he’d told anyone, we’d already have gotten in trouble, right?  So he’s keeping the secret?”

 

“People can change their minds,” said Madison.  “Or grow a backbone.  Look at your girl Daniela.”  She turned to give Jake a brief smile, to show that she was prodding, but not intending to be cruel.

 

Jake looked away.  “She’s not *my* girl,” he said.

 

“But she wants to be,” said Madison.  “You know that, right?  She *likes* you.  You just made it impossible for her to admit that without wounding her pride.”

 

Jake said nothing.  

 

Madison bit her lip.  “People *like* you, Jake.  You’re not that bad, you know.  You’re actually…”

 

But then they were at their destination, and Madison had to swerve to pull into a car park, and by the time she was done parking, she had forgotten whatever she was about to say.

 

It was a public park.  Madison had arranged to meet Isaac here because it was public and visible, but with few people actually using it.  She could talk to Isaac in explicit terms without worrying about him getting handsy again.

 

“You’d best stay in the car, Jake,” said Madison.  “He’s keen to serve me, but he might not be so keen about getting humiliated in front of another guy.  Just keep an eye on us, and stay back unless…”

 

“Unless he gets physical,” finished Jake.  “Got it.”

 

Madison got her things together and prepared to get out of the car.

 

On impulse, without thinking, Jake reached out and placed his hand on her thigh.

 

“Good girl,” he said.

 

Madison’s eyes widened.  She opened her mouth, and Jake was sure she was going to berate him, or slap him.

 

But instead, she closed her mouth again, and got out of the car without speaking.

 

Jake was almost sure that she was blushing.

 

===

 

Isaac was waiting by a park bench, and Jake watched Madison cross the park to him.  She didn’t sit on the bench, but instead remained standing.  Her body language was tense - angry, but anxious.

 

As for Isaac, he looked nothing like the bully that Jake knew him as.  Jake watched with astonishment as Isaac cringed at Madison’s approach.  When Madison pointed at the bench, Isaac sat, immediately and without question.  His gaze was fixed on Madison’s face and he made no attempt to interrupt her.

 

As he watched the two of them talk, Jake thought about what Madison had said to him - that Daniela liked him, despite what he had done to her.  

 

The truth was that he liked Daniela too - and even more so since her reaction to the truth about her Leashing.  He wanted to make it up to her, and treat her right. He wanted her to forgive him. And - secretly - he wanted her to submit to him, the way she had before, because it would mean so much more now if she *chose* to.

 

But what was he doing?  One moment he was lusting after Amy; the next Daniela; and then grappling with confusing feelings about Madison, who he had once professed to hate.  And as if that wasn’t enough, their long-term plan to bring down the Cat Clique was premised on Jake’s sexual attraction to all three of the bitchy girls - which was necessary, in order for him to use the Leash on them.

 

He couldn’t have them all, surely?  True, he had used the Leash, with Amy’s consent, to solve her jealousy problems - or at least, he hoped he had.  But wasn’t he playing with fire, spreading his affection between multiple girls?  Wasn’t he at risk of losing them all, and seeing them reject him in disgust the way Daniela seemingly had?

 

When it came down to it, if he *had* to choose - who would he choose?

 

Out in the park, Isaac suddenly jumped up from the bench, and Jake tensed, prepared to leave the car and run to Madison’s rescue again.

 

But Isaac didn’t intend violence.  Instead, he fell to all fours and began to lick Madison’s shoe.  Madison allowed him to do it, albeit with a disgusted look on her face.

 

Gross, Jake thought.  But it seemed likely that Madison’s hold on Isaac was as strong as they had hoped.

 

After a half-minute of licking, Madison lightly kicked Isaac’s face, and the muscly footballer stumbled back to his feet.  The two talked a little longer - and then it was over.  Isaac turned to leave, and Madison headed back towards the car.

 

When she had opened the door, seated herself in the driver’s seat, and closed the door again, she took a long, deep breath.

 

“Fuck,” she said.

 

“Are you okay?” asked Jake.  

 

Madison nodded slowly.  “Yes, I’m fine.  It’s fine.”

 

Jake studied her face carefully.

 

“Really?” he asked.

 

That broke her out of whatever mood she was in.  She reached out and slapped the top of his head, affectionately.

 

“Yes, really,” she said.  “You should get your hearing checked.”

 

“So what’s with that look you had?” asked Jake.

 

She shook her head.

 

“It’s just… this is fucking cruel, what we’re doing,” she said.  “You know that, right?”

 

“I do,” said Jake.  “She deserves it.”

 

Madison nodded.  “She does.”

 

“Talk me through it,” said Jake.

 

“There’s not much to tell,” said Madison.  “He’s been gooning to the idea of being mistreated by me since I Leashed him.  He told me as much - in pretty explicit terms.  So I called him a turd and a shithead, and I made him lick my shoes.  And I told him to edge twice a day but punch himself in the balls when he was about to cum, and not let himself orgasm.  Which should satisfy his fetish, I hope.”

 

Jake winced at the mental image Madison had created.

 

“What about the other stuff?” he said.

 

“Yeah,” said Madison.  “So I told him that he’s to tell me anything he learns about Gwen that would embarrass or betray her in any way.  And I told him the other thing.  To help us crack her confidence.”

 

“The criticism?” said Jake.

 

“Uh-huh,” said Madison.  “He’s going to start making comments about her weight and clothes.  Just implying that she’s fat, and her clothes don’t fit, and she looks ugly, and other girls are prettier.  That her boobs are too small and her ass is somehow both fat and flat.”

 

“Good girl,” said Jake.

 

Madison wrinkled her nose.  “That stuff is… really nasty, for a girl,” she said.  “Too many guys just do that anyway.  And you don’t have to be a model for it to really fuck with you, you know?  It can give you issues.”

 

“Our first idea was having him rape her and hurt her, remember?” said Jake.  “Isn’t this better?”

 

“I guess,” said Madison.  She looked at him.  “Although isn’t the plan that you’re going to fuck her, before this is done?”

 

Jake shrugged.  “Whatever it takes,” he said, pretending his cock wasn’t hardening at the thought of it.

 

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” said Madison.  “Don’t get moral with me, Jakey-boy.  I’m okay with fucking Gwen over - and fucking her literally.  And yeah, we need to crack her confidence for that to happen, and her confidence is at least partly built on what a gorgeous supermodel bitch she is.  So this makes sense.  It just… made me feel a bit dirty for a moment.”

 

“Did Isaac tell you any of Gwen’s secrets just then?” asked Jake.

 

“Not really,” said Madison.  “He’s a meathead.  He just kind of spaced out when I said it, like he’d never considered the issue before.  I think he’s going to have to take some time to get his thoughts together, but when he does I figure there’s a good chance he’ll think of some things that Gwen wouldn’t want us to know.”

 

She paused, and then added, “Oh, he did say something interesting.  He said that Gwen thinks one of her friends has a lesbian crush on her.  The busty one with the dark hair - what’s her name?”

 

“Juno?” suggested Jake.

 

“That’s it,” said Madison.  “Isaac says Gwen is low-key paranoid about it.  She thinks Juno is always trying to touch her, or get her to undress when they’re together.  She calls Juno a filthy dyke behind her back, but she keeps chummy with Juno in public because they’re both friends with Cat, and because she thinks if she’s not friends with the other popular girls she won’t be popular herself.”

 

Jake processed this information.

 

“Do you think Juno could actually be gay?” he said.  “She’s as homophobic as her friends in public, but…”

 

“Jake,” said Madison, “I don’t know the girl, remember?  I don’t go to your school.  I’ve seen her maybe a couple of times.”

 

“Oh, right,” said Jake.  He thought, and then shook his head.  “I’ll think about it, but I guess at this stage it’s just a second- or third-hand rumour.”

 

“Right,” said Madison.  “Let’s go.”  She moved to start the car.

 

Jake stopped her, placing a hand on her thigh again.

 

“Hey, Madison,” he said.

 

She looked at him.  “What?”

 

“That stuff you said about… girls feeling insecure about their bodies,” he said.  

 

“What about it?”

 

He blushed.  “I just wanted…”  He stopped, unable to form the sentence, and then tried again.  “I mean…”

 

“Are you about to say something stupid, Jake?” said Madison.  “Because you absolutely do not need to do that.”

 

“Why the fuck are you making this hard for me, Madison?” snapped Jake.  “I’m trying to say a nice thing, okay?”

 

She bit her lip, chastised, and after a moment she spoke.

 

“I’m sorry,” she said.  And then a moment later, she added, “sir.”

 

“Madison,” said Jake, “I just wanted you to know that… you’re gorgeous, okay?  You probably know that, but you should hear it.”

 

Madison blushed, and looked away.

 

But Jake wasn’t done.

 

“But you’d be gorgeous even if you put on fifty pounds, or lost fifty pounds, or if your tits were bigger or smaller or whatever,” he said.  “Do you get it?  Because, okay, you’ve got a hot body, but what makes you gorgeous is… who you are.”  

 

He paused, and then added, “And you’re a grade-A bitch, but you’re a bitch I really, really like, and that has nothing to do with your body.”

 

Madison didn’t look at Jake.  She was turned away, looking out the driver’s side window.  

 

She very clearly didn’t realise that Jake could catch her reflection in the wing mirror - or that he could see her blinking back tears.

 

“You can be pretty damn okay yourself sometimes, Jake,” she said, in a voice that was struggling to sound casual.  “You know that?”

 

“Yeah,” said Jake.  “I just thought you should know that, that’s all.  In case you ever hear that kind of shitty criticism and are tempted to believe it.”

 

“You know it’s Amy who really needs to hear that speech, right?” said Madison, with a deep, shaking breath.  “I’m tough, but she’s - well, she’s got some insecurities.”

 

“Oh, absolutely,” said Jake.  “You’re cold steel, right?  Saying that was… just a precaution, really.”

 

Madison laughed, and said no more.  

 

And together, they drove back to Jake’s house in silence.

 

But Jake couldn’t help but notice that Madison had a beautiful bittersweet smile on her face the whole drive home.

 

(TO BE CONTINUED)