She hated herself for what she was about to do next, but it was the only way to save Brad from a fate worse than death. She dialed his phone and, for the next five minutes, became the most hateful bitch in the world.
She brought up his every fault, said things that no one deserved to hear, and broke up with him in the worst possible way. She dropped the phone and began to cry as she could hear a door slam, and the sound of his truck tearing out of her driveway.
She leaned against the wall of the shed, holding her legs to her knees, and wept for a long time. If Brad wasn't her boyfriend, then she couldn't be forced to merge with him, could she?
"Kyle, you're going to pay." She wiped away her tears and considered her next move. She couldn't pass on the curse now, or so she hoped, but Kyle had dared her to curse him.
Wait, why hadn't she done that already? She thought about it for smoe time. If she was really programmed to curse him, to his specifications, no less...she could have done that immediately.
Of course! He didn't want her to show up at his doorstep until she'd been transformed! Even though he hadn't said so, his warped desire had locked her into a chain of causality.
A chain that maybe, she could break. She called Jamie. "Hey Jamie, I..."
"You have some nerve calling me! I just got off the phone with Brad, the hell is wrong with you!"
"Jamie, please, we've been friends for a long time now, don't shut me out. I can explain everything."
She hoped to hell this would work.
"Oh? Really? I'd like to hear you explain this!"
"Look, you know that stupid story? The one we all laughed about? That weird curse people say gets passed around town? It's real!"
"I'm hanging up now, Jen, you need help."
"Jamie, I swear to God, this isn't a joke, and I'm not crazy. Look, you're my closest friend. We've done everything together, I trust you more than anyone. Remember when we were 12 and Bev brought that porno over that she stole from her brother? The one with the lesbians? And afterwards, who did you trust to talk to about it?"
There was a pause. "You."
"Yes. I've never told anyone about that night, and I never will. So...please? Come meet me, and I'll tell you the whole story."
"Alright. But I'm not promising anything."
They set up a meeting place, and Jennifer went back into the house, got dressed, and made her way there.