Cheaters

Creative writing assignment that gave me hell. I had to come under 300 words. My first draft was 500. I had to be ruthless. I felt like I was hacking my words up like an axe murderer, only letting the good kids survive. It needed to be done.

That morning, Cheryl came home to a hole in the wall and ice trays in a puddle on the kitchen floor. On the counter was a note from her roommate.
“Darren isn’t allowed back in the house. Don’t pick up if Cynthia calls. Your boyfriend called”
She went into her room to change then left to catch the bus to the gym.

“Have fun going out with the team?”
Cheryl looked up from the water to see Josh standing over her.
“I lost my phone,” she said. She pulled herself up and set her elbows on the edge of the pool.
“Yeah, I tried calling you last night.” He sat down on the floor, beyond the puddle formed by her arms.
Cheryl put down her arms and held on to the edge of the pool with her fingertips. She looked up at him, but made no sound.
“I know you cheated,” he finally said, “I’m surprised they haven’t caught you yet.”
“What?” Cheryl asked.
“I saw you push off from the block just before the start,” he explained, “You got lucky, especially since you only won by an inch.”
“It was an accident. I’ve never cheated before,” she said, “Well, except at Heads Up, Seven Up as a kid.” She would peek between her arms, watching kids’ shoes scurry around until she felt a tap on her thumb. She never got caught.
“Josh,” she said.
“Yeah?” he waited.
“I cheated”
“I know,” he put his hands on hers, “don’t get caught”
He helped her out of the water.
“What time did you get home last night?” he asked, holding out her towel.
“Around one,” she replied.
At one, a streetlamp was showing through a bedroom window, illuminating her phone on the floor next to her dress.