BLOG TOUR & EXCLUSIVE CHARACTER INTERVIEW - Going Under by S. Walden

Brooke Wright has only two goals her senior year at Charity Run High School: stay out of trouble and learn to forgive herself for the past. Forgiveness proves elusive, and trouble finds her anyway when she discovers a secret club at school connected to the death of her best friend. She learns that swim team members participate in a “Fantasy Slut League,” scoring points for their sexual acts with unsuspecting girls.

Brooke, wracked with guilt over her friend’s death, decides to infiltrate the league by becoming one of the “unsuspecting girls,” and exact revenge on the boys who stole away her best friend. An unexpected romance complicates her plans, and her dogged pursuit of justice turns her reckless as she underestimates just how far the boys will go to keep their sex club a secret.

(This is a New Adult fiction book with mature themes. It contains graphic sex and language and an explicit description of sexual violence. Please take the content warning seriously.)

WARNING: If you have not read Going Under, please DO NOT read the character post below! There are not only spoilers but you also need to be prepared to see Cal's real asshole personality come out!

Below is an interview with Cal from Jail -

"Cal, I know you’ve wanted to get your story out there for some time now. Especially after Brooke shared hers. So I’m just gonna jump right in. Do you feel like the judge was fair in his judgment at your sentencing?"

"Are you kidding me? If people only knew the real story behind what these girls were saying about me."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, I’m innocent. I only pled guilty to all those charges because I knew what would happen if I didn’t. I didn’t think I had a choice, and my lawyer pressured me. He said my sentencing would have been a lot worse if it went to trial. I mean, when you’ve got a whole group of liars conspiring against you—not to mention telling the same story to really make you look guilty—what chance do you have at a fair trial?"

"Why on earth would all these girls want to conspire against you to get you behind bars if you did nothing wrong? Doesn’t make much sense."

"Tell me about it. I guess they didn’t like me. I mean, I dated a few of them. I guess they couldn’t handle me breaking up with them."

"Really? That’s the reason you think these women went to court to supposedly lie about what happened to them? They were mad at you?"

"How the fuck should I know? I don’t understand what motivates women. I know they can be clingy and bitchy and possessive. Well, I mean the ones I’ve dated, anyway. I should have known they’d try to ruin my life after I broke up with them. But I’m telling you right now: the sex was consensual."

I cannot believe what I’m hearing. This is the most deluded person I’ve ever interviewed.

"Women are 'clingy and bitchy and possessive'? Did you really just say that?"

He’s just staring at me. I guess that means I need to move on to the next question.

*clears throat* "Um, what exactly was the judge’s ruling on your sentencing?"

"None of your business."

"You called me for this interview. Remember?"

"Yeah. And I want to talk about how I’ve been mistreated by the state and how my sentencing was unfair and how Brooke is running around telling a bunch of outrageous lies about me. That’s why I called you."

"All right then. When did you find out about Brooke’s connection to Beth?"

"When I discovered she was snooping around about our league. And for the record, I love how people act all shocked by it, like it’s some over-the-top disgusting game. This shit goes on everywhere, and half the girls willingly participated in our league. We didn’t rape anyone. And the ones who didn’t know we were scoring them still consented. I don’t know what the big deal is. But once I discovered Brooke snooping, I did my own snooping and realized she used to be best friends with Beth."

"Yes, another victim."

"Bullshit. She wasn’t a victim. She wanted to have sex with me."

There’s so much I could say here, but it’s better to just move on. This guy is really starting to make me uncomfortable. He’s becoming more and more hostile.

"Were you surprised Brooke went to the hospital and reported you?"

"Of course I was. She filed a false report."

"Why would she do that to you?"

"Because I rejected her. We did it, and then I told her I wanted to keep it casual and she got pissed and decided to lie about me. It’s my fault. I knew she was Beth’s best friend. I should have known she was crazy and would try to ruin my life in some way. But she also had a bangin’ body, and I’m a guy. So, you know . . ."

Dear. God. This guy’s a freaking loser. Okay, I’m going for it. I don’t even care. I’m going for it.

"You’re not a bad looking guy by any means. Why would you force girls to have sex with you when they’d probably do it willingly?"

"Oh, I see how it is. Taking the girls’ side. Sisterhood and girls sticking together and all that bullshit. I want a new interviewer. You’re biased."

"Cal, you have to admit that the evidence is stacked against you. It doesn’t paint a pretty picture. It shows you to be a predator—a rapist."

"I don’t know what evidence you’re talking about. The little bit that’s there is totally circumstantial. It’s he-said she-said, and you know what that means, right?"

I’m afraid to ask.

"It means she wins."

And this interview is just about over.

"You don’t sound like you like women that much."

"I like women just fine. It’s the liars I don’t care for."

"Will you try for an appeal?"

"You bet I will. I fired my attorney. He coerced me into taking those plea deals. I’ve got a whole new legal team set up, ready to go. Ready to fight."

That’s scary.

"Do you think you have a good shot?"

"Yeah. There are so many holes in these girls’ stories. I mean, I can’t go into any of the specifics, but it doesn’t look good for them."

"And what about Tim and Parker?"

"What about them?"

"Will they try for appeals, too?"

"I don’t know what’s going on with them. And even if I did, I wouldn’t be at liberty to tell you."

"Fair enough. I guess I have just one last question for you."

"Okay."

"If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?"

"That’s easy. Not date. Not be involved in a sex league. I’d probably just go be a monk."

Cal a monk? I’m thinking more along the lines of castration.

"Thanks for your time, Cal."

"I hope this interview shows that justice has definitely not been served—"

Well, you’re behind bars, so . . .

"—that I’m an innocent person who deserves to be free."

"Bye, Cal."

He’s still going on and on about justice and fairness and coercion as I’m making my way out.

I had no business getting all dolled up for Ryan. I was supposed to be focused on Cal, but somehow he became just some guy in the background, out of focus and unimportant in my life. I thought I heard Beth screaming from a far off place, asking me what the hell I was doing, but I ignored her. She couldn’t control my life. I’d get to Cal when I got to him. She had to understand that.

I studied myself in the full-length mirror. I’d never looked prettier for work. I thought I looked like a Barbie doll, my hair pulled up high on my head in a ponytail, locks curled and tumbling in flirty waves from the elastic band. I pumped up the eye factor with heavy mascara. I wanted to go for an Edie Sedgwick look—all ‘60s glam. I even ironed my uniform, a typical diner waitress outfit. Blue shirtdress that hit just above my knees. I slipped on my Keds and grabbed my apron.

I planned to knock his socks off.

. . . I approached him after counting to twenty. I didn’t want to seem too eager.

“Hi,” I said. I felt bright and bubbly and on top of the world.
“Hello.”
I placed my hand on my hip and popped it out. “Come here often?” I couldn’t resist.
“Once. The waitress was cute, but she’s got nothing on you,” Ryan said.
Damn right she doesn’t. I went Edie Sedgwick for you, buddy.
“God, you look gorgeous,” he said.
Oh, those heart flutters. I wanted to feel those heart flutters forever.
“I’m in an ugly uniform,” I said, looking down at my outfit. I smoothed my apron on my stomach.
“Not ugly at all. Sexy more like.”
I blushed, and this time he saw. I couldn’t conceal it under the glare of the restaurant lights.
“Hungry?” I asked, and pulled out my order pad.
“What would you recommend?”
“Honestly? I’ve only eaten the turkey sandwich. It was all right,” I confessed.
“Don’t you get to eat for free?” Ryan asked.
“Are you kidding? A little bit of a discount, sure, but nothing for free,” I said. “And anyway, I’m so tired after work, I don’t want to stick around and eat. I want to go home.”
“I can understand that,” he said. He looked over the menu. “Well, I guess I’ll try this steak sandwich.”
“A man who eats manly meat,” I said. “I like it.”
“Manly meat, huh?” he asked, chuckling.
“Sure. Didn’t you know steak was the manliest of meats?”
“Making a note of it,” Ryan said.
I nodded. “And to drink?”
“A Cherry Coke,” he said.
“Now that’s a little girly, but I’ll let it slide.”
“Well, I really ordered it for you,” Ryan said. “See, I thought you could bring it over here along with two straws. You could sit across from me, and we could drink it together.”

S. Walden used to teach English before making the best decision of her life by becoming a full-time writer. She lives in Georgia with her very supportive husband who prefers physics textbooks over fiction and has a difficult time understanding why her characters must have personality flaws. She is wary of small children, so she has a Westie instead. Her dreams include raising chickens and owning and operating a beachside inn on the Gulf Coast (chickens included). When she's not writing, she's thinking about it.
She loves her fans and loves to hear from them. Email her at swaldenauthor@hotmail.com and follow her blog at http://swaldenauthor.blogspot.com where you can get up-to-date information on her current projects.

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