ménage à trois
fictional story based on true events
JUN 04, 2025
All character names changed for privacy
TW: sexual violence
The first time I saw her was from behind and all I could do was stare. I wanted to be her friend, everyone else around us seemed so shallow and boring, but she wasn’t. We were inside an old building, a classroom, but it was old and obviously so. The historical society wanted it to be kept up and healthy looking, so the structural integrity was maintained by wood that’s lasted for hundreds of years, whilst it mixed itself among the modernity of technology.
It was a boring first class, everything was boring, except for the girl in front of me and the old walls inlaid with intricate designs from the 1800s. The only things keeping me awake through the class were the walls and the tattoo of a turtle on her left shoulder. I wondered why she got it and I wondered what it meant.
After the painstakingly boring class I went up to her, hoping she’d recognize me from the group chat of artists we had both been included in and complimented her, “I like your tattoo." I said.
She looked at me funny, like I was crazy or something and said, “Thanks.” Slyly. She went back to talking to the other girl that was standing beside her who also gave me a dirty look. I didn’t know if there was something on my face or if I had just imagined that whole thing.
I walked away, not saying anything else but forcing a broken smile across my blushed face, embarrassed of myself, and tried to let it pass. Onto the next class, I thought.
When I got there I realized I had walked quite fast and beat everyone else to the door, which was locked. I decided to sit and wait, trying to draw a sketch in my notebook to distract myself.
To none of my surprise she came up to me, we were in the same class again, “Hey! Are you Emery?” She asked me, I was sure she had to look me up after the last interaction we had.
“Yup, you got me.” I didn’t really care to have a conversation with her now. I just wanted to get to class.
“Oh cool, I’m Arya, I totally didn’t recognize you. We’re in the same group chat aren’t we?”
“I believe so.” I said unamused. “Nice to officially meet you, Arya. You’re in this class too?”
“I sure hope so. I never got a chance to tour the school so I’m just basing my directions off this poorly made map and my shit luck.” She didn’t seem as rude as I thought she was on that first impression.
The professor opened the door to the class and invited us in. She asked me to sit next to her and I obliged, hoping she wouldn’t notice my hesitancy. I was clearly attracted to her, but there was something else that made me feel strange around her. Some kind of lurking evil. I imagined it was just that this city had a kind of undertone of grunge and violence, something that kept everyone else on edge. I kept my strength through the rest of the class and at some point it ended, I couldn’t recall what came from my mouth in those hours, I guessed it didn’t matter.
When I got home, I went straight to my room, starved, and my stomach growled at me endlessly. I scarfed down a bowl of cereal, my first meal of the day, as I searched for potential restaurants to order from. I didn’t feel like going anywhere. I decided that nothing felt worth paying the money for so I made a sandwich and kept myself hidden in my room.
I shared the apartment with three other people. We were all very queer with one another, but I wanted to keep my distance after today. I heard them all come home one by one and sit around the living room meandering about their first days at the new college and blabbering on about their lives, getting to know each other. I kept quiet in my bed, hoping they would think me asleep, but I could not.
This night had begrudged me the beginning of my distaste for the entire situation. I knew going into this it would be a challenge, and I fought my better knowledge and my intuition to no end upon my arrival. I did not know any of them before we moved in, aside from having spoken to one another over the phone and in a group chat run by the school. I’ve made my peace with the decision, but I knew nothing would end well.
The next day was more of the same, still boring, but at least there was work to do. Something to distract me from the evil and the people and this city and the disease of it all. I got to know Arya more throughout the passing days, and I forced myself to get to know my roommates. They were all kind enough.
It was only a week or so until one of my roommates, Elaine, asked me to come hangout with her and her friend Dene. I agreed though I was tired from my studies and didn’t want to be out for too long.
When he came into our apartment he seemed overbearing, he had a loud and beating laughter that kind of made me laugh with him from my bedroom upstairs. I felt my heart beat a bit faster, I hated meeting new people, but I couldn’t back out now. I walked down the stairs, wearing black jeans, a striped long sleeve and an oversized nirvana t-shirt over top. I had silver necklaces and a black beanie.
“Hello, I’m Dene.” He said, beckoning me to respond.
“Emery. Nice to meet you. What are we doing today?” I asked, shifting my attention over to Elaine.
“I thought we could go for a picnic, though I’m not sure where. There’s plenty of parks around,” She replied, “We could go get some food from the market a few blocks down, I’ve been there, it’s nice.”
“I know the perfect place for a picnic.” Said Dene.
We all walked down the road, conversing with one another about life and art and college and how it’s strange how life changes so suddenly. We picked out various fruits and cracker type snacks for our threesome picnic and walked back to the apartment to get a bag for the food and blankets to sit on.
“So where are we going?” I asked Dene.
“The roof.” He said slyly.
“How exactly are we supposed to get there?”
“I know the way, my friend showed it to me. He says people go up there all the time. Well not the roof exactly, it’s at the top of that tower.”
Elaine and I gave each other concerned looks, but she agreed to go because it sounded like fun and I was curious myself, though I did not want to get in trouble.
The two of us followed this tall and lanky boy of a man into the staircase, a hallway and at the end of it there was, sure enough, a hatch leading up to the roof. The ladder had been broken and the door was chained, probably to try and deter kids from going up there. The chain was already broken when we got there. I stood around, looking at all the graffiti on the walls surrounding the strange hatch-door in the ceiling.
“Ready?” Dene asked me, holding out his hands as a launch for me to grab onto the ladder and hold myself up, I didn’t even realize Elaine had already gone up.
“Now or never, right?” I laughed, nervously. I grabbed onto his shoulder to sturdy myself and placed my shoe into his hands. They were large and strong, just like his eyes when I looked into them. And all at once I was up and pulling myself up the ladder in one swift movement. To my surprise, all he had to do was jump up and bring himself up, like he had done this already.
The way up was even more strange. The building used to be an old factory, and I was never sure what kind of factory it was. There was a large cylindrical metal object in the center of the room we climbed into and there were more ladders leading up to the top of the tower.
It was nice up there though, the breeze felt freeing. We played music and talked more and sang and danced. It was a small platform, but large enough for the three of us to feel exuberant and at ease. When the sun went down we stared upon all the stars. That was the moment when I fell for him and his dreamy eyes. He wore baggy clothes, fit for someone who rode skateboards, but he was smart and kind and warm. We had similar pasts and similar interests, like we were crafted of the same stone, he said. And I agreed. We had a connection, something that would haunt us. I was sure of it.
When we got back down from our mutual high we exchanged numbers and then he left the two of us at our door. Elaine was excited for me, she proclaimed that he was definitely interested in me and that we should hang out again. We had a good night together and I stayed downstairs, getting to know the people I would share board with for the next year. It was good, for a while.
Life went on like this for some time: classes, making friends, seeing Dene and Arya. It was bittersweet. I don’t remember when they met, but they were close. Despite anything I felt for either of them, it was true that they also felt it for one another.
About a month and a half later I went out on a day trip on Halloween with my roommates and realized that I had left them alone with one another. They both were too ‘busy’ to hangout with the rest of us and had already made plans to see each other. I realized when I got back home that I had been witness to both of my crushes crushing on each other and getting together. I was broken from this and I grew tired of seeing them, even though they still wanted to be around me.
I would see them on occasion, just as a mutual friend, someone they thought they could talk to about anything I suppose. Occasionally Arya would look at me with a grim pair of eyes and stalk my energy field like a vampire, but I always pushed it past me, I had no intention of wrapping myself into her drama.
I had no idea what she was doing or what she wanted with me, but she played nice enough, but it irked me to see them together. I decided that it would be in my best interest to forget the whole thing, even though it was right in front of me, and transform my anger or any pain I felt into my work. My professors had taken a liking to my art and my ideas, and I felt confident in my ability to excel. I knew I wanted to be elsewhere though, anywhere but here, in this city, surrounded by strange people and the undertones of such a horrid history. Such a horrid disease.
Months went by and I grew endangered with my presence between Dene and Arya. I wanted to leave their strange friendship and leave the city and the school and forget everything, but I didn't, I stayed.
Dene asked me one afternoon after class, “Emery! Hey! Wait up!”
I was walking fast and had no intention of stopping.
“Hey kid! Slow down, where you gotta be so fast!” He grabbed my shoulders and pulled me to a stop, instantly I felt dazed, pulled into his trance.
“I, uh, I was just headed home, walk with me?” I asked. We lived in the same building, so it wasn’t anything outlandish to ask, I thought.
“Sure thing. Have any plans for tonight? Arya went to see her mother for the weekend so I’m all freed up.” He said it like it was a prison sentence.
“I was just planning to work on some projects for school, nothing more, what do you have in mind?” I was weary to indulge, but I couldn’t resist his charm.
“Well, I have been working on a project myself, maybe you could help me with it?”
This sparked my curiosity well enough, though I was still weary of his intentions, “Sure, sounds interesting.”
“Cool, study date it is.”
“Well, Dene, it’s not a date, you’re with Arya, remember?”
“Hey cool it, I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Well, okay, as long as that’s clear. Come by my place whenever, I’ll be home.” I said, walking into the door to our building, he followed me, winked, and went up the stairs.
As soon as I got behind my closed door, I had to catch my breath. I was leaning up against the door, clutching my heart like it was trying to jump outside of my body. I took a quick shower to cool down and put on new clothes, sweatpants, an old t-shirt, nothing that would make me look appealing.
I was pacing in my room when I heard his knock on my door and I raced down the stairs to let him in.
“Hello, there.” Dene said, backpack in one hand and a flower in the other, “For you, my dear.” He reached to put the flower behind my ear and let the apartment door close behind him. Too much, I thought.
“Uh, thanks.” I reached for it, but only managed to grab the hand that tried to caress my cheek. I cleared my throat, “You hungry, or is it study time?”
“Nah I ate already, I brought this though.” He whipped out a bottle of vodka from his backpack.
“Oh, geeze. Well, that’s fine I guess.”
“What? You don’t drink?”
“No it’s fine, I just thought we were going to work on a project, what you were telling me about earlier.”
“Well that too of course, but this first.” He drank straight from the bottle.
“How about a glass or something, soda maybe?”
“Whatever you got girl, I’m game.”
I laughed and grabbed a sprite from the fridge, two glasses and beckoned him to come upstairs. I didn’t think anything of it, we were just two friends having fun after all.
He showed me his ideas for a story he was working on and I liked it, probably too much. I helped him connect a few dots and lines and was curious to see where he was going to take it. I liked that we could talk like this, as friends.
Eventually, we got drunk enough to fall asleep, though I didn’t remember falling asleep. I woke up late that night, checking the time, 4am. He was still next to me, laying in my bed. I stared at him while he slept. There was a break in my silent awe when he opened his eyes, seemingly just as surprised to see me there. We never said a word when he reached up to grab my face and meet my lips to his, we never said a word when he pushed himself inside of me and we never said a word, laying there in the darkness of an early morning. It was all wrong, it should have been perfect, but it was all wrong.
The next time we woke up, it was light outside. He accompanied me to a few things I had to do at the school and never left my side for the entire day. That night was the second time we made love, in his bed.
The third time was in mine again, and so was the fourth, a few days later. That week was excruciating. I didn’t know what to do or say, but I let it happen more times than it needed to. All Dene kept saying was how happy he was and how he wanted me to meet his family and it was all too much. I needed space away from him, away from Arya, who grew more restless because she could tell I was hiding something from her and I was sure Dene was acting strange. I needed space away from my apartment. I needed to get away from it all.
On Friday, a few days after Dene and I made love the last time, Arya called me. I knew what it was about already. I answered on the last ring.
“Hello, what’s up?” I asked, trying not to be nervous.
“How could you? You whore!”
“How could I what?”
“Don’t play stupid I know what you did. I don’t want to see you ever again, our friendship is over and you are never going to see Dene again either, do you understand?! I hate you for this, you’re so horrible, trash, you’re nothing.”
I didn’t say anything. I knew this would happen and it still shrunk me to my core. I slid down my body to the floor and sat there for what felt like hours. As the sun passed down from the sky I realized I had been sitting there, numb, for too long. I hoisted my lifeless form up from the ground and went straight to the shower. I needed to at least try to scrub the shame from my body. I hated that I did anything to hurt her, but she gave me no choice, and neither did he. I hated them both, even though I loved them. I didn’t know anything. I grudged through the next few weeks of classes dealing with sulking eyes from everyone I came across, like she had told the entire school I was a whore. Not like I deserved it or anything. Not like it was in her entire plan to tear me down. I hated being around all these people, I wasn’t like them.
When Summer came out of nowhere, I decided to go back to my hometown for a while to try and clear my mind. It would be a great time to drop out and go somewhere else, I thought. Or better yet, I stick around just to torture them, I thought sarcastically. I would only torture myself in doing so.
Arya had blocked me on everything virtual, and she did her best to block me in real life, but for some reason I received a message from her.
It read: Hey Emery, I’m really sorry about what happened and how I reacted. Maybe there is some kind of agreement we can come to, instead of all this hatred? Again, I’m really really sorry.
My mouth pretty much dropped to the floor. I called Elaine instantly, I needed her help. She had heard the rumors too, but she was empathetic toward my argument, and unsurprised anything like this happened, I felt she could give me unbiased advice.
“Hey Elaine, I just got a message from Arya.”
“HA! You’re kidding. What’s it say?”
I read her the message and asked, “What should I do, I mean she’s been a total bitch to me, and now this?”
“Maybe she actually feels sorry, she has been spreading rumors around the whole school you know.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard.”
“Just reply to her and see what she’s thinking, I’ll stay on the line if you want?”
“That’s okay, I’m going to think about it for a minute, I’ll call if anything crazy happens, otherwise I’ll see you soon and fill you in. Is everyone still at the apartment?”
“Okay girl, be smart, remember what happened. We’re all here.”
“Ah, geeze, don’t remind me. See you soon.”
She laughed and we bid our farewells. I sat there staring at my email and started typing. I wrote out everything, how hurt I was at the beginning, seeing them together, how it was never my intention to hurt anyone, but that I was hurting, how it’s been so hard for me, how I felt about everyone talking about me, all of it. It was long and hasty and kind of annoying, but it was the truth. I sat there just staring at it, that big block of white scribbles on the screen, and decided to send it, honesty is the best policy right? I hoped so.
I was kind of surprised to see that she replied back to my message, and even more surprised when she acknowledged that the feelings were always mutual. I thought that Dene might have threatened to leave her, otherwise I would see no other reason why she would be asking to rekindle the flame. It all felt so strange.
I didn’t say anything back for a few days, I had no idea what to do. Of course, I was curious, but was she really asking me to join their relationship? I read the message over and over again until it made my eyes hurt. Was she serious?
For some reason I started typing again, it was clear she just wanted things to go back to the way it was before anything happened between Dene and I. Maybe we should talk about this in person. Was all I said.
A few minutes later, she called me, and I answered, hesitant again.
She apologized again for her reaction and somewhere along the short conversation she convinced me it would be fun. And so I said okay and hung up the phone. This had to have been coming from Dene, there was no way she would do something like this, I thought. Maybe I didn’t know her at all.
When I got back to the apartment Elaine was waiting for me anxiously.
“Finally! You’re here!”
“Hey Elaine, just let me put my bags down.”
“I need you to tell me everything!”
“I will just, hold on a second!” I ran up the stairs and looked at myself in the mirror. Was this really happening? Was I really going to stay here? Was I really going to stay at the school?
When I walked back down Elaine was waiting by the counter, tapping her foot, arms crossed, my other roommates, Caroline and Vern, were sitting out the couch, all seemingly waiting for me to let loose all the drama and blood that had been spilled.
“So! Tell us!” Elaine said, beckoning me to sit, like I was in some kind of support therapy group. I had been avoiding them for months.
I folded and told them everything, I didn’t really care to divulge my secrets anymore, the whole school knew I was a whore anyway.
“Uh-ah, you cannot do that, girl there’s no way, she’s out for more blood I know it,” Vern said.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“It’s just that I heard something from her other friend, Molly I think is her name, is that her roommate or something? I don’t know. Anyway, she was talking about how she should get back at you, I mean really get back at you. They were talking about Dene too, maybe it had something to do with him and how he really loves you, more than Arya, I think he was trying to leave her for you.”
I sat there for a moment, “I know something weird is going on, this does all seem too, I don’t know, strange, I honestly don’t want any part in it.”
“Then don’t get involved,” Caroline intervened, “It’s none of your business.”
“I agree, I’ll tell her soon that I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want any part of it.”
That settled it for me, and I was honestly glad for the support team.
“Thank you Elaine.” I whispered to her as I made my way up the stairs.
“You are very welcome darling.” She smiled with thoughtful eyes. A good friend, I thought.
Weeks passed and I was dreading the first Monday of another round of classes, I knew I would have to confront everything. Or I could just run away. That wouldn’t do me any good though, it would only make the weight of everything heavier.
For some reason people were friendlier to me again, like she had power over the entire school or something. She smiled at me in class which made more people smile at me, though she didn’t say a word. I saw the regret in her eyes, I saw how it was making her feel and it only made me feel more guilty.
After our last class she came up to me, “Come over to Dene’s later when you’re ready to talk, I’ll be there.” She reached out to playfully caress my arm and slip her fingers down to my hand. It sent a shock down my spine, something dark and mystical.
“Okay.” I said.
When I got home I debated in the mirror if I should go or not. Maybe if I didn’t go they would assume that I wanted no part in their ménage à trois. Reluctantly, I received a text from her, you coming? She asked. I was worried why I hadn't heard from Dene, maybe it wasn’t his idea. I wasn’t sure. I wanted to see him anyway, at least read his eyes to know what he was feeling. I bolted out the door at the thought.
I found myself waiting at his apartment, still unsure, and I was about to turn around when he opened it and greeted me with prying eyes. He took me into his grasp and behind him, there she was, waiting for me to hug her too, and I did, but it felt strange.
“A drink? Darling.” Dene said.
I stared at him for probably too long, something wasn’t right here, “Sure, I said.”
“We have wine, that okay?” Arya asked me.
I nodded. “I wanted to say something. . .”
“Go ahead,” Arya said.
They were acting differently, like they were up to something, I didn’t know how to get myself out of this situation. Dene handed me a glass of wine and I sipped it willfully to calm my nerves, “I just think that, maybe we could cool it on whatever is going on here. I just wanted to talk to you guys. I never wanted to hurt anyone, I didn’t think it would come to something like this, but I think it might be a little too much. It’s a new year, maybe we could start fresh or um-” I paused to take another sip of wine, and then I looked a bit deeper into the cup, it was fizzy, like there was something in it. I was starting to feel dizzy and then it hit me, I slurred over myself, “Did, y-you. . . r-roofie me?”
Arya took the glass from my hand, she said something I couldn’t understand.
Everything was black, I felt like my body was being moved, like my clothes were being taken off, I could feel it, I could feel everything, but I couldn’t see or make out what was happening. I felt a cool press on my face, like someone had kissed my cheek. It felt like Dene. I was starting to wake up a bit and I was sitting up, but not in a chair, like I was pressed against someone, I could feel the warmth on my back. It was Arya.
I was completely naked, my hands were tied behind my back, and I felt her grasp around my body, touching me, her hands moving down my naval, slowly caressing me.
“You’re so wet.” She whispered into my ear.
I felt Dene slip himself into me, holding my legs down as if I could move them. I moaned and tried to use my muscles, but everything felt so high, like I was floating.
“Yeah you like that, huh. You dirty little slut, tell him how much you like it.” She whispered again.
I mumbled under my breath, but I could barely get anything out. I had no control. Dene kept sliding himself in and out of me while Arya played with whatever she wanted. I kept trying to break the grasp, but I had no strength, I couldn’t move.
“I knew you were a slut the first moment I met you. I knew I wanted to play with you.” She said, anger bubbled up in her voice, she pulled me back to her, I didn’t realize I had moved at all. I started to squirm under her grasp and pull myself away from him.
“You’re our little sex slave now, slut.” This time I think it was Dene who spoke. I had no idea this would happen, I just wanted to leave, I needed to get out. Everything was still dark. I felt the tears slip down my face as I tried to manage to find my strength. I kept squirting and fighting them, but some part of me liked it. I hated that I did.
“You want more?” Arya asked me. “You wanna cum?”
I shook my head, I didn’t want this, not like this. “No!”
“She speaks!” Dene exclaimed. “You want us to stop? It seems like you’re really enjoying yourself! We were just starting all the fun!” He grabbed me hard and shook me around, “You’re such a good little slut, you know?”
I felt my body pound into the mattress and opened my eyes to see them kissing each other and grabbing their bodies like animals. I closed them again, my face still wet from the tears, my body still shaking. I fell into a deep sleep. This is not what I wanted.
I woke up with a pounding headache in Dene’s bed. I couldn’t remember if what happened last night was real or a dream. I was fully clothed, but my face looked puffy in the mirror, like I had been crying. I was alone in the room, I scanned it for any sign of truth, I scanned my body too. My wrists felt sore like they had been tied back, but there was no bruising and I couldn’t tell if my body was sore from what might have happened or from the alcohol.
I decided that I would leave and forget about it and leave this place forever, I would never come back. I walked out the door to find Arya and Dene sitting together and having breakfast.
“Goodmoring! Feeling okay?” Arya asked me, I could tell they were being suspicious.
“Yeah, hm. I feel fine, I’m gonna go home, alright.” I hated being in their presence. I hated them, what they did to me, what this city was doing to its people.
“Woah, just a second,” Dene said, “Let me look at you.” He grabbed my shoulders, and I felt terror rush through me. I knew it was true, but I couldn’t let them have that. “Are you sure you’re okay, do you remember anything from last night?”
“All I remember is drinking, and talking. Nothing more.” I said, plainly.
“You sure?”
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?” Fuck him. Fuck her. I hated them. I hoped for them to rot and burn in hell for what they did.
“Well, okie dokie then. See you at school.”
“Yeah, sure. See ya.”
I walked out the door at a leisurely pace, and picked up my speed as I walked down the hallway and into my apartment. This place wasn’t safe, I needed to leave.
I was alone. I couldn’t say anything about what happened. Who would believe me? Without thinking I began to pack up my bags. I would never face them again, never go back to that school again, I didn't even care to say goodbye to my roommates, we were never that close anyway.
I left a note for them though, saying I would be back for the rest of my things. That I would pay through to the end of the lease, but I wouldn’t be going back to school. That I was sorry for my abrupt departure, but that it was necessary. I was going to transfer to another school, somewhere in California, that I had already applied to and was accepted.
That part was true. I would miss them and think of them often. I was only a year into the program, and all of my credits would transfer. I still had time to drop out of this semester, it was only the second day, I wouldn’t have to worry about paying for that, I would start over, it would be good. Everything would be under control. I never belonged here. I never wanted any part of this.
