The door burst open and in walked the maddest women in Phoenix right now. She looked at me with those daggers she called eyes. Her golden hair was falling all over her face making her look like the masked murderer from a horror movie. She took four steps towards me, on the couch and then placed her hands on her hips.
“Where were you today Rashel?” Her brown eyes glared into mine, but I wasn’t scared of her. I had grown up with this lady; she had loved me and cared for me. She’d been the one to hold my hair when I got sick, or pretend to be a ninja when I needed somebody to kill the monsters. This women had even given birth to me, yes this women was my mother.
I got off the couch and stood in front of her. She was at least four inches taller then me. “I just went out.” I grumbled. Crossing my arms over my chest I sighed. I was tired of my Mom yelling at me all the time.
“You skipped school and you thought I would be okay with it?” She was fuming. Steam was probably coming out of her head if I looked at her. Mom was the principal of the local high school I went to. Everybody knew she was my Mom but it didn’t matter, I didn’t get special treatment that’s for sure. She was so strict with me about academics it made me sick. Besides, I didn’t know what she was making such a big deal out of this, I skipped school almost everyday.
My phone buzzed from the couch and I leaned over to grab it. “Don’t touch it young lady.” Mom said sternly. I froze mid bend. So it was one of those punishments. I usually categorise my Mom’s yelling sprees in four different ways. One was mild, just a simple talk, Two was a bit of yelling and something taken away, Three was yelling, and grounding and Four was yelling, grounding and something taken away.
“You are grounded for the weekend, no mall, no phone, no computer and no television!” She yelled. I stomped my foot.
“Mom that’s not fair!” I screamed back. “It was a slack day; I didn’t even have any important subjects!” The TV blared a commercial for proactive. A product which I had stored in my bathroom and used every night.
Mom looked like she would tear me to shreds. “All subjects are important.” she growled. “Now go to your room.” I yelled at her through my teeth. She was the worst Mother ever.
“I hate you!” Stomping my foot I grabbed my backpack and took off into my room. I locked the door behind me.
The room expressed me to the fullest. I had pictures of my favourite bands hanging on the walls, like The Beatles, Rooney, The Rolling Stones, and The Stereos, there were many more though. The back of the door was plastered with dumb drawings my friends made. I had clothes all over the floor and my closet door was ajar. My bed sheets had Iron Man on them, along with my pillow. Near the end of the bed sat a large stuffed giraffe. I got him from Dad as a present on my birthday one year. I of course got it through the mail. I loved that giraffe, his name is Willis and I take him almost everywhere. Mom never liked coming into my room, because it reminded her to much of my Dad. He loved things like this. A room that expressed your creativity, one with posters and a closet full of band label shirts.
My phone buzzed again. Looks like Mom forgot to take it away. I reached over and snatched it up. The screen read:
One unread message. I opened the box; it was from my friend Victoria. Hey, what’s up? My Mom flipped when she heard that I skipped school.
I chuckled. Victoria’s version of flipped is a ‘don’t do it again’ talk. Wait till she heard about my mother. Yeah? Well my mom pulled a level four. God I wish I could leave she’s so rude. And it was true. Mom was always up in my face, telling me what to do and yes I guess that something’s I do are bad, but she yells even if I leave one blanket in the living room unfolded.
You could move in with me!
I don’t think Mother would agree to that… But I wish, then we would just need Shelby to move in and everything would be fine.
Haha yeah, well I have to go, Mom just called me for supper, loves you!
Love you.
I leaned back against the wall and looked up at the steel bars above my head. I had a bunk bed to sleep on. Though I never used the top bunk, it was untouchable, let’s say, a time capsule. The blankets on it were a light pink with teddy bears and little girl stuff. They were my sister’s things.
Mom had married a man named Jonathan Rider when I was six years old; he was nice at first giving me presents, trying to get me to behave better, which didn’t work. About two months into their marriage, Mom got pregnant, everybody was so cheery, and it was sickening. They ended up having a girl, her name was Janelle, they spoiled her like a princess, but the one thing they didn’t give her was her own room, I had to share.
Six years later Jonathon started getting rude. Pushing my Mom, yelling at me, which was not a good idea, I could fight better. After months of arguing Mom and Jonathon finally got a divorce. It was for the better, but there was only one little problem… They both wanted Janelle.
This is where I start feeling like crap. I’m the reason my Mom didn’t get my sister. The court looked into my files and found out about my skipping school problem and my stealing from the corner store down the block, they told Mom she was unable to look after me and certainly not Janelle. Actually Mom almost lost me, they were going to send me to boot camp, but like I said I could fight better. It had been four years and I was still upset.
Jonathon moved to New York, bringing Janelle along with him. After about four months there, Jonathon got into a car accident and died on the scene, still they didn’t even consider letting Mom have Janelle, they put her in some adoption centre and we never saw her again. Mom pretends it doesn’t hurt her, but I can hear her crying in her room at night. Kind of like I do sometimes.
I got off my bed and proceeded towards the mirror. My white blond hair was thrown into a messy ponytail, having the hair moved away from my face showed off my green eyes and the small black beauty mark underneath my right eye. I took after my Dad in a lot of things. His personality, his eyes, his slightly pointed nose, the roundness in his cheeks and his tiny lips. The only thing I got from my mother was her hair color, besides the fact that she got a dye job, her hair used to look like this. I suppose that’s why Mom and I didn’t really get along. She and Dad never did either.
My parents never married they just had a short relationship and by short I mean one month. My Mom wasn’t into long term relationships until two years after I was born, when she became the principal of the local school.
I took off my brown ‘American Eagle’ shirt and tossed on my favourite ’Led Zeppelin’ shirt. I didn’t change my jeans; they were my favourite ripped pair. My ‘Converse’ was in the corner of the room. I slid them on and grabbed my backpack. I always used this backpack; it was like a purse to me. A pitch black purse, with words I had written myself in white ‘Sharpie’, don’t ask where I got a white one.
I found my cell phone and went to contacts; I pressed the button on Shelby’s name and typed my message. Hey can I come over for the night?
Then I waited. My phone buzzed against my palm. Aren’t you grounded?
Yes…
Okay then you can come. See you soon!
Did I ever tell you I love you Shelby? Cause I do.
I think you mentioned it once or twice Rashel. See you soon, love you!
Love you.
I shoved my phone into the pocket of my jeans and grabbed the pocket knife from my side table. Yes I do own a pocket knife. Opening the window was the easy part it was the cutting a hole in the screen that was more tricky thing to do. I did accomplish it though; I set the pocket knife on the side table and climbed through the window.
Right now, you’re wondering why I didn’t just take off the screen. That’s because Mother, nailed it shut two moths ago when I snuck out and went to a grade twelve party. What a rebel I was.
I landed in the flower bed, getting a dirt stain on my pants. The moon shone down on the road in front of my house, making shadows on everything that moved which means I couldn’t go that way. I stood up and walked along to the side of the house. I was right under Mom’s bedroom window; I could hear her talking on the phone.
“I just don’t know what I’m going to do anymore Janis!” Mom was ranting on to my Aunt Janis. A successful author in Phoenix. “Rashel just doesn’t understand that she can’t keep acting like this.” Aunt Janis said something. “No I can’t do that, last time they tried to send her to boot camp somebody got a scar on there hand and it wasn’t her!” True. But they couldn’t charge me because I was only twelve.
“I guess I’ll have to talk to her tomorrow, right now she’s barricaded in her room and won’t come out.” Mom sighed. Good, she won’t come to see if I’m still in there. With that I walked to the back of the house and took off towards the street.
Shelby lived on the other side of my neighbourhood. I entered her backyard and stood beside her window, when I knocked on it, I got no response. Front door then. I walked towards the front of the house and saw Shelby sitting in the living room.
Her black hair was wavy around her face, showing off the slimness of her cheeks. She had a nose stud in, a piercing her Mom wasn’t a fan of, so Shelby got her Dad to sign the papers. Shelby’s eyes were like the color of blue candy canes, they were focused on the TV screen. She had her newest ‘Metallica’ shirt on, along with dark blue jeans. The cell phone she had in her hand went off and she started to answer it.
I made my way to the door and knocked. I could hear the shuffling of feet and Mrs. Carsen asks who was there. Shelby told her that we had a project due and I had to sleep over. Her mom bought it. The door opened and Shelby stood in front of me. “Hey.”
“Hey.” I smiled. She stepped inside and in I went. The TV was off so I didn’t know what Shelby had been watching so intensely. “I love your shirt.” I told her. She spun around.
“Thank you, it’s a Metallica original.” Shelby grabbed her phone off the couch and started towards her room. I followed. Shelby’s brother Daniel came out of his room, right across the hall from hers. “Move loser.” Shelby growled.
“Oh I’m so scared.” He mocked back moving his hands in front of his face. She smacked them away. “Watch out Shelby, or I’ll tell Mom about that little piercing you got last week.”
Shelby’s jaw dropped. “You wouldn’t.” he raised an eyebrow. “I hate you.” She whispered, and then she started into her bedroom, shoving him out of the way. He chuckled leaning against the wall.
His hair was pure black, like Shelby’s and his eyes were the color of emeralds. He was seventeen and pretty much the biggest pervert I know. Yet he seemed to never be rude to me, just everybody else.
I walked past but he grabbed my shoulder. I stopped a bit scared of what I had done to make him want to talk to me. But he just leaned in close and kissed me on the cheek. “Have fun.” he whispered then left. I watched him leave over my shoulder. When I looked back Shelby was standing in front of me with the most disgusting look on her face.
“I swear I didn’t-” I started. But Shelby but her finger on my mouth.
“I don’t care; just know… he still wets the bed.” She smiled. I started to laugh and she did too, then we both went into her room. She had music playing and posters on the wall, and her computer was still on, showing her ‘Facebook’ page.
I sat on the bed. “Just to let you know, I’ve never actually flirted with your brother… ever.” Shelby shrugged, she didn’t care. This whole, guys randomly flirting with me thing was normal. I guess you could say I was attractive, a lot of people at school seemed to think so, I didn’t see it, but I supposed no girl ever does.
“So why did your Mom ground you?” Shelby was using permanent marker to draw on her backpack. I saw her writing the letters Jason MacDonald, her boyfriend of two years.
“Cause I skipped today.” I told her. She laughed. “My Mom is so annoying, getting mad at me about everything I do. I wish I had a Mom like Vicky‘s or yours.” She raised an eyebrow at me.
“No you don’t. You‘re lucky you don‘t have my Mom, she‘s not used to me acting out! If I told her about it . . . Never mind. Vicky’s Mom doesn’t even care what she does, she could get a tattoo and her Mom wouldn’t do a thing.” I sat on the bed. Of course I knew that, but I would rather have a Mom who doesn’t care then a Mom who got mad about everything. “Stop thinking that.” Shelby looked up at me.
I raised an eyebrow. “Thinking what?” She put on her ‘you have to be kidding around with me’ face. “Okay I know that she doesn’t get mad at everything but ninety-five percent of things.” Shelby had to agree. “But let’s talk about something else…”
Shelby tossed her backpack to the floor and smiled. “Like the fact that Nicholas Danvers has a total thing for Vicky?” I opened my mouth in shock. “He was texting her last night and confessed his interest.” She smirked. “But Vicky doesn’t think she’ll date him.”
My eyes were wide in shock and my ears were listening intensely. “What? He’s so cute and nice, she’d be lucky!” Shelby flung her hands up.
“I know!” She and I discussed that subject for about another two minutes. Then we moved onto Marissa Rocket. She was a girl in our grade who was dying to make best friends with us. She seemed nice but her previous friends told us she was rude, so we didn’t know who to believe. Finally it all spun back around to me.
“So…” Shelby looked a bit scared to ask. “Do you actually think you would ever date my brother?” To tell you the truth I would, he was hot, socially in and liked me. But he was also a total pervert, so I didn’t know about that part. Some people in school said I could have any guy I wanted, but then why didn’t I have Mick Jagger?
“Well maybe… but not if you don’t want me too.” I placed my hand on her knee for reassurance. She smiled. “Shelby, you okay with it?”
She nodded, still smiling. “I always knew you and him would get together.” Shelby jumped off the bed and clapped her hands. “Shelby’s always right, how many times do I have to keep saying that?”
“Hey now!” I stood tall beside her. “We are not together!”
With a sharp hip turn and a roll of the eyes, she put her hands on her hips and spoke to me like I had the IQ of a peanut. “Mom’s at bingo, Dad’s downstairs, he is the only one in the living room. So go and make it happen.”
“Don’t think so.” I flung back at her. Her eyes scrunched tightly closed as she stuck her tongue out at me. “Do you really want me too?” Her head buzzed up and down. “Well I-” My phone started to sing. I bent down and saw the number. Mom.
Hitting that talk button was the hardest thing I ever did, but I did it. “Hello?”
“Where are you?” She screamed.
“Nice talking to you too.” I muttered sarcastically. “I’m at Shelby’s working on a project.”
You think my Mom would have bought it, you think my Mom would have forgave me, but, “you have no assignments I checked.” There is the bad side of your Mom being a principal.
“Well sorry, but I needed to get away from your yelling.” I heard her inhale deeply on the other line.
“Rashel Sarah-Jane MacSwain you come home right now!” The sound was so horrific it nearly shattered my ear drum through the phone. “You can’t just go sneaking away like this!”
“I’m only down the road!” I laughed. Deep down in my gut I had a feeling she didn’t think it was funny. To bad so sad. “Just chill and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Fine, but you are getting punished more then ever before.” The line went dead. I wasn’t worried about my punishment, I knew it would be the same old same old, Mom could never think of anything the severe.
I put my phone down and looked at the clock eleven twenty-four. “I’m kind of tired.” I told Shelby. She was on her computer talking to Jason.
“Okay, you know where the stuff is.” I took my favourite blanket of hers and grabbed my favourite pillow. “Goodnight!” Shelby smiled at me.
“Goodnight.” I said back. I flicked off the lights and cuddled in. Two seconds later the lights flicked on. I sat up quickly wondering what was going on. Daniel stood in the doorframe smiling at us.
Shelby threw a pillow at him. “Daniel get lost!” She whined. Instead he came in more. “You’re such a tool.” She grumbled, and then turned back to her conversation with Jason.
“Please, don’t let me distract you from your boyfriend.” Daniel’s voice held rudeness and torment. Shelby glared at him. “Listen I just came to say goodnight.” He held his hands up innocently.
Shelby rolled her eyes. “Well you said it, now go.” The noise of a new message being received sang. Daniel strolled over to the bed. “Jeez Daniel, just ask her out already.”
He smirked. “Nah it’s to open here.” Daniel sat on the bed leaned over and planted another one on my cheek. “Maybe later. Goodnight Rashel.” He stood up and turned to leave.
“Goodnight.” I managed to get out. Truth was my mind had been sufficiently blown by him. Daniel waved me goodbye and disappeared out the door. “Shelby?” I asked. She stood, walked over and flicked off the light. “Thank-you.” I smiled. Then I went back into my shell of cozy and drifted off to sleep.
***
I stood along the shore of a beautiful beach, the waves crashing onto my toes with the push of the wind. The sand was pure white, with pebbles scattered around me. The palm trees above and around me, billowed through the air.
“It’s beautiful isn’t it Rashel?” I turned my head to my right and saw my father standing in the water. His shadow was being projected against the waves. “Do you miss me honey?” I nodded. He smiled. “Won’t be long now.” He slowly raised his arm and pointed into the space behind me.
I turned my body around and fell face to face with a large group of boys. “Daddy?” I asked, turning back to the water. But Dad was gone, and so were the boys. I was alone on the sand. Or so I thought.
A person emerged from behind me and struck me across the face. I fell to the ground, the blood running to my cheek. I looked up at the person in front of me, but the face of this man or women was blurry, so I closed my eyes and tried to picture myself anywhere else.
***
Beep. Beep. Beep. “Shut it off!” I groaned. My side hurt as I rolled over and searched for the off button on the alarm clock.
“You’re completely missing it!” Shelby laughed. I peered out from under the covers and watched as she turned off the horrendous noise. Shelby was already up and dressed, her hair was straightened, with bobby pins in the side. She was wearing black jeans, a tight fitting ‘Iron Maiden’ shirt, and a white ‘American Eagle’ sweater, unzipped and loose.
I sat up, scratching my head. “Why are you up so early?” The clock read seven-thirty; our bus comes in half an hour. Shelby was always an early riser but never that early. I hopped off the bed, landing on a pile on CD’s and nearly falling to my death. “Whoa!” I yelled.
Shelby caught me before I could fall on my butt. “Carefully, Rashy!” She cautioned me. I gave her my death glare. “Sorry it slipped out.” Shelby smiled at my pet peeve. I’m sorry but I don’t like being called a rash.
“So you’re up why?” She wasn’t answering my questions and I wanted answers. I started to dress while waiting for her answer. I picked on of her older ‘My Chemical Romance’ shirts and threw that on. I didn’t change my jeans, I could just re-wear them.
There was a knock on the door and Shelby’s Mom came in. “Did you finish your chorus this morning honey?” Shelby nodded to her Mother. Mrs. Carsen smiled and shut the door.
“Choirs.” Shelby mumbled. “Mom makes me do them every second morning, besides weekends. That is why I was up.” She grabbed her backpack and slung it onto her shoulders. “Come on, let’s go.”
I picked up my backpack, put it on my back, and followed her out. When we reached the front steps, we hooked arms and started to skip, laughing all our way to the bus stop. “Look who’s here.” She whispered into my ear.
My eyes swept over the people standing at the bus stop. There was Miranda Giggly, a preppy twelfth grader. Jordan Cox a sporty tenth grader and Peter Cox, Jordan’s eleventh grade older brother. Also a sport nut. However these were not the people Shelby was telling me to look at; it was the brown haired girl standing beside Jordan texting. Her shirt was loose and lime green, with a logo of her hockey team.
“Vicky!” I yelled. She turned around as I crumpled her with a hug. “What are you doing here?” People were watching, but they didn’t have a look of ‘what a nerd’ they had the look of, ‘I wish I was her’.
Victoria pushed me off, the air finally able to make its way to her lungs. “Mom dropped me off here on her way to the surgeon.” I must have looked confused because Victoria laughed. “She’s getting her face lift today.” I nodded.
“Oh yeah.” Shelby came up behind us laughing. This was amazing; this is where I wanted to be all the time, with my friends, the people who didn’t judge me. Here I was accepted, at home I was punished.
Peter was eyeing us, probably deciding whether or not to talk to us. “We don’t bite Peter.” I joked. I saw him smile, and he slowly began to turn around. “Was that so hard?”
“No, I wasn’t scared.” He had his hands in his pockets, trying to be cool. “So how was hockey yesterday Victoria?” Vicky was looking at her phone but at the mention of her name looked up. “I asked about hockey.”
She had to think for a moment. “Oh! We won! Four to one. The other team had no chance.” Peter smiled. “Especially since Gray was on forward, he has a wicked slap shot. He was one shot away from a hat trick” Victoria looked really proud of her team. Did I mention she has a slight well huge, obsession with hockey? Playing it, watching it, discussing it, reading about it. The whole production.
In no time Peter and Vicky were into a breathtaking conversation about whether or not some guy named Victor should have been benched. I think I forgot. Vicky plays in the boy’s league, because last time she was in the girl’s league, she checked one of the girls into the walls, of the dressing room.
The moans and groans of an engine that had seen better days sang out for us students. The buses smell was different; nobody else would be able to compare it to something else, unless you lived in my house. The bus didn’t have a bad smell, but it reminded me of the night my Mom had to let Dad take me to the circus.
His car smelled like a mix between wet dog and oranges. Not a common smell, but yet not a bad smell. Maybe that’s just me, from having to sit in that car for a long time, because everybody else liked to plug their noses.
I took a window seat; Shelby sat down beside me because Vicky was too engrossed in her conversation with Peter to care. What a cute couple they would make. My eyes looked to Shelby. “So who are you texting?” She was hitting the keys so fast I was sure she was get arthritis right here on this bus.
“Who do you think?” She raised an eyebrow. I didn’t give in; she would tell me if it killed her. “Jason.” She sighed. I always get my way! She continued to smash down on the keys.
The bus rumbled with voices, as the wheels threatened to burst at any time. This bus was a death trap, and I loved it. Although it decided it would take me to school, the place that killed me, I couldn’t stay mad at it.
I felt a poke on my shoulders. My head swung around to see Vicky. “Rashel, did you see that play on hockey last night?” I looked at her with one wide eye and one tiny one. Why would she ask that? “Okay, I know you don’t know the answer, but you looked so lonely.”
“I’m not, just keep talking to Peter and get somewhere.” I whispered. Victoria’s cheeks turned beet red and she shrunk back into her seat beside Peter. I angled myself back towards the window.
I didn’t want to go to school, Mom would be there. I would get one of those ‘Would Rashel MacSwain please come to the office please?’ and I would go and get yelled at, then grounded and then I would skip school. Oh yeah, great day ahead. The tries squealed to a stop, doors opened and everybody began to get up and quickly exit the bus. Here we go.
It was fourth period when I was called to the office. The halls sang with emptiness as my shoes rang against the floor. Mom was waiting at the end of the hall, her eyes were blazing with the anger that she had acquired last night, but probably not as much.
As I reached her she took my arm and led me into the office. “Hello Rashel!” Shirley the secretary smiled. I waved back. They loved me; I was just pretty sure Mom didn’t. The chair in her office where the delinquents sit was in the corner. But I didn’t sit there; I had my own chair with a table and picture of my dog Brandi. She’s a Yorkshire terrier, a pure white one, with a tiny brown spot on the nose.
Brandi doesn’t live with me, she was sent to live with my father. Dad bought it for me, when I was a baby, but Mom didn’t want a dog, so she got Dad to take Brandi with him.
I plopped into my chair and looked at my Mom. “What’s up now?” Her hands proceed to her head and she began to pull her hair.
“What’s up now? You know exactly what is up! You can not keep doing this Rashel. I’m sorry but I have to act drastic, military school!” Mom’s fist slammed against the table.
“No.” I said slat out. My arms were crossed and my face to stuck with anger. Mom’s eyes widened as I spoke. “I’m not going.”
Her office was flooded with light, but the huge windows on the side of her office. She had a steel desk in the corner and a filing cabinet in the other. You know how most Mom’s would keep a picture of their child on their desk? Not mine, sort of. Mom only had old pictures, the day I was born, my fifth birthday. No new ones. She hated everything about me now. No pictures of the new me in the house, we never ordered school pictures.
Mom sat down. “Then what are we going to do? Because I am not dealing with this anymore! Honey, can you just work with me?”
“That would mean being a boring stick in the mud.” I couldn’t look at her. Her eyes closed, and we sat in silence. It reminded me of thanksgiving. Mom would be silent while our family said the prayers, but I never put my head down. Another thing I was criticised for.
She stood slowly, her breaths were long and drawn out. “You’re going.” She told me sternly. “End. Of. Discussion.” That was that. She had ended it on her terms; well maybe it was my turn. “Oh, and no dating this Daniel boy.”
“That has absolutely nothing to do with anything. Plus I can date who I want!” I glared at her for a minute. “Oh and one more thing, If your forcing me to go to Military school. I don’t want to live with you anymore. I’m going to live with dad!” I was speaking without thinking, but I didn’t regret what I said. I don’t know why I didn’t do this year’s ago! Mom was rude and mean, and to be honest, I missed Dad. “Bye Mom.”
“You’re not going.” She was fuming more then ever before. This was going to be a five. So intense, I haven’t labelled it yet. “You will sit back in your chair and talk to me, because you are going nowhere near your father!”
“You can’t stop me!” I screamed at her, and then I took off towards the hallway. Nobody was shocked to see me running out. It happened a lot. My locker was at the other end of the hall; I quickly got there and opened it. Victoria was by my locker in a heartbeat. “I hate my Mother.” I groaned.
“So we’re skipping at lunch.” Her voice wasn’t really asking me, it was more stating the obvious. “Shelby won’t want to, but I’ll ask.” With that, she took off towards Shelby’s locker.
I was going to live with my Father. That much was clear to me. I couldn’t live with my Mother’s constant nagging and disappointed looks. I. was. Going. To. Live. With. My. Father. Amazing, now how did I get in touch with my Father? I’m pretty sure his number was programmed into my phone.
“Hey.” Somebody poked me in the shoulder. I spun around and starred into the eyes of Daniel. “You want to walk somewhere with us?” He was pointing to his friends and him.
“Oh, well Vicky and Shelby would have to follow cause, Vicky and I am skipping this afternoon, Shelby maybe.” I started picking at my chapped lips. Victoria came running over.
“She’s going too.” Victoria smiled. That’s when she saw Daniel. “Oh, hi Daniel.”
“Hi.” He responded. “Yeah, it’s okay if they come, I won’t tell Mom Shelby ditched.” I smiled. “Where is Shelby?”
We all looked around. From down the hall Shelby came, with Jason’s arms strapped around her. Daniel’s eyes blazed for a moment. “Disgusting.” He muttered. I chuckled. Shelby stopped when she reached us.
“Where are we going for lunch?” Daniel starred at Jason for a minute before responding.
“Well I invited Rashel to come, but she said not without you guys, but we were going to go to ‘Dairy Queen’. Is that okay?” We all agreed to go. Then we took off.
Near the front door my Mom was standing there, talking to one of the many teachers in this school. I knew that she saw me, and I knew she was going to say something to me. That was my signal to P.O (Personally Offend) her.
“Daniel stop!” I said. Daniel stopped and turned around. My Mother was watching me with intense beady eyes. Before I lost the nerve, I grabbed Daniel and kissed him. After it was over I let go. “Kay, we can continue.” Everybody was a little surprised, especially Daniel, but nobody looked at me more violently then my Mother. I waved her goodbye, as I exited the building.
***
“Well I guess this is it.” Victoria sighed. She was standing beside Shelby, who again, couldn’t peel her eyes away from them cell phone she was holding. “Shelby!” Victoria yelled. Shelby looked up confused; we were all starring at her.
“What?” Shelby asked. Jason chuckled and gave her a hug. “Bye.” She smiled, they kissed quickly and he took off. I glimpsed at Daniel, it was a bad decision. You could tell he was fighting with the devil and angel on his shoulder. To punch or not to punch, that is the question.
“Bye guys.” Victoria smiled. She playfully flipped her hair over her shoulder and turned thrusting her hips out as she went. A flirt by any other name. Two of the guys watched her leave, as expected.
Daniel grabbed my arm. “Hey, thanks for coming. So, I have a question for you. Do you want to go out?”
“Like I didn’t see that coming.” Shelby mumbled, rolling her eyes. The guys were fist bumping, elbowing and I hadn’t even said yes yet. Would I say it though?
I watched them stare at me. “Um, well . . .” I took a look at Shelby. She nodded her head in an approving matter. “Yes?” Daniel broke out into smiles. With a quickly kiss on the cheek, he left.
“Bye?” I called after him. Shelby walked up to me and put her hand on my shoulder.
“Sucks to be you.” She was looking off into the distance, as if she was imagining what will happen to me. “Anyways, we better catch up with Vicky; she’s already down by the lights.” Shelby pointed to the end of the street, where a brown haired bombshell stood, tapping her toe impatiently.
We started towards our friend. It was either that or have our head blown off in a minute for not coming. Shelby started playing the game where you can only touch every second square. We were such children, but maybe that’s why people loved us so much.
I wouldn’t be the fist to admit it, and I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but we are. Dare I say it, very popular? We had friends in every grade, almost everybody liked us in ours, and I simply don’t know why. Maybe it was because we acted like children? Maybe because we didn’t give a thing about what people thought? I’m not sure, when I figure it out I’ll tell you.
The sky was bright blue, as is expected in the month of May. “What took you so long?” Victoria eyed us. I said nothing; instead I took my ‘I-pod touch’ out of my kitbag and connected to the school’s internet. Mom has the code written on our fridge. I clicked the ‘Facebook’ application and make my changes to my relationship status. Victoria’s phone buzzed. Her eyes grew wide as she read it.
“That is the most adorable thing ever!” She squealed, leaping into the air, jumping to my side and nearly shaking my arm off. “Oh, a million hearts were just broken!” Her smile was reaching ear to ear.
I had nothing to do but laugh at her. “You know Vicky, if you got a boyfriend, I could kill your arm too.” She stopped jumping and let go. “I wasn’t being sarcastic; I want you too be able to be cuddly with somebody!”
“Oh, Rashel, it’s not like I haven’t had a boyfriend before!” She was doing that thing she did when she was uncomfortable with a topic. “Anyways, where are we going?” She was talking about, where we should go until it’s safe to go home.
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. We started walking, not knowing where are feet were taking us. Shelby spent most of her time texting Jason, while he was supposed to be in Chemistry. Victoria on the other hand was playing a hockey game on her ‘I-pod‘.
There was a group of twelve grade guys lounging around on the street across from us. I recognized one as my ex-boyfriend Lenny Doyle. He was a street thug, you could say. He did drugs, smoked and drank. The only reason I ever dated him was because of my Mom hating him. I tried to walk faster but he caught a glimpse of me.
“Hey babe!” He called. Oh God. “Come on over!”
I rolled my eyes at him. Stopping suddenly I placed my hands on my hips. “I told you to stop calling me that when I dumped your butt last year!” His buddies started to laugh. He looked at the ground. That’s right buddy.
Him and his amigos started walked towards us. I really regret dating this kid. There was a boy in the front beside Lenny. He was about an inch taller then me, skinny and pimply. His hair was spiky and black, and he had his eyes on Shelby. “Hey beautiful.” He winked at her.
I’m pretty sure I heard her gag at him. Oh man, wait till Jason and Daniel find out! “Sorry, I’m taken.” She tried to smile at him, but she stopped half way through. The boy disgusted her to not being able to speak.
He slid his arm around her. “You know what? I don’t care.” I could see the scared look on Shelby’s face. She had never been cornered like this before. I looked behind me at Victoria, who was slinking away into the back. Shelby had taken to almost crying, that’s when I stepped in. I kneed the guy.
He dropped quicker then a dead fly. The guys laughed, glad I amused them. Shelby moved to the other side of me, a little impressed. Lenny held something up to me, a lit cigarette. “Want some?” He offered.
“You know I don’t smoke.” I glared at him. He chuckled then offered it to Shelby. She shook her head, but didn’t speak a word.
“Come on, one drag.” he pushed it closer to her face. Shelby started coughing, yet Lenny didn’t give up.
“Stop it.” She said. No he didn’t stop. “Stop hurting it!” She screamed, with one swift movement she nailed Lenny in the face with her fists of fury. Lenny stumbled back; a few of his buddies caught him. “Ha!” Shelby smiled, before turning her back on him.
Lenny wasn’t done apparently. He reached for Shelby, but I grabbed his arm, and sucker punched him in the stomach. This time he made his way to the ground. The guys backed off, finally realizing who was wearing the pants.
We women turned to leave but I stopped and bent down towards Lenny. “By the way. . . I’m taken too.” With one last pat on the cheek, I stood and walked away, and it wasn’t another ten minutes until we spoke.
“Hey, why don’t we go over to B&E Park?” B&E Park was the only good park around here. Its actual name was Sunshine and Stones playground, but the mayor had insisted of putting up a fence one year to keep out the teenagers at night. You can only imagine how well that worked! Us kids just broke the gate and went in. Thus the name B&E Park was born, breaking and entering.
They didn’t respond at first. Something was up. Shelby always texted Jason, but not this much, either they were fighting, which I didn’t think they were, or she was ignoring us. “Shelby!” I yelled. Even last night she had been acting funny. She usually turned off her computer by nine, strict rules from her Mom, and she always went to bed whenever I wanted to. She looked up from her phone. “What’s going on?”
“What do you mean?” She smiled a fake one at that. Her hair was falling over her face. I considered it, what could be going on with her? She was acting different because of something, ignoring me because of something. However I didn’t have the slightest clue what this something was. “Let’s just go.”
She took off in a fast walk down the road. Victoria fell into pace beside me. “You noticed it too?” She asked. She had put her ‘I-pod’ in her backpack, I wonder if she won. “I tried to confront her at lunch, when you and Daniel went outside, but she brushed it off.” Daniel!
“Oh my God!” I screamed with anger. “She told me it was fine! She told me! Ugh, why would she? I can’t believe her!” Victoria was beyond confusion. “She’s mad about me getting closer to Daniel!”
Victoria didn’t speak for a minute. We both stood there, and yet, Vicky wouldn’t face me. “Victoria?” Her head suddenly bolted up, and she took off running after Shelby. Crap. I knew what was happening; it was Vicky’s signature tackle. “No, Shelby!” I screamed.
Shelby turned just in time to see Victoria running at her, yet she didn’t move out of the way. A deer in headlights. I thought it was a myth, that people actually did that. “Victoria stop it!” I screamed. I took off running, my shoes hitting the pavement with a mighty force. “Vicky, no! Shelby move!”
My friends are idiots! “MOVE!” I screeched louder then I thought I could. Shelby seemed to finally hear me; she bolted into the street, forcing Victoria to come to a quick stop. It seemed to be over, I mean, nothing serious happened. It’s not like anybody got run over! Oops! I forgot to knock on wood!
Out of nowhere a blinding light came from the street. Shelby had her back to the flash of florescent color. Victoria saw it too, but nobody moved. What was wrong with us?
“Shelby!” I started trying to signal her to move but she was dumber then a post. My legs stuck in place, and I wondered if I would ever be able to move again. Couldn’t I just pause the moment and never let it move again?
The lights moved closer and tires squealed. Shelby turned quickly at the noise, but not in time to run. The car made impact with Shelby’s hip, flinging her into the air and plopping her down ten meters away. A limp body lay in the streets.
“No!” Victoria and I ran as fast as we could, even faster, if that was possible. Nothing in my mind was working; I couldn’t breath right at the moment. Right now nothing was more important then getting to Shelby and keeping her alive.
I bent down near her; she was lying on her side, a large gash on her hip where the car hit her. Her arm was swelling at the shoulder, twice its size. I couldn’t even state how many minor cuts and bruises she had. Victoria bent down and felt her pulse. “She’s breathing!” Vicky yelled relieved.
I looked behind us at the car that had hit Shelby. The woman was on her cell phone yelling directions to our current location. Victoria heard her too. “She can’t call the cops, they’ll tell our parents we were skipping!” Are you kidding me?
“Shelby just got hit by a car and you’re concerned about our parents finding out? What kind of friend are you?” I was bursting into tears, seeing Shelby like this. Usually so full of life, but now limp and almost dead.
The women ran up to us, panting. “I’m so sorry, Oh my lord! Is she okay? I called an ambulance, Oh my god!” She started crying heavily. She was a thin woman, with big bushy blond hair. Her glasses were burgundy, but you could see her tears, fogging up the lenses. She held a strong Texas accent.
I heard the sirens before I saw them. They stopped a little bit away from us and pulled a stretcher from the back. It all happened so fast, like the ground was being pulled out from under me. I wanted to be able to hold Shelby right now and tell her it would be okay. Even though I didn’t think it would be.
The police came next, they started interviewing the women. I didn’t listen in on there conversation, because right now I didn’t care what her name was, or how she couldn’t stop the breaks. Victoria didn’t leave my side. We were clinging onto each other with all we had. It was taking everything we had not to cry, and apparently we didn’t have much.
The cops came to us. “Would you like a drive to the hospital?” He asked, placing his hand on my shoulder. What a fruit! Did he think I was five? I could find my own way to the hospital.
“Yeah we do.” I sniffled. The way I found just happened to be his. He led us over to a cop car and opened the back. “One more thing,” I stopped “don’t call my Mom, thanks.” With that I took my place in the back and let Vicky cuddle into my shoulder.
“I hope she’s ok.” Victoria whispered. “I’ll be here for her no matter what though. It’s not like I have anywhere to go.” I starred at the ceiling of the vehicle for minutes. I was only thinking one thing. I did have somewhere to go, if I ever called my father.
I noticed how you said 1st chapter? So there's going to be more right? There should be!! I can't wait for it to come out !!!