Loose Lips Sink Ships
Page 30
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“Where is she?” Ms. Downing asked as she jogged through the short, narrow, and dark tunnel to the main section of the women’s locker room. Coming to a halt, she glanced around. There didn’t seem to be anyone at all, and certainly not any blood. Just then, Avery stepped out from behind the wall to the showers.
“I’m right here,” Avery snarled, her heart beating a million times a minute.
“No,” Ms. Downing yelped, turning to run away but bumping into Kendra who blocked the exit. Seeing there was no escape, she turned back to Avery. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“You know exactly what I’m doing. So why don’t you tell me?” Avery shot back.
Ms. Downing took a few steps forward, almost laughing to herself.
“Oh, you’re good. I can see that you’ve trapped me, and there’s no way for me to keep my job while things go on in here that no one can see. Just like in Fight Club, you’re going to beat yourself up, throw your body against the lockers, hit yourself in the face, and then blame it all on me. I’ll have no defense. At least in women’s prison I probably won’t be getting my ass pounded.”
“Not even close,” Avery said, chuckling at the ridiculous idea of beating herself up. “I don’t plan to get hurt at all. You on the other hand…”
Ms. Downing glanced back to see Kendra, arms crossed and eyes glaring at her.
“What, are you going to have Serena Williams here do your dirty work for you? Figures you wouldn’t have the ovaries to do it yourself. You’re such a bitch, you know that.”
“No one calls me that!” Avery shouted, her voice echoing off the pale green tile. She gritted her teeth, releasing a nerve-ridden breath into the air. Closing her eyes, she clenched her fists and wondered if her anger was getting the better of her. But she couldn’t let Ms. Downing be right, not at all. “Kendra, you can go. I’ll take care of her myself.”
“Are you sure?” Kendra asked, signaling to Avery that it was not a good idea.
“I’m sure. She’s not going to run away when she knows the path to Carter has always been right through me. Every despicable trick hasn’t gotten him to come around, and now her attempts just look desperate and pathetic. She can try everything in the book, but little does she know that Carter can barely read.”
Throwing up her arms, Kendra tiptoed back through the tunnel and turned the corner to the gym floor and the basketball game. Avery slipped off her jacket, revealing the thin, white v-neck t-shirt beneath covering her slim, flat body.
“Your headlights are on,” Ms. Downing jabbed. “Didn’t even bother to wear your training bra today?”
After committing herself to the fight, Avery felt so charged she wasn’t surprised that her nipples were hard. Her mouth filled with saliva, making her swallow continuously. Every part of her body seemed to tingle.
“It’s my spidey sense telling me there’s about to be an ass kicking,” she said, striding toward her athletic, shapely nemesis.
“You don’t have it in you,” Ms. Downing charged, standing her ground. “It’s no surprise then you’re stuck in the body of a little boy!”
Avery’s hand jerked, slapping Ms. Downing across the face. Filled with rage, she watched her teacher sprawl to the side, but it was only an instant before she came back. One swift push knocked Avery on her back against the floor, sliding back. The stinging pain made her clench her teeth, and soon Ms. Downing was upon her.
The pair scratched and clawed, pulling at each other’s hair. Amidst her screams and cries, Avery thought about the one thing she desperately needed to do, get Ms. Downing back through the tunnel and onto the basketball court.
But Avery hadn’t spent this much time on her back with her legs in the air since Carter bought her that pair of pearl earrings, and now it seemed like she would never get up. Ms. Downing connected a punch to the side of her face, making Avery see stars.
“If I’m going to get fired, I might as well enjoy it!” she cackled.
Avery rolled and pushed, eventually wriggling out of her grasp. She felt woozy as though she was underwater, but she got to her feet and tried to head for the tunnel. Ms. Downing grabbed her around the waist from behind, and Avery threw her elbows back. Together, they slammed into the lockers, the banging noise echoing in their ears.
They slid against the bench and onto the floor. Ms. Downing was twisting Avery’s arm, while Avery kicked back at Ms. Downing’s shins. Avery kept trying to get away, but she never made it more than a few steps before she was caught. Still, they weren’t too far from the entrance to the tunnel.
Ms. Downing lifted Avery into the air and started to spin her around on her shoulder. Avery yelled, completely helpless, until she fell onto her back and shoulder, which was already killing her. She didn’t know how much longer she could hold out, and having Ms. Downing smothering her again was brutal. Trying to get the woman off of her, she punched her in the only target available.
“Ow, you hit me in the boob!” Ms. Downing howled, pulling away so she could hold herself. A sudden look of concern dawned on her pained face. “I think you ruptured my implant!”
“You have breast implants?” Avery gasped. “That’s cheating!”
Like Popeye with spinach, a surge swept into Avery’s muscles, giving her three times her normal strength. Using her forearms to press against Ms. Downing’s chest, she pushed and got back to her feet. Yelling at the top of her lungs, Avery charged against her rival, steam-rolling her back into the tunnel and smacking her against the back wall. The sounds of the game and the crowd roared into her ears. Grabbing her by the shoulders, Avery swung her and together they spilled out into plain view of the crowd.