by Sarah Tork
“We’re ready when you are shithead.” Joe roared, his voice somewhat screechy.
Here’s the part where all hell should have broken loose. I should have been witnessing a horrific chaotic stupid fight, unsure of how to stop it. But that’s not what happened. James was the reason no guy stepped up and took a swing from either side. I assumed they wanted our side to hit first so they could claim self-defense or something, but no one moved. My attention went to James; he stood in the middle and smirked, looking away thus ending his acknowledgement of the boys from Pleasant View High.
“Do something, asshole!”
“Yeah, you chicken shit!”
“Yeah, look who’s all scared now!”
“Pussy!”
“You’re ugly!”
That last one made everyone laugh for how childish it was. And let’s be honest, James was not ugly. Again I wasn’t looking at Pleasant View, my eyes would always stay on my man.
Even when you look annoyed, you’re cute….
He flexed his arms out before folding his arms over his chest, all while looking at every kid on opposite lines with a giant, soul destroying shit-eating grin, ending the tirade of degradation with a sigh. “What’s the point? If you wanted to do something… you would have done it already. You’re scared shitless, and I don’t have time to play with you guys anymore. So fuck back off to Pleasant View, pussies.”
That did it.
Here we go again!
Dean and his army erupted with anger and charged across Peter’s lawn, stomping across flowerbeds ruthlessly. Both sides collided; punches and kicks were thrown wildly. Jenna came rushing out from Peter’s house, yelling at Tom to stop.
Joe stopped kicking and punching at the sight of her. The angry boy was gone, replaced by an overjoyed puppy dog at the sight of its master. “Hey, Jenna! It’s been awhile, how’ve you been?”
Tom Colleto did not like this and charged for Joe.
“Tom, stop it!” Jenna screeched in horror. “Joe run, run before he kills you!”
Everything was happening so fast. Before I knew it, Dean and James were squaring off in front of the bushes where I hid behind. I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole. Before they had a chance to raise hands and go at it, a gun went off and an older man from next door stomped over to Peter’s front lawn, screaming. “Enough! I’ve called the police. If you don’t want to get arrested, you’ll get the fuck out of here, right now!”
While everyone from both sides ran for their “lives”, Dean stayed back and leaned toward James, telling him something that quickly broke his cocky façade, sending him into a fit of uncontrollable anger. Retaliation wasn’t an option, though. James had his closest confidants by his side, holding him back as Dean escaped back to his car, satisfied at a job well done for his side. Mission accomplished, he broke his enemy’s confidant façade, regaining “the trophy” that was unjustifiably stolen.
But at what cost? What did he say to James? My heart began to race faster as panic set in. Was it about me? Had Dean used our history as a form of instant retaliation against James?
Just great! The mountain just got freaking higher…. WONDERFUL! How am I going to get through this now?
I mean… I was innocent. Right?
I hadn’t done anything wrong. Right?
“Let me go!” James roared, but was no match for Tom, Roy and Peter pushing him back toward the porch and making him have a seat to calm down.
Jenna joined them by the porch. “Calm down, James.”
Wow, I never thought I’d see her try and calm him down. Almost like they’re… friend? Ha, hell just froze over!
While the last of the partiers scrambled away, something told me there were no cops coming our way. We would have heard sirens or seen a flash of blue and red by now. I panned back to Peter’s house, deciding whether or not I should make my presence known, or if I should just stay hidden in darkness.
Maybe I should wait a little bit longer….
Peter walked away from what was left of his party and joined the man who broke the fight on the sidewalk. But there didn’t seem to be any ill will, in fact, it was smiles all around.
Peter shook his neighbor’s hand. “Thank, Bill.”
Bill lit a cigarette and smoked it while grinning at Peter, like everything was easy-peasy. “No worries, kid. You know I’m here for you.”
Scare tactics at its finest… an inside job tonight. Well done, Peter, you’re smarter than you look.
My phone buzzed and my heart stopped.
Dean: How?
Annabelle: What do you mean?
Dean: How can you go out with a guy like that? He’s a fucking lunatic!!!
Annabelle: Oh really?
Dean: Yeah really!!
Annabelle: Then what does that make you?
Dean: What??
Annabelle: If James is a lunatic, than what does that make you? You’re not so innocent. You might even be the same.
Dean: I’m nothing like that guy!!!
Annabelle: Not from what I saw tonight.
Dean: You were there?
Annabelle: Of course I was, you were starting shit.
Dean: I didn’t start anything!
Annabelle: Yes you did, I saw the whole thing.
Dean: Oh yeah, then why didn’t you step up and stop us from fighting.
Annabelle: Why would I want to step in between you guys while there’s a pissing contest.
Dean: A pissing contest?
Annabelle: Fighting for no reason, at all. You both need to move on with your lives and forget the other exists.
Dean: What the fuck do you want me to do then? Take your fucking boyfriend’s shit! I can’t, I’m not a pussy, sorry to disappointment you.
Dean: What? Gone quiet, I guess that speaks more truth than you’re capable of.
Annabelle: Wow. Goodbye forever.
Dean: Bullshit!
Text messages came in, one after the other. But I’d had enough of him blaming me for everything. I scrolled by his name and blocked him. Good luck sending me text messages now. I also blocked him on Facebook. I thought I was being nice speaking with him, but it just wasn’t worth it anymore. In fact, I may have made things worse.
My phone vibrated and this time it was Jenna.
Jenna: Where are you?
I checked back at Peter’s house and James charged out from the house with the herd grabbing him from leaving the porch.
Peter stepped in front of him and flailed at the street in frustration. “Bro, I told you a million times not to trust them. Loyalties don’t exist from the ladies. It’s like in their DNA to be shady.”
“Hey, stop talking about my best friend like that. She’s the most loyal person there is!” Jenna yelled while texting away at her phone.
Jenna: Where are you!
Annabelle: I’m here.
Jenna: Then get your bongos over here before I kill half the baseball team. Oh and Boy Wonder’s about to lose it, something about you having secret convo’s with Dean for the last month.
Like a bullet, without thinking, analyzing or getting nervous, I charged passed the bushes crossing over on to Peter’s front lawn, not caring if the spotlight was on me and if they were all looking at me like I was this uninvited guest, crashing their ultra private party. James stopped moving and relaxed his arms. Tom and Roy let go of his arms and stepped back.
I stopped in front of him. “Hi,” I murmured, feeling very nervous all of a sudden. We stared at one another for what seemed like an eternity. His green eyes screamed scorned and betrayed.
I opened my mouth to say something but he beat me to it, breaking eye contact and facing Peter instead. “Tomorrow?”
Peter nodded. “Tomorrow.”
Confirmation done, James walked around me, leaving me heartbroken. Without making eye contact with anyone else I turned around and followed James, but he was tall and fast and I had to jog to catch up to him on the sidewalk. His car was parked down the bloc
k.
“Stop,” I yelled after him but he wouldn’t slow down. “Stop!”
He pulled out his fob and unlocked his car as the flashlights blinked once. I ran to him as he sat in the driver’s seat about to close his door, but I stopped him from shutting it.
“Stop!” I grabbed his arm but he wouldn’t look at me. “Why are you acting like this with me?”
“You’re funny,” he sneered quietly, staring a hole in his steering wheel.
He could have sworn at me, called me every name in the book, and it wouldn’t have hurt me as much as…. “You’re funny,”
“I’m funny?” I repeated, as tears spilled down my cheeks. I squeezed his bicep and leaned into him. “I hate you,” I whispered and yanked myself away from him and crossed the street to the sidewalk. I kept wiping tears off my face, but they wouldn’t stop coming down as my sobs grew louder. I heard a door slam shut and footsteps behind me, running to catch up. This scene felt familiar. History was repeating itself, but this pain was different.
My strength was no match for his, so when his hand grabbed my arm there was no point in fighting him, but I still did it anyways. “Go to hell!” I flailed at him with my free arm, hitting his rock hard chest.
I grimaced at him, feeling abandoned. “I hate you.”
“You hate me?” He sneered in disbelief. “You’ve been doing god knows what behind my back!”
My eyes widened in fury. “I haven’t done anything.”
“Bullshit,” he spat. “You’ve been texting that pussy, yes or no?”
I shook my head crazily. “He texted me! He kept complaining about you and asking why I was with you!”
We stared at one another in silence. I gulped in worry, and despite my racing heartbeat I tried to keep myself calm.
He spoke first, somewhat calmer. “And what did you tell him?”
I gulped again. “The truth.”
Did I even know what the truth was?
As we continued our stare off in silence, my heart couldn’t take it anymore, and neither could my mind. I was exhausted.
“I’m tired.” I muttered, looking away. “I’m going home.”
I made it three steps before his arms were wrapped around me, with his face cuddled in the crook of my neck, breathing hot air on my skin. I felt his heart race against my back as he pulled me closer.
“The truth gives me fuzzies, Fireball.” he said lightheartedly.
I couldn’t help but smile, from both relief and amusement. “Stop trying to make me laugh.” I urged him, chuckling against him. Fuzzy and James did not go together. He didn’t seem like the kind of guy to get fuzzies, let alone admit to it openly.
Amusement ended and we were back to seriousness. “Wanna know what my truth is?” he offered, giving my neck a soft kiss.
We were lunatics.
Fighting and making up like it were an Olympic sport.
But we’d get gold, for sure.
“I know your truth, Tiger.” I turned around and jumped into his arms. He lifted me easily, his arms resting underneath my dress, touching me where only he was allowed. I pecked him on the mouth, a quick meaningful kiss that made the world okay again. He carried me back to his car and we drove to his Grandpa’s house. The whole way over, urges took over and my seat belt spent more time unfastened than fastened. Kissing him at each red light, and touching him where he squirmed the most, turned the twenty-minute drive into pure torture.
His grandparents weren’t home. They were gone, doing the whole road trip thing to Myrtle Beach in South Carolina where their daughter lived with her family. Grandma and Grandpa Lawson were going to spend the rest of their Thanksgiving holiday with them, unlike their other child whom they didn’t like at all, who was a pompous, ostentatious, asshole, holier than thou prick… guess who I was talking about?
Nobody liked Mr. Jim Lawson these days, except for maybe his mistress and maybe his children. James didn’t know about his dad cheating on Janet, still. And I wasn’t sure when I’d ever tell him. We had our own issues; me keeping this a secret for this long was like adding fuel to an already growing fire. Telling him would definitely not be a good idea.
Like before, when entering a quiet empty house, I got butterflies in my stomach and an ache in my heart, wishing going home with him like this was an everyday reality. Maybe one day.
James sat on his bed and I all but mauled him, kissing him furiously as he layback on his queen bed. But he pulled back soon after.
“We can’t,” he said, holding me in place.
I jerked my head back in shock. “What do you mean…. we can’t?”
He coughed nervously. “Coach said that I wasn’t allowed, not before a fight at least.”
“But,” I whined. “But,”
What. Is. Wrong. With. ME?
Get a grip!
“But.” James mimicked sweetly. “Don’t worry, it’s killing me not to either… trust me.” he whispered that last part, sounding in pain like I was. We had needs, needs that needed replenishment, because despite being fucked up, coping through the many instances of our bullshit involved lots and lots of…. togetherness. And whether that was sex, or hugging tightly and kissing, or just kissing, or just touching… I needed him like an addict needed their drug. He was my drug and there was no turning back from this addiction.
No. Matter. What.
So much for getting a grip…
While his grip loosened, I took the opportunity and plunged back down to my rightful spot over him, kissing him like there was no tomorrow, which turned into gyrating on top of him. It was only natural… right? But I knew I was playing with fire, yet again.
“Stop,” James laughed, moving me off him. We lay side by side, holding hands in silence. It got serious soon as the sexual high died down.
“Tell me he’s a lying piece of shit.” he whispered.
“He’s a lying piece of shit.” I whispered.
Chapter 18
ANNABELLE
Saturday November 24, 2012
“The witch is dead.”
Rewind twenty seconds ago…. SO there I was, five minutes into my shift. The club was quiet and I had no customers yet. The door popped open, jump starting work mode me, but it wasn’t a customer, it was Andy. That shocked me, because I haven’t seen her since her first shift. She strutted over to the stand with a clipboard and a huge grin on her face.
“The witch is dead.” She entered the stand and placed her clipboard on the table. “Say hello to your new supervisor, Simms.”
“What’s going on?” I asked, giving her a nervous smile.
“That goblin’s out, and I’m in.”
“You,” A throaty voice, filled with menace on the attack, cried. Andy and I looked up and Shelby stood in front of the lemonade stand with an accusing, wrinkled, chipped, dirty old nailed index finger, pointing right at Andy. “You stole my job!”
Andy sneered, shooing her away with her hand. “I didn’t steal shit from you.”
Shelby roared. “Yes you did!”
“No, I didn’t.” Andy shook her head, cringing in disgust. “They caught you stealing three boxes of hot dogs this morning and your stupid ass got fired…. fired.”
Shelby let out a shrill cry that would have pained anyone’s ear, let alone mine. I grabbed my ears in pain. Damn that hurts!
“I didn’t steal anything!” Shelby shrieked louder. “Those hot dogs were going to be thrown out. Their sell by date expired a week ago!”
Andy shrugged. “Stealing is stealing. And by the way, weren’t you banned from entering the premises for life?” Andy pulled out a walkie-talkie and pressed the side button. “Security, we’ve got a trespasser who needs to be escorted out.”
Shelby’s pointed finger of accusation turned its attention to the device Andy held. “They gave you…. a walkie talkie?”
The walkie-talkie buzzed. “Roger that, what’s your location?”
Andy smirked at Shelby and held the walkie-talkie closer to her mou
th. “She’s on the back lot, by the lemonade stand,”
“They gave you…. a freaking…. walkie talkie?” Shelby squeaked again, about to erupt in flames. The madness!
“No, I don’t see any weapons,” Andy continued.
“They gave you…. a fucking…. walkie talkie?” Shelby cried, lowering her arm. “They gave her a walkie talkie! They never gave me a walkie talkie, ever!”
The walkie-talkie buzzed loudly. “We’re on our way!”
“They gave the new girl a walkie talkie!” Shelby erupted.
Andy pressed the walkie button again. “The trespasser is hostile, I repeat the trespasser is hostile. We need a rush on that evacuation.”
“I’ll kill you!” Shelby screamed, looking like a bull about to charge a red flag.
Andy looked at me and smirked. “She’s lost it,”
I nodded slowly. “You have no idea,”
“They gave you a walkie talkie!” Shelby screeched again, charging for Andy who swatted her away with the clipboard.
“Don’t you dare use that clipboard to hit me!” Shelby backed away, pointing at Andy before taking the plunge again and charging back at Andy despite her clipboard weaponry.
“Get away from me, you freak!” Andy screeched dodging swings from Shelby.
