by Sarah Tork
“Shut up, no one cares about you and your cheek.” Donna screeched. “My nail broke, you ugly cow.”
My blood boiled. I looked away from the door and glared angrily at her. “No, you shut up.”
What if her deep scratch actually left a scar on my face? Or, contaminated my DNA?
Oh my God. Donna contaminated me!
But it must have been a special concoction of spinach and sugar, because ol’ Donna was at it again with the surprises. She literally leaped out of her chair and pushed me to the floor. “No you shut up! You didn’t learn your lesson the first time, fire fart!”
Did she just call me fire fart?
Fire fart?
Donna’s lost it, or I have, because I began to laugh while sprawled on the office floor.
Vice Principal Adams charged out from his office and stared at me because I was still on the floor with Donna standing by my feet. Donna quickly sat back in her seat, putting on an innocent face. But it was no go. Her evilness was beyond obvious.
Looking exhausted, Vice Principal Adams shook his head at her. “I don’t need this right now. Miss Tallins, why am I not surprised to see you in here, again.”
Donna’s jaw dropped. “You’re blaming me!”
I could spill the beans about her and Coach Doug right now and get her more in trouble. Maybe she’d even be expelled, or at least humiliated. And I wouldn’t feel bad either.
Vice Principal Adams pointed at her and then at me. “I’m going to be very blunt with the both of you. It’s your lucky day. You two are so lucky. The both of you will get off with another warning.” He looked back at Donna. “And Miss Tallins, this is a heavy warning to you in particular. If I find you in this office one more time, we will be calling your parents to discuss your upcoming suspension.”
“Suspension!” Donna shrieked and then pointed at me. “She’s the one who started it! I was only defending myself.”
This made the receptionist laugh out loud. “Miss Tallins, you do realize since the school year began we’ve received over fifteen complaints about you bullying students.”
Donna gasped. “I’ve never bullied a soul in my life!”
I stifled a laugh, but masked it quickly as a cough. Donna not bullying a soul in her life must have been the biggest lie ever declared in this office. Her all day – every day – nastiness wasn’t lost to the faculty, clearly.
Vice Principal Adams looked even more exhausted then before. He faced me and I quickly got up. “Miss Simms, are you okay? Would you like the school to call your parents and let them know of the situation?”
Donna gasped again. “What about me? I’m not okay!”
I shook my head. “I’m fine.”
“Would you like to go to the nurse’s office for that scratch on your cheek.” he asked me.
Ah, the nurse, my old friend. How will she heal me now? Bandage number two? Probably. I need it.
I nodded. “Yeah, I think I need a new bandage.”
“Then you may leave to the nurse’s office,” he said. “And if you’d like to go home instead of going to your next class, I’ll excuse it.”
I shook my head. “No, that’s okay. I’ll go to class.”
Donna piped up. “I need an ambulance. I might have a concussion.”
Vice Principal Adams rolled his eyes. “You can go to the nurse’s office after Miss Simms is finished.”
Donna hissed loudly. “My father will be hearing about this! I’m the priority, not her. I might have a concussion! Brain damage!” Donna barged out from the office, but stopped right outside and hurled vomit right in the middle of the hallway.
“Dear god.” Vice Principal Adams hissed angrily. He glared at the receptionist. “Judith, call Harold over to the office for a spill.”
“Got it, boss.” Judith said and picked up the phone.
With my head down, I left the office, joining Donna in the hallway.
“You just love,” she rasped at me before more brownish yellow slush hurled out from her mouth. “Seeing me like this, don’t you!”
She’s beyond sick. More like sick in the head.
I shook my head, looking at her in disgust. “Only you would be happy at seeing someone in pain or sick.”
Vice Principal Adams stepped in the hallway. “Miss Simms, please go to the nurse’s office.”
And that’s my cue…
Instead of going to the nurse’s office first, I headed straight to the washroom. I needed soap, lots of soap thanks to Donna contaminating me with her razor sharp nails. I stood in front of the mirror inside the washroom. My hair was all over the place…again. I fixed my ponytail and I washed my face and then I examined my cheek again. It was redder and slightly bigger.
“Yeah, that’s not going away anytime soon.” I murmured. I hoped my cheek wouldn’t turn yellow and blue, because dear lord, what if I got a black eye? How would I hide a black eye? A scratch I could cover with foundation, but the big problem was if my mom noticed the scratch. There’d be hell to pay trying to convince her I had not gotten in a fight. Would she even believe me?
“I wasn’t looking and tripped. My cheek hit the curb of the sidewalk.” I tried a run through to see if it sounded believable. “Nope…. maybe?”
Speaking of scratches. I had another date with the nurse. I had used soap to clean my face, but I needed some kind of military grade antibacterial ointment for my scratch, and whatever extra strength rubbing alcohol the nurse had around, because damn…. Donna’s DNA diseased fingernails plagued my mind with possibilities an evil witch could only dream of.
“So dramatic,” I sighed to myself.
I looked at my stall and was tempted to spend the rest of second period in there. Old me would have already been inside, waiting for the tears to dry up and my sanity to be somewhat restored back to its un-former glory. But I wasn’t old me anymore. Late November me pushed old me out with the strength of thirty gods, fifty suns and one awesome memory of serving Donna Tallins the cold hard truth via my left hook. Things were so obvious right now, and spending time hiding out in a washroom stall was a huge waste of TIME. I mean… what kind of an adult would do stuff like that?
Not me.
Not anymore.
I was changed.
Brand new.
“Eh, I’ll probably be back in here next week.” I giggled like a crazy person and headed out. Feeling excited, I pulled my phone out. I wanted to see the text messages sent to me, and from one person in particular.
My eyes widened in surprise. There were thirteen text messages waiting for me.
Jenna: Where are you?
Jenna: I just heard what happened!!! I will kill that ho!!
Jenna: Please tell me you got a nice chuck of that biatches extensions!!!
Jenna: Where are you? I’m looking everywhere.
Jenna: And apparently Peter and Roy, and Tom just heard the news. It only took them a million years. I’m so not impressed.
Peter the Great: Where u at girl? Heard you and Donna had a showdown! And I missed it! Not cool.
Peter the Great: How’s Becky by the way?
Roy: u ok?
Tom: Where are you? Jenna’s about to explode.
Jenna: Donna Tallins needs her ass whooped!! Psychotic BITCH!! The next time I see that girl I’m going to kick her ass!!
Jenna: Please tell me you’re ok!
Jenna: Ugh, it’s so frustrating. It’s like I’m the only one who cares.
Jenna: I’m in class. But my phone is on silent, send me a text ASAP!!!
Annabelle: I’m ok. Just a little banged up.
Jenna: OMG!!! I’m so happy you’re ok. What happened? And who started it? She didn’t win right?
Annabelle: She started it and no, she did not win. But I’ll give you the details later. I want to turn off my brain. I’m gonna skip the rest of the day.
Jenna: I would so skip with you but I just finished a quiz and I have another quiz next period UGH!!! I hate this!! I feel useless!!!
> Annabelle: I’m okay. Don’t worry.
Jenna: What about Boy Wonder?
Annabelle: What about him. I haven’t heard a peep from him.
Jenna: What? How is that possible?
Annabelle: He didn’t show up for school today.
Jenna: What the fuck!!! What’s wrong with him? I know his buddies sent him text messages about what happened. And still silence? What kind of a boyfriend is he!!! Click eject on this relationship, stat.
Annabelle: My brain is on off mode now. TTYL
Jenna: Details. Later. Bye.
Annabelle: Bye
Chapter 25
ANNABELLE
Jenna: It’s finally lunchtime. Did you go home?
Annabelle: Yeah. No one’s home. Thank God. I tended to my battle scar and have been resting on my bed awaiting the shakes in case that psycho had some special poison coated on her nails that takes awhile to kick in.
Jenna: Damn. I didn’t know it was like that. So, no shakes then?
Annabelle: No.
Jenna: Thank god.
Annabelle: So, news?
Jenna: I’ve heard many versions of what happened.
Annabelle: Start with the craziest one. I need to laugh.
Jenna: Donna caught you stealing her pink lipstick out of her backpack in the washroom, because you’re likeeeee soooooo jealous like that and you’re poor too apparently and couldn’t afford to buy one. LOL. I love it. Anyways, she catches your dirty slutty hands snooping in her stuff and she chased you in the hallway and beats the living daylights out of you and now you’re in the hospital with three broken ribs, a black eye and a hump on your back. But don’t worry, in every story she won’t be pressing any charges on you.
Annabelle: Aw, how thoughtful.
Jenna: I know. Would you like me to go up to her and say thank you on behalf of you. Please say yes. PLEASE!!!!
Annabelle: Eh. Screw her and her ninja moves.
Jenna: LOL. Ninja moves. But in all seriousness, she’s sitting with her band of idiots replaying the whole thing and it’s physically hurting me not to get up and beat the crap out of her!!!!!! I want to so bad. But it’s your call. I even have a perfect plan of revenge. After school I’ll karate chop her lying ass into a puddle of mud…. In front of EVERYONE!! Whaddya think? Do I have the okay to go for it?
Annabelle: Stand down soldier.
Jenna: Not fair. Where’s the justice!!
Annabelle: If it makes you feel any better, after she attacked me first, I pulled her hair and made her scream bloody murder.
Jenna: Much better. Good.
Annabelle: What else is going on?
Jenna: Boy Wonder’s not in the cafeteria. Has he texted you yet?
Annabelle: No.
Jenna: Well the boys are saying no one can reach him either. Apparently his phone’s been off since Sunday.
Annabelle: That’s interesting.
Annabelle: Hello?
Annabelle: Jenna, you still there?
Jenna: Holllllldddd on!!!! I’m getting some info!
Annabelle: Ugh, I’m so done with drama today. What’s going on now?
Jenna: I’m listening in on an ultra secret convo between Peter and Roy. They’re sitting at the end of the table to keep it hush hush, but they totally suck at keeping their voices down. Don’t they know I have super hearing abilities? LOL these boys have no skills.
Annabelle: Well?
Jenna: Never mind. Boys suck by the way.
Annabelle: LOL. They caught you.
Jenna: Ugh, they totally played me. LOL.
Annabelle: Alright, go enjoy lunch. I’m still chilling.
Jenna: Keep on relaxing. But the prospects of revenge ain’t over. More details to come. Count on that.
Annabelle: Whatevessss. TTYL.
Jenna: Later fighter queen.
The last few hours have been shit. But right now I felt warm, like the kind you’d feel waking up on Christmas day. It was amazing, that a gesture could shift my mood so quickly. But I guess that’s best friend magic for you, exceeding the abilities of parents, siblings…. and boyfriends.
A million points for Jenna Sabini!
My wound itched underneath a teddy bear themed bandage. When I arrived home earlier and realized no one would be around for a while, I took my time in the bathroom and DEEPLY cleansed my cheek with anything I could find. The teddy bear bandage was ridiculous, but it was my mom’s way of keeping her kids “little”. I didn’t care. It brought lightness to the situation, and it even made me smile for a second. But just for one second. Because, have I mentioned that the physical description of crazy weird was my life today… so far?
It’s countdown time!
1: I wanted to be a hero, and my first act of heroism was saving my brother’s cellphone from parental captivity.
2: I ate a calorie filled breakfast solo at a diner.
3: Getting into a monster, hair pulling, fight with Donna.
4: Realizing the main office didn’t really give a shit about disciplining their students. All they cared about was coffee. Which was hilarious.
5: Finding my new enemy being extra obvious about her intentions to be the “new woman” in my “boyfriends” life.
6: Ditching school and getting into another insult infested, hair-pulling match with Donna.
7: Getting sent to the main office and getting off Scott free…. again.
What a world.
Of course I could add like a million more things to that list, and they would probably all revolve around James. But I didn’t want let myself go there. Not yet anyways.
So…. here I was. Lying on my bed. Staring at my ceiling. Holding my phone and pressing a name on my phone, expecting one result, but hoping for another. Hell, I should I have done this yesterday, even if my call had gone straight to voicemail. At least there’d be no risk of confusion from my end.
Screw the mind games.
“James Lawson…. is not available to take your call at this moment. Please leave a message at the beep. We’re sorry, this voicemail box is full. Please call again later. Goodbye.”
I ended the call, dropped my phone on my chest and sighed out loud, because this was exactly what I didn’t want to happen. Was I being ignored on purpose? Or was he in trouble? My gut told me it was the first one. But I needed more confirmation. I needed info.
Annabelle: I need your help.
Jenna: I was a second away from texting you. Wow. Telepathy or something.
Annabelle: I need info.
Jenna: Girl, you know I got that info.
Annabelle: Spill it then. What’s going on?
Jenna: Peter and Roy thought they could pull a fast one on me. But they should know Big Tom’s under my command now and my darling tells me everything. LOL!!! What buffoons!!!
Annabelle: Well????
Jenna: Well apparently Boy Wonder’s got this impromptu macho sparring thing tonight against a fellow hothead who got into a shouting match with him yesterday over who was the bigger douchebag. His phone’s been off, but apparently he just texted Peter five minutes ago and ordered the boys to come watch “the fight” tonight.
Annabelle: Was that it?
Jenna: Yeah. And he hasn’t texted you yet, right?
Annabelle: No text messages. And I just tried to call him but I went straight to voicemail.
Jenna: For frigs sake! What’s his problem?
Annabelle: I can only think of two things.
Jenna: And they are?
Annabelle: One theory, it’s the Saturday thing, the extended version. Problem so not solved. He’s still pissed about me and Dean texting, even though it was totally innocent. But maybe he thinks I crossed a loyalty boundary or something.
Jenna: Bullshit. He’s one to talk about “Loyalty”. What about all the crap he’s put you through since August!
Annabelle: True. But that’s just one theory. The second theory is he wants to focus a 100% on this fight and by turning his phone off he’s getting
rid of unnecessary distractions.
