“I don’t want a lecture, Mom.”
“And I don’t need to give you one. Break up with that boy and be done with it.” She glanced at Gwen, but her daughter was giving her the silent treatment. Joan’s voice brightened a bit. “Do you want me to drop you off at the rink? So you can skate it off?”
“I don’t want to skate.”
“Well, you’re not going home and eating ice cream. With the way you touch sweets, I have to inventory everything to make sure you’re not eating them behind my back.”
“Then, I’ll go to the Johnny Burger and drink ten malts.” There was a challenge in the younger girl’s blue eyes.
“And that’s why you’re overweight. You’re going to be known as the chubby skater at next week’s competition.”
“I don’t even want to go anymore.”
“You’re going.”
“I’m not.”
“Don’t you dare start that, young lady.” Her mother turned into the rink’s parking lot. She pointed to the building. “There’s open skating tonight. Get your ass in there and practice.”
“No.” Gwen had her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes glaring forward.
“Now.” Joan got out of the car and pulled her daughter with her.
Chapter Seven
Gwen was at the rink every day until her competition. Joan was pushing her, and it was clear the stress was showing on her daughter. Morgan returned on Sunday, but Gwen didn’t talk to him. They hadn’t made up and really didn’t have time to.
On Wednesday, Gwen was getting ready to go to Charleston. Her face was pale, and she had hardly eaten anything since the night she’d had her fight with Morgan. Even though it was clear that Gwen wasn’t feeling good, her mother continued to rag on her.
As Gwen stood getting last adjustments to her costume, Joan was in a very annoyed mood. She would tsk at Gwen’s size, even though the young skater hardly carried an ounce of fat on her tall frame.
She was simply built differently than the other skaters. Her shape was just naturally more muscular and curvy than the other girls. But her mother never took that into account. Gwen wasn’t as thin and petite as her competitors, and her mother wouldn’t be satisfied until she was.
“Stop blubbering, Gwen.” Joan exhaled in frustration as she tried to close the back of her daughter’s costume. “It’s your fault you don’t fit in this.”
“You made it smaller on purpose. It’s your fault.” Gwen’s eyes glared forward, her perfectly painted face hiding the deep circles under her eyes.
“Because it was your job to fit into it by today. But you don’t. Instead, you chose to eat all that junk with the boys. Damn it, Gwen.” Joan grunted as she tried to get up the zipper. “Suck it in more, I can’t get this up.”
Gwen took a deep breath, closing her eyes as tight as she could. The fabric finally came together. Gwen held a hand over her stomach and winced. “I can’t skate like this, Mom. I can’t bend at all. It’s too tight. It hurts.”
“You’ll be fine. Stop whining.” Joan straightened. She took in Gwen’s appearance and cringed. “All right.” She sighed then motioned for Gwen to go out. “Let’s get to warm ups.”
Once at the rink, Gwen rushed out before her mother. As she put on her skates, Joan was at her ear again. “Hurry, Gwen. We’re running late.”
“I am hurrying.” She tied Morgan’s laces.
“Take those out,” her mother demanded.
“No.” Gwen’s breath quickened as she glared. She was now fighting back, which she hadn’t done all morning.
“Do it. I’ll get this one.” Joan grabbed the other skate. She then turned to Sam, who was now with them. “Get me that extra pair of laces, Sam.” She was about to take the red and black ones out, but Gwen ripped the skate from her.
“These are my lucky laces. I’m wearing them.”
“You’re not.”
“I am.” Gwen slammed her skate down on the bench. A few people turned to them, the other girls now watching closely.
“Stop it,” her mother whispered harshly. “You’re acting like a kid and embarrassing us.”
“Leave her alone, Mom,” Sam spoke up, as he walked over and sat next to Gwen. She was crying now, her hands shaking as she tried to tie her skate. “Let her wear them.”
“Take them out.” Joan’s voice was stern.
“No.” Gwen’s protest was soft. Her fingers paused on the laces, and she didn’t finish tying them.
“Now.”
Gwen was shaking, but it was so light it wasn’t noticeable unless you looked closely. Then, she bent over slightly, and there was a rip. Her whole costume had busted open in back near the hemline of the zipper. Gwen held herself in front so she wasn’t exposed. Sam quickly took off his hoodie and draped it over Gwen’s shoulders. Gwen ripped off her skate and tossed it to the side. She ran in her stocking feet back to the dressing room.
“Stop pushing her like that.” Sam glared at his mom. When she went to go after Gwen, Sam stood in front of her. “Let me get her.”
Sam then jogged after his sister. He couldn’t see where she had gone, so he asked some girls there if they had seen her. According to them, she had grabbed her shoes and run out. Dashing to the entrance, he searched outside. When he couldn’t find her, he went to a pay phone and dialed Morgan’s number.
“Hello?” Morgan’s mother picked up.
Sam spoke quickly, “I need to talk to Morgan.”
“Oh, sure. I’ll get him for you, Sam. Just hurry up. We’re running late. We have to get on the road soon.” There was a pause as she went to retrieve her son.
Morgan answered a few seconds later. “Yeah?”
“Gwen took off, and I can’t find her.”
“In Charleston?” Morgan sounded confused.
“Mom was raggin’ on her, and Gwen just took off.”
“Fuck.” Morgan sighed in annoyance. “And you checked the bathrooms and stuff?”
Sam palmed his forehead in frustration then ran his hand through his messy, dark hair. “I checked everywhere, and I can’t find her. Why’d you have to ditch her, man?” Though he was pissed, Sam had a soft sadness in his voice. “You promised you’d be here. She needed you. As her brother, I should’ve kicked your ass for that. That was a bitch thing to do.”
“I know…I shouldn’t have done that. Sorry, Sam. It’s just that I got the dates screwed up. I didn’t miss her competition on purpose. And I can’t back out now. These tryouts are important to me. Castle is important to me.”
“And Gwen’s important to me. You’ll get another chance to go someplace next year, but I’m not gonna let you near my sister after this. I mean it. You don’t deserve her.”
“Sam, come on. Cut me some slack here. You know I would never hurt Gwen. She’s my South. I’m gonna play at Castle for a year, and she’ll—”
“Shit! You’re a goddamn idiot! Gwen’s not gonna wait for you.”
“She will, too.”
“You only care about what you want. You’re so goddamn selfish.”
“I am not.”
“You are, too. And what kind of friend are you? You get approached by Castle, and you don’t even tell me. That’s big, Morgan. I can see why you didn’t tell Gwen because she has your fuckin’ balls in her hand. But me? I’m your best friend. You’re supposed to tell me everything.”
“I’m sorry, Sam.”
“Sorry doesn’t cut it. You’ve become a fucking snob since you got on the Kats. What the fuck’s up with you? Is hockey more important than your best friend? Your family? Damn it, Morgan.”
“What the hell do you expect me to do?” Morgan seemed to be trying to keep his voice down. “Turn this down?”
“You can play on the Kats until you graduate from Wartham. Just like you promised my sister. It’s just as good as that high-class Castle shit. And you promised me you’d stay and help out next year. The fucking shit’s gonna hit the fan here pretty fuckin’ soon, and I need you.”
“Why’d she take off?” Morgan’s tone changed drastically.
Sam seemed a little caught off guard by the shift in subject. “I told you—my mom was ragging on her. I haven’t seen her eat anything all morning, either. Gwen can’t take this.”
“Damn,” Morgan swore. “Let me do some damage control here for a few minutes. I can’t promise anything because my dad’s gonna be fuckin’ pissed at me, but I’ll try to get down there.”
After hanging up, Sam finally found Gwen sitting in the mall down the street from the rink. They had a long talk, and Sam convinced her that she didn’t need to go back. After calming her down a bit, he took her to get something to eat at the Johnny Burger.
Gwen was shoving around the straw to her butterscotch shake, something her mother would freak out if she saw her drinking. Her tears had dried, but the heavy ice cream didn’t make her feel any better. She was sitting with Sam, who was snacking on a basket of fries.
“Hey.” Morgan walked up to the table, a very awkward smile on his face. Gwen looked up at him, her eyes slightly racooned from her mascara. Without an invite, he sat down next to her.
“What are you doing here?” Gwen narrowed her eyes on him, her glare hot.
“Coming to get you.” He playfully nudged her shoulder. “So, you skipped out on your competition?”
“I ripped my costume in front of everyone. It was so embarrassing.” She was staring at the lid of her drink, a shakiness in her voice that showed she was on the verge of tears.
“And I missed that?” Morgan’s tone was upbeat as he ripped her cup from her and took a few sips. Gwen laughed then hit him playfully. “Seriously, though.” Morgan handed it back. “You really need to tell your Mom you don’t want to do this anymore.”
“I can’t,” Gwen said softly.
“We’ll help.” Morgan turned to Sam. “Right?”
“Yeah.” Sam nodded.
Gwen took Morgan’s arm and draped it over her shoulders. She then snuggled close to him. “Thanks for coming. I really need you today.”
“Yeah…” Morgan’s tone was upbeat, but he sent a slight frown to Sam. “They said I could try out again next year. I’ll just do a transfer or something.”
“Really?” Gwen hung her arms around Morgan’s neck.
“Yeah. And you can come with me.”
“Okay.”
“I’m sorry for not telling you. I mean…I…”
Gwen covered his lips, silencing him. “We’ll argue about it later.” Gwen got the love struck look in her eyes and moved in closer for another kiss.
“Okay, knock that off.” Sam gestured for them to stop. He then pointed to the door. “Let’s get outta here. We’ve been sitting here for, like, two hours. Let’s check out the town or something.”
“Mom’s going to be really mad at me.” Gwen suddenly felt shaky when she stood.
“Who cares?” Sam shrugged. “She’ll be pissed now or later. Why not have a little fun before she grounds your ass? I’ll go take care of her.”
“All right.” Gwen nodded as she looped her arm in Morgan’s. Instead of sticking around, he drove her home. His parents were there, their voices filtering into the kitchen from the other room.
Gwen looked around, and spoke softly, “So, you’re parents aren’t pissed at you?”
“No.” Morgan shook his head. “They understand.”
“I feel like such an idiot.” Gwen moaned, her arms folded over her chest.
“You’re not an idiot, Gwenie.” He pulled her close playfully and tried to get her to smile, but couldn’t.
Gwen’s gaze then snapped to Morgan’s mother, who came into the room.
“Gwen.” Martha walked over and observed the girl. She then scanned Gwen’s attire. The young girl was wearing tennis shoes over her tights and still wore her costume under Sam’s sweater. “You okay?”
Morgan spoke for Gwen, “She will be.” He then pointed upstairs as he turned to Gwen. “You can borrow something of mine to wear.”
“Thanks.” Gwen attempted a smile before bounding up the steps.
Morgan stayed a few minutes to talk to his mom. Then, he then went up to check on Gwen.
When he came in, Gwen jumped and turned her back to him.
She sighed in relief when she saw it was only Morgan. She was studying something she had taken from his shelf. Rotating it awkwardly, she made a slight grimace. It was a sculpture made out of dip cans and still smelled like them, too. There were a few beef jerky cans thrown in as well, as the boys used them to hide their stash in. There was a piece of thick hockey tape around it, and Morgan’s name was written in black, permanent marker.
“What’s this?” She laughed as she spun to him.
“My trophy. Kingley made ’em.” He walked over and ripped it from her hand. “Pretty cool, huh?” He admired the hodgepodge piece and held it as if it were a real award. “He gave it to me to celebrate my first season on the Kats.”
“He’s pretty artistic for a goalie.” She smirked.
Morgan laughed at her joke, but chose to ignore it. Studying the trophy, he picked at the tape, a soft grin filling his lips. “I thought they were pretty cool.”
“You’ll get a real one next year.”
“For sure!” Morgan set it back on the shelf and turned to watch her take off Sam’s sweater. “Need any help?” He pointed to her costume.
“I can’t wait to take this stupid thing off.”
“I can’t, either.”
She pulled the rest of the zipper down then shed the outfit. She was wearing a double sports bra under it, along with thick tights. “You didn’t have to miss those tryouts today.” She walked over to him and set a pair of sports pants and a T-shirt on the bed.
“I did, and I don’t feel bad about it.” Morgan’s smile faded a little, his eyes now on hers. “The Kats is a good team, so instead of moving, I’ll stay and play with them like I planned on doing.”
“I like that.”
“And I’d miss you too much. But next time, I’m going, and I’m dragging your ass along with me. No arguments.”
“Okay.”
“Hey…” He was flirting now, his hands taking hold of her thighs. He looked up her frame, sending her a wicked smile. “I have to show you something.” Pulling up his shirt, he nudged his pants down a little in front.
Gwen laughed when she saw the tattoo on his lower abdomen. Covering her lips, she laughed, a good, hearty laugh that seemed to break her sadness.
“See? Promise kept.” He laughed too, his hand going over the still healing tattoo.
“I love it.” Gwen sat next to him and took a closer look at it. “And it’s in the perfect place.” She studied it with happy eyes.
He was in a good mood and chuckled as he replaced his pants. “And I can hide it if I want.”
She shoved his shoulder, and he fell to the right a bit. “Ice prick.”
“Gwenie?” Nick knocked on the door, both Gwen and Morgan startling. Nick pushed it open and walked inside.
Gwen had her head down and her hands in her lap.
“I talked to your mom.” Nick sat next to her, a softness in his voice that was present there even when he was angry.
“I can’t take it anymore, Dad. I don’t want to compete.”
“I also talked to Sam.” Nick tried to smile, but couldn’t. He then let out a small sigh. “And kiddo, if you don’t want this, don’t do it.”
“Mom doesn’t listen to me. All she does is call me fat and say nasty things to me. I hate her.” Gwen’s stare was still downcast.
“That’s not true.” Nick glanced at Morgan then his daughter. “She’s only trying to get you to be the best you can. You’re very talented, Gwenie. Do you want to waste that?”
“I can’t do it, Dad. I need a break.” Gwen wiped at her wet eyes, her tears falling again. “Mom is constantly calling me fat. All the time. And she never tells me when I’m doing good. Only when I’m doing something wrong. I don’t want to do
this anymore. I won’t do this anymore. I want to stop.”
“Okay.” Nick tapped her leg. He then looked at the doorway. Joan was standing there.
Gwen glanced at her mother. She sent her a glare then hooked her arm in Morgan’s. Joan didn’t say anything. She just stood with her arms crossed.
Nick spoke, “How about you stay here with Morgan? Let all of us cool down a bit.”
“Okay.” Gwen nodded.
“I haven’t—” Joan was going to protest, but Nick ushered her out of the room.
He stopped to say one more thing to Gwen. “I’ll see you tonight, kiddo.”
****
It was graduation day for the boys, which they were extremely proud of. Sam had barely squeaked by this year, and Gwen had put in a lot of extra hours of studying with him so that he did.
Gwen had also been fighting with her mother ever since she blew off her competition last month. Joan still wasn’t letting go of her dream of making Gwen an ice princess. But Gwen was protesting more than she ever had. It didn’t help that Sam was backing his sister up. The siblings had become very close lately, and now, instead of working against each other, they were getting along really well.
Gwen was curling her hair in the bathroom for the ceremony. She could hear her mother shouting at her to get downstairs, but she didn’t seem to hear.
Joan went to Gwen’s room. It was unlocked, so she went in, but Gwen had already slipped by. Instead of going back out, Joan saw Gwen had some laundry on the floor, so she went to pick it up. As she did, she saw few papers on her desk, hidden underneath one of her notebooks. Grabbing them, she took a look.
Gwen heard a honk and rushed down the stairs. “Bye!”
Her father stood up when he saw her whizz past. “Where are you going?”
“I’m going with the Tanners.” Gwen didn’t stop to ask for permission, and instead, ran out the door.
“Gwenivere Roberts!” Joan yelled shrilly. “Get your ass in here, right now!” Her voice boomed down the stairs.
Robby came from his room and stood in Gwen’s doorway. “She just left with the Tanners.”
Black Kat Page 15
