"Shadow Box" by
Harlowe Pilgrim
The air rushed through their hair as
the car sped down the road.
“You better watch it … one more
ticket and you’ll lose your license.”
“No, I’m good.”
“You’re good?”
“I fixed that other ticket.”
“What? How did you …”
“I brought a pizza down to the police
station. That and a …” She put her fist up to her cheek and
pushed her tongue into her other cheek. Then she smiled. “No more
ticket.”
“Are you … seriously?”
Her friend smirked. “What do you
think?”
She didn’t answer.
“Tastes like bacon.”
The car sped on.
“Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it, girlfriend.
I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Okay, sounds good. Let me know if
you need help with that Algebra.”
“I will. Don’t study too hard.”
“I won’t.”
“You lying slut.” Her friend
grinned. “Later.”
“Later.”
The car’s tires chirped as it started
back out of the driveway.
She waved to her friend, turned and
trudged up the walk with her heavy backpack and let herself in.
Home lately was not the same. The
warmth was gone … and it was giving her chills.
Not the family or anything like that.
Just something about home, the house,
the atmosphere wasn’t feeling quite right.
A certain …
He was there.
She didn’t see him, but she could
have. Dared she look.
When she closed the door behind her.
When she set down her bookbag and
rummaged through the refrigerator.
He was there.
When she changed in her room.
When she sat down with her homework.
He was there. He saw everything, and
she felt him but didn’t know him.
He was that something that didn’t
feel right, that something that haunted her.
Instinct knew being stalked.
And it expressed itself as a sense of
unease.
Unease when she closed the door behind
her, and rummaging through the refrigerator.
Unease when she changed in her room and
sat down with her homework.
Unease. Terror by another word.
Violated. The feeling of terror at the
hand of darkness.
“Put it out of your mind. You’re
driving yourself crazy.”
Rational thoughts
pulling late night covers up high to hide.
“And your’re keeping yourself
awake. You can’t stand to lose a second of beauty sleep.”
From the darkest
corner of her room, he watched as he forlong had.
He, blacker than
the night.
His form, of lines
or scrawls or scratches of black, not solid an object but a mass.
Contrasting not against the shadow …
he was the shadow.
His words slipped into her consciousness like a molester’s unwelcome touch.
She pulled the covers tighter,
retreating further into their shelter.
“There is NO ONE there. Gracie,
you heard NOTHING. Go to sleep.”
And somehow she did
get to sleep, despite the darkness approached and leaned over her
bed, looking well after her.
2
“Dad went into
work early again?”
“Yeah.”
Mom looked like
she’d tried to screw her head into her pillow all night.
“I like your
hairdo,” Gracie told her with a smirk.
“This little
thing?” Her mom smiled and held her head. “I call it the hair
tornado. You like?”
“Ooh la la! Very
much, madame.”
“Well, thank you.
I put a lot of work into it.” She turned somber.
“Still not
sleeping, mom?”
“Not very well.”
“The pills aren’t
helping?”
“Not much,
honey.” She read her daughter’s face. “But it’s nothing you
should worry about. I’m sure it’s just a phase.”
“Hey, I’m the
kid. I thought it was kids who go through phases.”
“Well what do you
think adults are, silly? Just old kids, you know.”
They laughed.
“How’s things,”
mom said after, “with school and everything?”
“Fine.”
“Fine?”
“But I don’t
like it when dad is gone so much.”
“Me either,”
mom said sadly all of a sudden. “You have no idea, Gracie.”
At home, the day
was a long lifeless wait.
But everything
comes to an end.
The convertible
screeched to a stop in the driveway.
“I think you
deserve a lot of credit.”
The girls dragged
their bookbags from the car to the house.
“For failing the
Algebra test? Thanks. The last thing I expected was praise for
that, but praise me if you must.”
Gracie fumbled for
the key. “I mean getting some help. Anybody can fail at something
the first time. It’s the winners who dig down and turn a failure
into a success.”
“Inspirational.”
The door sprang
open.
“My dad says that
all the time.”
Gracie led the way
inside.
“You believe that
crap?”
“It depends.”
“It depends?”
“Yeah, he says
that all the time too. ‘It depends.’”
“That one, I
could go along with. Is that a new chair?”
“We got it a
couple weeks ago, mom picked it up at a flea market. Dad says it
probably has fleas. Has it been that long since you’ve been over?”
“I guess so.
Seems I’ve been spending all my time out raising Hell …
while some people been wasting their youth here, studying.”
“Sounds about
right. Which brings us to your current predicament.”
“Sounds about
right. It is a predicament.”
Even in the company of her friend …
she felt him.
When she closed the door behind them.
When they set down their bookbags and
rummaging through the refrigerator.
He was there.
When they changed in her room.
When they sat down
with to study.
Unease … terror
by another word.
“Jenna! Jenna!”
“What is it,
Gracie?”
“The bathroom
door is stuck! Come help me, give it a push!”
Jenna started for
her friend.
Then another voice
stopped her.
“Who’s …
there?” “Because I wanna know.” “I’m NOT taking off my …”
“I’m not taking off ANYTHING. Seriously, who’s there?”
“Jenna!” Gracie
called from the bathroom.
“Who’s there?”
Jenna demanded of other, mysterious voice.
Gracie’s sudden
appearance startled her.
“Why didn’t you
help me?” demanded Gracie.
“I was on my way,
then …”
“Well I got
myself out.”
“I can see that,
congratulations.”
“Thanks.”
“Gracie …
there’s nobody else here, right?”
“Here in the
house? Of course not.” Then she hesitated to ask. “Why?”
Jenna shuddered.
“Mmm … no reason.”
But Gracie felt the
reason. She, the girl who hid in her covers all night.
From the darkest
corner, he watched as he forlong had.
The bathroom door
had never stuck before.
3
Safety in numbers?
She doubted it.
“Gracie, aren’t
you hungry? You like this.”
“I know, mom …
I do like it. I guess I’m just feeling … kind of weird.”
“Oh, sick to your
stomach? That’s too bad, honey.”
“Not sick to my
stomach … just not myself.”
“Okay, I’ve got
you now. What about you, Jenner?”
“Mom, her name’s
Jenn-A … not Jenn-ER.”
“I know, I’m
just trying to liven up the spirit in this room.”
The lights went
out.
“Um …” Jenna
said. “That was―”
“Creepy,”
Gracie said.
Gracie’s
mom went for the light switch.
The
lights popped back on.
“There,”
she said. “Switched off was all it was.”
“How
did that happen, mom?”
“Yeah,”
Jenna chimed in, “mom.”
“I
don’t know … maybe the switch wasn’t switched the whole way,
and it popped back …”
“Does
that really happen mom?”
“I
don’t know … something happened.”
Jenna
turned to Gracie. “You said it. Creepy.”
Gracie
shuddered, wanting for the sanctuary of her bed covers.
Silence
was broken by the grandfather clock on the wall beginning to strike.
They
snapped up like sprung mousetraps.
And
then stared at each other a second. Before laughing.
The
tension had broken itself.
“You
guys,” mom said after the clock finished chiming. “I think you’re
wound a little tight tonight.”
“WE
are?” Gracie giggled. “You jumped higher than we did.”
“Please
…” her mom smirked. “I did no such thing.”
“Mrs.
B,” Jenna chided her, “I think you did.”
“Oh,
so that’s how it is. Two against one.”
“But
… it’s gonna be one against one.” Jenna pointed at the clock.
“I should get headed.”
“Already?”
Gracie said. “Sure you don’t want to stay over?”
“As
if. Ever since I failed that test … my parents have been all over
me about curfew … especially on a school night. Not like I don’t
deserve it …”
“Yeah,
you could have studied harder before.”
“I
could have tried harder to keep them from finding out about the
grade, too.”
“How
could you have done that?” mom said.
“You
don’t want to know, mom.” Gracie’s expression warned Jenna.
“It’s
like fixing a speeding ticket.” Jenna said as Gracie squirmed. “You
have to play on their, um … sympathy.”
She
winked at her friend.
On through the evening … she felt
him.
When her dad came home. When her
parents kissed her goodnight and went to bed.
He was there.
When she fell asleep on the couch in
front of the TV.
Gracie’s
eyes popped open.
An
old sitcom was playing out on the screen.
She
had goosebumps like someone had breathed on her neck, although she
was virgin to the sensation.
The
tingling touched everywhere.
She
sat up.
“How
late is it?” She consulted the grandfather clock. “Oh … that
late.” She rubbed her face. “Time for bed.”
She
noticed the door that led into the garage was open.
“That’s
funny. Why’s that open?”
She
got up meaning to close it, but hesitated.
The
door closed. On its own.
If
she had goosebumps before, they doubled in number, the chills up and
down her spine were electric.
She
wanted to run for covers. But remained frozen, eyes fixed upon that
door.
It
swung open again. Then closed.
Then
it swung open again. From the unhinged side, unbelievably. Then
closed again.
Her
mind had gone foggy, swimming in fear and mystery.
When
the door opened again, there was a figure in the opening.
Naked
and swaying wantonly, the woman kneaded her breasts and tweaked their
peaks.
It
was shocking to see her mother that way.
She
twirled her hair her fingers … looked hotly back behind her … and
the door closed.
And
it stayed closed. Only the goosebumps remained.
Brushing her teeth … goosebumps
remained.
Slipping under the covers …
goosebumps remained.
He was there.
He
was the goosebumps.
And
he was feeling talkative.
“Do
I WANT you?” she replied from deep under covers. “Who ARE you?”
“You just want to be my friend?” “And WHAT me? That’s
disgusting.” “Was that really my mother, or just some sick …”
“You know, if my father finds out … if he knew you were in here
...” “No, I don’t want you to go wake him up. You leave him
alone too.” “No, you may not come in with me … you stay away.”
“We’re not making friends, we’re never going to.” “WELL
BELIEVE IT.”
How
she ever got to sleep she’ll never know.
Not
with the form of lines, or scrawls or scratches of black hovering
over her bed all night.
Lusting
for her candy … nibbling around her edges.
4
“Morning.”
Mom
was up early.
“Sleep
well honey?”
And
mom was smiling. And chipper.
“Not
great …” Gracie said.
Mom
smiled and stretched her arms up overhead.
She
was standing in the doorway, open to the garage.
Like
the woman her likeness stood nude last night.
At
least she wasn’t acting as horny.
At
least she had her clothes on.
“I
got it so good last night,” her mom said. “Sleep, I mean. I
slept like a log.”
“Great,
mom.” “Too much information,” she thought, “but
great.”
“Me
too,” Dad said. Surprisingly, from the kitchen. “I only have an
afternoon meeting today … so I thought I’d sleep in and make you
guys breakfast.”
“Thanks
Dad, but I have to leave for school soon.”
“I’ll
cook it fast,” he said. “Just promise to eat it fast, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Wow,”
Jenna said, “your dad’s car is in the driveway. Is he home
sick?”
“No.
He never stays home sick.”
“Then
what’s up?”
“He
stayed late to make us breakfast.”
“Oh,
you mean your mom earned breakfast last night.”
“Ew
… you mean … ew.”
Jenna
pulled the convertible onto the road, and waved at Gracie’s house.
“And I bet she’s already earning herself dessert right now.”
“Ew,
Jenna. Can we talk about something else?”
“Okay.
You know what I heard?”
“I
don’t know,” Gracie smirked. “But when you giggle like that, I
know it’s gonna be dirty.”
“It’s
not. Okay, maybe just a little.”
“So,
out with it.”
“You
know Corey in Algebra?”
“Yeah.”
“Not
bad looking, right?”
“Not
bad.”
“He
was hoping I could get him a study date with you.”
“A
study date?”
“Yeah,
he’s stupid for algebra just like me.”
“So
it would be the three of us?”
“Just
the three of us … and his stud friend Trent.”
“Trent?
Isn’t he the guy you were telling me is supposed to be hung like
a―”
“Well,
I’m told he can lift heavy objects with it.”
“Oh
yeah? How heavy?”
“As
heavy as me, anyway. That’s all I care about.”
“I’m
beginning to think that.”
“So
tonight will be fine?”
“I
don’t know … my parents are going out.”
“Perfect.
It’s a date, I’ll tell the boys.”
5
Two
cars wheeled into the driveway, the convertible in front.
“Do
you think you can stall them? I left clothes all over my floor.”
“Silly.
Having boys over to an empty house, your clothes are supposed to end
up on the floor.”
“Jenna,
you don’t think they expect that, do you? I’m not that kind of―”
“Relax,
nobody expects anything. Of course they’re boys, so they’re
always looking to get in our pants.”
“So
what do we do?”
“We
lead them on. That’s what keeps them interested.”
“I
like your house.”
“Thanks
Corey,” Gracie said. “It’s the best one … my parents have.”
Her
awkward smile was reassured by his confident one.
“Well
good for them.”
“Do
you like it?” Jenna asked Trent, who was by then deep in the
throes of snacking.
“Yeah,”
he said, assuming she was talking about the snack, until the others’
expressions clued him in otherwise. “Oh, the house. Yeah, it’s
nice.”
“Thanks,”
Gracie said.
“You
know what?” Jenna said. “We should play a game.”
“A
game?”
“Yeah,
we should play hide and seek.”
“Hide
and seek, Jenna? I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Yeah!”
the boys said, their thinking parts quick to spot an opportunity.
“But
it’s getting dark, and the guys don’t know the house.”
“I
know my way around great in the dark,” Trent said. “I’m like a
bat. Kinda.”
Mostly
Jenna giggled.
“We’ll
be ok,” Corey said. “If … you want to.”
“Of
course she wants to. Right Gracie?”
Their
hostess looked reluctant.
“Okay
Gracie, come on and let’s hide. You guys, make sure you count all
the way to a hundred before you come for us. No cheating.”
6
“Are
you counting?” Trent said.
“Kind
of. We’re probably up to like, fifty or so.”
“Cool.
I’m glad you’re counting.”
“If
you,” Corey said, “happen to find Gracie …”
Trent
grinned wide. “No worries, my man. She’s all yours.”
“Great.
I mean, that’s cool.”
“But
when I find that minx Jenna … that girl’s gonna be in trouble.”
“I
don’t think she’ll mind too much.”
“I
don’t think so either,” Trent said. “I hear she’s a beautiful
person on the inside.”
“Oh
yeah?”
“Oh
yeah. Hey, where’s that bathroom? I gotta piss before we go find
them.”
“That
way,” Corey said. “First door on the left.”
“Thanks
man. Hey, wait for me, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Cool.
I’ll piss fast.”
It
was hard to even find the closet in the dark. Inside it was dark as
a womb.
Jenna
sat cross-legged on the floor amongst the rest of the closet’s
contents, facing the back wall. She tried not to breath too hard as
she anticipated being discovered.
She unbuttoned a few buttons of her blouse to aid in that discovery.
A
few minutes passed.
There
was a noise close by. Then another. Someone was in the room.
Her
heart raced.
The
closet door opened behind her. The sound, the airflow, but no light.
Hanging
clothes parted, yet she knew not for sure whether she was found. The camouflage of darkness gave her still a chance, and she breathed not
a sound to make fullest use of that chance.
Not
that she entirely minded being found.
Then
hands on her shoulders informed her she was.
Though
not a word was spoken.
Hands
reached around her, finding the unbuttoned blouse she’d left for
them, cupping her first, then taking them out of her brassiere.
“I
can unhook that for you,” she whispered, reaching back and totally
freeing herself from the garment.
His
grip was greedy and rough, but she like it. He seemed to know what
to squeeze.
One
of his hands began working its way lower … and lower … she could
feel herself melting already.
“Oh
Trent,” she whispered. “I want this so much … kiss me.”
7
“Nice
bathroom,” Trent said to himself, looking around as he peed. “I
love that dirty water,” he sang to the bowl. “Oh, Boston, you’re
my home.”
He
finished up and started to put it away. But then, he started
thinking about Jenna. Especially, what he planned to do to her when
he found her.
His
member swelled to an impossible rod.
“Mmm
… it’s never going back in my pants now.”
He
considered his options.
“I’ll
just leave it out.” He shrugged he shoulders. “Everybody will
understand.”
The
kiss in the dark she’d asked for, she got. And then some.
So
deep she almost choked on it. Red hot and ice cold at the same time.
Hot
and horny … with goosebumps.
Not
right. Not right at all.
“Trent?”
she whispered to her closetmate. “That is you …”
“No.”
The
hand tickling between her legs was bringing her to climax.
“No?”
she squeaked as it came on.
“Shadow
Box,” her lover whispered in her ear.
8
“You
almost done in there?” Corey got up off the couch. “I could have
counted to like, a million.”
“Just
a sec.” Trent opened the bathroom door, and started to walk out
phallus-first, carrying his pants rolled-up in his hand. “You might
want to avert your eyes, my man.”
Then
just as he reached the threshold, that problem bathroom door …
slammed shut.
On
him.
“AHHH!”
the poor boy called out.
Corey
hustled into the hallway, toward the bathroom.
Trent
continued to shriek.
“What?”
The hall was dark, but his hand found a light switch.
“OH
MY GOD!”
The
limp end of Trent’s manhood protruded from the shut door like the
head of a dead snake.
Trent
continued to shriek.
It
was taking Corey a moment to process the scene.
Gracie,
hearing Trent’s screams had come running.
She
met Corey and then …
“OH
MY GOD!”
“That’s
what I said!”
“Corey,
we gotta open that door.”
“We
do?”
Trent
continued to scream.
“What
choice do we have?” she said.
“I
don’t know. But …” He pointed at the hurt member.
“It’s
not gonna be pretty,” she said. “But we gotta let it out.”
“Let
HIM out, you mean.”
“Yeah,
well they say where your cock goes, the rest of you will follow.”
“I’ve
heard that too.”
“Okay
Trent … ready or not … we’re opening the door.”
9
Gracie
was first to notice Jenna had rejoined them.
“Jenna!
Where the Hell have you been? Didn’t you hear Trent screaming?”
“I
… I was … hiding. Why didn’t you come for me?”
“Look
at Trent!”
Jenna
was blank. “Why didn’t you come for me? Why did you … leave me
to …”
“You
guys!” Corey said. “I can’t believe I just packed someone’s
dick in ice. I mean, I’ve sure never done that before.”
Trent
was nearly passed out on the couch, a strange sight, naked from the
waist down except for the bags of ice.
“Do
you think we should call an ambulance? Or something?”
“NO,”
Gracie said. “We can’t let anyone find out somebody hurt their
penis at my house.”
“You,
a … worried about your reputation there, Gracie?”
“No,
but guys aren’t supposed to have their penises out here. I told my
parents we would be studying!”
“Yeah
… studying penile first aid.” Corey smirked.
Trent
groaned.
Jenna
sounded shaky. “It comes in handy.”
Corey
replied, “It does sometimes.”
“Jenna?”
Gracie asked. “Do you have any bright ideas?”
“Yeah,
um … I don’t feel so well. I need to go home now.”
“Jenna?”
“Really,
I feel awful but … I feel really awful.”
He was there.
When Trent was suffering.
They didn’t see him, but they could
have. Dared they look.
When Jenna came from the closet.
He was there.
When Jenna had fled for home, and the
other two were dragging Trent to his feet and getting him out.
He was there.
When she pretended nothing was wrong,
greeting her parents and going to bed.
He was there. He saw everything, and
she felt him.
The haunting was intense.
Instinct knew stalking.
Unease … terror by another word.
10
“Why
did you do that?” demanded Gracie from beneath her covers.
“Which
thing?” He had taken up his watch at her bedside.
“You
know which thing.”
“I
don’t, but … because they had it coming?”
“WHO
has THAT coming?”
“That
should be obvious, my Gracie. Who got it?”
“Says
you, they had it coming. Who died and made YOU God?”
“I
don’t think that’s how it works. That’s not how God got the
job.”
“Do
you think I’m stupid or something?”
“Not
at all, my Gracie.”
“Then
why do you play with me?”
“It
turns you on?”
“CERTAINLY
NOT.”
“Okay,
it turns me on.”
“I’m
going to sleep.”
“See
you there.”
11
“Hi
Gracie.”
Mom
had watched her get off the bus.
“What
happened to your ride?”
Gracie
set down her bag and shut the door behind her.
“Jenna
wasn’t in school again today.”
“No?
Still under the weather? She must have caught something good.”
“I
don’t know. I called her and she said she didn’t want to talk
about it.”
“Really.
Guess something really did got ahold of her.”
“Seems
like.”
“Good
day today? Besides having to take the bus …”
“Yeah,
it was okay. I don’t think I was really into it.”
“No?
I hope you’re not getting what Jenna got.”
“Guess
we’ll see. How ‘bout you, mom?”
“I’m
exhausted. I don’t know why, all I did was lie around all day―”
“Are
those scratches on your arms?”
“Oh
no, they’re …” Mom quickly rolled down her shirtsleeves. “…
they’re nothing. I cleaned all day, so I probably just―”
“I
thought you said you lied―”
“I
never said ‘I LIED’ young lady.”
Gracie
was taken aback by the change in her mother’s demeanor. “You
misunderstood, I didn’t mean―”
“I
understand perfectly well. Maybe you should go to your room.”
“But
… I …”
Mom
pointed down the hall. “To your room.”
Dismayed,
Gracie started walking.
“Disrespectful,”
she heard her mother mutter after her. “Little bitch.”
He was there.
With mother and daughter.
When Gracie went to her room.
He was there.
They could both see him now.
12
After awhile, Gracie’s mom poked her
head into the room.“I’m going to run some errands.”
Gracie was seated on her bed, books and
papers spread all around. “Okay.”
She didn’t look up from her
schoolwork.
“I’m sorry,” mom said, “I was
very short with you before. I was out of line. Wasn’t feeling
like myself, I guess.”
Gracie shot her mother a cold glance.
“Nobody’s themselves. I hope your not getting what Jenna got.”
“Maybe I am.” She coughed once.
“You’d better see that you don’t.”
She heard the garage door open, mom’s
car drive out, and the door close again behind it.
“It’s all you, isn’t it.”
“It’s all me?” replied the dark
figure looming in the corner of her room. “I suppose that depends
on what ‘it’ is.”
“IT is Jenna …”
“If one’s playing hide-and-seek,
does not one expect to be found?”
“My mother …”
“She’s more like
lost and found.”
There was a hint of a chuckle from the
faceless form of lines or scrawls or
scratches of black.
“How DARE you
talk about my mother like that?”
“You brought her
up. And don’t be silly. Just because a woman’s a mother
… trust me, that doesn’t mean she’s a lady.”
“We’re through
with this conversation.” She covered her ears. “Blah blah blah
blah.”
“As you wish, my
Gracie.” He let it settle a moment. “What would you like
to talk about?”
13
The night
persisted, long and unsettled. In and out of sleep, one may as well
have been the other.
“Hot,” Gracie
said throwing off the covers. “Too hot.”
She shuffled down
the hallway to the bathroom, and by the nightlight downed a cup of
water.
Something made her
turn around fast. “Shadow Box!”
She turned on the
light.
There was nobody
there.
Leaving the
bathroom light on, she crept back up the hall.
“Shadow Box?”
she whispered. “Shadow Box?”
The fear was
present, but also … there was defiance.
Defiance of the
fear. Defiance of the haunting.
She expected to
find him finally lingering in that corner of her bedroom he’d so
made his own.
Yet there was no
shadowy form in that shadowy corner.
“If you’re
playing hide-and-seek, don’t you expect to be found?”
What drove her to
scour the house for the tormentor, she didn’t know.
Were she awake
enough to sense the attraction, she would have run away screaming.
But throughout the domicile, she searched.
Until she crept up
to that very last door, the one rock she’d not yet looked beneath.
The attic.
She’d hated it
always, before she knew. Before she knew what lie in wait.
And now she did.
And open up that creepy door and start climbing up those creaky
stairs … she did.
“Are you there?”
She couldn’t make
out a thing in the blackness.
No answer came.
“Oh, cat’s got
your tongue, does it? I know you’re here, Shadow Box.”
She stepped
forward.
“If you know I’m
here,” replied a voice from the dark, “why do you ask?”
“Okay, I didn’t
know. But I thought so.”
“Why are you
here? Why pursue me?”
“Don’t you know
the answer?” Gracie asked.
“Well yes―”
“If
you know the answer,” she interrupted him.
“I
don’t believe it. Not until I hear it from you.”
Gracie
swallowed hard. “I … know what you want.”
“My
Gracie.”
“And
I know you’re not going to leave me alone until you get it.”
No
response.
She
got down on the floor.
Hiked
her nightgown up around her waist.
And
pulled her panties down over her knees, slipping them off one foot,
then the other.
“So
here it is!”
She
arched her back and thrust her pelvis up at the darkness.
“I’VE
GOT YOUR SHADOW BOX!”
No
response.
“TAKE
IT!”
In
an instant he was down, inside, and all around her.
The
encounter was not brief.
Nor
was it gentle.
14
“Good to see
you’re back in school.” The cheerleader snapped her gum.
“Thanks,” Jenna
said. “Glad to be back on my feet.”
“Gracie,” the
cheerleader said, “you look like Hell. You feelin’ okay?”
“I’ve felt
better.”
“So I was just
telling somebody about this dumb movie I went to the other night …”
Jenna made a face.
“Surprised you noticed it was.”
“Um … what?”
“Nevermind.”
Jenna and Gracie
shared a smile.
“And it had a
girl, who let this evil spirit screw her … and like, everybody
knows, you never have sex with the evil spirit. The evil’s been
inside you. That’s the WORST thing you can do.”
Jenna and Gracie
shared a frown.
“Everybody knows
that,” the other girl continued. “What a stupid plot for a
movie.”
“Everybody knows
it,” Jenna said.
“Some people make
mistakes.” Gracie was tearing up. “Huge, awful, terrible
mistakes.”
She took off
sobbing.
“Was it something
I said?” asked the cheerleader.
“No. It’s just
her time of the … whatever.”
“Is that why
she’s walking funny?” She snapped her gum again.
Jenna paused a
second to consider her response, then threw a big right cross and
knocked that cheerleading bitch out.
“Read into that,”
she said, “whatever you like.”
