Other Worlds - The Wilds

Chapter 11

  Toni was shaking with rage. The hurt from Shelby's comment had evolved into something bitter and ugly. The list of things that had happened in the last two weeks cycled around her head over and over. Carol, Dot finding out, Shelby, the broken microscope, being kicked off the basketball team, and the list went on and on. Every injustice, small and big culminating in a fiery ball of pure resentment.

  And now this long fucking walk home in the snow, in the dark.

  Against her will, angry tears sprung to her eyes but she wiped them away viciously, dragging the cuff of her sleeve across her face. She couldn't believe Shelby. She was trying so hard to just let all the little comments and transgressions roll off her back but God, everyone was making it so hard.

  Her jaw was starting to ache from gritting her teeth. Or maybe it was big fucking bruise from where she'd been kicked in the face. She laughed at herself, feeling borderline hysterical. Toni needed to calm down before she lost control completely; so she called the only person she could.

  "Hey, Toni. What's up?" Dot answered on the third ring.

  "Dot," Toni practically whimpered down the phone. "Can you come pick me up?"

  "Yes, I-" There was rustling and banging on the other line. "I'm on my way. What is it? Oh God, was it Carol? I never should have-"

  "No, it's-"

  "Are you hurt?"

  "I'm not at Carol's. I don't know its just- It's stupid. I just feel like I'm losing it and I need someone." She took a deep shuddering breath. The anger was still there but an overwhelming feeling of panic and dread had risen to the surface, making it hard to grip the phone with her shaky hands. "Do you know where Shelby lives?"

  "Yeah we used to carpool," Dot laughed. "Look, try and take deep slow breaths, maybe think about your new girlfriend."

  Toni breathed out a laugh at Dot's attempt to take her mind off her anxiety. "So Martha told you huh?" She managed.

  "I think Martha told Fatin, so... That was kind of that for your secret. Toni I'm heading out now do you need me to stay on the line?"

  Toni felt like she had regained a small amount of control and Dot's car didn't have bluetooth. "It's fine. Thank you so much, I don't know what I'd do without you."

  "I'm sure the other girls would do the same if you let them in."

  Toni kicked a chunk of snow with her boot and sighed, "I can't, you know I can't. They don't deserve having to think about all this. I never should have told you, it was selfish."

  "Let's talk about this later, for now just try and calm down I'll be there soon."

  "Okay," She replied and hung up the phone.

  She brushed the snow off of a log and sat down, bringing her chin to rest on her knees. Just as she sat, headlights came around the corner, momentarily blinding her. The car pulled up next to her. That was quick, She thought. But as her sight recovered she noticed that it wasn't Dot's car. Her heart jumped, her mind instantly going to the worst case scenario. Already on edge, she stood up and started running away, closer to the houses she had walked from.

  "Wait, wait!" A voice yelled. A female voice. With a Texan accent.

  Toni groaned and stopped in her tracks. "What the hell Shelby?" She yelled storming over to where Shelby had gotten out of the car. "You can't just pull up on a teenage girl, alone, in the dark."

  Illuminated by the car's headlights, Shelby's eyebrows pulled together, "As a teenage girl, shouldn't you not be alone in the dark?"

  "I didn't think you were about to offer a 'sinful homosexual' a lift," she shot back, copying Shelby's accent. "You do know that 'gay' isn't the only element of my personality? If you really hate me you could at least criticise my actual bad qualities, rather than the shit I can't change."