Blame The Weeds (gxg)

8.5

September '96

Kareena is 14

"Why does everyone hate that kid?" I asked as a bigger girl shoved her across the hall. "Is it the freckles? Is it the gingerness?"

"That's not a word, Kare, and you can't hate someone because of their hair," he said. I leaned against my locker and raised a brow.

"Bethany calls me Curry," I said. "Dad doesn't even know how to make curry. I've never even brought it to school. Explain that, Luke." He only stared over my shoulder, flinching at the next collision. I spun to see the freckled kid get tossed into the lockers again. Old Mrs. Dottie wanted to stop Sarah but looked too scared to intervene. Everyone called her Big Sarah for a reason—only one girl had ever made it onto the football team. Instead, with deer's eyes, Mrs. Dottie frantically buzzed someone on her walkie. It would be over before they even arrived! Someone had to help!

Luke had a hold of my arm before I could shift an inch.

"Kare, you're already on probation and it's our third week of high school. Your dad will actually kill you," he said.

I knew this, but I couldn't tear my eyes away.

Sarah stared at the kid on the ground, hitting her buddies' arms with a grin.

"Kare, if you do anything, he's not gonna talk to you for a month." Luke's hand tightened on my arm. "You were so upset last time, remember? I don't want that to happen again. Come on, please," he said. "We have science."

"You should go," I said to Luke without looking back. I heard his muttered curse as he let my arm go.

Down the hall, the ginger clutched her shoulder and sat up a bit—and laughed. She said something I couldn't hear and the grin dropped from Sarah's face—and she lunged.

I was across the hall in a split second. But so was Axel who caught the fist.

I froze. Everyone did.

Sarah's face contorted in pain. She tried to pull from the grip but failed. I turned to see Luke's reaction. He was as wide-eyed as me—and relieved that I hadn't been involved. He actually gave me a smile as if I had restrained myself and he was proud, which we both knew to be false. I waved him off to go to class and he gave me his are you sure? face, so I nodded. He hiked his bag up and left.

A sharp whistle broke up the crowd. Axel vanished into a senior English class and Sarah threw that fist into a locker, denting it. She spit some kind of threat down to the redhead, who gave a dangerously sarcastic thumbs up. The students dissolved until it was only Old Mrs. Dottie trying to tend to the situation. The girl waved Dottie off, and when that walkie beeped, old woman begrudgingly left. That's when I shuffled over.

"You could've hit her back, you know."

"The knuckle-dragging giant?" she wheezed. "She's eight feet tall."

"It's not about size. Protect your thumb—" I showed her "—and be quick." I swiftly threw a jab into the air. She lifted two fingers.

"Peace and love and all that."

"So you're one of those," I deadpanned.

"I'm not a pacifist, but I prefer a mental jab, yeah."

"Well, Sarah didn't mentally throw you into the lockers."

"That would be telekinesis," she winced, nursing her shoulder. I reached out a hand. She took it with her good arm and I yanked her up.

"I'm Kareena," I said.

"I know who you are." She grabbed her elbow, sucked in a sharp breath, and popped her shoulder back into place. "You're already infamous on the intercom." She rolled her shoulders with a groan. "I'm Freya."

I appraised her, counted about a thousand of freckles, and noted that she could use a haircut for that lengthy red hair. It would probably get stepped on soon.

"Right, okay," I said. "Well, my best friend is a baby, so I have to go grovel again. Good luck surviving the day, Freya." I left the way Luke went but Freya caught up to me.

"Can I come with you?"

"Do you have science right now? Cause that's where I'm going."

"I have English."

"Then go to English."

"I'm going to switch out anyway," said Freya.

"Why?"

"Because," she said.

"Sarah's in that class, isn't she," I said.

"Yeah," Freya said quietly. I hummed.

"You any good at mitosis?" I asked. Freya nodded enthusiastically. "Okay. You help me, I'll help you not die during lunch today." She beamed at me, hopeful and accepting of me. It would take months before I'd return that smile.

"Deal," she said.