[double digits, woot.]
I march down the hall, past Bill and Richie, who quickly move out of my way when they see the anger in my eyes.
"Woah, I'd hate to be that guy." I hear the spectacled boy utter to his friend. I stomp my way up the stairs, two at a time, earning looks from fellow classmates.
I move through a crowd of people. My dad told me about this story where this old man commanded an entire ocean to split, just so he could walk through. My glare did something like that.
Then I see them.
Him.
That asshole thinks he can get away with making me his personal orderly, he's got another thing coming.
"Hey! Bowers!" I holler walking up to him. He turns and a smirk becomes evident on his face. I grab his shirt and pull him into my face. "Lapdog? Really?" I demand. Henry grabs my wrists, clearly angry I'm defying him in front of his friends and other people.
"You better get your fucking hands off me, before I break them, you psycho bitch," He says through gritted teeth. Belch grabs my torso with one hand and my shoulder with the other.
"Lori, calm down,"
"You know, I bet you knew what they were saying and you didn't tell me," He holds my wrists with such fervor that I know bruises will be evident there later. But I really didn't care. "What, did you think I wasn't gonna find out?"
Other people have stopped to watch us by now, Greta and Charlie in the crowd. So are Stan and Eddie. Voices buzzed in my ears.
"Holy shit what's she gonna do?"
"She won't do anything, he wouldn't let her."
"I hear she slept with him already."
"Who said that?"
"Her sister."
"Lorraine, come on ease up," Belch says, pulling me still. The voices only succeed in angering me more. Victor's scowl switches from me to Henry and Patrick's got that damn smirk on his face.
"Is that it?" I shake the boy and he gets right up in my face for the thousandth time since we met.
Henry glares at me, answering only with, "I said, get your fucking hands off me!"
I finally let him go, tears of anger welling up in my eyes. Belch still holds me, the hand from my waist now on my arm.
The crowd holds their breath and I see Charlie and Greta with anticipation on their faces.
I pull my arm back and punch Henry as hard as I can in the jaw. He doesn't hesitate to make a grab for me but is stopped by Victor and Patrick. The crowd buzzes with excitement and shock. Angry, is just one word to describe how I feel right now. I push Belch's hands off of me and walk to Charlie, who is watching with shock and amusement.
"I hope you're happy." I spit venomously in her face, before pushing between her and Greta.
-
I sit with Beverly on the picnic tables behind the school. The redhead pulls a carton of cigarettes out of her backpack and turns to me.
"You smoke?" I shake my head, resting my chin in my hand, staring straight ahead. "Well, I have a feeling you could use one anyway." She says solemnly. With a sigh, I take a cigarette from the half-empty open carton she holds out.
"Just inhale, and let it sit, then breathe out," she says. Beverly lights the cigarette in my mouth, before lighting her own. I stare down at the cigarette and inhale. But I, being a complete cigarette virgin, begin to cough. She just gives me a smile as she gracefully blows a trail of smoke from her cherry balm smothered lips.
