Flying Too Close to the Sun

Cam

I got to school the next day and dropped the twins off at their kindergarten rooms.  As I walked to the high school wing, people were looking at me funny.  Some of them laughed as they looked at me.  I got a horrible feeling in my stomach as I put in the combination to my locker.  A few moments later, America walked up to my locker.

"Everyone knows you're a slut now," she said, leaning against the next locker with a smug look on her face.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"That picture of you and William," she said.  "It's all over Instagram.  All the boys want to feel you up now like you let William."

I slammed my locker door shut and glared at her.  "You freaking bitch!"

She laughed at me, and I snapped.  I'd never gotten into a fight at school, but I pushed her against the locker and got a few punches.  Unlike me, she fought back.  Soon, we were on the floor.  I felt hands on me and I was being pulled away.  The other kids around us were shocked.  Fights at Hunter were few and far between.  We were then both escorted to the main office.  I was fuming, but America looked pleased with herself.

Dad was gonna be so mad.  I just couldn't contain my anger and I'd snapped.  I knew violence wasn't the solution, but she'd posted that picture for everyone to see.  I felt like I'd never be able to show my face again.

We were placed in separate areas of the room.  I fumed with my arms crossed as we waited for the principal.  I was called in first.  I cried as I told him about the photo.  Instagram was blocked at school so I couldn't show him.  I didn't want to show him.  He told me to go wait back in the office and he'd call my dad soon.

About 45 minutes later, I saw my dad walk in the front door.  I slouched in my seat, dreading it.  He walked in and signed his name with the secretary, then wandered over to sit next to me.  I didn't dare look at him.  He didn't say anything initially.

A few minutes later, Sofia walked in.  She smiled menacingly when she saw my dad.

"Oh, sorry!" she told him.  "Can't be within 200 feet of you.  Should I wait outside?"

My dad didn't answer as she found a seat on the other side of the room.  I'd never known an adult that was a scary as Ms. Martinez.  She was crazy and so was her daughter.  My dad surprised me when he finally spoke.

"I'm really sorry the photo got out," he told me.  "It's not right.  And I don't blame you for snapping at America.  I'm not happy you got into a fight, but I understand."

I didn't say anything, kind of shocked.  My dad wasn't mad I'd gotten into a physical fight?  I guess he knew as much as I did that the Martinez women were crazy.  He knew they needed to be put in their place. 

The principal called in Ms. Martinez and they were in there for 15 minutes or so.  They walked out, and I'm sure she was suspended because they both walked out the door.  Dr. Fisher then called my dad and me in.

Dad filled him in on the restraining order and continuing drama.  He told Dr. Fisher he didn't condone what I'd done, but understood why I'd done it.  The principal agreed to provide extra supervision of America and me when we returned to school.  I was suspended for three days and couldn't make up my work.  Dad thanked the principal and we left.

He signed me out and we walked out silently.  Instead of heading to the subway station, we walked to the police station.  We filed a restraining order against America, then went home.  Dad didn't punish me for the fight.  He didn't even take my phone away.  I felt a small victory.

Throughout the day, I got supportive texts from a lot of the girls at school.  They knew America was nuts.  They were shunning her and telling her how messed up it was what she'd done.  I doubt America cared what they thought, but it was nice to have the support.

After school, there was a knock at our front door.  I checked the peephole, nervous it might be America.  I smiled when I saw William.

"Hey," he gave me a small smile.  "I heard what happened.  Wanna go up to the roof?"

I nodded and told dad I'd be back.  He nodded, but didn't look happy to see William.  We wandered up to the roof and sat on a couple of the chairs.  He took my hand.

"Sorry America sent out that picture," he began.  "That's messed up."

"Totally," I agreed.  "We got a restraining order."

"Seriously?" he asked, surprised, and I nodded.  He told me about what everyone was saying at school.  Everyone thought it was messed up.  I asked if he'd seen the photo and he had.  The guys all thought it was cool.

"Well I think it's embarrassing," I told him.

"I know," he said, holding my hand.  "Sorry this all happened."

Then he started kissing me.  It felt nice after such a stressful day.  We exchanged slow kisses, and then his hands began to wander.  After having my privacy violated, it didn't feel right.

"Will," I told him.  "Stop."

"Sorry," he said, giving me a kiss.  "You're just so hard to resist."

"Do the guys all think I'm a slut?" I asked him.

"No," he said.  "They think America's psycho, which she is."

I got a text from dad that I needed to come home.  William walked me down and kissed me again at the door.  I sighed as I came back in.

The news had apparently spread down to the middle school because Molly knew all about it.  She hadn't seen the picture yet.  The twins were asking what happened but I told them it was nothing to worry about.  They thought kissing was gross anyway.

I needed some joy, so I volunteered to read the twins their bedtime stories.  We all piled onto Raina's bed and they each chose a book.  It was exactly what I'd needed.  They draped themselves all over me and giggled as I read.  I tucked them both in and kissed them good night.

Even though I wasn't really in trouble, Dad made me get up at my normal time.  He had some chores for me to do while I was off school.  It wasn't bad, and I think he still felt sorry for me.  I indulged in naps during my days off and did some reading.

Finally, it was time to go back to school.  America was back as well, of course.  I wasn't sure how a restraining order would work at school.  Dad had apparently met with the principal.  He didn't want to interfere with America's education, so it was agreed there would be extra supervision and America wasn't allowed to approach me at any time.

We managed to steer clear from each other.  I'd missed tons of work, and it all counted as 0's.  It was going to affect my grades.  I wasn't a straight-A student, but Dad expected me to get all A's and B's.  I now had two C's, and I knew I had to bring them up or face grounding.  I asked for extra credit work. 

At the end of the day, I wandered down to the elementary wing to pick up the twins, and Molly was supposed to meet us as usual.  When she walked up to us, she was crying.

"Molly, what's wrong?" I asked her.

"Someone cut all my strings on my violin," she sniffled.  I knew immediately who it was.  "They're so expensive."

I sighed and gave her a hug.  "Don't worry," she said.  "Your mom will buy you more."

"Why would someone do something like that?" she sobbed into my shoulder.

"It was probably America, getting revenge," she said.  We told our parents when they got home and I could tell they were pissed.  Despite the restraining order, Dad went down to their apartment and gave Ms. Martinez an earful.  He told her she needed to pay for the new strings.  She refused, saying there was no evidence.

I wondered how much longer this was going to go on.  What did they have against us?  Suddenly, I felt dread.  What if they tried to mess with Raina and Felix?