Deviating from the Norm (A "Freaks and Geeks" Fanfic)

Chapter 8 - ...goes unpunished (Part 2)

"And just whatta you two been doing?" Kim's mother asked. Her scowl was scrutinizing enough, but her tone took it over the top.

"Not what you're thinking," Kim scoffed in return and flowed passed her to grab her coat.

"I knew it!" Cookie suddenly hollered without warning. "I knew I shoulda kept an eye on you two. I swear, if you guys-" She stopped, finally paying attention to what her daughter was doing instead of patronizing her. "Where ya think you're goin'?"

"Out." Kim's voice came out as exasperated and it was obvious that any interaction with her mother was an instant downer to her.

"Out? At seven at night? I'm about to make dinnah!" Cookie crossed her arms and squinted her view at us. "Of course. Time for drugs! You two had sex, now you're gonna get high."

Kim returned her mother's judgmental gaze to her, the words she spoke seething with anger. "Get off my back already! We didn't do anything!"

"You little liar! Now I wanna know just what the hell were you two doing back there?" Arlo's booming voice caused Kim to jump a little.

'I-' was all I managed to get out before the famous Kim Kelly eye roll made an appearance and she groaned out a reply, cutting me off.

"He fixed the bathroom sink, okay? He did something you should have done years ago!"

Arlo began to laugh like he just heard a preposterous lie. "Yeah, right. That thing needs a professional to fix it, or maybe just a monkey wrench and some elbow grease. But not some idiot like your friend here!"

"Go see for yourself!" Kim snapped back with a raised voice. "It drains faster than you can think now. Oh wait, it already did that even when it was clogged, dumbass!"

I nervously scratched the back of my head, uncertain of if I should try to corral my friend in or just let things play out like they were.

"You don't talk to him like that!" Cookie yelled.

Arlo's face dropped into a glare and he immediate began to clomp his way towards his stepdaughter.

"What did you say to me? Do you think I won't backhand you again because he's here? You will respect me you little bitch!"

Kim didn't flinch or back down, but I could tell she was expecting to be hit. As quickly as I could, I injected myself between the two and Arlo stopped just a few inches away from me.

"Out of my way, boy, 'less you want a good knock, too!"

He was around my height and had an average build, if not for a bit of a beer-gut, but he also had some liquid courage on his side as well. If worse came to worse we would end up trading blows, but better my face being smashed in than my friend's.

Kim began pulling at my arm. "Donovan, let's go. He's not worth- no, let's just go."

I took a few steps back as Kim's grip began towing me away, but my eye contact with Arlo never broke until we made it through the door. I then knew exactly why Kim's cheek was swollen and why she was hesitant to be herself in the presence of the drunk, and my newfound knowledge left me extremely pissed, but I never reflected it in my appearance. I just remained stoic. If a person can't read your face, they can't predict your actions and that always gives you the upper-hand... or at least that's what Fredricks always said.

'Don't either of you bother comin' back!' I heard him yell as we made a mad dash for my car. I started the engine and looked over at him, and my stomach sank when I saw him reel his arm back with a beer bottle tightly gripped in his hand. He was going to throw it. He was going to fucking throw it right at my car.