by B Truly
As we head toward class, Justin’s eyes dart to mine. “What’s that white stuff in your hair?”
“I got caught in a cafeteria food fight and couldn’t get to cover fast enough.”
Chuckling, he gives me another once over, and then his forehead wrinkles. “Why are you limping?”
Justin’s very observant—a trait I’ll add to his list of positive attributes. “There was so much food on the floor, I slipped in some.”
He halts us. “What hurts?”
“My hip’s a bit sore because I landed on my side. I’ll live.” He holds my gaze, searching. There has been enough attention centered on the two of us lately. I don’t want to add to drama, making a big deal about it. Justin would be mad if he knew the truth, and I need to fight my own battles.
“Tonight, if it’s swollen, you can put ice on it,” Justin tells me.
My eyes reach the stars. “Yes, Dad.”
He gives me the lopsided grin that I love. “Are you rolling your eyes at me?” I nod. “I’m gonna have to teach you about being rude.”
Justin scopes out the hallway. There are no teachers in sight, so he pulls me against him. His natural scent of cinnamon spice surrounds me. I inhale how good he smells. Leaning down, Justin parts my lips with his, bestowing me with a kiss that makes my head spin. I moan as he kisses me so thoroughly, my knees buckle. Reluctantly, I break our passion, as the warning bell rings.
Justin smiles against my lips, pressing another soft kiss before he steps away. “Told you I’d show you some manners.”
I love this game! “Tell me what I need to do to get into trouble again.”
Justin’s head falls back in hysterics. “Madi, what am I gonna do with you?”
“See you after school,” I sigh, still spinning from his kiss.
Last period History drags. Right before class ends, I learn that if things seem too good to be true, then they are. Our teacher, Coach Schroder, also teaches freshman football. He always gifts us with the last part of class to do whatever we want. The best teacher ever! He doesn’t even care if we use our cells, so almost every student has theirs in hand. I opt to do my homework. Sooner I finish, the more time I’ll have to hang out with Justin tonight. I know, I’m pathetic!
So far, I’ve failed at trying to rein in my feelings for him. They are getting outta control. I’m only sixteen. Well, less than three months away from being seventeen, if you want to be technical. Still, I’m young to have a serious relationship. I just can’t help the way I feel.
The atmosphere shifts, and I sense someone is watching me like a hawk. Glancing up, I spy several of my peers are those hawks. Most of them aren’t just staring—they’re laughing.
Am I missing an inside joke?
Sean, who sits a few desks over, is looking at his phone. His eyes shoot in my direction, then his brow furrows. He rises from his seat and comes over.
“You must not have seen this,” Sean whispers.
My chest constricts. “Seen what?”
He shows me his cell. On the screen is a Facebook clip, titled: I scream, u scream, we all scream for ice cream.
Anger billows inside me, recalling Jennifer’s phone. I hit play on the touchscreen, seeing a playback of Jen smashing ice cream into my face. She pushes me hard, and I kinda wobble around, trying not to fall. I look like a fish flopping out of water, before hitting the ground.
My classmates think the video is hilarious. I would bet money my face is beet red. My insides feel aflame. This video has already gotten over three-hundred views, with half that number of likes. A slew of comments are filtering in, too.
How funny, Jen!
U showed that twit.
Thrilled u put that tramp in her place. She thinks she’s something special.
Best food fight ever!
Classic!
She got what she deserved.
This video has made my day. I’ve already watched it twice & shared it with all my friends.
I cringe, not wanting to read any more on the long list of insults. It’s upsetting that Jennifer purposely sought out to make a fool of me and succeeded. Jen is getting the reaction she wants. A prank isn’t funny if you are on the receiving end.
“You all right?” Sean wonders.
“I’m good,” I lie. This is beyond humiliating. Even worse, a guy who has asked me out is the person showing it to me.
“If it makes you feel any better, I don’t think it’s funny.”
I wouldn’t either, if it were a friend or someone I cared about. “Thanks for saying that.” Sean’s smile doesn’t reach his eyes. He returns to his seat. My cell pings. Scared to look, I force myself to read the message. My senses shout that the I scream ice cream video is traveling fast.
Have u seen that video on Facebook? Lina asks.
My phone vibrates again. This time, Cara.
That heifer posted a clip of u falling. What an itch!
Yeah, I’ve seen it. I’m not gonna get worked up over it, though. That’s what she wants. It is what it is, I text both of them in a group message.
Sorry. Lina adds.
Don’t worry. U reap what u sow. Cara sends back.
Ding, sounds the final bell. I can’t get out of class fast enough. Justin normally texts if he’s going to meet me at my locker or the parking lot. He hasn’t yet, so I send him a message.
I’ll meet u at your truck.
K.
No questions, so maybe he doesn’t know. I’ll keep it that way if possible, but someone is bound to tell him. Soon, the entire school will learn the ice cream scoop—literally. It’s just the parameters of gossip—an endless domino effect. Jackson and Tanya will probably harass me for details when I only want to forget about it. The best defense against Jennifer is to not let her know she’s gotten under my skin. I refuse to give her that power over me. She tried to run over me at the game, which blew up in her face. Now we’re even, tit-for-tat. Maybe this will satisfy her, and she’ll go on with her life.
Justin takes forever to get to the parking lot, or maybe I’m paranoid. Several students look at me, smirking. Most of them are staring at their phone screens. Whatever! I’ll have to suck it up until the fuss dies down.
Finally, I spot Justin. He’s walking briskly and his shoulders are tense. When he approaches closer, I see his jaw muscles twitch.
Darn it, he knows.
21
You Reap What You Sow
Justin unlocks the doors with his remote key. I climb into the passenger seat, not meeting his eyes.
Justin barely closes his door before saying, “Madi, I think you forgot to mention the important details about the food fight.”
His joking manner from earlier is gone. I bite my nails. “I’d rather not talk about it.”
“Well, the whole school is. Jackson just showed me the video.” He shakes his head, exhaling loudly. “I wanna strangle her. She’s lucky I’d never hit a girl. But I have a serious problem with someone messing with a person I care about.”
“I appreciate that you care, but I’m a big girl.”
I meet his eyes and some of his anger dissolves. “I know you can stand up for yourself. It’s just hard for me to sit back and do nothing when someone is hurting you. You hurt—I hurt.”
Justin is the sweetest, but he has to let me handle this. “Promise me you will stay out of this.” His mouth forms into a firm line. “Imagine how it would look if my boyfriend confronted his ex because she was harassing me.” He doesn’t comment. “I would never live that down. She’ll never back off unless I stand my ground.”
“I get your point. I just don’t like it. What can I do to help?”
“I’m going to try my best to pretend like it never happened.”
Justin holds my gaze for the longest. Finally, he sighs. “You’re such a big person, taking the high road.” He changes the subject, which I’m grateful for. “How much homework do you have?”
“Not much. I finished most of it in my last classes.”
; “How about I take you to the movies.”
“Sounds like a plan. I need to change my clothes first.”
Justin’s jaw muscles flex, but he doesn’t comment. I exhale. My cell pings. Reading the message, I swallow hard. It’s a text from the cocky twin.
What the hell is up with the video Jen posted? U good?
Yeah, I’m fine, I reply.
If Jackson knows, then Tanya does, too. It doesn’t look like I’ll be living this down anytime soon.
* * *
Over the next few days, I endure the aftermath of the ice cream clip—suck it up like a champ. When my peers ask me about it, I shrug it off like it doesn’t bother me. Betty Boop from my 2nd period approaches, teasing me about it. I remember her from the game. She’s a friend of Jennifer’s, with extremely large boobs. I laugh, agreeing with her how hilarious it is, which seems to do the trick. My tactic throws her off. Betty Boop scrunches her nose and storms away.
By the following week, my peers have moved on, ready for their next thrill. My chest expands that they’ve grown tired of me being the punchline of their joke.
“I can’t wait until Christmas break next week,” Cara says, as we’re getting dressed after gym.
“Same here.”
“Oh, great.”
Glancing in the direction she is, I see what Cara means. Jennifer and two of her groupies stroll into the gym locker room. On cue, Jen glowers at me. I gather my things quickly, wanting to avoid her. She has a different plan. Determined to make a scene, she walks over to my locker section.
“Why are you in such a hurry, Curly Sue?”
“I need to get to class. Excuse me.” She purposely blocks my way. Her friends stand off to the side. Cara is nearby. “I don’t want any trouble.”
“Well, you should’ve thought about that before you tried showing out at the game.”
“I think you paid me back with the ice cream video.”
She giggles. “That was just an appetizer.”
Sighing, I lose my patience. “Get outta my way.”
“Do you really think I’m scared of you? You’re so beneath me—just trash.” Her entourage laughs.
“Really? How am I trash when I live in Royal Oaks?”
That strikes a nerve. “You just wait to see what I’ve got in store for you.” Jennifer smirks at me before walking away.
Her groupies give me equal looks of sarcasm following behind her. Jennifer’s threat makes the hair on the back of my neck rise.
“Don’t let her get to you,” Cara reads my mind. “Some people are so bitter and vengeful.”
“I wish she would give it a rest.”
“Keep doing what you are. Stand your ground and don’t let her rile you up. Sooner or later, she’ll realize she’s no match for you.”
“Thanks for the pep talk.”
“If more people took the high road like you do, than the world would be a better place.”
My last class has barely begun, and I have to use the restroom badly. I should have gone in between classes, but I was too busy being naughty with Justin. He is going to get me in trouble. Well, it takes two to tango. I’m an equal participant. Raising my hand, I ask to be excused to the lady’s room.
Luckily, it’s Coach Schroder, so he won’t give me a hard time. He shakes his head with a dorky grin, writing me a pass. After I finish tinkling, I hear the restroom door open. I’m the only person in here inside the far stall.
“Check the stalls to make sure we’re alone.”
I recognize Jennifer’s voice, so I lift my feet, squatting on the toilet. I unlock the door, letting it ajar slightly to give the impression it’s empty.
“No one is here,” I hear the other girl tell Jennifer.
It sounds like Betty Boop. My instincts tell me to pull out my phone.
I hit the record button just as Jennifer says, “That slut Madison is going to pay. She’s stupid to think Justin really wants her.” She smacks her lips. “Justin loves to roll around in the sack. Trust me, once he gets bored, he’ll dump her ass like a bad habit.”
My stomach takes a nosedive, causing me to have a thousand doubts. The thought of her being in the sack with Justin makes me want to claw her eyeballs out.
Betty Boop snickers. “What do you have in mind?”
“Once I put my master plan in action, Madison is going to wish she never screwed around with me. I won’t go into details right now, but I’m going to end her. She’ll look like a thief and a cheater—even possibly get expelled.”
It takes everything in me to stay quiet.
Betty Boop is silent for a moment. “Expelled? I know Madison has gotten under your skin, but don’t you think that’s a bit harsh?”
Jennifer exhales loudly. “Whose side are you on, Shay?”
“Yours, of course.”
“Good.”
“Your plan involves schoolwork?”
“Yep, and since you have 2nd period with her, I’ll need you to set up something for me.”
“You need my help?”
“Must I remind you what I’ve done for you in the past? What I know?”
Betty Boop gasps. “There’s no need to bring skeletons out of the closet. I’ll help. I just don’t want to get caught.”
“My plan is foolproof as long as you keep your mouth shut.”
“My lips are sealed. Sounds like you’ll have her by the balls.” They both laugh.
“Madison will be lucky if she’s allowed to attend any high school ever again.”
“Well, I better get to class, I’m already late enough.”
“We’ll talk later,” Jennifer tells her.
My heart is pounding so loud, it may pop out of my chest. The nerve of this girl to stoop this low to try to set me up because her old flame doesn’t want her anymore. She’s a horrible person. After I hear them leave, I wait to be sure the coast is clear.
Everything happens for a reason. God sent me here so I would have the method to stop her. I hit the button to stop the recording on my phone, feeling better about the situation. There is no way I’m going to let her get away with this.
Once I get home, I listen to the recording. It is loud and clear. I save it to my cloud, and also, onto a USB. Now, I have Jennifer Lovett under lock and key, and she thinks she’s clever. I haven’t said anything to Justin yet. I wanted to listen to the recording and get my bearings straight first. You reap what you sow, and Jennifer is going to get her evil deeds thrown in her face.
On our way to school the next day, I inform Justin. “I have something I want you to listen to, but I don’t want you to lose it.”
“Okay….” Justin replies, hesitant.
I hit play and afterward, his nostrils flare. “That girl is scandalous. How did I ever get involved with her?”
“Beats me.” I shrug—Justin smirks at me.
“I can’t hold my tongue any longer,” he says. “I’m going to tell her off.”
“No, leave that to me.”
Justin lifts his eyebrow. “How were you able to record their conversation?”
“I happened to be in the restroom stall. Jennifer and her friend thought they were alone.”
“You were at the right place at the right time.” I nod. “Well, she’s screwed now. What’s your plan? Are you going to report this to Principal Jones?”
“I was thinking I would confront her about it first. Hold on to the recording for now and sees if she backs off.”
Justin scratches his temple. “That might work, but she deserves to get in trouble with how she’s acted.”
“True, and if she does one more thing to tempt me, then I’ll report her. Maybe it’s better to have this for insurance. If Jennifer knows I’ll have this hanging over her head, she might not harass me again—fear of repercussions.”
“Kinda like that strategy. I have something on you and if you step out of line, then you’re screwed.”
“Basically.”
“That’s smart, Madison. But you need t
o address this before she tries to pull off whatever her scheme is.”
“Oh, I’m going to confront her first thing this morning.”
I bite my nails, not comfortable with manipulating anyone. I’m quickly learning that sometimes you must do what it takes to protect yourself. If Jennifer backs off, then I will, too. I won’t rat her out. She has been so conniving—I don’t trust her as far as I can throw her. I’ll hold on to the recording for safe keeping indefinitely.
Before first period, I find Jennifer by her locker. Justin waits farther down the hall, insisting on staying close by. She wrinkles her nose when she sees me standing beside her.
“Hi, Jennifer.” My lips curl upward, giving her my most vindictive smile.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you?”
“Oh, I just want to talk about your plan to get me expelled.”
Her sarcastic grin fades, and her eyes pop from their sockets. “What … are you talking about?”
The playing dumb tactic, of course. I inch closer into her personal space. “You know exactly what I’m referring to.”
“Did a little birdie tell you?” she asks, grabbing for info.
“Actually, no one told me, but I can play the entire conversation for you if you’d like.”
Her eyes grow even bigger. “What do you mean?”
“You and Shay should be more careful. Especially when you’re trying to set someone up.”
She shifts her weight. “You were hiding in the stalls like a coward?”
“More like smart enough to know when my enemies are up to something.”
Jennifer holds her shoulders high. “Maybe you did overhear, so what. You don’t have any proof. You’re bluffing.”
“Are you deaf?” I counter. “I’m not playing games.” Whipping out my cell, I start the recording. Jen’s nostrils flare as she hears confirmation she is busted. I only play a few seconds before I stop it. “By the way, Justin’s heard this recording as well, and I’ve sent it to his phone. I also have other copies of it.”
Jennifer’s jaw drops, and then she narrows her eyes. Her mouth seems to move, but no words come out. Maybe she is searching for a defense but coming up blank.