Damaged Goods

by J. C. Hannigan

  My hands fisted his sweater, pulling him even closer to me. I tugged on his lip ring, enjoying the vibration of his moan.

  “Um. Everly? The bell rang…” Grayson tore his lips from mine as we both glanced toward the sound of Aubrey’s amused voice. She was standing with Alicia at the end of the hall, looking deeply entertained. I blushed, embarrassed. I hadn’t even heard the bell ring over the sound of blood rushing in my ears.

  “I’ll be right there,” I told her, flustered. My hands regretfully relaxed their grip on Grayson’s shirt as I tilted my head to look up at him. “Are you staying at school?”

  “No. I told you, I’m going home.” Grayson arched a brow, daring me to challenge him again. I said nothing, nodding my acceptance.

  “I’ll see you later, then,” I told him, my arms dropping to my sides. Grayson sent me another confusing look, one torn between desire and something I couldn’t quite put my finger on…regret, maybe?

  “Yeah,” he said simply, nodding to Aubrey and Alicia before he headed out the nearest exit. I watched him go for a moment, inhaling deeply. I could still taste him on my tongue.

  “Come on,” Aubrey said, rolling her eyes and smiling. I walked up to them, my heart still thumping erratically in my chest.

  We made it to Gym with seconds to spare, changing into our Gym clothes as quickly as we could. The three of us breathlessly stumbled out from the change rooms just as Mr. Pole blew his whistle.

  “Warm up stretches! We’ll be doing cardio today!” he instructed. The students split up into clusters. Alicia, Aubrey and I were near the stage.

  “So, what was that all about?” Alicia demanded, her eyes narrowing as she studied me. “Are you okay? He looked…rough.”

  I flushed, embarrassed. “I’m fine. We were just…kissing.”

  Aubrey let out a strangled sound that seemed caught between a gurgle of laughter and a snort. I sent her a silencing glare.

  “Why did he storm away from you?” Alicia pressed, refusing to let it go.

  I didn’t answer her right away. I pulled my hair into a high ponytail to keep it off the back of my neck. Alicia pursed her lips, displeased with my avoidance.

  “They just wanted to be alone.” Aubrey grinned. “Clearly. Damn, that was intense looking. I think I get it now.”

  “Get what?” I asked.

  “Why you’re so hung up on him. That boy looks like he can kiss,” Aubrey joked, nudging me gently with her hip.

  “Can we change the topic, please?” I asked, trying not to give Aubrey the satisfaction of seeing me smile. Aubrey playfully stuck her tongue out at me while she stretched her leg to make it look like she was warming up. Alicia and I were doing similar stretches. Aubrey looked from Alicia to me as an excited smile spread slowly across her lips.

  “Tickets for semi-formal go on sale soon,” Aubrey declared after a moment of silence. We were still busy trying to make it look like we were warming up.

  “Great.” Alicia sighed, looking dejected. She rolled her eyes. “Can we do another topic change, please?”

  “What’s wrong?” Aubrey asked.

  “You’re all going to have dates and I’m not.” She frowned, shaking her head. I noticed Zoe and Kaylee chortling off to the side. Zoe caught me watching them and sneered at me.

  “Oh! Alicia? I have the perfect date for you,” Zoe said, focusing her dark eyes on Alicia. “One of my cousins is a dyke. I could give her your number. She’s not as pretty as me, but she’s got low standards…she’ll probably say yes!”

  Alicia stilled with her leg half-stretched out. I saw her shoulders shake as she respired. She slowly put her foot back on the ground, her spine stiffening as she stood tall. “What did you say?” Her voice trembled with anger as she spoke.

  “Oh, I think you heard me, darling.” Zoe winked, sending Kaylee into a fit of laughter.

  I opened my mouth, about to start in on Zoe. Alicia lunged at her, and I quickly grabbed my friend by the arms to hold her back.

  “Let me know if you want it,” Zoe added, a smug look on her face.

  Alicia ripped her arms from my feeble grasp, rushing at Zoe with a look of rage. “You bitch!”

  I tried to grab her again, this time with Aubrey’s help, but Alicia’s anger gave her strength over us. I could have laughed at Zoe’s terrified expression the moment before Alicia slapped her hard, leaving a hand print that marked Zoe’s perfect porcelain cheek.

  There was a slight pause as Zoe’s hand came up to her cheek and she stared at Alicia with astonishment. “You’re going to regret that, dyke!” she threatened in a low voice, her eyes wide and watery.

  Then it was a confusing mess of flailing limbs, hair, and a medley of battle cries from Alicia as she jumped on Zoe again.

  Mr. Pole rushed over, blowing his whistle repeatedly as he attempted to get Alicia and Zoe to stop fighting.

  Alicia finally stopped, hearing the whistle right beside her ear. Her chest was rising and falling frantically with each hurried breath she took. Her eyes were bloodshot from tears and anger. She was pale, as if she was in shock.

  “Office, now! All five of you!” Mr. Pole roared. “Kelsey, you’re in charge until I get back. Nobody leaves this room.”

  Mr. Pole grabbed Alicia and Zoe’s arms and started steering them out of the gym, toward the office. Aubrey, Kaylee and I followed with our heads down.

  The walk of shame to the office was an embarrassing one. We ran into Stephanie Marks, the school gossip, and I instantly knew that the news would be all over the halls by the end of the day.

  “Is Mr. Walters available?” Mr. Pole asked the secretary. She was sitting at the front reception desk with a bored expression on her wide face. Her brown hair was pulled back into an impossibly tight bun, and her glasses hung halfway down her nose. She blinked lazily at Mr. Pole, seeming to consider his question.

  “Actually, he’s in a meeting right now. Ms. Luxton is available, though,” the secretary answered. She slowly picked up her phone and dialed out. “Hello? Ms. Luxton? Mr. Pole is here with some students. Looks like a fight. Alright yes, I’ll tell them.” She put the receiver down and cleared her throat, her dark eyes looking from face to face before she gave Mr. Pole her attention. “Ms. Luxton will see these girls in about five minutes. If you need to get back to your class, they’re good with me. I’ll keep them out of trouble.” The secretary looked at us reproachfully.

  Mr. Pole nodded, scowling at us. “Sit down,” he ordered, gesturing to the seats beside the door. There were only two chairs, so Aubrey, Alicia and I ended up standing while Kaylee and Zoe sat. Zoe kept sobbing quietly while Kaylee gently rubbed her back and glared at us.

  Five minutes later, the thin and tall vice principal came out of her office and stopped at the counter that separated the offices and receptionist desk. She was wearing a charcoal dress suit and her platinum blonde hair was worn sleek and sharp against her jaw. She had a stern expression on her face, but her eyes assessed us with kindness.

  I had never really dealt with the vice principal, or the principal for that matter. From what I heard from the other students, Ms. Luxton was an enforcer. She enforced rules and was strict on students, but she was also empathetic and helpful. This could go either way, really. I knew our high school had a strict policy when it came to fighting.

  “Girls,” she said, holding her hands in the air with her palms facing upward. She shook her head as if she couldn’t believe that we were in trouble for fighting. “What happened?”

  “She attacked me for no reason!” Zoe blurted, still holding her cheek as if it was broken. I glowered at her; her perfect cheek barely had a mark on it. The only thing wrong with Zoe was that her normally perfect hair was all tangled and messy.

  “That’s bull,” Aubrey snapped, glaring at Zoe. “You said cruel things. You baited Alicia!”

  “I didn’t say anything cruel to her! I didn’t know she’d flip out! It’s not my fault that she can’t accept a helpful handout when it’s offered!�
��

  Ms. Luxton watched the exchange with careful eyes and a slight frown on her thin lips. “Aubrey, Alicia, and Everly…come with me. Zoe and Kaylee, remain where you are.”

  Ms. Luxton turned around and led the way to her office. She stood aside, letting the three of us walk in before her. Her large desk had two chairs sitting opposite, and two more off in the corner. Ms. Luxton pulled one of the spare chairs over and placed it beside the other two. She gestured for us to sit down, then took a seat behind her desk.

  She studied us carefully while we fidgeted in our chairs. I looked from Alicia to Aubrey, feeling very uncomfortable. I didn’t want to make Alicia angry by relaying what had actually happened. What Zoe did was wrong, I knew that. I also knew that Alicia’s response was wrong.

  Ms. Luxton sat with her hands clasped on top of her desk. Her fingers were perfectly manicured with neutral color nail polish. I couldn’t help but focus on that minor detail while I internally freaked out about the whole thing. I’d never gotten in trouble before.

  “Are any of you going to tell me what actually happened?” Ms. Luxton asked, gazing at each of us intently with her kind eyes. She waited, watching as Aubrey, Alicia and I exchanged glances with one another. She sighed heavily, looking down at her hands. “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me. Alicia, you’re looking at a three-day suspension for fighting. It’s your first time, so your sentence is shorter than the repeat offenders get. But I gotta tell you, I’m surprised to see you girls in here. Alicia, you’ve never fought anybody before. I know there was a reason for losing your temper, and I can help you out more if you tell me what it was.”

  I chewed on my bottom lip, looking at Alicia. She was sitting on Aubrey’s other side, but I could still see the determined, stubborn set to her jaw. She wasn’t going to speak.

  “Alicia, you should tell her,” Aubrey said gently, reaching over to clasp Alicia’s hand in hers.

  Alicia pulled away, her face turning a dark shade of red. “It’s fine, Aubrey. I’ll take the suspension, I deserve it. I broke a policy,” she responded almost mechanically.

  “I know something was said that really upset you, Alicia, and I’m sorry for that. Our school has a zero tolerance policy for fighting, but we also have a zero tolerance policy for bullying. If someone is saying cruel things to you, putting you down and making you feel bad, I want you to know that you can come to me to talk about it.” Ms. Luxton’s expression was warm and gentle, and I truly believed that she could help Alicia, but it wasn’t my place.

  Alicia nodded curtly, keeping her eyes focused on the floor. “What’s going to happen to Aubrey and Everly? They didn’t do anything. They tried to stop it,” she said, glancing at the two of us.

  “They aren’t in trouble. In fact, they are free to go…unless there is anything else that they’d like to tell me?” Ms. Luxton looked hopefully at us one last time. We remained silent and guilty. “Alright, back to your classes. Alicia, I need you to stay a little longer.” Alicia nodded, still not making eye contact.

  Aubrey and I stood up, free to go. I looked at Alicia again. “You should tell her,” I whispered low enough for her to hear me. She didn’t make any move to acknowledge what I’d said, but I knew she heard by the way her shoulders stiffened. I figured it was because she didn’t agree with me.

  Aubrey and I grabbed late slips from the secretary. I paused by the doorway, looking Zoe directly in the eye. She startled, not accustomed to me facing her head on. “Zoe, you’re a stunning girl. But when you act the way you did in Gym class, your ugly soul spills out. Stop being such a bitch, and maybe people will like you a little better.”

  “People like me just fine,” Zoe spat out in response, glaring at me. I snorted, shaking my head, but didn’t respond. Ms. Luxton had appeared to call them both in.

  I followed Aubrey down the abandoned corridor back to our Gym class. The bell was going to ring any minute, so we headed straight back to the locker rooms to get changed.

  “That was…” I trailed off, shaking my head as I tried to think of an appropriate word.

  “Intense?” Aubrey supplied, pulling on her jeans.

  “Yeah,” I pulled my sweater on, thinking about the broken look on my friend’s face when Zoe taunted her.

  “I really hope it doesn’t get out,” Aubrey whispered, freeing her long auburn hair from under her shirt.

  “I know.” I sighed. While our friend’s sexual orientation didn’t bother us, the rest of the school likely wouldn’t be as accepting. Anything outside of ordinary was not okay. Kids bullied other kids for a variety of ridiculous reasons, like glasses or what instrument they played in band. I shuddered to think about what would happen if Alicia’s secret got out.

  Besides, Alicia wasn’t ready to talk about it, and it was her private life.

  Chapter Ten

  BY THE TIME the final bell rang, the entire school was talking about the fight between Alicia and Zoe. The rumors made the fight seem so much more interesting than it had been. Apparently, Aubrey and I jumped in and held Zoe back while Alicia laid punch after punch into Zoe’s stomach.

  “The things people come up with,” I scoffed, shaking my head in bewilderment after Lindsay finished relaying the latest story to me. We were at our lockers, putting away books we didn’t need and grabbing ones that we did.

  “I know.” Lindsay laughed. “I would have paid to see Alicia fly off the handle at Zoe. Did she get a good slap in?”

  “Yeah,” I muttered, my brow furrowing. I didn’t find the situation to be hilarious at all. Alicia was on a three-day suspension and might not get to attend the semi-formal, unless she kept her nose completely clean over the next three weeks.

  I bit my lip, looking over at Lindsay. She was leaning against the locker beside mine, having already finished at hers. Her eyes were sparkling with glee. “I wish you had taken a video on your phone.” She sighed, staring up at the ceiling. “Alicia did what every girl in this school has wanted to do.”

  “Yeah, and she’s suspended and may not get to go to semi-formal,” I retorted, frowning. I put my coat on, grabbed my bag and then slammed my locker door smartly.

  “Whoa. Easy, snaps,” Lindsay cautioned, her eyes hardening. “Alicia will still get to go. It’s not like she’ll get into another fight between now and then.” She smiled slowly.

  I grunted, not seeing the point in replying. “Don’t you have a bus to catch since Alicia can no longer be your driver for the next three days?”

  The calculating smile on Lindsay’s face didn’t fade. “Kyle’s going to give me a lift home. I figured you wouldn’t mind, since you’re likely busy with your man.”

  I didn’t like Lindsay’s tone, but I chose not to call her out on it. Only Aubrey was ever really bold enough. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with the headache that would undoubtedly bring on. It just wasn’t worth the added stress. “Yeah, that’s fine. Have fun.”

  “We will.” Lindsay winked, grinning at Kyle as he approached.

  Kyle smiled at me, nodding once. His eyes traveled the length of my body before he shook his head and cleared his throat. “Ready to go, Lindsay?”

  “Sure am,” she answered, her voice drawing his attention away from my face. Grateful, I waved to them and headed off in my own direction.

  I had to work at four, and I knew that Grayson had already left the school, so I didn’t linger. I started the walk down the highway towards McDonald’s.

  Walking along the highway was never fun, especially in the winter months. It was lined with dirty, slushy snow and mud. I had to walk several feet away from the actual road so passing vehicles wouldn’t shower me in the disgusting and cold guck.

  My feet were beginning to freeze in my shoes by the time I reached McDonald’s. I quickly changed into my uniform. I had forty-five minutes to kill before my shift started, so I grabbed myself something to eat.

  Alicia was sitting alone in a booth, slowly picking at an order of French fries. She was dressed in her work u
niform. She had a look of utter unhappiness about her. Her shoulders were slumped and her lips were creased in a frown. She picked at her fries, barely raising any to her mouth. Still, it was the most I had seen her eat in a while.

  I sat down across from her with my early dinner. She looked up, seeming surprised to see me, as if she had forgotten we worked the same shift.

  “Hey,” I said, smiling gently. “How did…the rest of it go?”

  Alicia shrugged quickly, her shoulders returning to their slumped position. “It was fine. Ms. Luxton tried to get me to talk. I didn’t.”

  “Why not?” I asked. “She could help you, or at least punish Zoe for what she said.”

  “I don’t want anyone knowing, okay?” she hissed, glancing around to make sure nobody was within ear shot. “It’s bad enough that Zoe and Kaylee know.”

  “What if they say something?”

  “They probably will,” Alicia muttered, glaring at her French fries. She hadn’t touched them since she became aware of my presence.

  I chewed on my lip, biting back the questions. I couldn’t understand why she didn’t want to tell Ms. Luxton what had happened. Ms. Luxton wasn’t about to broadcast it to the whole school, but Zoe could. I kept silent because Alicia looked tormented enough; I didn’t want to add to her stress.

  “Are your parents mad?” I asked.

  “They don’t know,” she replied, almost laughing. “I deleted the voicemail that the school left, and I left for work before they got home.”

  “Won’t the school want a signed note from them?” I questioned, concerned.

  “Forged it.” Alicia shrugged. “I’ve been forging their signatures for years.”

  “Why?”

  “Because my parents are major old school assholes,” Alicia said, her eyes finally meeting mine. “They are not accepting of…anything. Once, my brother brought home a girl who wasn’t Catholic. World War III almost happened in our living room when Dad found out.”