by Mark Tufo
“Do you think she’s alright for Kevin?” she asked.
“What is it with the women in this house?” he asked as he took the glass of iced tea out to Callis.
“I hope you like roast,” he told her. “Teri, my wife, makes the best roast ever.”
“I don’t remember the last time I’ve had it,” she answered honestly.
“You’re in for a treat.”
“Oh, you made it,” Mindy said from the balcony. “Wonderful,” she said sarcastically.
“Nice to see you too, Mindy,” Callis said.
“Come on down,” Mrs. Denton shouted. “Dinner is ready.”
Callis watched in horror as Talea and Laura flanked Mindy, the trio insincerely smiling down at her.
Kevin saw the exchange and the knot in his stomach doubled in size. “Wonderful,” he muttered.
As the group sat down, Mrs. Denton placed the roast on the table for Mr. Denton to carve.
“Do they have roasts at the dollar store?” Mindy asked Callis.
“Don’t,” Kevin said through gritted teeth.
Laura and Talea covered their laughs up with their napkins.
“What?” Mindy asked with a naive slant. “I’m just curious.”
“Do you think she knows how to use a fork?” Talea asked Mindy.
Laura spurted out the soda she had been drinking.
“Girls!” Mrs. Denton said angrily. “Is this how you were taught to behave with guests?”
“Sorry, Mrs. Denton.” Talea said. Laura mumbled a sorry as she started sopping up her mess.
“What about you, young lady?” Mrs. Denton asked Mindy.
“I have nothing I need to apologize for,” she replied.
“What is going on here?” Mr. Denton asked, looking up from his carving duties.
“Nothing that won’t be cured when she leaves my house,” Mindy said, pointing to Callis. “Who knows what nasty things she’s brought in here? Probably going to need the house fumigated.”
Tears began to well up in Callis’ eyes.
Kevin stood up, the veins in his neck bulging as anger pushed him to the edge.
“Relax, I’ll take it easy on your sociology project.”
“You’ve gone too far,” Kevin shouted.
“Stop!” Mr. Denton shouted, “I don’t know what the hell is going on here. Kevin sit down.” Mindy smiled. “And you, little missy!” he said, turning on his daughter with his finger extended. “I guess I really didn’t know how spoiled you were until tonight. Maybe I took ‘daddy’s little princess’ a step too far. What makes you think you’re better than Callis, better than anyone as a matter of fact? Money? Because you, little girl, don’t have any. Your mother and I are well off. Last I checked, you were begging for advance allowance money so you could get a belt or something.” Mr. Denton was hot. “Your brother brought a guest to sit with us at our table and break bread and this is how you treat her?”
“What about my friends? Don’t they mean anything? Why do they have to be exposed to her!” Mindy yelled, not backing down but rather ratcheting up the drama.
“I think I should leave.” Callis stood.
“You should have never come, but leaving now would be okay!” Mindy shouted, standing up to be on level ground with her.
Laura seemed embarrassed by the outburst, but Talea was enjoying every morsel. To her it was like watching an episode of her favorite show, Jersey Shore, live.
“Mindy! Leave this table NOW!” Mrs. Denton shouted.
Mindy was ripped. Anger cascaded over her and emanated away in crashing waves.
“This is my home,” she practically growled.
“Now.” Mrs. Denton said quieter but with more force. “Callis, I’m sorry. Please sit down.”
Mindy watched as Callis sat. “Come on, guys, I’ve lost my appetite anyway.”
Laura got up, Talea hesitated. “I’m hungry, Mindy.”
“I’ll get you some chicken nuggets,” Mindy told her, Talea got up and followed.
Before anyone could react, Mindy grabbed the gravy boat. “Here! You’re going to need this to choke down my mother’s food!” she said as she poured the entire contents onto Callis’ lap.
Callis shot up as the hot liquid began to burn her. Laura stood straight up and backhanded Mindy in the face with a force that knocked the glassware to the floor where it shattered. Mindy’s head whipped to the side from the strike.
“What the hell, Laura!” Mindy shrieked, standing back up and wiping blood away from the corner of her mouth.
Mrs. Denton’s mouth was agape. She was at a loss for words as was her husband. Kevin began to wipe the brown sauce from Callis’ pants.
“Are you alright?” he asked. He noticed that she seemed to be lost deep in thought, and then, within a moment…it passed.
“Oh my God, Mindy! I’m so sorry I don’t know what happened!” Laura said, looking at the rapidly reddening hand that had betrayed her.
“You hit me is what happened, you bitch!” Mindy shrieked.
“Mindy!” Mr. Denton yelled.
“Get out of my house, you cow!” Mindy was shrieking at Laura.
Had anyone been looking Callis’ way they would have noticed an almost imperceptible smile crease the corners of her mouth.
“Mindy, please I don’t know what happened. It’s like I didn’t have control over myself. Please…we’re best friends!” Laura was crying.
“Best friends? The only reason I hang out with you at all is because your looks are so bad they make me look that much better!” Mindy yelled, holding onto the side of her face that was beginning to swell.
“Mindy, please.” Laura was sobbing.
“You remember that time we went to McDonald’s and you said your hamburger tasted funny? It was because I spit into it…I’m talking a huge wad of phlegm!”
“Why?” Laura said aghast.
“Mostly because I can’t really stand you, but also because Jimmy Hayes talked to you that morning and not me.”
Laura began to think back on the events of that day. “He asked if I had done my algebra homework, Mindy.”
“I don’t give a shit if he asked you directions to Walmart!” Mindy screamed, nearly shaking from the force.
Mr. Denton was amazed and dismayed with the words that were coming from his daughter’s mouth. He wondered where he and Teri had gone so wrong in rearing her. She was so far removed from the child they thought she was. He was so stunned by her actions and her words that he was frozen in shock.
“That was gross,” Talea chimed in.
“You knew?” Laura asked, spinning on her other ‘friend’; the betrayal was too much.
Talea shrugged her shoulders and then looked at her fingernails.
“Get your fat ass out of my house,” Mindy barked, the twist of anger on her face making her momentarily hideous.
It was Mrs. Denton that snapped out of her shock first. She slapped the other side of Mindy’s face, the one that was not protected with her hand. “Shut up,” Mrs. Denton said in a nearly inaudible whisper. “Just shut your cancerous mouth up.”
Mindy glared at her mother for the strike. Laura fell to the floor in a heap of racking sobs, her whole world caving in on itself. Without the blessing of Mindy Denton, her social status would drop to nearly zero; even the gamer geeks wouldn’t let her sit with them at lunch.
“Mindy, please it was an accident,” she said, sticking one hand up in hopes that her ‘friend’ would throw out a life line.
“Go to hell...” Mindy said looking directly at her mother. “...Laura,” she said, concluding her sentence. “Come on, Talea.” She left the room and headed upstairs, Talea in tow.
The only sound that could be heard for many heartbeats was the sound of Laura trying to catch her breath.
“Laura honey, do you need a ride?” Mrs. Denton asked, bending down to stroke the girl’s hair. “I will take both girls home,” she said looking up.
Vehemence spat from the broken g
irl. “NO! I will not get in the car with her!” She pointed to Callis.
“Do you hear yourself?” Kevin said to her. “You three come here and attack Callis who has done absolutely nothing to you, then YOU backhand my sister, which she deserved by the way, and then you blame Callis? What is wrong with you!”
“Kevin, please,” Mr. Denton said. “I’m sorry,” he said to no one in particular and all of them at the same time. “I’ll take Callis home. Teri, you can take Laura.”
Teri helped Laura up and out to the car. Mr. Denton waited until they pulled out of the driveway before heading into the kitchen. He grabbed a few Tupperware containers and over filled them with food. Then placed the plastic containers in a bag.
Callis had gone into the bathroom to remove as much of the brown sauce as she could, she had tears and some blood streaking down her face, saddened that her beautiful clothes had been ruined. She looked up into the mirror. Her steel resolved as she did so. “Divide and conquer,” she said with determination.
“Did you say something?” Kevin asked.
“No. I’m good, thank you,” she said as she finished up. “I think this is the newest fashion,” she told him as she came out, posing like a runway model. “It’s all the rage in Paris.”
“You okay?” Kevin asked truly concerned. He could tell she was trying to make light of the matter, but there was a set to her eyes that belied her actions and words.
“I will be,” she told him honestly.
“You two ready?” Mr. Denton asked, carrying a large bag.
Mindy watched as her father, stupid brother, and the bitch whore left. “I need to kill her,” Mindy said.
Talea got wide eyed at her friend’s words, she didn’t believe in the sincerity of them, but she wanted to be there if and when it happened. She hadn’t seen anything this juicy on Jersey Shore, ever!
The ride home was quiet except for the multitude of apologies offered by the Denton men.
“I’ll be fine,” Callis told them.
“Please get those clothes to Kevin and I’ll get them cleaned,” Mr. Denton said.
Callis just nodded. There was no sense in arguing; the blouse was silk and nothing short of rethreading it was going to get that stain out. And there was not much better of a chance with the pants. Mr. Denton handed her the bag of food as she stepped out.
“Don’t argue,” he told her as he saw her open her mouth in protestation.
She willingly took the gift and Kevin walked her up to the door.
“I’m so sorry,” he said as he kissed her forehead. As he was pulling back she moved in and kissed his lips. It went from a peck to a full-fledged passionate embrace. Mr. Denton turned away slightly embarrassed.
Callis walked into the house with the bag in front of her.
“You know I was kidding about the doggie bag right?” Mr. Lowrie said looking up from the television.
“The six o’clock news isn’t even over. What are you doing home?” Mrs. Lowrie asked.
“Mindy, the Denton’s daughter got sick so they thought it best to do this another night.”
“That’s too bad,” Mr. Lowrie said with genuine concern. “What’s in the bag?”
“You’ll have to come find out. I’m getting changed.” Callis put the bag down on the small table and headed to her room before either could see her ruined clothing and ask her a bunch of questions about an event she’d rather not remember.
“Well all was not lost,” Kevin said as he got back in the car.
“She alright?” Mr. Denton asked.
“She’s fantastic.”
“You know what I mean.”
“I hope so, Dad. What the hell is wrong with Mindy?”
“I’m not sure, but I plan on finding out…or at least correcting it.”
Kevin thought that would be a tall order on both fronts.
“I’m starving. Want to go get a sub or something?” Mr. Denton asked.
“I’m not really hungry…but I am. Does that make sense?”
“Perfectly, we’re guys. The world could be ending, but we still have to eat.”
By the time they got home, Teri had cleaned up and was sitting at the table by herself. Kevin gave her a hug.
“Callis okay?” she asked.
“Fantastic apparently,” Mr. Denton offered. She looked over at him quizzically.
“I’ll explain later,” he told her.
“I’m going to my room,” Kevin announced.
“Please don’t go near your sister,” Mrs. Denton said.
“Mom, I’m not thrilled that we share the same floor right now. That won’t be a problem.” And with that he left.
Mr. Denton sat down next to his wife. “Some night huh?” he asked.
“I remember when they were born…” she began. “I had been so happy to see Mindy, a girl, my heart leapt. When Kevin was born, I loved him, too, but I was apprehensive.”
Mr. Denton’s eyebrow shot up. “How so?”
“I was so worried about what he was going to destroy growing up. You know we heard all the stories about little boys and how they are.”
Mr. Denton smiled. “Well they were right. Kid probably cost us thousands in property damage over the years.”
“Yes, but it was never anything malicious. He didn’t purposefully ruin our couch, he was just using it as a ramp for his bike jumps.”
“Oh…I remember that!”
“Tonight is the first time, Hank, that I wished we’d had two boys. I’m horrible,” she said, burying her head in her hands.
“It’s okay, honey, you don’t mean that. It’s just been a stressful night.”
But she had meant it, and that’s what scared her. Her beautiful daughter was a mean-spirited monster.
“We’ll right this ship, we’ll get her help.”
“An exorcism?” she asked. It slipped out before she could pull it back in.
Hank laughed uneasily and stood up. “Want some coffee?” he asked.
“Love some,” she said not watching as he went into the kitchen.
“What happened after I went home?” Talea asked Mindy the following Monday as they returned to school. She had waited all day Sunday to hear from her friend and even called the Denton home phone only to be told Mindy would not be accepting calls for a while.
“They took my phone away and they’re making me get help,” she added with air quotes.
“Help for what?”
“They think I have anger management issues I need to deal with. They are so clueless. It’s all because of Callis dating my brother.”
Talea wanted to remind Mindy that Callis wasn’t dating her brother the first time they harassed her, but she didn’t want to piss her friend off. Plus she wanted to see the fireworks that this whole thing was invariably leading to. “So what now? And what about Laura? The bitch must have called me like twenty times this weekend.”
“You didn’t talk to her did you?” Mindy asked, looking at her.
“No, I mean only to tell her to stop calling.” Which was a lie, they had talked for hours over what happened.
“Good, because if she’s not my friend, she can’t be yours.”
“You really don’t want to be friends with her anymore?”
“The bitch slapped me, Talea. Almost used a whole jar of foundation to hide the black eye she gave me.”
You didn’t do such a good job, she thought, looking at the yellow and greening skin around her eye. “She says it wasn’t her fault…that Callis somehow made her do it.”
“Talea, the next time you don’t talk to Laura, let her know she’s off the cheerleading squad.”
“She a co-captain, Mindy.”
“You sure do sound like you’re sticking up for her. If you two losers want to hang out together, go ahead, you’ll both be off the team.”
“I’m sorry, Mindy, Laura was my friend, too.”
“Was,” Mindy said, walking away to go to her first class.
“What’d she say?�
� Laura asked, running up from her hiding spot.
“She says you’re off the team.”
Laura started crying again which seemed implausible given the amount of tears she had shed in the last forty-eight hours. Talea wondered if she was dehydrated.
“I’ve got to get to class, Laura,” Talea said, walking as quickly away from the social pariah as she could before she caught something.
Talea was focused on making it to her class before the second bell rang and she was late. She never even noticed as Callis made a bee-line for her. She spun from the contact as Callis laid a shoulder in on her.
“Oh sorry,” Callis said as she walked past, Talea’s books fell to the floor.
Talea had a pang of fear, their victims had NEVER struck back…ever, and she did not know how to react. Somehow, Laura’s entreaty that she had not struck Mindy now carried a fraction more validity.
By noon, Talea had completely forgotten the encounter. It did, however, come rushing back at lunch. She was sitting at the cheerleader table next to Mindy and they were talking about one of their new routines. She had noticed Laura off in the corner trying to find a seat in the crowded cafeteria, but she forgot about her once she lost sight as one of the football players walked past.
She was taking a drink from her vitamin water when she felt the impact of Mindy’s hand hit the side of hers causing the liquid to slosh on the front of her shirt.
“What the hell, Mindy?” Talea said as she grabbed a napkin.
“I didn’t do anything,” Mindy told her, looking at her offending hand much like Laura had on Saturday night.
“You just made me spill my drink over myself.”
“Maybe if you weren’t so busy shoveling food into your face there wouldn’t have been anything to hit.”
The other girls at the table laughed at the slight.
Talea saw Callis looking over at their table from the lunch line. A chill shot up her spine. Callis smiled at her and then resumed getting the rest of her food.