I Never Told You What I Did for a Living
Getting Even
"Lily, wake up," I felt a finger gently poke me in the ribs. I groaned and rolled over.
"Come on, Lily. What time is your first class?"
My eyes snapped open. Everything from the previous day came flooding back to me, and I realized that it was Gerard poking me.
"Umm, not until noon today," I lied. I sat up on the couch and looked at the clock on the wall over the TV. It was 7 am.
"Okay, well mine's at nine, so I guess we won't be riding together."
"Well, I could still drive you," I offered.
"No, that's fine. I'll drive myself."
"If you have a car, then why do you take cabs everywhere?"
"Mikey likes to steal my car."
I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and cleared my throat. I looked up to see him leaning over the back of the couch, watching me. He was smiling sweetly.
"What?" I eyed him warily.
"Nothing. You're just cute in the morning, that's all."
"Liar. I need a shower and a cup of coffe before I really even wake up."
"Shower's all yours," he pointed to the bathroom. "As for coffee, I've got a pot brewing right now."
"You're my hero!" I jumped up and gave him a quick kiss before heading into the bathroom. The hot water washed away all my cares, and I felt them swirling down the drain, flowing far away from me.
"Lily?"
I stuck my head out through the curtain. Gerard was setting clothes on the counter and a towel on the closed toilet seat lid.
"I saw that you didn't bring a bag, so I figured you'd need clothes. I don't know if they'll fit, but they're the best I've got to work with. Plus," he held up a belt. "We've always got the magic of a belt."
"Thanks," I grinned. "I'm sure they'll work fine."
I finished up in the shower and dried off quickly before pulling on his jeans. I picked up the shirt, but decided better than to put it on. With only his pants and my bra on, I walked out of the bathroom and into the kitchen.
"What's with this shirt?" I asked, holding it up for him to see.
He shrugged. "I thought one of Mikey's would fit you better than one of mine."
"Have you seen Mikey? He's so scrawny! There's absolutely no boob room in this. I don't want to stretch it out."
"Fine," he laughed a little as he took the shirt and went into his bedroom. He returned a moment later with one of his own shirts, which I immediately pulled on.
As we sat and drank our coffee, we talked about the situation we'd been forced into.
"I really hate being a burden-"
"You're not a burden," Gerard interrupted me. "You've only been here one night and I really don't want you to leave. It's nice having someone other than Mikey to talk to. Plus, he really seems to like you, too."
I glanced at the clock again. Gerard followed my gaze.
"Fuck, I've got to go. I'll see you later, okay?"
I nodded and he kissed me before hurrying out the door. I then began racing around the apartment, trying to get ready for school. I figured I might as well go, at least so I could talk to Jill about what she'd done.
"Morning, Lily," Mikey muttered as he stumbled out of the guest bedroom. His hair was matted and he wasn't wearing his glasses.
"Morning."
"Why are you in such a hurry?"
"I... I think I'm going to go home."
Mikey froze. He suddenly appeared wide awake and his gaze burned into me. "Does Gerard know?"
"I'm not staying there. I'm just going to pick up some things while my mom's at work," I explained. "I mean, I can't go around wearing his clothes forever."
He looked me up and down, then nodded. "Probably a smart plan."
It wasn't a total lie. I did go home before going to school. I grabbed some clothes and all the money I had. Then, before leaving, I went back and took my sketchbook. I didn't want to leave anything that my mother could use against me.
I was late for school, which drew even more attention to me. As if I needed that, given that I was wearing clothes that were obviously a guy's and were too big for me.
"Lily, your mom called my house last night. Where were you?" Jill asked at first break.
"Obviously not home."
"You can tell me."
"No, I apparently can't."
"What are you talking about?"
"You went behind my back and told my mom things. She refuses to trust me and actually checked my wrists to see if I was suicidal. If you're just going to go talk to her about everything, then no, I can't tell you. I can't even trust you anymore."
She looked ashamed. "I'm sorry, Lily. I was worried."
"About what? You said yourself that I'm better now that I've got Gerard."
She gasped. "That's where you were! It makes so much sense! The clothes, the fact that nobody could track you down... you're hiding out at your boyfriend's place!"
"I am not," I snapped.
"You are, too! It's okay, Lily. I don't know where he lives, so what's the point in telling your mom?"
"Oh, she'll find a way to find me if you do."
"Seriously, though. She's just worried about you. Why would you run away?"
"You obviously don't know that much about my relationship with my mother. You wouldn't understand, anyway."
The bell for the next class rang, and Jill instantly turned.
"I'll talk to you at lunch, okay? I've got to get to class."
I watched her go, then smirked as a plan formulated in my mind. I normally might have felt bad about it, but I was so angry with her that I couldn't feel anything. I knew that it was something she could probably talk her way out of, but it would definitely get her into some trouble. In my head, that two-faced bitch needed some problems in her perfect life.
I pulled out my cell phone and stepped outside of the school so that nobody would overhear.
"Information," a woman's voice announced pleasantly. "How may I help you?"
"Can you put me through to the Woodward residence on Ashmore Street, please?" I tried to sound as sweet as the operator herself.
"One moment, please."
I listened as the line was patched through. I knew Jill's phone number off by heart, but by calling through information, the call couldn't be traced back to me through the caller ID.
"Hello?" Jill's mom asked as she picked up the phone.
"Is there a Jillian Woodward there?"
"No, I'm sorry, Jill's at school. Can I take a message?"
"Sure, that would be great. This is just Allison at the clinic on 5th Avenue. Can you just ask her to call back as soon as she can, please?"
"The clinic on 5th? You don't mean... Can I ask what this is regarding?"
"I'm sorry, I really can't discuss it with anyone but Jillian. Just let her know that her test results are in."
"Oh, I will," Mrs. Woodward sounded faint.
The clinic was the only place in the area to check for pregnancy that was confidential. Fortunately for me, everyone knew that.
When I walked back into the school, I headed to my next class. It wasn't long before I heard "Jillian Woodward, please report to the office. You have a phone call," announced over the intercom. I snickered slightly as I walked down the deserted hallway.
Revenge is sweet.
"Come on, Lily. What time is your first class?"
My eyes snapped open. Everything from the previous day came flooding back to me, and I realized that it was Gerard poking me.
"Umm, not until noon today," I lied. I sat up on the couch and looked at the clock on the wall over the TV. It was 7 am.
"Okay, well mine's at nine, so I guess we won't be riding together."
"Well, I could still drive you," I offered.
"No, that's fine. I'll drive myself."
"If you have a car, then why do you take cabs everywhere?"
"Mikey likes to steal my car."
I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and cleared my throat. I looked up to see him leaning over the back of the couch, watching me. He was smiling sweetly.
"What?" I eyed him warily.
"Nothing. You're just cute in the morning, that's all."
"Liar. I need a shower and a cup of coffe before I really even wake up."
"Shower's all yours," he pointed to the bathroom. "As for coffee, I've got a pot brewing right now."
"You're my hero!" I jumped up and gave him a quick kiss before heading into the bathroom. The hot water washed away all my cares, and I felt them swirling down the drain, flowing far away from me.
"Lily?"
I stuck my head out through the curtain. Gerard was setting clothes on the counter and a towel on the closed toilet seat lid.
"I saw that you didn't bring a bag, so I figured you'd need clothes. I don't know if they'll fit, but they're the best I've got to work with. Plus," he held up a belt. "We've always got the magic of a belt."
"Thanks," I grinned. "I'm sure they'll work fine."
I finished up in the shower and dried off quickly before pulling on his jeans. I picked up the shirt, but decided better than to put it on. With only his pants and my bra on, I walked out of the bathroom and into the kitchen.
"What's with this shirt?" I asked, holding it up for him to see.
He shrugged. "I thought one of Mikey's would fit you better than one of mine."
"Have you seen Mikey? He's so scrawny! There's absolutely no boob room in this. I don't want to stretch it out."
"Fine," he laughed a little as he took the shirt and went into his bedroom. He returned a moment later with one of his own shirts, which I immediately pulled on.
As we sat and drank our coffee, we talked about the situation we'd been forced into.
"I really hate being a burden-"
"You're not a burden," Gerard interrupted me. "You've only been here one night and I really don't want you to leave. It's nice having someone other than Mikey to talk to. Plus, he really seems to like you, too."
I glanced at the clock again. Gerard followed my gaze.
"Fuck, I've got to go. I'll see you later, okay?"
I nodded and he kissed me before hurrying out the door. I then began racing around the apartment, trying to get ready for school. I figured I might as well go, at least so I could talk to Jill about what she'd done.
"Morning, Lily," Mikey muttered as he stumbled out of the guest bedroom. His hair was matted and he wasn't wearing his glasses.
"Morning."
"Why are you in such a hurry?"
"I... I think I'm going to go home."
Mikey froze. He suddenly appeared wide awake and his gaze burned into me. "Does Gerard know?"
"I'm not staying there. I'm just going to pick up some things while my mom's at work," I explained. "I mean, I can't go around wearing his clothes forever."
He looked me up and down, then nodded. "Probably a smart plan."
It wasn't a total lie. I did go home before going to school. I grabbed some clothes and all the money I had. Then, before leaving, I went back and took my sketchbook. I didn't want to leave anything that my mother could use against me.
I was late for school, which drew even more attention to me. As if I needed that, given that I was wearing clothes that were obviously a guy's and were too big for me.
"Lily, your mom called my house last night. Where were you?" Jill asked at first break.
"Obviously not home."
"You can tell me."
"No, I apparently can't."
"What are you talking about?"
"You went behind my back and told my mom things. She refuses to trust me and actually checked my wrists to see if I was suicidal. If you're just going to go talk to her about everything, then no, I can't tell you. I can't even trust you anymore."
She looked ashamed. "I'm sorry, Lily. I was worried."
"About what? You said yourself that I'm better now that I've got Gerard."
She gasped. "That's where you were! It makes so much sense! The clothes, the fact that nobody could track you down... you're hiding out at your boyfriend's place!"
"I am not," I snapped.
"You are, too! It's okay, Lily. I don't know where he lives, so what's the point in telling your mom?"
"Oh, she'll find a way to find me if you do."
"Seriously, though. She's just worried about you. Why would you run away?"
"You obviously don't know that much about my relationship with my mother. You wouldn't understand, anyway."
The bell for the next class rang, and Jill instantly turned.
"I'll talk to you at lunch, okay? I've got to get to class."
I watched her go, then smirked as a plan formulated in my mind. I normally might have felt bad about it, but I was so angry with her that I couldn't feel anything. I knew that it was something she could probably talk her way out of, but it would definitely get her into some trouble. In my head, that two-faced bitch needed some problems in her perfect life.
I pulled out my cell phone and stepped outside of the school so that nobody would overhear.
"Information," a woman's voice announced pleasantly. "How may I help you?"
"Can you put me through to the Woodward residence on Ashmore Street, please?" I tried to sound as sweet as the operator herself.
"One moment, please."
I listened as the line was patched through. I knew Jill's phone number off by heart, but by calling through information, the call couldn't be traced back to me through the caller ID.
"Hello?" Jill's mom asked as she picked up the phone.
"Is there a Jillian Woodward there?"
"No, I'm sorry, Jill's at school. Can I take a message?"
"Sure, that would be great. This is just Allison at the clinic on 5th Avenue. Can you just ask her to call back as soon as she can, please?"
"The clinic on 5th? You don't mean... Can I ask what this is regarding?"
"I'm sorry, I really can't discuss it with anyone but Jillian. Just let her know that her test results are in."
"Oh, I will," Mrs. Woodward sounded faint.
The clinic was the only place in the area to check for pregnancy that was confidential. Fortunately for me, everyone knew that.
When I walked back into the school, I headed to my next class. It wasn't long before I heard "Jillian Woodward, please report to the office. You have a phone call," announced over the intercom. I snickered slightly as I walked down the deserted hallway.
Revenge is sweet.