Music Girl

I thought the kid I threw would have been the end of it. You use Aikido, throw the aggressor and it’s over, right?

Wrong.

When we finally found Father and Tomas, Ariel had joined them and Father paused his phone conversation to tell us that in order to celebrate Aravic’s win, we would be going out of lunch in half an hour. So, I had to escort Aravic back to the lockers so he could shower.

After a while, I decided I should do something productive, so I went into the women’s lockers to find a bathroom. Once I was done, I began washing my hands. I noticed in the mirror someone was watching me, so I turned off the water, shook my hands, and turned around to face them.

The girl looked to be about a senior. She was really similar looking to Bree, so I could only assume it was her older sister. She had the same slutty disposition, hazel eyes, and dirty blonde hair, only this girls’ hair curled. She had a very nasty expression on her face as well.

“So, you think it’s funny, do you?” she sneered, blocking my way out of the bathroom. I raised my eyebrows at her, but didn’t answer. “Are you stupid? I just asked you if you thought it was funny,” she snapped. She ever had the same superiority complex as Bree.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I responded coolly.

This seemed to just piss her off even more. “You know just what I’m talking about. So you think it’s fun bitching out my little sister huh?” So I was correct in my assumptions.

“She’s the one who started it. Maybe if she’d keep her mouth shut, she wouldn’t get what’s coming to her,” I shrugged. I really didn’t need this shit. And I especially didn’t need another fight.

Without warning, she lunged and tackled me to the floor. I was so surprised that before I could flip her off me, she had already gorged her chiseled fingernails into my cheek. I elbowed her in the face and threw her off, but she reached over and got a rather firm grip on my hair. While I flailed madly, she drug me to my feet and threw me into the wall.
My entire body went fuzzy and my vision swam as my forehead collided with and was cut open by what I found out later to be the corner of a tampon dispenser. I fell to the ground and nearly passed out, my senses dully, trying to keep the pain at bay. I could feel blood gushing down my face from my hairline, trying to get in my eye. The girl stomped her foot onto my back, knocking the wind out of me. I heard to switch of a knife being pulled out and panicked. No, I couldn’t die, not now, not at the hands of some girl who’s name I didn’t even know!

“Sam? Hey Sam, you in there?” Aravic’s voice rang through the locker room. This must have scared the girl, because the pressure on my back immediately lifted and I heard footsteps leaving in a hurry. I un-jammed my hand from out under myself and pressed it against the gash in my head. Pain was swelling there. “Sam?” Aravic’s voice sounded closer now.

“Air – vic,” I groaned as loud as I could without endangering my raging headache, which was spreading rapidly.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and Aravic gently flipped me over. “Holy shit, what did Cherry do to you?” he asked when he saw the blood running down my face.

“So that’s her name,” I grunted. “Well, Cherry obviously kicked my ass. I hit… that thing.” I pointed vaguely up to the wall. Aravic knelt beside me and helped me sit up. The blood rushing around in my head made me feel woozy and sick.

“Can you stand?” he asked as he helped me up to my feet.

“Yes,” I said stubbornly, shoving him away from me. He bent down to pick up my bag as I tried to take a step. Gravity nearly kicked my ass, but Aravic caught and steadied me. “Thanks,” I muttered as we walked out of the locker room, Aravic’s hand just touching the small of my back in case I decided to kiss Mother Earth again.

When we got back to the car, everyone was waiting for us. Father was glaring as we got in the car, and the moment the doors were shut, he turned around and grabbed a handful of my hair. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, holding us up like that, you little slut?” he demanded, twisting my head. I clenched my teeth, trying not to scream at him. Aravic cleared his throat, and Father’s grip slackened a bit.

I caught a glance over at Aravic. The expression on his face… was that worry? No, surely not…perhaps anxiety?

“Mr. Thyroid? Didn’t you see the gash on Sam’s head?” he asked as my father completely let got to turn around and start the car.

“What about it?” Father asked as the engine roared to life and we set off.

“Well… don’t you think she should go to the Hospital?” Aravic asked hesitantly.
The car went silent. Tomas turned around from the passenger seat to gawk at Aravic like he was crazy. Even Ariel sitting in the back with us stared with her mouth slightly open. “I mean, she might have a concussion –”

“Aravic, when I want to be told how to run my family, I’ll let you know,” my father growled out. I could tell he was straining to keep himself in check.

The rest of the car ride was silent. I closed my eyes and leaned against the window, not trusting my headache to be able to handle music. I could feel the soft pressure of Aravic’s hand on my forearm, but I didn’t shove him off. That kid was too much of a mystery than he was worth.

We finally arrived at the restaurant. As I tried to get out, Father pushed me back in roughly. “If you honestly think I’m going to let you publicly humiliate me, you’re even stupider than you look,” he said, seething. He slammed the door shut, adjusted his green and grey tie, locked the door, and walked away.

“Thank holy Darwin,” I sighed, stretching myself out over the back seat. I wasn’t really hungry anyways. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep, dreaming of my better life.