Let the Blood Pool, Dollface

“So how was your first day, Jayne?” my mom asked as she spooned green beans onto Phoenix’s plate. I stifled a chuckle when his face turned sour and he secretly gagged.

“Eh.” I replied cutting my chicken breast.

“Just “eh”? Did you make any new friends?”

I chewed slowly staring at the table; imaging burning a whole right in the middle. “Well, I met this girl, Val, she showed me around and introduced me to her friends.”

“Well that is fantastic!” she exclaimed, “You eat those veggies or no TV for a week!” she turned her attention the Nix and scolded him for stuffing his green beans into his napkin.

“Yeah, but I didn’t eat lunch with them.”

“Why not?”

Why didn’t I? That is a good question, mom. I didn’t feel like, and that is a good answer. “I couldn’t find them.” I lied.

She pursed her lips, “Well, maybe you’ll find them tomorrow. Do you have any classes with them?”

Ugh, I really wish she wasn’t so nosey. “Yeah, but only Val, her boyfriend Matt, and Zacky talked to me in class. The other boys ignored me or were rude.”

“Boys?” her eyes lit up.

I got up from the table taking Nix’s plate with me to the sink, “Yes mom, boys. And no, I do not want to go out with any of them.” I rinsed the plates and put them in the dishwasher.

“Well, do you have any plans with them this weekend?”

“No. I barely know them!” I rolled my eyes and started my way up the stairs.

“Hanging out with them will help you get to know them, sweetie!”

I turned around and hissed, “I don’t want to get to know them. I just want to finish school and get the hell out of here!” I ran up the stairs pissed off. Why do I need friends?

“Excuse me? Get back down here young lady!”

I slammed my door on her voice and sunk against it. I want to go to bed so bad. I glanced at the clock, it was only 8:30. Great, I’m not going back down there; I’ll get a big lecture how unlady like it was to use foul language and how important it is to have friends. But why should I be friends with them? Val is a sweet girl and I can see myself being friends with her. But that means I’d have to see her boyfriend who makes fun of my name, Brian who already hit on me, Zacky and Johnny who don’t talk to me, and fucking Jimmy who hates me already. It’s almost half way through the year and I get a 3 week break for Christmas in a month. I can do this. I just need to somehow walk the hallways without being noticed, and then I’m off to New York. But, will I be able to do this all alone?

“Ssshhh…this will only take a moment of your life.” Said the man pushing me against my bedroom wall, with his hand on my mouth, “Don’t scream.”

“Jaynie! Wake up, Jaynie! Momma, Jaynie is crying!” my eyes peeled open to Nix staring down at me.

“Get out or I’m snapping off your little toe.” I mumbled digging my head into my pillow. I listened to his little feet bound out of my room. I smiled to myself; he is so easy to scare.

“Rise and shine sweetie!” great, do I have to threaten my mom now? I didn’t move, “Get up.” She instructed throwing open my curtains, “It’s a pretty day to match your attitude.” She left my room closing my door.

I sat up and looked out my window. It was pouring…ha…ha…very funny mom, I get it. Rubbing my eyes I got up from my bed and began my “getting ready for school” routine.

So, here I sit on the cement stairs in front of the school a half hour before the doors even open. Why does my mom get me up so damn early? I inhaled deeply, imagining myself back in Chicago, with all my friends. It made me sad that I had to move away from them; I’ve known most of them since we were toddlers. My thoughts were interrupted by the buzz of my cell phone. I rolled my eyes at the caller id; it’s my mother.

“Yeah?” I asked answering.

“Hello, sweetie. Are you in class?”

Is she serious? “No mom, the school doesn’t open until 8:45. What’s up?”

“Nothing really, your father called,” my body went stiff, “He wants to come down for the winter. Ya know, spend some time with his kids. That would be nice, wouldn’t it?”

I could almost hear my mom’s tears fall. My father, Grant. The Dick, married my mom, Lydia. The Angel. They had me and Nix, but then he left. Just got up one day from a football game on the TV, and never came back.

“Sweetie, are you still there?”

“Yeah. I don’t want him to come for the winter.”

“Honey, he wants to see his kids.”

“I don’t care. Geez, he hasn’t even met Nix really at all. He was only 2 months old when he left!”

“I have to go, we’ll discuss this later. I love you, and have a nice day at school.”

I hung up and stuffed my phone back in my pocket. I hate him. I really do. I pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped my jacket closer to my body. Loud screaming music grabbed my attention and my immediately had my eyes focused on a white van in the senior’s parking lot. They were blaring Slipknot, but it was cut off as was the engine. I waited to see who was in it. Not to my surprise; Matt jumped out of the side with Val clinging to side, and the boys followed. I rolled my eyes and opened my backpack to write down some new notes on my spread sheets.

“Well well well, it’s the dollface I told you guys about yesterday. You know, the one who writes crappy ass music?” I glared up at Jimmy as he and his friends gathered around me.

“Jayne?” Val asked Jimmy in confusion, “Why don’t you like Jayne?”

“Wait, you guys know her?”

“Yeah, dude. She’s sweet, so don’t hate on her.” Matt said sitting down next to me.

“Whatever, she sat in my seat.” Jimmy huffed and crossed his arms.

“I didn’t even know that seat was yours!” I protested looking up from my spread sheets.

“Yeah, well…you still write some crappy music.”

Brian sat down next to me and slung an arm over me, “Jimmy, choke on it will ya? She’s new, so just chill from her.” I turned and peered up and Brian; he is so cute. Well they all were, I even thought Val was pretty. “So, what are you doing Friday night?”

Moans came out of everyone.

“What?” he raised his hands and looked alarmed.

“She’s only been here a day and you are already asking her out on a date?” Zacky chuckled.

“Well, she’s pretty, and I like pretty girls. No, I’m not asking her out; I just want to see if she wants to come to out band practice.”

Band practice? These guys are in a band?

Val jumped up and down excited, “Dude, Jay! You could be a merch girl with me!”

“A what?”

She scooted Matt away and sat in his spot clasping onto my hands to calm herself down. “We help out their band, Avenged Sevenfold. We make shirts, posters, sell demos, and pretty much spread the word of Avenged Sevenfold. We also help out at any of their gigs. So what do you think, Jay?”

“I have to think about that.”

“Don’t worry, take your time.” She smiled and so did everyone else. “Well, c’mon Jay; we should probably get to class.

I followed her lead and packed my spread sheets in my backpack, and left the guys on the front steps.

Nothing like sitting in front of the elementary school waiting for little kids who smell like cookies and juice to stain my car. I idled my faded black 1968 Dodge Charger, impatiently waiting for Nix to get his ass in the car. I really want to go home; I have homework and I gotta use the bathroom. I groaned and placed me forehead against the steering wheel, hoping to catch some Z’s. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stop thinking about what happened today in Music. I came in, but sat in the front of the class this time; just so I could stay away from Jimmy. But, he just had to find someway to bother me. Apparently all the seats are his. Damn, he is such a child! Speaking of rotten children, a tapping came to the passenger window and I unlocked the door sitting up.

“Hi, Jaynie.” Nix sat in happily and slammed the door.

“Watch the door closing!”

“Sorry.” He sat back pouting.

I chuckled and ruffled his hair, “It’s chill, Nix.”

We drove down Main Street for about 5 minutes and then turned onto a side road. I could see our beach house straight ahead, but I will never feel at home here. Sure our house was sitting on the sand and had the 40’s beach house look, but still; Chicago is my home no matter what happened to me there. I pulled up on the side of the house and got out locking the doors behind me. I turned around the corner to the front, and my mom’s car was sitting there. What the hell? Why is she home so early?

“Mom?” I asked swinging open the door. Chuckles came from the kitchen and I ran to see who was here.

“Oh, hey sweetie.” She smiled setting down her cup of coffee from her lips.

The man sitting next to her made me want to hurl and scream, “Why the fuck is he here?”