Whatever You Say
CHAIN
Pass. Pass. People. Doors. Lockers. Clocks. Offices. Her.
She was standing just in front of her locker with her workers. The Queen Bee laughed inaudibly, fixing the black ponytail she always had on. She wore a short, pink dress that only reached to her thigh. She was covered in light make-up and matched with a pair of pink ballerina flats.
There was one thing missing in that beautiful shape: the thing I held in my hand. I walked up to her like I said I would while trying to catch some sleep last night. They didn’t immediately notice I was there.
“I know, I know,” The Queen went on with her babbling. “Mary doesn’t make it any less real. She totally got her ga—” she stared at me. My brown eyes made contact with her green ones. Then The Workers’ hairs flipped as the gawked at their pray. “Proceed with your walking.”
She talked to me (more like spat). No one was allowed to talk back to The Queen. I tried to open my mouth, but then decided to walk away, receiving giggles from The Workers.
I had to face the truth, but it wasn’t my “problem”, in all honesty’s name. So, what if it was her (I decided)? What could I do, anyway? She would probably rip it from me and make her workers rape me or something.
Well, maybe—
My body tightened. It was best not to think of possibilities. Maybe skipping The Queen was a good idea. Or maybe…
Maybe I’d go and push the necklace through the little windows of her locker. Nicely thought.
The day went by fast and I knew that Lunch was my perfect chance. She would sneak off with her Hive to have lunch at a restaurant. I always wondered how teachers never said anything when everybody at school knew they’ve gone out.
Anyway, I walked to the west side of school, to the very end of the hallway, where The Sacreds (The Bee Hive’s lockers, as everyone called them) stood. Hers was at the very end, and everyone knew that. It was the only locker with a flower stuck between the locker’s door. She always brought a new one each day.
Or so I’ve heard…
I looked around. Everyone was in the cafeteria. Perfect.
I walked silently to The Queen’s locker and stopped in front to reach in my backpack the silvery necklace.
It was easy: get, pull out, push i—
“What are you doing?”
“Crap!”
“You, know, you really shouldn’t cuss.”
It couldn’t be. The Queen’s green eyes stared curiously and I struggled to explain.
“Answer me,” she demanded, but then her eyes went to my clutched hands. The chain was dangling side to side in a punch. Her expression went from rough to soft to rude in a blur. “Where did you get this?”
I freaked. “Changing rooms!”
“Complete sentences!” she mimicked my scared tone.
Gosh, she freaked the hell out of me. Nevertheless, I proceeded with her request. “I found it in The Swimming Team’s changing rooms.” She raised an eyebrow. “Yesterday, after the competition,” I added, my heart going five thumps per second. She ripped the necklace from my hands like I thought she would. She stood silently, observing her necklace (probably looking for any damages). I took this time to add another important note: “I was just returning it,” I explained, thinking she might give me some credit instead of swallowing me down. “I swear, I found it on the floor and I knew it was yours, so I came now to put it in before you came, so you d—”
“What will it take for this to stay between us?” Éirin asked.
She was standing just in front of her locker with her workers. The Queen Bee laughed inaudibly, fixing the black ponytail she always had on. She wore a short, pink dress that only reached to her thigh. She was covered in light make-up and matched with a pair of pink ballerina flats.
There was one thing missing in that beautiful shape: the thing I held in my hand. I walked up to her like I said I would while trying to catch some sleep last night. They didn’t immediately notice I was there.
“I know, I know,” The Queen went on with her babbling. “Mary doesn’t make it any less real. She totally got her ga—” she stared at me. My brown eyes made contact with her green ones. Then The Workers’ hairs flipped as the gawked at their pray. “Proceed with your walking.”
She talked to me (more like spat). No one was allowed to talk back to The Queen. I tried to open my mouth, but then decided to walk away, receiving giggles from The Workers.
I had to face the truth, but it wasn’t my “problem”, in all honesty’s name. So, what if it was her (I decided)? What could I do, anyway? She would probably rip it from me and make her workers rape me or something.
Well, maybe—
My body tightened. It was best not to think of possibilities. Maybe skipping The Queen was a good idea. Or maybe…
Maybe I’d go and push the necklace through the little windows of her locker. Nicely thought.
The day went by fast and I knew that Lunch was my perfect chance. She would sneak off with her Hive to have lunch at a restaurant. I always wondered how teachers never said anything when everybody at school knew they’ve gone out.
Anyway, I walked to the west side of school, to the very end of the hallway, where The Sacreds (The Bee Hive’s lockers, as everyone called them) stood. Hers was at the very end, and everyone knew that. It was the only locker with a flower stuck between the locker’s door. She always brought a new one each day.
Or so I’ve heard…
I looked around. Everyone was in the cafeteria. Perfect.
I walked silently to The Queen’s locker and stopped in front to reach in my backpack the silvery necklace.
It was easy: get, pull out, push i—
“What are you doing?”
“Crap!”
“You, know, you really shouldn’t cuss.”
It couldn’t be. The Queen’s green eyes stared curiously and I struggled to explain.
“Answer me,” she demanded, but then her eyes went to my clutched hands. The chain was dangling side to side in a punch. Her expression went from rough to soft to rude in a blur. “Where did you get this?”
I freaked. “Changing rooms!”
“Complete sentences!” she mimicked my scared tone.
Gosh, she freaked the hell out of me. Nevertheless, I proceeded with her request. “I found it in The Swimming Team’s changing rooms.” She raised an eyebrow. “Yesterday, after the competition,” I added, my heart going five thumps per second. She ripped the necklace from my hands like I thought she would. She stood silently, observing her necklace (probably looking for any damages). I took this time to add another important note: “I was just returning it,” I explained, thinking she might give me some credit instead of swallowing me down. “I swear, I found it on the floor and I knew it was yours, so I came now to put it in before you came, so you d—”
“What will it take for this to stay between us?” Éirin asked.