Three's A Crowd

“Jezebel, baby, are you sure you feel alright?” Sara was having one of her good days; meaning no screaming, no sobbing, no brain-dead zombie. She was trying her hand at living life sober. It was really only a matter of time before she was back on the juice. I gave her two days, tops. It would sadden me that my faith in my mother was so small, had I not lived my entire life knowing she was a pushover bitch from hell.

But I, on the other hand, was drunk off my ass, a mother fucking angel in comparison, and hardly able to even speak properly. “I'll be fine.” I muttered, rolling over onto my side so my back was facing Sara. If she had seen my bloodshot, unfocused eyes she never would have left my to wallow in my drunken depression. I just needed time to be left to myself and heal before I even thought about going back to school; something I was only considering because I'd left my sister behind to deal with hell on her own. I'd gotten off for one day, something I could use to my advantage by saying I had been to scared to return to school after the little episode with Karofsky. It would just re-enforce the freakout I'd had.

I was fully awake and ready to leave for school about half an hour before lunch started, knowing full well I would only hang out with Eva for lunch, and then be stuck in the office for the rest of the day. If I was lucky. Being in school would be more hellish than usual, I knew, but I couldn't leave Eva alone for another whole day. Yesterday, and half of the day before was more than enough for her to fend for herself. The least I could do was support her through lunch, and give her the confidence to take on the rest of the day. Hopefully. If she wasn't too pissed off to hear me out.

After slipping my phone into my jeans pocket, and slipping my ear-buds on, I started the trek to the one place Eva's bitch-fit would be a little bit more... tame. By now she's gotten word of my little show; which means she knows what I did to myself. She never really approved of my methods of persuasion, but she also knew that without them, she wouldn't have met me. That, or she would have met me, but we would both have been chewed out and regurgitated, only to be chewed out once again. As much as she may hate to admit it, I'd saved our lives countless times because of it.

I felt, and looked, worlds better then I had after the encounters with Karofsky. Without all the blood covering me, and without the limp, I only looked mildly damaged with some scrapes, cuts, and bruises. Eva wouldn't be happy either way, but it would cool her anger to know that no permanent damage was done. Karofsky, on the other hand, would be pissed off that I had no daily reminders of how 'badly' he 'kicked my ass'. The thought brought a smirk to my face as I walked up the school steps just as the lunch bell rang. I was tempted to shout a 'hell yeah!' at my timing, but I contained myself as I slipped into the cafeteria to wait.

“Jez.” I glanced up, not recognizing Eva's voice at first. It was too blank; held no emotion whatsoever. I was mildly disappointed that I got no reaction from her at all, but still slightly relieved that the lecture hadn't started yet. “You came, I see.”

“That I did, my dear friend, that I did.” I grinned up at her still standing form, laughing at the annoyed look on her face. She might be able to hide her emotions when she speaks sometimes, but her face, to me, was an open book. There is nothing about her that I don't know, whether she's expressly told me herself or not. I know her every dirty little secret, even if she still doesn't fully know them yet.

“Do you realize how worried I've been, Jezebel!?” She whisper-yelled, finally dropping into her seat. “You just disappeared! I had to hear from some jocks that you were beaten to a bloody pulp! What the hell were you thinking!?” There is something that almost no one knows about Evangeline Cooke. She is very expressive when she's pissed off, just like everyone else; flailing limbs, loud voice, red face. Well, nearly red. She hates it, but honestly, she was still fucking adorable when she was pissed. It's the hair. Her hair stops her from ever not being adorable. Even if her face was swollen and bloody, she would still somehow manage. It's annoying sometimes, but mostly amusing.

But, her being pissed of just like everyone else? No one believes it. In the eyes of other people, she's either an angel, or too shy to expressly show her anger. But, just like everyone else, Eva would explode if she didn't just freakout sometimes.

“I have this pathological need to-” I started weaving the most convincing lie I could come up with. Eva wasn't having it.

“Bullshit!” She screamed, throwing her arms up in the air. Every eye of every student in the cafeteria was trained on us, drawn in by Eva's outburst. She would have been embarrassed had she not been so pissed off. “Don't you even try to pull that utter crap with me!” I squared my shoulders, placed my elbows on the table, and leaned forward to place my chin on my hands. I looked passive, but attentive at the same time; another thing that would annoy Eva to no end, but I didn't care. I had to keep a cool air about me, or the entire student body would know that I wasn't all ice and stone.

“Well alright then.” I smiled slightly, cocking my head to the side in mock innocence. “I was plotting a rather harsh blow on Karofsky.” Even though I was telling half of the truth, she still didn't believe me. It was clear on the scowl stretched across her face, and the glare in her eyes. With a sigh, I finally relented to tell a lie that she would fully believe, and make her launch into yet another lecture. Goody. “Fine fine. I like doing it. I've missed it, you know. The power to control my pain. I've gone too long without it, I guess.” I shrugged as if it was nothing, leaning back in my chair. My calm air only faltered when the mohawked teen walked by our table on his way to the jocks, glancing at me with curiosity. I hated myself for it, but I winced. He had seen me at what he surely thinks is my most vulnerable time. He could try to use that to his advantage. I would have to discourage him...

“What the fuck Jez!? I thought that we decided-” It was right about here that I snapped. Something in me just blew up, leaving me without control of my actions or words. A defensive mechanism I had developed in my early teen years because of some stupid boy.

“No! We didn't decide anything! You did!” I screamed, jumping from my chair, letting it smash onto the ground. All whispered conversations throughout the room stopped so as to hear our screamed conversation. No one had ever seen us anywhere near being mad at each other. We were the perfect friends; always happy, always laughing, and forever defensive for the other. “No. We never did. That was all you.” I repeated, narrowing my eyes into glaring slits. A glare that Eva could never wish to match in her wildest dreams. Another thing I had developed because of a stupid boy, but had refined and perfected later. “Look, I love you, you're my sister, but you really have no say in this. I'm doing it whether you like it or not.” She may not know what it is I'm doing, but at least she knows she can't stop me. I am, after all, doing this for her. Eventually her life will get better, and whether or not she knows why, at least she wouldn't be going insane in solitude. She thrives in the crowd, as much as she would hate to admit it. Shy as hell, but more friendly then anyone I had ever known in my entire life. Or will ever know.

When I started walking away from her, Eva grabbed onto my arm. I lashed out, about to punch her in the face, but instead punched the tabletop, reminding myself that it was Eva. Eva, my best friend and sister. She wouldn't hurt me. But still, I was itching to inflict pain on someone. Anyone. Eva just happened to be the closest person. “Stop! Just fucking stop!” I wrenched my arm out of her grasp roughly enough send both of us staggering a few steps. “You don't know what I'm doing because you aren't meant to! If I wanted you to know, I would have told you! If you needed to know, you would!” I stepped closer to her, glaring down into her eyes. Being taller than someone is helpful in intimidation, and even though I myself am not all that tall, I'm taller than Eva. “So get over it, and stop acting like a wounded kitten.”

With that, I stormed out of the room, stopping only to punch a random in the face for having the nerve to ask me if Eva and I were having 'trouble in paradise'. After that, no one spoke a single word to me; only parted like the red sea to let me pass. No one was stupid enough to get in my way while I was on a furious rampage. Not anymore.

The office wasn't crowded at all, with everyone off to lunch. There was no one there to stop me from barging into Figgins' office. What I had barged into was one of the oh-so-famous meetings of Schuester and Sylvester. If you could eve call them meetings. They were more like bloody battles to prove superiority.

“Yeah, you can all get out now.” I snapped, being in no mood to play the little bunny I had last time. “I don't care what it is you two are fighting about this time, and I don't care that you,” I pointed at Sylvester “Will hate me for it. You hate everyone else, I'm nothing special. I just don't give a flying fart in space. Leave.” After a few moments of gaping, an encouragement from Figgins, the two left; Sylvester muttering something about lady balls. I didn't care, I had too much emotional turmoil bating around in my head.

“Yes, Jezebel?” Figgins asked as I slammed my hands down on his desk. He was far too calm for my liking. If I was in a bad mood, everyone else should be too.

“I could even come to school yesterday, ad most of today. You have to do something about Karofsky's power trip, or I bring the police into this.” He didn't need to know that I would never bring the police into anything. They would just assume it had all been me. It didn't matter that it really had been all me, I had to get done what had to be done. “So either you do something to lower his ego, or he goes to the nearest juvenile delinquency centre. Your choice.”

After about half an hour of debating, and some tears from me, I finally got my way. Karofsky was going down. He might go kicking and screaming, but he was still going.

By the time I stepped out of the office, the mohawked teen was waiting patiently, to my surprise on the patiently part, to speak to Figgins. As he stood, ad I made my move to pass him, I stopped to say a little something to get the gears in his head turning.

“So, I see you're badass. I, too, am badass, and so recognize the badassness within you.” I smirked at my little line, fighting the laughter that had bubbled it's way into my throat. It was such an awesome line. “But I'm warning you now... You get in my way? I'll fucking crush you.” I grinned at him innocently, stepped around him, and pulled out my cell to send Eva a quick message. I never got to actually send the message of course, because the huge teen grabbed onto my shoulder. Turning to look at his with a raised brow, I turned my grin into a smirk. “Yes?”

After thinking for a moment, he let his hand fall from my shoulder. “What are you playing at?” I fought yet another laugh, but my joyous grin couldn't be hidden. I hadn't thought I would be able to be happy until Eva forgave me, which she would, cautiously, after she found out what it was I had done, but there I was. Grinning from ear to ear at some sexy random.

“You'll have to wait and see, just like everyone else!” With that I bounced, literally bounced, out of the office. I was too happy to contain my joy. I felt like singing, dancing, laughing like a maniac. I opted for giggling and grinning like a fool instead.

After sending Eva a quick text saying 'I'm awesome! =D', I waited at her locker for class to end, knowing she would stop there to either get a change of clothes, swap her books, or, at the very least, because when she heard the news, she would know that I would be there. As much as I hate to admit, the girl knows me. Just like how I know her.