Status: Active. (Based on the novel by Laurie Halse Anderson.)
Twisted
Five
Martin Caine, CEO Of Caine Brothers Trust, was the tall man with the perfect tan and fat gold watch motioning to Mrs. Caine from the far side of the pool. Three shorter guys were grouped behind him, all wearing lime green golf shorts with the company logo. As we walked up, his daughter Kelsey did, too. Kelsey Caine. Sean's evil twin sister, four-year cheerleading captain, number one hipster whore, and all-American bitch who majored in attempting to beat the crap out of me in middle school.
We did more of the fake-polite handshaking thing (On the contrary, I utterly refused to even touch her hand). Mr. Caine held on to Dad's hand for an extra moment. "Surprised to see you here, Kevin," he said. "Didn't know your department was coming."
The short dweeb guys looked at each other. I knew in the pit of my stomach that Dad had screwed up. You didn't crash parties in Hampton Estates, even if you were the new Vice President of Oversight and Compliance. Not cool.
Dad gripped his boss's hand harder. "You know me, Martin. Always looking out for the company's best interests."
Yeah, he said that.
"So, weirdo." Kelsey slapped me on the shoulder. Hard. "They let you work out in prison?"
"Elise didn't go to prison--" Mom shut her mouth when Dad shook his head once.
Mr. Caine looked me over. "You playing tennis, Elise?"
"No, sir," I said. "I've just been working."
"Part of her parole," Kelsey said.
"My job," I said slowly. "I work at Pirelli's Landscaping."
Mr. Caine squeezed my bicep and looked honestly impressed. "Maybe you should do some manual labor, Kelsey. This girl's made of steel."
Kelsey stood up straight, trying to make herself as tall as me. Her chubby body and fake breasts didn't help enough, either. "How much can you press?"
"I have no idea." Two fifty-pound sacks of mulch in each hand, douchebag.
"You two girls should work out together," Mr. Caine said. "Looks like you'd be a good match."
"We're not matched," Kelsey scoffed.
The band broke into Slayer's "Raining Blood". A few guys jumped out of their seats, formed a makeshift mosh pit at the edge of the pool, and flailed their arms about while pushing each other in the water. Mom and Mrs. Caine laughed. Aaron snuck off towards the food tent. Sean managed to look incredibly bored and incredibly sexy at the same time, despite the faint smile on his face.
"You could bring Elise to the gym," Mr. Caine suggested to Dad. "I'll meet you there with Kelsey. We're always looking for someone to push her to the next level."
Kelsey blinked fast and pretended to watch the pig turning on the spit.
"That would be great," Dad said. "I'll tell Janet. Now, if I could just borrow you for a few minutes, Martin. The situation in Denver is uglier than I thought. The new regulations..."
One of the dweebs whispered something in Mr. Caine's ear. Dad snapped his mouth shut and tried not to frown.
"This isn't the place for business. You can call John here on Monday," Mr. Caine said. "We'll set up a meeting." He turned away from my father and patted my shoulder. "I don't know, Kelsey. I think Elise might be out of your league."
"Let's find out." Kelsey sat down at a small table and placed her elbow square in the middle, palm open. "What do you say, Elise? Think you can take me?"
"Knock it off, Kelsey," Sean said.
"Chicken?" Kelsey asked.
"Great idea," Mr. Caine said. "I'll bet you a round of golf, Kevin. Your girl against mine. What do you say? You golf, don't you?"
"Braaaaawck," Kelsey chuckled softly.
"I love golf," Dad lied. "Go ahead, Elise."
"Alright." I sat down across from Kelsey and planted my right elbow next to hers.
A crowd quickly gathered around our table. She wiggled her fingers, then grabbed my hand. I let her squeeze without fighting back. The left corner of her mouth twisted up in a half-grin.
There were no callouses on her palms.
"This won't take long," Kelsey told her friends.
"On my count," Mr. Caine said. "Start on 'three'."
Kelsey opened her hand and regripped. This time I squeezed before she did. She blinked.
"One," Mr. Caine said. The band played "Raining Blood" faster.
"Two.
"Thr-"
Kelsey didn't wait for her father to finish the word. I didn't think she would. I was ready. When she pushed, my forearm hardened into a steel grinder planted in cement. Kelsey frowned when my arm didn't budge. She took a deep breath and tried to curl her hand over mine. I drove it back and tested the strength of her arm. She had nothing on me.
The cheerleading girls yelled at Kelsey to put me away. Kelsey glanced up at her father.
I kept staring straight at her.
Our arms were shaking, making the table wobble on the uneven slate. Kelsey was breathing harder. I could smell the pizza she ate, beer she drank, and the Tic Tacs she used to cover them up.
Mr. Caine stepped closer to the table. "Looks like we have ourselves a draw, folks!"
"No, we don't," Kelsey said.
My father moved behind his boss, pretending he wanted a better angle to watch.
"Want to quit?" I asked.
"Shut up," Kelsey said.
The song ended.
"Do it, Elise!" Sean said.
Boiling blood filled my arm, white-hot with strength.
"Do it!"
Staring dead into Kelsey's eyes, I powered her arm backwards two inches. Another two inches. I could see how this was going to end. I would take her down smoothly, pushing her hand to the tabletop and forcing her out of her seat so her shoulder wouldn't be ripped from her socket.
And then I made the mistake of looking at Dad.
He shook his head, just a little bit, from side to side.
---
I closed my eyes and let my enemy win.
---
We did more of the fake-polite handshaking thing (On the contrary, I utterly refused to even touch her hand). Mr. Caine held on to Dad's hand for an extra moment. "Surprised to see you here, Kevin," he said. "Didn't know your department was coming."
The short dweeb guys looked at each other. I knew in the pit of my stomach that Dad had screwed up. You didn't crash parties in Hampton Estates, even if you were the new Vice President of Oversight and Compliance. Not cool.
Dad gripped his boss's hand harder. "You know me, Martin. Always looking out for the company's best interests."
Yeah, he said that.
"So, weirdo." Kelsey slapped me on the shoulder. Hard. "They let you work out in prison?"
"Elise didn't go to prison--" Mom shut her mouth when Dad shook his head once.
Mr. Caine looked me over. "You playing tennis, Elise?"
"No, sir," I said. "I've just been working."
"Part of her parole," Kelsey said.
"My job," I said slowly. "I work at Pirelli's Landscaping."
Mr. Caine squeezed my bicep and looked honestly impressed. "Maybe you should do some manual labor, Kelsey. This girl's made of steel."
Kelsey stood up straight, trying to make herself as tall as me. Her chubby body and fake breasts didn't help enough, either. "How much can you press?"
"I have no idea." Two fifty-pound sacks of mulch in each hand, douchebag.
"You two girls should work out together," Mr. Caine said. "Looks like you'd be a good match."
"We're not matched," Kelsey scoffed.
The band broke into Slayer's "Raining Blood". A few guys jumped out of their seats, formed a makeshift mosh pit at the edge of the pool, and flailed their arms about while pushing each other in the water. Mom and Mrs. Caine laughed. Aaron snuck off towards the food tent. Sean managed to look incredibly bored and incredibly sexy at the same time, despite the faint smile on his face.
"You could bring Elise to the gym," Mr. Caine suggested to Dad. "I'll meet you there with Kelsey. We're always looking for someone to push her to the next level."
Kelsey blinked fast and pretended to watch the pig turning on the spit.
"That would be great," Dad said. "I'll tell Janet. Now, if I could just borrow you for a few minutes, Martin. The situation in Denver is uglier than I thought. The new regulations..."
One of the dweebs whispered something in Mr. Caine's ear. Dad snapped his mouth shut and tried not to frown.
"This isn't the place for business. You can call John here on Monday," Mr. Caine said. "We'll set up a meeting." He turned away from my father and patted my shoulder. "I don't know, Kelsey. I think Elise might be out of your league."
"Let's find out." Kelsey sat down at a small table and placed her elbow square in the middle, palm open. "What do you say, Elise? Think you can take me?"
"Knock it off, Kelsey," Sean said.
"Chicken?" Kelsey asked.
"Great idea," Mr. Caine said. "I'll bet you a round of golf, Kevin. Your girl against mine. What do you say? You golf, don't you?"
"Braaaaawck," Kelsey chuckled softly.
"I love golf," Dad lied. "Go ahead, Elise."
"Alright." I sat down across from Kelsey and planted my right elbow next to hers.
A crowd quickly gathered around our table. She wiggled her fingers, then grabbed my hand. I let her squeeze without fighting back. The left corner of her mouth twisted up in a half-grin.
There were no callouses on her palms.
"This won't take long," Kelsey told her friends.
"On my count," Mr. Caine said. "Start on 'three'."
Kelsey opened her hand and regripped. This time I squeezed before she did. She blinked.
"One," Mr. Caine said. The band played "Raining Blood" faster.
"Two.
"Thr-"
Kelsey didn't wait for her father to finish the word. I didn't think she would. I was ready. When she pushed, my forearm hardened into a steel grinder planted in cement. Kelsey frowned when my arm didn't budge. She took a deep breath and tried to curl her hand over mine. I drove it back and tested the strength of her arm. She had nothing on me.
The cheerleading girls yelled at Kelsey to put me away. Kelsey glanced up at her father.
I kept staring straight at her.
Our arms were shaking, making the table wobble on the uneven slate. Kelsey was breathing harder. I could smell the pizza she ate, beer she drank, and the Tic Tacs she used to cover them up.
Mr. Caine stepped closer to the table. "Looks like we have ourselves a draw, folks!"
"No, we don't," Kelsey said.
My father moved behind his boss, pretending he wanted a better angle to watch.
"Want to quit?" I asked.
"Shut up," Kelsey said.
The song ended.
"Do it, Elise!" Sean said.
Boiling blood filled my arm, white-hot with strength.
"Do it!"
Staring dead into Kelsey's eyes, I powered her arm backwards two inches. Another two inches. I could see how this was going to end. I would take her down smoothly, pushing her hand to the tabletop and forcing her out of her seat so her shoulder wouldn't be ripped from her socket.
And then I made the mistake of looking at Dad.
He shook his head, just a little bit, from side to side.
---
I closed my eyes and let my enemy win.
---
♠ ♠ ♠
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