Fancy Pants

-

By the way, Emma took, like, five more pregnancy tests, and they came up negative, so. We’re good, I think.

Anyway, as always, whenever I think I have the right to sleep in in the morning, some skank thinks otherwise. There was a knock at the door. I like…had a spaz attack, half out of shock, half out of anger.

“HOLD ON!” I shouted, getting up, trying to find something to put on so I didn’t answer the door in the nude. I found basketball shorts and put them on quickly. Heh. Yeah, so, my thoughts last night consisted of Emma, real nice thoughts, so I had myself a little ‘me’ time, and this was one of the rare occasions I went full commando.

TMI? Maybe.

Whoever it was knocked louder, and since they actually appeared patient and have yet to barge in after the first knock, I assumed it wasn’t my mom or Natalie.

“GEEZ-US,” I snapped, adjusting my junk, beginning to search for a shirt. “HOLD. ON. I’m getting dressed!”

I picked up a random shirt and threw it on. They knocked a few more times. I hopped over to the door and opened it to find Chance on the other side. His hands were shoved into his pockets, an apologetic look on his face.

“What?” He didn’t say anything. He just pushed on passed me, hands going through his short hair.

“My God, Chance, what?”

“Shut your door,” he said quietly, turning to face me. “Uhm, please?” He looked jumpy and nervous. I pushed my door shut.

“What?” I asked again.

He let out a deep breath, shaking his head slightly. “I am so sorry.”

My eyes shifted around the room confused as I waited for him to continue.

"Why?”

He took a profound breath and groaned. His lips quivered.

“I just want you to know,” he said quickly, “I had nothing to do with this - at all. It was all him.”

“What,” I emphasized, “are you talking about?”

Another distraught groan. “David, uh…is kind of going around saying things.”

I rolled my eyes and heaved a sigh. “Of course he is - about what?”

“You and Emma.”

I could feel my heart jump. “What kind of things exactly?”

He hesitated, picking at his nails, staring down at the ground briefly.

“Tristan’s party, uh, the, uh, pregnancy tests - I think he was ‘joking’ about the pregnancy tests though, or tried to make it seem that way. And he’s even making shit up, like, he’s saying she let you tape her and then you posted it on Facebook, but it got taken down - just messed up shit - and…”

He looked like he was on the verge of tears. “I am so, so sorry.”

I think I stopped breathing. My back suddenly met my door as I leaned against it for support. I tried to think of something to say, but the words just wouldn’t come out. I wanted to kill him. I couldn’t tell if I was dreaming or not. I was in denial at first.

He wouldn’t do that. He would go that far.

Would he?

“Are you fucking serious right now?”

Chance gulped. I could tell he was shaking from guilt and nerves. “I’m so sorry,” he said again. See, Chance really is a nice guy with rejection issues. He hates thinking he’s losing someone, even if it’s not his fault.

“Why?” I questioned feeling such a physical ache in my bones from disbelief. “Why would he do that?”

Chance stuttered as he thought. “I-I don’t know. Something about…revenge or something. I don’t know -”

“Revenge?” I snapped. I was getting a headache. “What have I ever done to him? Not tell him every personal detail of my life? He such a -”

“It’s probably something stupid from years ago,” he interrupted. “You know he’ll hold a grudge over anything.”

Is ‘anything’ worth this? What could I have done? Emma sure as hell didn’t do a damn thing.

“I can’t believe him,” I seethed incredulously. “Who’s he told?”

He stopped pacing my room to think. “Uh…we were just at Jeff’s, so Jeff, Chris, Sam…and…I think that’s all. I really am sorry.”

I didn’t say anything back to him. I stared out the window imagining David getting hit by a car. Then thought of Emma. If we go back to school Monday and she gets dirty looks because of him…I think I’ll have to kill him.

The thought of her ever crying again, this time over that fucker, literally pissed me off to no end. I felt what could be described as my blood boiling.

I wanted to call Emma and start apologizing like Chance was. That’s what he’s doing right now, repeatedly apologizing to me.

I ignored him, not being able to speak. Not being able to force myself to form a coherent sentence aloud. I was so pissed off right now.

I wanted to murder him.

I will.

Just then there was a knock on the door. Chance immediately shut up, and we stared at each other, wondering who it could be.

After regaining the ability to move, I backed away from the door, opening it to Natalie on the other side. Her face just glowed and I knew she knew. She looked like she had a mix of feelings going on.

The first she allowed to shine through was arrogance.

“So, you and Emma are a thing,” she stated it like it was a fact.

“Dear God,” I groaned, shuffling over to my bed, landing face first into my pillows. I bit back a scream. If she knew already, who else knows by now?

Chance whispered to her to shut the door, and when she did, he asked, “Who told you that?”

I felt the bed shift as she sat down. “You guys know Chris Cruea? He’s my cousin; he’s staying with me for a few days. He just got back from hanging out with - he said he heard it from that obnoxious kid - what’s his name? Drew?”

“David?” Chance corrected.

She snapped her fingers and grunted. “Yeah, him! Knew it started with a ‘d’. Anyway, yeah,” - she jabbed me in the shoulder. I fought the urge to break her finger. - “He said you guys went to Tristan’s party? You and her. So…you went with Drew and her, huh?”

Chance interjected, “David.”

She hushed him, jabbing me in the shoulder again. I swear if she does that one more time, I’ll add her to my hit list. “And got freaky, right?” she went on to interrogate. When I didn’t answer, she continued. “Yeah, Chris said Drew -”

“David.”

“- kept babbling on and on about it - god!” she said exasperated. “What a douche. I mean, true. I enjoy a little gossip every once and a while - even spread it myself - but geez. Some friend - he is, or was, your friend, right? It kind of sounded like that Drew kid -”

“David.”

“- was a bit jealous, if I do say so myself. Or he’s just a d-bag.”

“Just a d-bag,” I managed to say without spewing fire. My jaw was clenching and beginning to hurt.

“Yeah,” she agreed. “I’ve seen him in the hall; he radiates ‘fuckface.’”

We all got quiet after agreeing with her first impression of David.

And then she just had to say, “He also said something about Emma being knocked up? Or he joked about it, or I don’t know. Chris said it sounded like he was just joking. Or is that true?”

I prepared myself for her to poke my shoulder again when I responded with an annoyed groan and not a yes or no.

“Is it?” she repeated the question, a hint of denial and surprise in her voice.

“No,” I snapped just wanting them both to leave so I could start a riot in my room to do something about all the anger and betrayal I was feeling.

“Geez,” she grumbled, but then made a clicking sound with her mouth. “Well, I guess I get it - you’re pissed right now, huh? I would be furious and causing mayhem if my ‘friend’ was spreading personal shit like that about me. Absolutely furious.”

I gave her a slanted glare over my shoulder, code for ‘shut the fuck up.’ She understood the code and mouthed she was sorry.

I sighed loudly, digging my face back into my pillow.

When I see him, I’m using whatever is closes to me to bash his head in with.

Watch me.

-

Later that night there was yet again another blizzard, so no school on Monday. It’s like the God’s knew what would happen if I saw *shudder* him.

Oh. Wait. The benefit of being ‘friends’ with him at some point was that I knew where he lived.

I totally would be visiting him if Natalie wasn’t playing hostage with me all day. She’s been over here for hours, not letting me even get up to pee. So long story short, today was uneventful and sucky so I woke up for nothing.

But the next day…oh it was beautiful.

Natalie somehow caught a cold overnight - probably because every time she comes over to my house, she sits by my open window for hours idk just maybe - so she skipped school on Tuesday, leaving me to get ready and go to school all by my lonesome.

Not having Natalie to blab in my ear for thirty minutes, I walked around with Emma Dearest because we’re getting exceptionally closer as friends. Also by not having Natalie there with me, I got to school a little earlier than usual, so all that meant was less people to give Emma dirty looks. I don’t think she’s caught onto why they were whispering about her yet, which…I don’t know how to feel about that.

But I admire her for being the last to know.

Yeah. She was the only one getting dirty looks; not me too. Uhm….dumb? Yes.

And besides the several dirty looks and sneering whispers, everything was pretty normal; no one called her or me derogatory names. I’m hoping it’s because they’ve all realized their age and acted it. Maybe they realized they’ve all done the same things, you know, premarital sex, and had a few pregnancy scares themselves, so they’re not going to make their stupid judgments aloud.

I hope it stays this way for the rest of the day.

I walked Emma to class nearly every chance I could today, just to be sure…and I like talking to her.

“I gotta stop by my locker to get my Math book,” I told her, stopping us from going down the hallway to the right.

“Your class really uses the book?” she asked with a laugh. “We have only used it once.”

“Same here,” I led her down the stairs, coming to the section of lockers mine was located in. “This is probably the second time we’ve needed it.” We came to my locker. I grabbed my lock and I twisted in my combination. “I almost took it home because Mrs. Owen said we’d never use it - good thing I didn’t.”

She began to laugh in agreance, and then -

"Slut..." I heard someone hiss behind me.

I don’t think Emma considered it was aimed at her because she didn’t really react like I thought she would. She continued to play with her necklace like she didn’t even hear them.

I opened my locker, reaching for my Math book.

Emma turned around when we heard someone giggle out "Whore." A different voice than before, though. I didn't see anyone who looked like they could have said it - would've, even.

Why is everyone suddenly being immature? They hadn’t really said anything all day and now that the day was nearly over, they’re all opening their mouths.

I saw her instantly freeze. I watched Emma’s face as she began to pout, but she didn’t say anything. Then she shook her head and waited for me to get my book.

Just as I was about to turn back to my locker, I saw David round the corner. I immediately glared at him.

"Hey, Dodger," he smiled condescendingly, walking passed me. He tipped a nod at Emma as he said her name. “Emma.”

The nerve, I thought, snatching my book, shutting my locker, snapping shut the lock. I dashed after him. Emma followed a second later.

"Get your dumb ass back here," I snarled after him.

"What?" he snapped when I grabbed onto his shoulder, pulling him back.

"Why?" was all I said. I wanted to handle this maturely…as maturely as I could manage. Talk it out like human beings.

But when he looked back at me and smirked, saying, “You know why,” I literally lost my marbles. The second he had his back to me, my body got a mind of its own. I rocked my Math book back like it was a baseball bat, and swung it at the back of his head.

When it connected, gasps rang out. David stopped walking and just stood there. And then like I hoped way deep down, he dropped to his knees, one hand being used for support as he hit the ground, the other buckling under his weight, sending him full on crashing to the floor.

He released a whimper, flopping belly-up. I flung my makeshift murder weapon aside, and then the next thing I know, my knuckles ached as they met his jaw…and then his nose…and then eye. I could feel all the pent up anger towards him after all these years being the driving force.

That was the last thing I remember feeling before feeling hands going around my waist as they pulled me up to a standing position, but didn’t let go. I knew someone like the principal was dragging me away from the fight.

David laid limp on the floor but that didn’t stop me from going for one last kick, right in between his legs. His body shook and he groaned quietly but didn’t move. A teacher kneeled to him and screamed for the nurse.

Maybe I killed him. Hopefully.

“Sit here,” a teacher ordered once we got to the main office. I slouched into one of the padded seats, and scratched the back of my head.

I wanted to take on the Persian Army right now. I had the energy to.

I watched him stomp over to one of the secretaries and then listened to him speak angrily to her; occasionally he’d point at me.

Once he was done shouting at her, he turned to leave. Not before giving me a death glare. I looked back at him with a face that read ‘What the fuck, dude?’ I just kicked some ass; high-five me. At least I think I did.

Nah. I did for sure.

“The principal will be with you in a few,” the secretary informed me nicely. Her tone made Mr. Pacifist grunt in disgust, and he left in haste.

I heard groans from behind me, and turned to see a couple teachers carrying David’s whiny self to the nurse’s office. Being strangely happy by the sight I didn’t hear the door leading to this room, open.

“What was that all about?” an Italian accent asked. I looked to see Emma closing the door behind her as she walked in to take a seat beside me.

I didn’t see what good telling the straight-up truth to her did, so I did vaguely.

“He’s annoying,” I explained with a shrug. “You’ve met him.”

“But that is full reason? He is annoying?”

“Basically.”

She narrowed her eyes at me, sucking in some air. She knew there was more to it, and I had a feeling this chapter wasn’t going to end until I told her. “What has he done this time?” she pressed.

I shrugged again after a couple seconds of silence. “Just saying some things.”

“Like what?”

I hesitated again. “Just things.”

“Like what?” she asked a second time.

“Personal things,” I began to specify.

“Like what?” she repeated, then paused. Her face fell. “Does it have to do with the mean words people have been saying to me? They are saying them to me, yes?”

I shifted uncomfortably, not wanting to answer her, knowing it’d hurt her. So I shrugged again.

“Maybe…”

“Why?” she asked after another frown. “What have I done to be called a ‘slut?’ I am not one…am I?”

“No, no,” I said quickly, fearing she honestly thought that. “It-…”

“It has to do with David?” she guessed. “He is saying these things?”

“…maybe.”

“Why?” she said again. “I have done nothing to him.”

“He’s a douche.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” We sat there. I kind of wanted to ask her if she knew what errybody thought she did, but, uhm, didn’t want to at the same time. So. I didn’t. God, that was a shit explanation.

Well, on the bright side that’s all over…ended super fast, but okay. It was a dilemma that lasts for like half a chapter. Thought it’d take a while longer, so we’re gonna keep this chapter goin’.

Uhm, here it is.

After that whole deal happened, uh, yeah, I got suspended for a week. Might be two. I’ll ask later. My mom wasn’t pissed at me - she was at first, but when I explained what David had said about this ‘really nice and proper girl at my school,’ she high-fived me.

Oh, also, from what Emma, Natalie, and Chance all said everyone seemed to have forgotten about why the ‘fight’ happened, but just that it happened. So…it’s all good.

Anyway. Am I making sense? I should be. All I’ve done for the past couple days is sleep. With and without Emma. BOOM.

Hah. Jk. Emma has come over to hang out, actually more than Natalie, but we still haven’t done the dirt. Which is fine. I guess. Emma ain’t into being called a ‘slut,’ so she doesn’t feel too hot about doing the ‘slut’ activities.

But maybe today is different.

Oh God, I hope so.

“I’m gonna get a boatload of blankets from the hall closet,” I informed Dear Emma as I stood up from my bed.

We had been hanging since I picked her up from school, yes, watching movies and such. Now, is nighttime. Emma is over (obvs) and she has yet again lied to her parents about her location.

I walked out into the hallway and returned with a pile of blankets and pillows.

“When’d you change?”

I dropped everything on the bed. “Just now.”

“Oh.” She walked over to her bag she brought with her, grabbing some clothes out of it. “Well, get out.”

My eyes fixed on the clothes. “I don’t mind watching.”

She rolled her eyes, but smiled. “Go!” I put my hands up in defense leaving the room…slowly. “Leave!” She pushed me out, shutting the door behind me.

Man, just got kicked out of my own room so a girl I’ve seen naked can change her clothes, like…? Does that make sense to anyone else?? No? Yeah, thought so.

After she was dressed, she invited me back in. We laid the blankets out on the bed and made up our own sides. As she plopped down into the covers, I headed for the light switch that was between the wall and a dresser.

Her eyes widened.

I guess I should mention the movie we’re going to watch - The Unborn. She’s not too happy with that, being she hates scary movies.

“Don’t turn it off! What’s wrong with you?”

I smirked, flicking the switch off. I shuffled over to the bed, and sat in my spot.

“Aren’t you scared?” she asked, whispering for some reason. She gripped onto my arm.

I shook my head. “You’re the one by the hole in the wall.” I motioned to it. It’s not necessarily a hole; it’s another little room connected to mine. Very tiny, like a den or something. And there’s no door, so you can see the pitch-black darkness that inhabits it. Sometimes, when Chewy is in a piss mood, he’ll go in there for some solitude.

"That creepy grandpa can just jump out and eat you.” Then I started pushing her up so she was standing. “Here ya go. I seasoned her up for ya,” I said, sprinkling her with some salt. She brought it in here earlier.

“You’re horrible!” she huffed, nails legit digging into my arms, causing me to stop, letting her go back into her previous lying down position.

About three minutes into the movie, Casey, I think, was jogging and she did something stupid, picked up a little blue glove that was on the ground.

Emma buried her face into the pillow I was leaning on, already scared.

When Casey turned around, there was a little boy standing there…then the little boy turned into a dog. She did something else that was stupid, like following it into the woods. She found a mask on the ground and picked it up.

Emma was near becoming part of the bed from how hidden she made herself under the blankets and pillows.

All for good, I think, because I knew something was going to pop up.

Just being a dick, I screamed loudly. It was manly. Emma screamed before shoving me, saying something in Italian.

I laughed. “Sorry. That scared me.”

What ‘scared’ me? Well, when Casey picked up the mask, there was a little baby under it, and its eyes shot open.

She went on to grumble at me, and somehow, fifteen or so minutes later, I was out like a light, oh my. Just dead asleep.

Whoops. Sorry, Em.

I did wake up at some point, though, and saw Emma had also fallen asleep. I fell asleep once more, waking once more time around three-ish, to a yelp and something getting pressed against my chest.

I assumed it was Emma, but was way too tired to see what was up. I just caressed her back, hoping that was enough for comfort.

Then the poking began. She poked my shoulder, whispering, “Dodger? Dodger?” over and over again, waiting for me to react.

Shit ton of pokes later - “What?”

“Can you turn the movie off?”

I sighed, nodding sleepily, starting to sit up. Just about died when my eyes caught the TV screen.

It went straight to deleted scenes and that creepy old grandpa was staring back at me. I held back a scream and focused on what the hell was glommed onto me.

Looking down, I saw Emma.

Wait. We already discovered it was her…I’m tired.

I shut the TV off, lying back down on my side, wrapping an arm around her waist. “Crisis averted. You’re welcome. Now go to sleep.” She whispered a thank you, nuzzling her head in the nook of my neck.

-

I woke up the next morning slightly drooling, laying belly-down on a Star Wars blanket. And Buzz Lightyear’s face plastered on a pillow was staring up at me. Kind of like the creepy old grandpa.

I rested the palms of my hands on the mattress, rising slightly, stretching. I yawned, falling back down on Buzz, dabbing the drool from my mouth. I turned over, staring at the ceiling, thinking to myself before sitting up, wiping my nose with my hand.

I'm beautiful in the morning.

Where’s Emma? She wasn’t next to me.

Oh, right. School. It’s probs noon.

And, right on cue, the saucy devil walked in, hair wet from, I’m guessing, the shower in a white tanktop and jean shorts. A towel was thrown over her shoulder; she dried her hair off with it, toothbrush hanging halfway out of her mouth, halfway in her hands.

What I’m saying is…she look good.

She was barely paying attention to me. I feel the love. She walked over to a window, opened it before hacking up some toothpaste. We’re both beautiful in the morning.

Just then, I sneezed and ended up choking on air.

“Oh. Sleeping beauty’s awake, I see.” She grinned.

I narrowed my eyes. “You’re not funny.” I yawned, stretching, falling back. I asked, “What time is it?”

“6:27.” Dude, why am I awake? This is booty…which reminds me…I didn’t get any of that last night…eh.

I groaned. “Why do I keep not sleeping in?”

“Because I wake you up.”

I glared at her for a second with a frown before throwing my hands in the air.

“Help me up, please.”

“Why?”

“Because, you wake me up; this is your punishment. Deal with it.”

She heaved out a sigh of defeat, strutting over. “But you are on bed; why do I have to help you up? I will not,” she stated, helping me up.

I stretched and got dizzy. “What time did you wake up?” I asked, making conversation.

“Five.”

I scoffed in a totally non-demeaning way. “You would.”

She smiled back, pulling her long, wet hair over her shoulder, beginning to braid it. I seriously sat back down onto the bed and watched her braid her fifty foot long hair into a braid within thirty seconds.

I slow clapped it out, and she bowed.

“I will need a ride,” she hinted, standing in front of a propped up hand mirror that she had set on my dresser. She picked up earrings and put them in.

“I will also need a ride.” To get my point across, I slung myself back onto the bed and held out my arms for her embrace. “Come at me, bro.”

Her grin shinned again as she glanced back. “To school, please.”

I let out a grunt of displeasure, shooting up from the bed. “I mean, I gueeesss.”

She mocked me before a thank you, going for her makeup bag. Ugh, such a girl, like gross. Since I apparently was her ride to school, maybe I should put something on.

I darted out into the hallway, noted the bathroom door was closed, dismissed it, and slammed right into it.

Why on earth is this closed? Who’s in there?

“Someone’s in here!”

“Well, no shit!” Ah. I meant to say that in my head. Oops. Emma moaned at me to watch my mouth.

I tried again. “I meant, oh. Okay.”

I tapped my foot, waiting, quietly listening to the lovely elevator music. A small number of minutes later, the door opened and Chewy walked out.

( o ___ O ) Uh…How…?

A blonde mane walked out a few seconds later.

Well, Natalie’s here. I wanted to ask why.

I blinked, looking her up and down, then at Chewy as he padded his way into the living room. “I’m afraid to ask,” I sneered at her, smirking. She slanted her eyes at me, matching my smirk.

“He followed me in. The stalker.”

“Oh, okay,” I pretended to pretend to not believe her. She stuck her tongue out at me, walking passed me into my room. Like always, I smiled innocently. I heard her greet Emma and Emma return the greeting.

I entered the bathroom casually, but realized Natalie might say something to Emma about David, and I ran back into my room.
Natalie was sprawled out on my bed, her phone in her hands. I waited for it to drop out of her grip and smack her in the face. Emma was over by my dresser, applying…uhm, makeup. The eye stuff in a tube.

I observed both of them as they essentially appeared to just be existing in the same room. Neither of them said anything to each other. I still stood there. I don’t trust this. I could feel a small tension in the room.

Emma suddenly backed away from the dresser and gave a slightly awkward smile to me before walking out into the hallway. I watched her tread on into the bathroom, closing its door behind her.

“So,” Natalie began not nonchalantly, what-so-ever. “She stayed the night?”

“Obviously.”

“Oh. Well…geez.” She went quiet and I took this as an opportunity to sleep up against the wall. The second my back touched the wall, her mouth opened.

"So you and her…you know…doing it, right?”

I don’t know why everyone assumes I’m going to tell them everything, especially everything about something that personal. Maybe it’s because they’re all nosy as fuck. I should probably get new friends, or just ditch friends all together.

“Mind your own business?” I said sweetly, getting her to scowl at me.

“You’re right,” she surrendered. “You’re right. I’ll just” - she pretended to flick in invisible leasin front of her.

“That’s a leash,” she explained, “with my nose at the end of it. It will no longer be getting in your business. I swear.”

I actually laughed at her attempt of an apology, and accepted it. While we waited for Emma to finish getting ready, I pulled on a hoodie and some shoes.

The ride to school - awkward and full of tension as eff. omg. It was so weird. Because I liked Emma more than Nat, she sat up front with me, which I’m sure Natalie took note of. Neither of them talked to each other or me. We rode in silence the entire way.

And when I dropped them off, Emma did the most wonderfully bitch move I never thought I’d see her do: after pushing opening the car door, she turned back to me, and gave me the bestestest passionate kiss ever. And then looked at Natalie in absolute arrogance. So smug.

It was beautiful.