Through Thick and Thin

The day went by smoothly, Monica and her gang stayed quiet. No one dared start another fight with us. Not today at least, they’d seen the anger in our eyes, heard the seriousness in our voices.

Together, we were strong; they wouldn’t dare start anything today. Not after this morning.

Classes went by in a blur, Jimmy and I both got A’s on the papers we wrote the night before. Jade, Zack and I got paired with a group that didn’t hate our guts in Chem lab and Layla helped me stay entertained during P.E. while Matt ran up and down the court showing off his basketball skills.

I had to sit in the dugout throughout the entire softball game next to a sulking and pissed off Erica Pollack, an uneasy Kelsey sitting between us. I felt oddly proud of the black eye Erica was sporting trying to hide it behind her baseball cap. Our team won the game, but just barely. Allison slid into home mere seconds before she was tagged by the catcher. We won 10-9 at the bottom of the last inning. I cheered with my team and declared a good game to the other team before I made my way over to the baseball field. The boys were sitting in their dugout talking animatedly with the coach. Some of my friends were already in the stands. I grinned, taking them two at a time to join them, plopping down with a laugh besides Jimmy.

“So, who won benched girl?” He asked, he was sprawled out in the stands, taking up three separate rows of bleachers, his arms rested on one, his butt another and his feet on the last.

“We did!” I grinned happily, so far the Oilers were undefeated; a fact I was very proud of.

“Awesome.” He held up his fist and I laughed, knocking my knuckles against his. “Let’s see if the guys can keep up the winning streak huh?” He nodded out to the field where the other schools team was, warming up.

“They damn well better, slackers.” I giggled, stretching out in the stands much like Jimmy was doing. I tilted my head back, smiling warmly at Jade who was sitting behind me. “Hi!”

She raised an eyebrow at me, “Who are you and what have you done with Quinn?” She questioned, poking my forehead with a single finger.

“I am Quinn you asshole.” I huffed, sitting up rubbing my forehead where she poked me. “Who else is here, or coming?” I asked, resting my forearms on my knees as I leaned forward.

“Present!” Layla cheered holding up a bag of chips, “I brought the loser too.” She jerked her head backwards towards a boy that was following her, he wore a leather jacket and dark jeans, sunglasses hiding his face.

“Oh shit, if it isn’t Brian Haner himself!” Jimmy laughed standing up to do one of those ‘guy’ hugs.

Brian grinned, shrugging his shoulders. “It’s me. Matt said he’d be here. He had to bring Michelle home; apparently she has a huge project to do or something.” The boy pushed his glasses up on the top of his head and rolled his deep warm brown eyes.

“Hi Bri.” I laughed, waving. Brian had been a friend of Matt’s and Jimmy’s since they were real young, but he’d been going to a different school than the rest of us. He lives across the street from Jade, and the two would hang out occasionally, she could proudly claim that she was the tattoo artist to credit his very first tattoo. A one, on his thumb. It was done when she was sixteen, he was fifteen, with her brothers tattoo equipment at his shop.

“ Shit Quinn is that you?” He pulled at my baseball cap, knocking it off of my head. “I haven’t seen you in forever!”

I stood up as he wrapped his arms around me in a hug, laughing lightly. “Well I’m sorry, you do go to a different school you know.” I rolled my eyes at him as I sat back down.

“Not for long! Transferring here next year.” He wiggled his eyebrows as he plopped down next to Layla who pulled some sodas from her seemingly bottomless messenger bag, tossing one to Jimmy.

“Sweet!” The drummer exclaimed. “The whole gang will be together then!”

“Whole gang will be together when and where?” Matt asked as he and Val climbed the bleachers taking their seats.

“Here, next year. Bri’s transferring.” I clarified, thanking Layla as she passed me a root beer.

“Awesome!” Matt and Brian high-fived before settling down to get ready to watch the game.

People stared at us oddly as we cheered on loudly for Zack when he was up at bat; he laughed shaking his head at us as he jogged past heading back to the dugout to change position from field to batters. In the end, Our boys won 15-5.

“So!” I declared loudly standing up at the very top of the bleachers, clinging tightly to the railing; I didn’t like heights. “What are we going to do to celebrate?” I asked. “It’s Friday night and I sure as hell don’t want to go home!”

“Let’s have some fun!” Layla agreed holding up her bottle of soda.

“Fuck yeah!” Jade agreed.

Jimmy just shrugged his shoulders. “Whatever, I don’t care. I don’t have anywhere to be.”

Matt and Val agreed.

“Okay… now what the hell are we doing?” Brian asked, slouching back on the bleachers eying the now empty baseball field.

“Fuck if I know.” I sighed, slipping and falling on my ass on the top bleacher, promptly bursting out in a mixture of painful laughter. “Owwwww.”

“You’re the biggest damn clutz.” Jade laughed, leaning backwards on the bleachers.

“My ass hurts now…” I whined, race red from laughing and the embarrassment I was feeling.

“Wait… I definitely came into this conversation at the wrong time. Do I even want to know?” Zack asked as he climbed the bleachers to get to us.

“No big deal, Quinn slipped and busted her ass. Bleachers:1, O’Conner: 0!” Jimmy declared, holding up the correct amount of fingers on either hand to show the score.

“Yep no big deal.” Jade shrugged her shoulders indifferently.


“Right, so. We doin’ anything tonight?” Zack asked, dropping his equipment bag onto the bleachers with a loud metallic thunk as his bat hit the bleachers.

“We were just discussing that.” Val spoke up, sitting up properly and fixing her shirt that had ridden up her stomach.

“But these dimwits.” Jade gestured to the rest of us. “Don’t know what to do, or where to go.”

“Hey! You didn’t know either!” Matt defended, causing the other red head to roll her eyes at him.

“Your point?”

Matt shrugged his shoulders indifferently. “I don’t exactly have one.”

“This is precisely why you’re a dimwit, Matthew Dear.” Jade cooed, reaching forward to pat the top of his head. He glared swatting her away.

“Anyways, focus people!” I clapped my hands to gain everyone’s attention. “What the hell are we doing?”

“Beach?” Brian suggested with a shrug of his shoulders.

“How Original.” Layla rolled her eyes, moving so she was straddling the bench.

“Don’t see you coming up with anything better.” Brain countered.

“Children.” Val laughed shaking her head. “Behave. We might as well just go to the beach, there’s nothing else to do.”

“We could go to the park?” Zack suggested, picking up his duffel again.

“Monkey bars!” Jimmy exclaimed, throwing his fist in the air.

“Right.” Matt laughed as he stood up stretching. “That settles that then, Brian, did you drive?”

“Yup!” The brown-eyed man grinned jumping up into a standing position. “Why?”

“Because I can’t fit all eight of us in my car?” Matt stated, rolling his eyes at his friend.

“Oh, right. I knew that… Who’s in my car?” Brian asked, pulling his keys from his pocket.

“Me!” Jade jumped up off of the bleachers, easily climbing down them till she was at the bottom.

“My shits in your car, me too!” Layla volunteered, joining Jade at the bottom of the stairs. I shrugged my shoulders, joining them.

“Sweet, I get all the lovely ladiiies.” Brian grinned, rubbing his hands together.

“Lovely ladies that can kick your ass Haner!” Jade challenged with a raised eyebrow.
Brian pouted, dropping his hands to his sides. “Fun sucker.”

“Usual spot?” Jimmy asked as he jumped down the stairs, handing me my equipment bag.

“Sounds good.” Brian shrugged his shoulders indifferently. “Meet you guys there! C’mon ladies.”

“Thanks Jim, see ya!” I waved to the other group before jogging to catch up with Brian and the others. “Oy wait up ass holes!”

I tossed my equipment bag into the trunk of Brian’s car and climbed into the back seat with Jade, as soon as he turned the vehicle on we were assaulted by loud blaring music, I couldn’t even tell what was playing but I didn’t care.

Jade was bouncing around in her seat screaming along to the lyrics I couldn’t recognize. Layla was laughing, clipping her seat belt as Brian peeled out of the parking lot heading towards the park.
I tossed my hat on the ledge behind the back seat, and pulled my hair from its confinements, letting the wind whip the curls across my face as we drove, everyone screaming along happily to the music. People were staring as we drove by, but we didn’t care.

Somehow I managed to remove my under armor shirt, it joined my hat beneath the window. My
sleeveless vest like Jersey was the only thing covering my upper body and hiding my bra from view; although the first few buttons were left undone. I ditched my softball socks as well and pulled on the ankle ones I had taken from my bag earlier, shoving my feet back into my converse happily, as we finally pulled into the park, Brian lowered the volume of the music before turning the car off.

Jade and I were laughing at each other, both of us with our wild red manes wind tossed and crazy looking. Pushing my hair away from my face, I opened the back door stumbling out of the car and smiled, staring up at the night sky.

“Woah, costume change and I wasn’t even able to watch.” Brian frowned as he exited the car, “Ow! Layla.”

I laughed, turning to the others with a smile. Brian was rubbing his arm where Layla must have hit him. “That hurt you know.” He pouted.

“Quit being a perv you dipshit.” She rolled her eyes, before turning her attention to me. “Nice hair.”

I laughed, running my fingers through the somewhat tamed curls hanging down to the middle of my back. “I know right?”

“So… What’s taking the others so long?” Jade huffed, lifting herself up to sit on the trunk of the car.

“Who knows.” Brian shrugged leaning against the car, pulling a pack of cigarettes from his pocket to light one, glaring as Layla stole one for herself.

“Right. Well, I’ll just be over there.” I pointed to the playground before I jogged over to it, climbing up the jungle gym and sitting on top of the Monkey bars, hooking my legs on one of the bars so that I could hang upside down. My jersey fell, gathering beneath my chest showing off the milky white skin of my bare middle.

“Having fun?” I tilted my head sideways, Zack was standing beside the monkey bars, his head tilted to the side staring at me oddly.

“Yes, as a matter of fact I am.” I nodded reaching up to pull my upper body back up and set my feet back on the ground, groaning loudly using the jungle gym to keep me upright. “At least, I was till I just got a freakin’ head rush.”

He laughed, placing his hands on my shoulders, rubbing them gently. “That’s what you get for trying to be a damn monkey!”

“Being a Monkey is fun though.” Jimmy whined, he had already climbed to the top of the jungle gym.

“Until the head rush.” I clarified, opening my eyes once the blood settled back to where it belonged.

“So... what are we doing?” I questioned, pulling myself back up on top of the monkey bars, sitting on them correctly this time, no more head rushes.

“Matt stopped and managed to get some Booze.” Zack shrugged, nodding in the direction of the cars, Jade, Val and Matt all had bottles in their hands, Layla was sitting on a swing not too far from where we were swinging back and forth, squealing loudly when Brian grabbed the chains to the swing to push her even higher.

We stood around talking, drinking and having fun for a few hours before Jade decided to declare she was bored as hell. Brian and Matt both had only a beer each, the alcohol not affecting either of them at all.

“Let’s go see a movie!” Jimmy declared as he aimed for the garbage barrel tossing the beer bottle away.

“What do you even want to see?” Layla asked, leaning against Brian’s car watching Jimmy as he fidgeted around.

“Fuck if I know, let’s just go annoy people at the movies.”

“No horror Movies!” I demanded, I was the chicken shit of the group; I hated scary movies with a passion.

“Awe, it’s okay Quinn. We’ll protect you from the big Scary monsters!” Brian declaring throwing his arm around my shoulders, causing me to tilt my head up and glare at him.

“Fuck you, asshole.” I hissed, ducking from under his arm.

“There’s bound to be something we all can agree on.” Matt shrugged, tossing the soda can he’d been drinking from towards the garbage barrel; it rounded off the edge and clattered to the floor.

Val grabbed Matt’s wrist checking his watch. “Shit, Babe I’ve got to head home. The rents got something planned in the morning.”

Matt sighed and nodded his head. “Okay.”

“Just take me home and then go to the movies with the others, it’s fine.” She shrugged her shoulders indifferently.

“Okay.” Matt repeated, nodding again. “Let’s head out then, Jimmy, Zack you two coming?”

“Yep!” Jimmy agreed already halfway to Matt’s car, standing outside of it, tugging on the door handle.

“DUDE LEMME IN!”

“Catch the keys then!” Matt laughed throwing the keys towards the impatient drummer. “We’ll meet you guys at the theater in a bit okay?” He asked, looking to those of us who rode in Brian’s car.
We all nodded our heads and bid Val a good night, watching as Matt pulled out of the parking lot.

“Right! Let’s go ladies, unless you guys want to ditch their asses and do something else?” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, yelping loudly when the three of us smacked him. “It was only a suggestion!” He whined rubbing his abused arms. “So damn violent!”

“Oh shut up Bri.” Jade laughed as she opened the back door. “You know you like it.” She added with a wink before she slid into the car.

I broke out laughing as a thoughtful expression took over Brian’s face before he nodded his head.

“Yeah, you’re right.”

Layla rolled her eyes, pulling the passenger’s side door open. “Okay quit fantasizing Haner get your ass in the car.” She slid into the car herself the same time I climbed into the backseat.
Brian snapped out of his stupor at the sound of slamming car doors. “Huh? What? Right, sorry.” He grinned sheepishly sliding into the car and cranking it to life, turning the volume up on the stereo before he pulled out heading towards the movie theater.

Matt, Jimmy and Zack joined us soon after and the assholes who bought the tickets, cough, Jimmy and Brian, cough ended up in fact getting the tickets to the Horror movie that was showing.
“No! I don’t wanna goo you can’t make me!” I wailed, locking my legs as the two tried to push me towards the theater. Jade and Layla found this all amusing as I grabbed onto the closest sturdy thing I could, which ended up being a bench. “Let go ass holes!”

Matt and Zack were waiting in the concession stand line getting a couple bags of popcorn for all of us to share and a few soda’s. “I hate scary movies, you know this James.” I growled, hugging the leg of the bench tightly.

“Brian bought the tickets, don’t blame me.” Jimmy laughed tugging on my arm. “Come on Quinn! It’ll be fun!”

“Fun my ass!” I huffed, snapping my teeth at him. “I will bite you.”

“Ooh, Kinky.” He wiggled his eyebrows and I glared. Jade practically had tears streaming down her face she was laughing so hard, using an equally amused Layla as support to keep her standing.

“What the hell…” Jimmy and Brian stopped trying to pry my arms off of the bench and looked up at Matt. “Do I even want to know?” He asked, passing the popcorn bag in his hand to Layla who took it happily.

“You assholes.” I glared, pointing at them all, yelping when Brian tried to grab my arm before I could cling to the bench properly again. “Got tickets for a Horror movie. I hate horror movies!”

“It’s not that bad Quinn” Zack laughed, leaning against the wall. “You don’t even have to watch, just sit there with your eyes closed.”

“Better yet imagine those getting maimed are Monica and the skanky Barbie dolls!” Jade suggested happily. “Oh yes, this movie suddenly got even better.”

“I’m sitting between two of you, and I will use whomever I see fit as my own person pillow and or punching bag to hide myself again and squeeze the shit out of their hands.”

Zack shrugged. “Sounds good, as long as it’ll get you to let go of the bench.” He chuckled waving at an elderly couple that walked past, giving me the oddest of looks.

Slowly I unwound my arms, holding my hands out to be helped up. Matt pulled me to my feet and handed me a ticket. I glared down at the stub in my hand as if it had personally done me wrong. “I still don’t like this, or any of you right now.” I sighed, allowing Jade to push me towards the theater by my shoulders.

“Oh suck it up!” She laughed, as we entered the already dimming theater. I ended up sandwiched between Zack and Jimmy in the smack dab center of the row between our friends, the bastards were making sure I couldn’t escape.

I tried to use Jade’s method of imaging those getting killed off were Monica and gang but it wasn’t working and pretty soon I had a white knuckled grip on Jimmy’s hand and my face was buried in Zack’s chest so I didn’t have to see what was going on, on screen.

Jimmy made sure that I; along with everyone else in the theater knew what was going on though as he yelled at the people on the screen.

“NO! DON’T GO IN THERE!” He wailed. “He’s in there with the chain saw you moron! Can’t you hear the motor?!” There was a revving of the chainsaw being brought to life, followed by the loud shrill scream and bloody gushing sound as whoever entered the room got hacked to bits. Jimmy slammed his hand down on his lap. “SEE! Moron, Now you’re dead. Why don’t you LISTEN?!”

A lot of the patrons found his commentary funny, I could hear people laughing and cheering along with Jimmy, only a few yelling at him to shut up. I still refused to look at the screen. I was practically a part of Zack I was pressed so close to him.

He chuckled lightly when I jumped as he draped his arm around me, rubbing my shoulders. “It’s just a movie Quinn, calm down.”

“I. hate. Scary. Movies. Ass. Hole.” I growled out, flinching as another scream echoed through the theater.

“Seriously? CAN YOU NOT HEAR THE CHAINSAW YOU MORONS!” Jimmy hollered again.

Eventually, almost towards the end of the movie an usher came and told Jimmy to either shut up, or get out, No sooner had the usher made it to the door did Jimmy yell at the screen again, effectively getting our group kicked out of the theater. Many of the patron’s let out a collective “Awe” as their commentator got up to exit the room. Jimmy paused to bow and thank them before he marched out of the room.

Brian brought me home after dropping Layla off, Jade jumped into the front seat and waved as Brian turned the music up even louder heading toward their homes.

I climbed the stairs, pulling my keys out of my bag and unlocking the door setting everything down as I went about getting ready for bed, a pigeon flew by my window, the sound of its wings fluttering and the soft, cooing sound had me nearly jump a foot in the air. I effectively was not going to get any sleep tonight. I was going to kill Brian and Jimmy, no doubt about it. Assholes.