Status: Active
Just Swimmingly
Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Jennifer
I couldn't stop thinking about Scott and his crazy ex for the rest of the day. When the final bell rung, I barely noticed until the classroom started emptying out. I walked to my usual parking spot, but I couldn't find my car. I dug through my bag to find my keys, and my face flushed when I couldn't find them I dumped everything out onto the grass, digging through everything. People were laughing, but I didn't care. I'd be home soon anyway.
"Need a little help?" Scott walked over to me and helped look through my stuff.
"No."
"Jen, Scott." Ryan walked over. "Jen, what are you doing?"
"Looking for my keys. I think someone stole them." I shot a pissed off look at Scott. "It was probably your psychotic girlfriend when she attacked me in the bathroom."
"What?!" they both questioned.
"You were attacked in a bathroom?" asked Ryan.
"Kinny attacked you in a bathroom?" asked Scott at the same time.
"And how do you two even know each other?" I asked them.
"Swim team," answered Scott. "But she really attacked you and stole your keys?"
"Yes," I replied.
"Uhm, she didn't steal your keys. You got a ride from me today, remember?" inquired Ryan. I wanted to smack my head against a wall. Of course.
"Oh yeah."
"Well, we gotta go," said Scott.
"Yeah, see you after practice, Jen."
Scott
After I left the locker room, I was too excited to go home. I walked over to my truck and saw a body in the backseat of Ryan's truck. I smiled and tapped on the window. Jennifer sat up straight and looked at me. I smiled and waved. She half smiled and waved back and laid back down. I got in my truck and sighed. Well, at least I tried.
Jennifer
I didn't know what to do when Scott saw me. I didn't know if I should tell him about anything, and about why his crazy ex girlfriend was screaming at me in bathrooms. I winced as I laid back down when Scott drove away. I definitely couldn't tell him about what had happened after he and Ryan left for swim practice.
"There she is!" I glanced up as Kimmy or whatever pointed me out to a friend.
"Oh my gosh, what a downgrade!" said the friend loudly. Of course they wanted me to hear their negative opinions about my looks.
"Hahaha, I know right! Why would Scott ever pick her over me?"
"Because he's stupid!"
"He can have his moments." That's when it all went down hill.
"Scott's not stupid. Breaking up with you was the smartest thing he ever did." I froze. My mouth had opened up before my mind.
"Excuse me?" Kimmy and her friend walked over to me. I was still sitting in Ryan's truck bed, doing my homework and listening to Alesana. I smiled as fakely as I could and took my earbuds out. The Thespian could wait.
"I said, Scott isn't stupid and him breaking up with you-" She grabbed a handful of my hair and pulled me to the door of the truck bed.
"Kinny, what are you doing?" gasped her friend. That's right, her name's Kinny, not Kimmy. What a dumb name.
"Shut up, Lauren!" she looked back at me. "Care to repeat yourself, tramp?" I untangled her fingers out of my hair, jumped out of the truck, and stood in front of her. We were pretty much the same height, and she was wearing heels.
"I said Scott made a good choice when he broke up with you," I stated slowly in her face. Kinny launched herself at me and pinned me against Ryan's bumper.
"You don't know me, so shut the fuck up!" She slapped me, so I spit in her face. Her eyes changed; a dangerous light gleamed in her pupils and she threw me on the ground and kicked me repeatedly in the ribs.
"Kinny, stop it!" screamed Lauren. "Kinny, someone's going to see you!" The gleam disappeared and she left me on the ground as she walked away.
"Whatever." Kinny walked away, wiping sweat off of her forehead.
"Are you okay?" Lauren asked me carefully.
"Y-yeah," I breathed. She kneeled down next to me.
"I'm sorry about Kinny," she began. "It's just that Scott was her first love, and-"
"Not from what I've heard," I interjected. "From what I've heard and observed, she's a whore."
"You've been here what, three weeks? You don't know her."
"Like you do?" Lauren's eyes changed, like she was actually considering that I could be right. "You sounded like you've never seen her kick someone's ass before."
"W-well...I haven't. Usually she just talks about people."
"Oh, she's one of those." I tried to get up, but my weight buckled under my arm and I winced.
"Here, let me help you." Lauren picked me up and rested my arm around her shoulder.
"Can you put me in the car?" I asked her. "I don't really...want Ryan to see me like...you know, like..."
"Oh yeah, sure." She opened the door and helped me into the back.
"Thanks." I looked at her. Not even five minutes ago this girl had been trashing me. Why was she helping me all of the sudden? "So what's with the sudden change of heart?"
"What?"
"Don't act like you didn't just call me a downgrade over there."
"Oh, right. Well, maybe I realized that sometimes the things you hear about a certain person aren't always right. And maybe I also realized how wrong Kinny was about you." She looked at me. "So...sorry."
"Whatever." I looked away. All of Kinny's friends were leaving and coming to me now? This couldn't be a coincidence.
"What, you don't believe me?!"
"No, actually. People don't just change like that, Lauren."
"Says who?"
"Oh come on! You think I'm that stupid?! All of Kinny's people are becoming my people! That's not happening just because you're all just now realizing the same thing."
"Whoever said I was one of 'your people'? I was just trying to be nice!"
"Why?"
"Because, sometimes people like being nice to others! You've never seen that before? You've never seen an old man fall down and a young man stops to help him up? You've never seen someone get robbed and a fit person chases the robber down and gets the money back?"
"Well...yes. But it's just that...stuff like that never happens to me."
"Well maybe it's your time now." She looked at me again, with pity in her eyes. The same pity Scott had shown for me earlier. "I'll see you around, Jennifer."
---
When I got home, I thanked Ryan for the ride and ran up to my room. I closed the door and pulled my shirt up. I had red and purple blotches on every inch of my rib cage, and each one hurt when I touched it. They all throbbed in unison. I sat in my bed and quietly cried.
Ryan
Either something was extremely off with Jen on the way back home, or we were falling into old habits, which didn't appeal to me. I really had missed my sister all these years, however hard it was for anyone to believe. I smiled. It's amazing how you can live in the same house with someone and rarely ever talk to them. My phone buzzed and I checked the screen. My smile got bigger.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Ryan."
"Hey, Delaney."
"So, I saw you swimming today."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. Your form was great." She paused. "Uhm, why don't we get a coffee sometime?"
"I would love that," I said immediately. Crap, I hope she doesn't think I'm desperate now.
"Cool." I heard a shuddering sob from the room next to me. Jen's room.
"Hey, can I call you back? I have to eat dinner." I checked the clock. It was 5:30, which was realistic.
"Yeah, okay. Bye." I quietly walked out of my room and peeked into Jen's. She was sitting on her bed crying. I was about to burst in and demand to know why she was sad, but then she pulled her shirt up. I backed away. I didn't need to see my sister change, but then I noticed she was looking at...her stomach? I gasped as I saw the red and purple marks all over her rib cage.
"Jen, what happened?" I asked, pushing the door open.
"N-nothing. I tripped in the hallway, and-"
"Don't give me that crap," I snapped. "Who did this to you?"
"Scott's ex-girlfriend."
"The one that attacked you in the bathroom?" She nodded. "Jen, you have to tell a teacher or something."
"Like any of them give a shit who hurts me."
"Jennifer, it's their job to care. If you're getting beaten up during school hours, that's their problem too."
"It wasn't during school hours," she muttered, probably thinking she'd made a point.
"So it was during swim practice?" She paused.
"Yes."
"You need to tell that girl to leave you alone."
"I tried."
"Then you need to talk to Scott."
"Like he cares!"
"Jen, he does." Ever since he found out Jen and I were related, he wouldn't stop trying to subliminally ask me about her during practice.
"Whatever." Her go-to escape word.
"Fine, I'll talk to him," I decided. I wouldn't let Jen get beat up anymore; she'd just told me this morning how it felt when kids said stuff to her, so I could only imagine how it felt when they did stuff to her.
Jennifer
I couldn't stop thinking about Scott and his crazy ex for the rest of the day. When the final bell rung, I barely noticed until the classroom started emptying out. I walked to my usual parking spot, but I couldn't find my car. I dug through my bag to find my keys, and my face flushed when I couldn't find them I dumped everything out onto the grass, digging through everything. People were laughing, but I didn't care. I'd be home soon anyway.
"Need a little help?" Scott walked over to me and helped look through my stuff.
"No."
"Jen, Scott." Ryan walked over. "Jen, what are you doing?"
"Looking for my keys. I think someone stole them." I shot a pissed off look at Scott. "It was probably your psychotic girlfriend when she attacked me in the bathroom."
"What?!" they both questioned.
"You were attacked in a bathroom?" asked Ryan.
"Kinny attacked you in a bathroom?" asked Scott at the same time.
"And how do you two even know each other?" I asked them.
"Swim team," answered Scott. "But she really attacked you and stole your keys?"
"Yes," I replied.
"Uhm, she didn't steal your keys. You got a ride from me today, remember?" inquired Ryan. I wanted to smack my head against a wall. Of course.
"Oh yeah."
"Well, we gotta go," said Scott.
"Yeah, see you after practice, Jen."
Scott
After I left the locker room, I was too excited to go home. I walked over to my truck and saw a body in the backseat of Ryan's truck. I smiled and tapped on the window. Jennifer sat up straight and looked at me. I smiled and waved. She half smiled and waved back and laid back down. I got in my truck and sighed. Well, at least I tried.
Jennifer
I didn't know what to do when Scott saw me. I didn't know if I should tell him about anything, and about why his crazy ex girlfriend was screaming at me in bathrooms. I winced as I laid back down when Scott drove away. I definitely couldn't tell him about what had happened after he and Ryan left for swim practice.
"There she is!" I glanced up as Kimmy or whatever pointed me out to a friend.
"Oh my gosh, what a downgrade!" said the friend loudly. Of course they wanted me to hear their negative opinions about my looks.
"Hahaha, I know right! Why would Scott ever pick her over me?"
"Because he's stupid!"
"He can have his moments." That's when it all went down hill.
"Scott's not stupid. Breaking up with you was the smartest thing he ever did." I froze. My mouth had opened up before my mind.
"Excuse me?" Kimmy and her friend walked over to me. I was still sitting in Ryan's truck bed, doing my homework and listening to Alesana. I smiled as fakely as I could and took my earbuds out. The Thespian could wait.
"I said, Scott isn't stupid and him breaking up with you-" She grabbed a handful of my hair and pulled me to the door of the truck bed.
"Kinny, what are you doing?" gasped her friend. That's right, her name's Kinny, not Kimmy. What a dumb name.
"Shut up, Lauren!" she looked back at me. "Care to repeat yourself, tramp?" I untangled her fingers out of my hair, jumped out of the truck, and stood in front of her. We were pretty much the same height, and she was wearing heels.
"I said Scott made a good choice when he broke up with you," I stated slowly in her face. Kinny launched herself at me and pinned me against Ryan's bumper.
"You don't know me, so shut the fuck up!" She slapped me, so I spit in her face. Her eyes changed; a dangerous light gleamed in her pupils and she threw me on the ground and kicked me repeatedly in the ribs.
"Kinny, stop it!" screamed Lauren. "Kinny, someone's going to see you!" The gleam disappeared and she left me on the ground as she walked away.
"Whatever." Kinny walked away, wiping sweat off of her forehead.
"Are you okay?" Lauren asked me carefully.
"Y-yeah," I breathed. She kneeled down next to me.
"I'm sorry about Kinny," she began. "It's just that Scott was her first love, and-"
"Not from what I've heard," I interjected. "From what I've heard and observed, she's a whore."
"You've been here what, three weeks? You don't know her."
"Like you do?" Lauren's eyes changed, like she was actually considering that I could be right. "You sounded like you've never seen her kick someone's ass before."
"W-well...I haven't. Usually she just talks about people."
"Oh, she's one of those." I tried to get up, but my weight buckled under my arm and I winced.
"Here, let me help you." Lauren picked me up and rested my arm around her shoulder.
"Can you put me in the car?" I asked her. "I don't really...want Ryan to see me like...you know, like..."
"Oh yeah, sure." She opened the door and helped me into the back.
"Thanks." I looked at her. Not even five minutes ago this girl had been trashing me. Why was she helping me all of the sudden? "So what's with the sudden change of heart?"
"What?"
"Don't act like you didn't just call me a downgrade over there."
"Oh, right. Well, maybe I realized that sometimes the things you hear about a certain person aren't always right. And maybe I also realized how wrong Kinny was about you." She looked at me. "So...sorry."
"Whatever." I looked away. All of Kinny's friends were leaving and coming to me now? This couldn't be a coincidence.
"What, you don't believe me?!"
"No, actually. People don't just change like that, Lauren."
"Says who?"
"Oh come on! You think I'm that stupid?! All of Kinny's people are becoming my people! That's not happening just because you're all just now realizing the same thing."
"Whoever said I was one of 'your people'? I was just trying to be nice!"
"Why?"
"Because, sometimes people like being nice to others! You've never seen that before? You've never seen an old man fall down and a young man stops to help him up? You've never seen someone get robbed and a fit person chases the robber down and gets the money back?"
"Well...yes. But it's just that...stuff like that never happens to me."
"Well maybe it's your time now." She looked at me again, with pity in her eyes. The same pity Scott had shown for me earlier. "I'll see you around, Jennifer."
---
When I got home, I thanked Ryan for the ride and ran up to my room. I closed the door and pulled my shirt up. I had red and purple blotches on every inch of my rib cage, and each one hurt when I touched it. They all throbbed in unison. I sat in my bed and quietly cried.
Ryan
Either something was extremely off with Jen on the way back home, or we were falling into old habits, which didn't appeal to me. I really had missed my sister all these years, however hard it was for anyone to believe. I smiled. It's amazing how you can live in the same house with someone and rarely ever talk to them. My phone buzzed and I checked the screen. My smile got bigger.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Ryan."
"Hey, Delaney."
"So, I saw you swimming today."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. Your form was great." She paused. "Uhm, why don't we get a coffee sometime?"
"I would love that," I said immediately. Crap, I hope she doesn't think I'm desperate now.
"Cool." I heard a shuddering sob from the room next to me. Jen's room.
"Hey, can I call you back? I have to eat dinner." I checked the clock. It was 5:30, which was realistic.
"Yeah, okay. Bye." I quietly walked out of my room and peeked into Jen's. She was sitting on her bed crying. I was about to burst in and demand to know why she was sad, but then she pulled her shirt up. I backed away. I didn't need to see my sister change, but then I noticed she was looking at...her stomach? I gasped as I saw the red and purple marks all over her rib cage.
"Jen, what happened?" I asked, pushing the door open.
"N-nothing. I tripped in the hallway, and-"
"Don't give me that crap," I snapped. "Who did this to you?"
"Scott's ex-girlfriend."
"The one that attacked you in the bathroom?" She nodded. "Jen, you have to tell a teacher or something."
"Like any of them give a shit who hurts me."
"Jennifer, it's their job to care. If you're getting beaten up during school hours, that's their problem too."
"It wasn't during school hours," she muttered, probably thinking she'd made a point.
"So it was during swim practice?" She paused.
"Yes."
"You need to tell that girl to leave you alone."
"I tried."
"Then you need to talk to Scott."
"Like he cares!"
"Jen, he does." Ever since he found out Jen and I were related, he wouldn't stop trying to subliminally ask me about her during practice.
"Whatever." Her go-to escape word.
"Fine, I'll talk to him," I decided. I wouldn't let Jen get beat up anymore; she'd just told me this morning how it felt when kids said stuff to her, so I could only imagine how it felt when they did stuff to her.