They're Not Gonna Get Us

I didn’t wake up the next morning until I’m guessing around 1 in the afternoon. I probably would’ve kept sleeping longer, but some voices woke me up. And they were voices that I should not be hearing at Matt and Jason’s house at this time.

“I just can’t believe that she did that last night! What would we have done if Zacky hadn’t come to get us for help,” I heard my mom say. Shit that cannot in any possible way shape or form be good.

I slowly opened my eyes, and was relieved to see that no one besides Brian was in the room with me. He was already awake, and when he saw that I was too he gave me a sympathetic smile, one that told me that he knew something that I wouldn’t want to know. “Good morning,” I said, trying to start a conversation and see what was up.

“I think you mean good afternoon,” he laughed stretching to reach his boxers that were on the floor next to the bed. It was quiet then and the voices from downstairs died down. I couldn’t take it anymore; I needed to know whatever Brian knows.

“Ok Brian I know you’ve been up longer than I have so you know my parents are here and you know what they’ve been saying…just tell me.”

He sighed, sitting up and leaning against the headboard. “Zacky went back home and told your parents everything. They keep flipping out about and saying that you’ve gotten out of control and that you need to be around other people.”

I rolled my eyes, “What the hell?! Zacky does the exact same shit I do and he’s been doing it longer than I have. He hangs with the same people and besides we’re only a damn year apart!”

If I kept talking about this, I would just end up yelling and Brian so did not deserve that. I got out of bed and put most of my clothes back on. Since I was planning on totally not leaving this room or Brian until I was forced to, I just grabbed a baggy t-shirt off the floor and lounged back on the bed. “You’re not leaving this room are you,” Brian laughed, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and bringing me closer to him so we were kind of cuddling.

“We’ll get you through this, ok? I’ll have a talk with Zacky, since he’s not being the best brother, and then we’ll talk to your parents. If they won’t allow us to see you…well we all know ways to get around that!”

I laughed, “Alright, I’m trusting you though. If my life goes downhill from here, I blame you!”

“Oh yeah? Well I don’t think that’s very fair…,” he said slowly with a smile crawling across his face. “I think I need to fix that.”

All of the sudden both of his arms came flying toward me and he started tickling my stomach relentlessly. I laughed, “Brian…I can’t…breathe! You’re an…asshole!”

He shrugged, “I know, but I was serious when I said that wasn’t very fair.” After a good 10 minutes of torture, he finally stopped and allowed me to breathe again. We ended up landing back on the pillows, just staring at each other.

“You know,” he said, “I really don’t know why we haven’t spent time like this together before.”

He leaned closer and closer to me and soon my head tilted to the side, my eyes closed, and our lips touched. My body was just yearning for his touch, and this began sending waves of excitement coursing through my body.

The door was suddenly kicked open, revealing Zacky and my parents. And my parents’ jaws dropped when they saw Brian and I making out, both of us with little clothes on. “Taryn Grace Baker, get away from him!”

Reluctantly, I pulled away from Brian and turned to face my parents. “Young lady you are in for a world of trouble when we get home. Get out of that bed and get dressed. We’re leaving!”

I rolled my eyes as I let go of Brian’s hand and got out of bed only to hear my mom gasp loudly. “What is that on your leg?!”

I glanced down, having no idea what she was talking about, to see that at the tops of my thighs there was a pretty severe-looking rash forming. Where the hell did that come from?

“Taryn you better hope that that’s not what I think it is…” Hmm knowing her, she’d probably think it’s an STD.

“Mom,” I sighed pulling my pants up, “it’s not an STD or whatever. I don’t know what it is, but it’s not that.”

She shuddered at the possibility that that is what that could be, so she just stormed out of the room with a simple, “Let’s go.” I sadly waved to Brian, not even knowing that in a couple of days I’d barely even see him, and he waved back. I solemnly followed them out the door like I was in a damn funeral procession or something.

The car ride home was totally silent. I kept glaring at Zacky, but he just acted like he didn’t see me. Asshole. I was going to get out of the car and my mom stopped me by saying. “Where do you think you’re going? We’re going to get that rash checked out now.”

I didn’t feel like walking to go see my doctor and having him think that I have a disease when I know I don’t. But I figured that it would be best to get it over with just to get her off my case. Again, the car ride was silent until we got to the doctor’s office.

My mom spoke in hushed whispers to the receptionist, explaining what we need done. The receptionist looked at me shocked, and shook her head as if she was ashamed. What the fuck?! She doesn’t even know if I have anything or not. Needless to say, they got me back there right away and performed a bunch of tests on my ‘infected’ thighs. “Alright Mrs. Baker and Taryn, we’ll have those results for you in about 2 days.”

Now, the ride home was very social. “Taryn, I hope you know that you’re not getting away with this.”

“Mom, I didn’t do anything that Zacky hasn’t done before.”

“Zacky is almost 18 and you’re still 16. That’s not the same.”

“Mom Zacky and I are the same! We chill with the same people, dress the same, listen to the same music…so why does a little year and a half difference in age make such a huge difference?!”

“Taryn, first of all Zacky is a boy he’s not so vulnerable. Second, you never used to be like this. Not until you met his friends.”

I had to laugh to myself. If only my mom knew how non-vulnerable I really was. We got home, finally, and I ran up to my room slamming the door and turned around to see that all my CDs, posters, and computer were fucking gone! I’m pretty sure I started hyper-ventilating at this point. I can’t live without music or my computer!

“Wow so this is what your room really looks like,” I heard Zacky say from the door behind me. I quickly spun around and glared at him.

“What the hell is your problem, dude?! I’m your sister.”

“So? Sisters aren’t supposed to fuck their brother’s best friend.”

I scoffed, “Oh yeah like Brian is really even still your best friend. You’ve been so reclusive lately that I don’t think even Julez wants to be with you.”

“Shut up, Taryn. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m gonna get you back so bad for this Zachary!” I shouted.

He smirked, “I’d like to see you try. Oh, and by the way mom and dad want to see you.” He stepped aside so I could leave my empty room.

On my way out, I gathered all my anger into my fist and slammed it into Zacky’s nose. “Ow god damn it Taryn! Mom, Taryn just punched me!” God, he sounded like a freaking baby.

“Suck it up already,” I said smirking, knowing that he wouldn’t hit me back. Well, that smirk immediately dropped when I saw that my parents were not alone in the living room.

There was a tall, skinny woman about 42 years old wearing a green hoodie that said ‘St. Angela’s Academy’ on it. I do not like where this is going. “Nice of you to join us Taryn. Now, why don’t you take a seat,” my dad said as he gestured toward the couch. I rolled my eyes, but still complied, just wanting to get this shit over with.

“Taryn, this is Ms. Karnes she is the assistant principal of St. Angela’s and she’s here to tell us all about the school.”

“Oh hooray,” I mumbled, but apparently the lady heard me and gave me a stern look before continuing.

“St. Angela’s Academy is an all girls private high school that provides excellent college-prep courses and has a lovely campus. It’s about 20-30 minutes from your house. There is a uniform, but once you get used to it you’ll see it’s actually better than public school clothes. Our school has 120 girls in your grade, Taryn, so I’m sure you’ll make tons of friends!”

I started laughing, “Ok, you guys are hilarious! I mean, I never would have expected you guys to go to these lengths but wow that was a good laugh. I wouldn’t be caught dead at an all girls school!”

“This isn’t a joke, Taryn. We don’t want you hanging out with Zacky’s friends anymore. Here are the conditions: your test results have to show no signs of STDs and you will not be seen with those boys. If either one of these goes against you, then you’re going to St. Angela’s no questions asked.”

“WHAT?! B-but they’re my friends too!”

“It’s for your own good, really. In fact I’d say that it would be a good idea to consider this place regardless of the conditions,” my dad said.

I could feel tears coming, but I wasn’t going to cry in front of them. “I hate this family!” I screamed angrily running up the stairs and slamming the door. I stayed in bed all night, crying non-stop. It felt like my world had been shattered, with the worst yet to come.

There was a tap at my window around midnight. I wiped away some runny eyeliner and wondered who it could be…and if they could possibly make all of this misery go away.