In Too Deep

Jackie leaned against the sink in the girls’ bathroom, breathing deeply. She was stupid. So, so, so stupid. She could have just hit Scooter to make him shut up… but running out of the room like that? Awkward questions would arise, no doubt.

“That was smooth,” a voice commented from the bathroom doorway. Jackie glanced up to see Dina standing there, a sympathetic smile on her face.

Jackie groaned. “Did you have to write it out on a paper that anyone could read?”

“Would you rather I have screamed it across the newsroom?” Dina asked, walking fully into the bathroom. When Jackie didn’t answer, Dina held up the bottle of liquid foundation. “Let me help you with that blatantly obvious hickey.”

Jackie rolled her eyes as she moved her hair and held it away from her neck. Dina dropped some cover-up on her fingertips and began to rub it on the dark spot, saying, “When I’m done, you won’t be able to see a thing.”

“Bet you’ve had lots of practice covering hickeys up, haven’t you?” Jackie asked before she could stop herself.

Dina just smirked. “Lots of practice. Jeffrey can get really physical. So can Michael Stevens. And that Eric kid in our English class.”

“Any more?” Jackie asked, eyebrows raised.

Dina shrugged. “Lots. But it’s been too long for me to remember their names. I’m all Jeffrey’s, now, and hopefully forever.”

“How… sweet,” Jackie bit out.

Dina continued to dab at Jackie’s neck. “You two are cute, you know. You and Max. Good couple.”

“I’m glad you approve.”

Dina ignored Jackie’s sarcasm and asked, “Why are you trying to keep it a secret, anyway?”

Jackie shrugged. “I don’t know. Last semester everyone was so weird about us dating. I don’t want to be annoyed about something that makes me happy. It’s not really anybody else’s business.” She paused. “Thanks for not telling everyone.”

Dina briefly stopped applying the cover-up and gave a slight smile. “Thanks for that talk on the balcony. It helped.”

“Is that why you’re being so unnaturally friendly to me?” Jackie asked.

Dina chuckled under her breath at Jackie’s accusatory tone. “I don’t think we’ll ever be friends, will we?”

Jackie sighed and stuck out her hand. “No, but I promise to be civil.”

They shook hands, and then Dina closed her bottle of foundation. “All done,” she announced. “Can’t see a thing.”

Jackie inspected her neck in the mirror and was pleased to see that the hickey was completely invisible. “Thanks,” she said.

Dina sighed. “I don’t want to scold you, Jackie, but I don’t think you should keep this a secret.”

“Senior year has already been dramatic enough,” Jackie said, shaking her head.

“You’re digging yourself a deeper hole,” Dina responded. “What about Lexi and Stella? Aren’t they your best friends?”

“Yes…”

“And isn’t Jeffrey the most understanding, reasonable teenage boy you’ve ever met?”

“Yes…”

“Those are the people who should know,” Dina stated. “If anyone, Scooter should be left in the dark, but it’s a little late for that.”

Jackie groaned and hit her head against the bathroom wall. “You’re right. I hate this.”

Dina shrugged. “It’s up to you. Come on, everyone’s probably wondering where we are.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Max watched, horrified, as Scooter stood up on his desk. Everyone in the newsroom looked at him, but he was staring straight at Max.

“Guess what, everybody!” he exclaimed, and Max tensed. “I felt Lexi up last night!”

Everyone’s jaws dropped, and Lexi’s cheeks turned bright red. Max was very, very confused.

“It’s just that when a guy gets some action, he usually wants people to know about it,” Scooter explained, looking at Max pointedly. “So, who else wants to share what they’ve done? Anyone? Anyone? Max?”

Now everyone stared at Max, puzzled by this strange display. Max stood up, walked swiftly to Scooter’s desk, and yanked him down. “Come on, buddy. Let’s go chat.”

Max pulled Scooter out of the newsroom and around the hall corner, and then forcefully pushed him against the wall. “What the hell was that?” Max hissed.

Scooter grabbed Max’s arms that were gripping his collar and pushed them away. “I was trying to get you to confess!” he exclaimed.

“You need to shut up,” Max said sternly.

“Why are you lying to everyone?” Scooter asked, narrowing his eyes.

“We just want it to be private, okay?”

Scooter snorted. “You’re doing a great job with that.”

Max rolled his eyes as he said, “You don’t know anything.”

“I know that you left a giant hickey on Jackie’s neck!” Scooter retorted.

“Good for you,” Max responded, rolling his eyes.

“What’s with the secrecy?”

Max sighed. “Look, I really like her. I don’t want other people to screw it up. I don’t want to screw it up.”

Scooter raised his eyebrows. “You really like her?”

“Come on, you knew I did way before now,” Max reasoned.

The two boys stood in silence for a moment before Scooter grinned. “You love Jackie!” he whisper-yelled, jumping up and down. “Hahahaha! Oh my God! Maxiekins is in love! With Jackie!”

Max pushed him against the wall again, throwing his hand across Scooter’s mouth. “Dude, shut up,” he hissed. “This is why we weren’t going to let you guys know! We knew you’d be ridiculous like this. You can’t tell anyone. We want to keep it private.”

Scooter nodded and Max released him. Just as they were about to go back to the newsroom, Jackie and Dina appeared from around the corner. All four teenagers stopped and stared at each for a moment.

“So,” Scooter said conversationally, breaking the silence. “Talk about awkward.”

Max rolled his eyes. “He won’t tell anyone,” he assured Jackie, who sighed and looked at the floor.

“I think we should tell Stella, Lexi, and Jeffrey,” Jackie said softly. “I’ve lied to my best friends enough.”

Max nodded slowly. “Whatever you want.”

Scooter couldn’t hold it in. “Awww! Young love!” he exclaimed dramatically.

“How about we all meet up in the guys’ dorm after classes and you two can tell them,” Dina said reasonably, ignoring Scooter’s stupidity.

“Sounds good,” Max said, “as long as no one else in the school knows.”

“Just our friends,” Jackie said, nodding.

“So you guys don’t have to hide between bookshelves when you want to make out,” Dina added with a laugh.

“Crap,” Scooter said suddenly, and everyone stared at him. “I’m glad this whole secret thing is settled, but I just announced to the whole newspaper staff that I felt Lexi up last night.”

“You… what?” Jackie asked.

Max shook his head. “Scooter’s stupid. Leave it at that.”

As the four of them started to walk back to the newsroom, Max occasionally bumping his hand against Jackie’s, they were startled to hear hurried footsteps behind them.

“Mr. Leopold! Miss Bodello!” a voice called out. They turned to see Dr. Barrie approaching them, a grim expression on her face. “I must speak with you two.”

Max and Jackie frowned at each other and took a step closer to her. Dr. Barrie gave a pointed glance at Scooter and Dina, who hurried around the corner and out of sight, though Jackie was pretty sure they were listening.

Dr. Barrie looked Max and Jackie and let out a sad sigh. “Mr. Leopold, your parents called me back this morning.”

Max stared at her. “This is the first time?”

Dr. Barrie nodded. “I left a message for them the night you two had the Bronx incident, and they called me back a few minutes ago.”

“It took them four days to respond to a message that their son had been mugged and got a broken nose?” Max asked, his fists clenched.

“What’d they say?” Jackie asked, subtly stroking Max’s right fist with her index finger. He loosened ever so slightly.

“Well, not much about the incident,” Dr. Barrie explained. “But they asked if you had quit the newspaper. I told them that to my knowledge, you still held the position of commentary editor, and they demanded that you leave the staff at once.”

“But… but… that’s not up to them!” Jackie said quickly.

“I’m afraid it is Mr. and Mrs. Leopold who pay their son’s tuition each year, not you, Miss Bodello,” Dr. Barrie said sadly. “I have to honor their request.”

“I’m off the paper.” Max said it as a statement, not a question. His eyes were focused blankly on the wall behind the headmistress.

Dr. Barrie nodded. “Miss Bodello, it is up to you to appoint someone new to the commentary editor position.”

“No!” Jackie said shortly. Now her fists were clenched. “I’m not… no! I won’t! Max is the best there is! He wants to go into journalism in college! He has to be on the newspaper staff!”

Max shook his head slowly. “There’s no fighting them, Jackie,” he said, his voice monotone.

“Dr. Barrie, please!” Jackie begged. “You know that Max is an amazing writer. He’s… he’s better than me, and that’s saying something, because I’m a stuck-up bitch! No one’s better than me… except Max!”

Dr. Barrie looked startled by Jackie’s sudden use of the word “bitch,” but she recovered. “I am sorry, Miss Bodello, but it’s not up to you, and it’s not up to me.”

Max was still staring at the wall, his face expressionless. Jackie crossed her arms angrily and blew a piece of hair out of her face. Why wasn’t Max fighting back?

“There’s more,” Dr. Barrie said after a moment’s pause.

Jackie gave a sarcastic laugh. “Of course there is!”

Dr. Barrie had a pained look on her face as she said, “Mr. Leopold, your parents believe that you were influenced to run away over break by Miss Bodello. They’ve asked me to make sure that you’re kept away from her.”

That made Max fight back.

“WHAT?!” he screamed, looking Dr. Barrie square in the face. “They can’t say that! You told them that you have no control over that, right?”

“I told them that who you associate with is none of my concern and not something I have the power to change,” Dr. Barrie said slowly, “but I’m afraid that the Leopold family is rather influential.”

“What the hell does that mean?” Jackie snapped.

“It means, Miss Bodello, that Mr. and Mrs. Leopold are very chummy with my overseer, Dr. Arlington, and that they threatened to use their close friendship with him against me!” Dr. Barrie practically shouted. “If I allow you two to associate, not only could I lose my job, but the prestige of James Academy could be damaged!”

“They’re threatening you?” Jackie gasped.

“I am going to murder my parents,” Max said through gritted teeth. “I am going to go to their house, stab my stupid father in the chest, shoot my stupid mother in the head, and fucking peel the skin off their rotting corpses.”

“Mr. Leopold!” Dr. Barrie exclaimed, sounding scandalized. “I understand you are upset, but control yourself! Come with me. And if you continue to associate with Miss Bodello, I shall be forced to take severe action. The other teachers will be informed, and we will be watching. I’m sorry. I don’t want to have to do this. I understand you two have become close, but it’s for the good of this school. Say goodbye to Miss Bodello.”

Max turned to Jackie. She looked ready to blow up with anger. He quickly leaned forward and pulled her into a tight hug, and, leaning his head on her shoulder, where Dr. Barrie couldn’t see, he whispered in her ear, “Pretend to cry. Pretend we’re actually going to listen.”

Jackie instantly hugged Max back and buried her head into his chest, feigning sobbing noises. When they separated, tears were glistening in Dr. Barrie’s eyes. “I am so sorry, my children,” she whispered, sounding like a nun. “Come, Mr. Leopold. Come with me.”

As Max and Dr. Barrie began to walk down the hall, the headmistress put her arm around his shoulders reassuringly. Jackie stood silently in the hall, watching them go.

There was a noise behind her, and she turned to see Scooter and Dina coming around the corner, sympathetic expressions on their faces. They heard the whole thing. Jackie just stared at them, not knowing what to say.

“This changes things, doesn’t it?” Scooter asked, and for once, Jackie ignored his stupid comment and simply nodded.