"Hey. You!" I don't mean it to sound as abrupt as it does but I don't know this girls name and I'm in no mood to ask.
She looks up at me from under her black bangs, her almost black eyes narrowing as her arms cross in annoyance
"I have a name Kelce and it's not you"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. What's going on with Taylor?"
"How should I know? She's not here today"
"And she wasn't here yesterday. Why?" I cross my arms over my white hoody and wait as she taps her foot and looks around as though I'm keeping her from being somewhere important
"I don't know. Do I look like her mother?"
"No you look like a loser who's head is so far up their own ass they haven't even noticed that their 'friend' is not only not at school but isn't active on social media or reading messages
"So that's what this is about? Taylor finally saw sense and cut you free..."
"No" she rolls her eyes "No, that is not what this is about, me and Taylor are fine"
And there it is in one sentence, my worst fuckin fear laid bare and it was the very first thing that sprang to her mind
"Really?!" She asks as though she isn't buying a word I say and I begin to feel annoyance of my own set in
"Really. We were talking, she was fine, she went into the locker room when she came back out she was crying, we were supposed to be going on a date, she cancelled it, I walked her home and she's been missing ever since.
"What happened in the locker room?"
"She wouldn't say"
"I bet it was Britney or one of her bitch friends!" Her face flashes pink with anger and I'm pleased to finally see that no matter how much she bugs me, she actually does care about my girl
"No it was Saturday morning, Brit would have been in bed sleeping off a hangover or something. She definitely wouldn't be at school"
"What did Taylor say had happened?"
Finally I see some concern spark to life in her eyes
"She didn't say anything. She just cried on me then asked me to walk her home"
"And you're sure you hadn't done something, you're a bonehead at the best of times let alone when it comes to a girl like Taylor"
"Well before she left she kissed me and I'm not talking the kind of kiss you give your mother"
"Ew, gross, too much information right there" she covers her mouth as though she's about to puke and I roll my eyes so hard I'm almost dizzy
"So are you going to help me find out what's going on?
"What do you want me to do?"
"Oh I don't know, try being a friend? Go over there make sure she's okay"
"Well why don't you go over there?"
I um... can't. Her folks found out I had been in a scuffle or 2 and banned her from seeing me" I pick at the sleeve of my hoody, knowing how bad that sounds
"Oh my God! Just a few days in and you already have her going behind her parents back"
"It's not like that. Look, we want to be together and they aren't willing to hear that right now but it will change, I'll change"
"You really like her don't you?"
I don't have to answer I know she can see the truth in my eyes because she shakes her head, huffs a breath and then announces she skipping school to go visit a friend
"Thank you"
She nods her head and we go our separate ways
*****************
"Hey girl!"
I hear MJs raspy voice before she even steps foot into my bedroom.
"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at school?" I sit up in my bed and pull the covers up to my shoulders so just my chin and head are peeking out
"I should be but I have been sent on a secret mission. Code word: your boyfriend is freaking out"
She plonks herself onto my bed next to me and lowers her head so our faces are so close I can smell the mint on her breath from her toothpaste
"What's going on Tay?" She pushes some hair off of my forehead and I fall back against my pillows
"I'm sick"
"Again?" She screws up her face as though she knows I'm lying "what happened in the locker room?"
I pull the covers back up to my chin and turn on to my side "I don't want to talk about it"
"Travis is freaking out. He even spoke to me in public... again! To get me to come and check on you. Do you know how much his ego must have hurt over that?"
"Tell him I'm fine"
"Why don't you tell him? Why are you not returning his calls or texts? Is it him? has he done something? I don't mind punching him if he has"
"No it's not Travis. I haven't replied because my phone is off" I pick it up and shake it at her, showing the blank screen
"Why?! What if there was some really great gossip or what if some celebrity couple split? You would miss everything!"
"I want to miss everything. I don't want to turn that thing on and see anything on it at all" I put my phone screen down on the table beside my bed and then just lie silently, hoping MJ will take the hint and go but also hoping she will take the hint and stay, what I don't expect and yet should have was for her to reach over, grab my phone and then run to the far end of my room, immediately pressing the button to turn it on
"MJ no!" I scream and throw myself from my bed but the movement is too sudden and too fast and my vision turns white as I stumble to the ground
"I know your password remember" she laughs like this is all some joke and I push myself up and then launch myself towards her.
"I said no! That's not your phone, you have no right!"
Her eyes narrow as her fingers still over the screen
"What are you so afraid of?" She asks as her fingers again begin to move and I grab her arm, desperately trying to tear my phone out of her grasp
"MJ that's mine! I swear to God I will never speak to you again" I wrestle with her for it and before long we both fall into a heap but she still has a tight grip on my device
"There's nothing here Taylor. 10 msgs and 5 missed calls from Travis, I have to speak to that boy about the difference between dating and stalking"
"MJ please!" I make one last attempt to grab my phone as tears trickle down my cheeks but I feel weak, my muscles are aching like I have been exercising for hours and my head feels light
"1 message from Max; we need to talk. Just block him girl he's a loser, in fact I would pay money to see Travis and him..." she stops mid sentence and her eyes flit to me then back to the screen and then back to me and my heart begins to thump as my body begins to tremble
"MJ..."
"Who's Irish Davey Taylor?"
"Don't ask me that"
"Him- Send me a selfie I want to see you. You- No, please leave me alone..."
"MJ please..."
"Selfie within 5 minutes and we both know what I want to see or I break our deal. Please I'm begging you to leave me alone. Taylor what the fuck?!"
I begin sobbing as the words she read out replay over and over in my mind, I grip my head in my hands as my body convulses so strongly it hurts
"Taylor... who is it? Who is sending these to you?"
"I can't tell you. I can't tell anyone. Please don't ask me to, I don't want him to hurt me, I don't want him to hurt anyone"
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