Shackled

Chapter 3 - Baseball Boys

March 3, 2015

"Well look who showed up."

"Hello Ravin." I turn to face the bane of my existence. She's hated me ever since last year. I still think it's because the guy she liked ditched her for me at Junior prom, but she refuses to admit it.

"Oh Janie, excited to ride the bus again?" Ravin smirks at me. Her face is angular with a sharp nose that reminds of the bird she's named after. Pitch black hair frames her face with a set of steely gray eyes to match. We are polar opposites.

"That isn't my name." I start heading toward the bus again. Why should I stand here and deal with her. She's only going to insult me over and over.

"Where are you going? You're in such a hurry to get back to an empty house on your birthday." I pause and bite my lip at her words.

Ravin giggles behind me. "Oh that's right. You don't want people to know that your mom would rather work than be around her own daughter."

I fight the urge to whirl and punch her. I should, but I won't. She isn't worth it. This isn't worth it. And graduating means more to me than whatever this is. I take a deep breath to calm down.

"I'm right, aren't I? You wanna know something else I found out about you Janie?" She leans in and I can feel her breath on my ear. "Your dad didn't go off to the army. He left you both, didn't he? Guess he didn't want to sit around and be ashamed of you like your mom does."

I curl my hands into fists and resist what I want most in the world. I remind myself that I don't need to stand here and listen to her. I could at least say something back, instead of standing by passively and letting it all happen. Maybe that's what I should do next time. Insult her back. I never thought of that one.
I close my eyes and whisper, "You're wrong." But Ravin is too busy laughing and walking away to hear me. I find that I can't move. The bus closes its doors and drives away, but I still stand there, frozen in place.

She's right that my dad didn't go to the army. My mother and I made that up to make things easier for ourselves when we moved here. Dad left us, not because he was ashamed. He left because his past followed him and he could never get away. He thought he got out, but he didn't. People like those he worked for never let you go. I never saw him again after that. That was two years ago.

My mom isn't ashamed of me. She loves me. No one knows our relationship. But how did Ravin hear about it? Natalia would never say anything and I sure as hell didn't. How did she know anything?

"Hey Rapunzel!" Someone shouts from my left. Without hesitating, I glance over to see a car with two guys inside. On the far side, a fair-haired boy sits in the driver's seat, arm draped across the wheel as he leans to look at me. I recognize him as one of the star athletes at our school. I remember Nat saying that he plays basketball and baseball. What was his name again?

The second boy has his arm hanging out the passenger window, a charming grin on his face. With his dark brown hair and hypnotizing blue eyes, I can tell that he's used to getting all the girls attention. Unlike the other boy, I know who he is. Timothy Franklin. Star pitcher of the baseball team, scouted for college since he was a freshman, and future prom king. Everyone knows who he is. He's tall, handsome, and every girls dream. He also happens to be who ditched Ravin for little old me.

"Rapunzel, finally out of her tower and looking lost as ever." Timothy nods to his friend and gets out of the car. The other guy stares at me until Timothy blocks his view by coming toward me. I stare wide-eyed as he approaches. Now is not a good time for this. I'm still so upset over what Ravin said. I don't have to time for him to butt in.

"Hey princess." He smiles in the cute way of his. I frown slightly.

"Stop calling me that."

"What?" He pretends to be hurt, holding a hand to his chest. "A girl as special as you should be treated like the princess she is."

"You're ridiculous." I mutter, crossing my arms over my chest. I just want to go home. My hands grip my biceps tightly to the point of distracting me from what occurred on a few minutes ago. I'm okay. I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm okay. Don't cry.

"Only for you." He winks at me. The boy has the audacity to wink at me. God, he's too cute. I can't do this.

"What do you want?" I stare off down the street. Just don't look. Maybe he'll go away. Then I can walk home and sob all I want.

"Like I said, you look lost. Need a ride?"

"No, I'm fine. Thanks though." With that, I start walking in the direction of home. Maybe if I'm lucky, he won't follow me.

I've never been lucky...

"Rapunzel-"

"Just because I have blonde hair doesn't mean that's my name. Do not call me that. Got it?" I shoot him a glare over my shoulder and his face shifts into a frown. He almost looks like a wounded puppy. Almost. Well good, maybe he will go away now.

But his lips quirk up and he chuckles. "Oh princess, you got me good that time."

"I wasn't joking." I kept walking, listening to the loud sound of him following. "Go home, Timothy. I don't need your help." There. That'll send him running for the hills. If not, my only option left is to run for home. Which I'm pretty sure he's faster than me so that wouldn't work. I'm just really not in the mood to deal with him, with this, right now.

His feet stop. "You know my name?"

I roll my eyes, even though he can't see them. "Goodbye, Mr. Baseball."

-----------------------------

Later that evening...

My phone rings, waking me up immediately. I rub my face and yawn. Falling asleep with your head in a book is not very comfortable. My cheek is probably so red right now. I slid the answer button across my phone screen and hold it up to my ear. Before I can even say hello, the person on the other end of the line screams my name. I wince as my phone drops to the ground. I hate when Nat does that to me.

Once I grab it again, I can hear her laughter through the speaker. "That is so rude, Nat."

"I had to get your attention somehow." She whines. I hear a car start in the background.

"I literally answered you when you called me."

"I called like nine times!"

"No."

"Yes."

"Definitely not."

"Totally did." At this point, I check my phone and see that there are 7 missed messages and 9 missed calls.

"Damn it."

"You just checked your phone, didn't you?" She says, mockery evident I. Her voice.

"No."

"Of course not."

"What do you want?" I close my calculus textbook and shove it into my backpack. No way am I doing any more of that tonight.

"Get dressed. Nicely dressed. Like heels. And a dress. Or a skirt." I just wait for her to finish. "Your choice."

"That is such a big choice you've left me with."

"Actually it's not. I already have your outfit picked out." I sigh and drop my head into my empty hand. What in the world does she have planned for tonight?

"Even better."

"Oh shut up and let me in."

"Open it yourself. How long have you known me?"

"True." She hangs up just as I hear my front door open. She pops her head into the kitchen and hangs her head in despair.

"And this is why I'm picking your clothes for tonight."

"What's wrong with this?" This being a pair of grey sweatpants and a navy blue tee-shirt that says "Bedtime is the Best Time" scrawled across the front.

"Everything." Nat exits the room. "Come on. To the bedroom!"