Trouble | Billy Tepper -Toy Soldiers-

Nine

The Next day at lunch, Billy sat next to Shmem at the table. She was very quiet that day.

"Here, I got you something" he said sliding a plate of chicken fries her way.

"I'm not hungry" she said.

"Come on, Shmem!" Joey said. "You haven't had anything to eat today."

"I'm not hungry" she repeated and pushed the plate away.

Billy took the plate and put it in the middle of the table.

"Here guys, have some more" he said.

They all grabbed some chicken fries off the plate like animals.

Shmem put her head down.

"Is everything okay?" Billy asked her with his mouth full.

"Yeah, everything's fine and dandy." She said.

He finished chewing and swallowed what was in his mouth.

"Come on, just tell us what's wrong." He said.

"I'M FINE!" She yelled.

Some of the guys at the other tables looked over at them.

"Alright, fine! Go ahead and be a bitch all day." Billy said.

"Can you just leave me the fuck alone? Where's the bathroom?" She asked them.

"Tell us what's wrong." Billy said.

"Where's the bathroom? I really have to go!" She asked again.

"It's right there. Just go." Billy said.

She got up and ran to the bathroom. She felt like she had just gotten her period.
And she did.

"Fuck. Well, this is just great. This is just what I need right now." She said to herself.

There obviously weren't any tampon dispensers in an all-boys boarding school, but she remembered she had some in her bag.

She was about to leave when a terrorist walked in. She thought he was sent in to keep an eye on her.

"I'm just leaving." She said, but he was blocking the door and he wouldn't move.

He smiled and she could see that he was missing a tooth.

"I'm going to go now." She said trying to leave again.

All of a sudden he grabbed her and shoved her against the wall.

"What are you doing? Let me go! Get away from me!" She yelled.

She noticed that he was trying to undo his belt buckle. "Help! Someone please...HELP ME!" She yelled as loud as she could. The man said something in Spanish and slammed her against the wall. His pants fell to his ankles and now he was trying to undo her belt. "Get the FUCK off me!"

Just then, Billy barged through the door.

He grabbed the man by his shirt collar and tried to pull him away from Shmem but because of his pants around his ankles, he fell hard on the floor. He was still holding onto Shmem and she landed on the floor right next to him.

Billy helped her up and she held onto him tightly.

Luis burst through the door.

"What is going on in here!" He yelled. He looked at Shmem and Billy, then at the man on the floor. Luis grabbed the man and brought him to his feet. The man pulled his pants up and Luis dragged him out of the room.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Billy asked.

"I'm pretty sore from hitting the wall and the floor" she told him. "...how'd you know to come in here?" She asked.