Misery Company

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Mackenzie felt herself falling forward before the facts became clear. Christy was picking a fight, it was the first time Mac didn’t start the violence which caught her off guard. Her body hit the gym room floor hard. It was official her day truly sucked. She turned on her side to push Christy off and when that didn’t work she started pulling the blonde’s hair. “Get the hell off of me!” Mac yelled.

Christy’s nails broke the skin of her arms. “I hate you!” she screamed, her free hand going for Mac’s hair.

“This is stupid.” Mac reminded herself even though it was a girl fight she didn’t have to fight like a girl, hair pulling turned into a closed fist punch. Cheering interrupted her thoughts, it didn’t dawn on her until then the whole basketball team was watching the fight, some of them liking it. The stinging pain to Christy’s jaw was enough for her to fall back. Mac stood from the floor and saw the coach. “I didn’t start it, it was very clear she jumped on me.” Her breathing was hitched and a quick glace down showed her shirt was ripped, good thing she wore back up underneath.

The Coach shook his head. “You’re both going to have to be reported.”

“That was hot.” Eric commented. “You’re already in trouble just jump on her again. She ripped your shirt, rip hers.”

Mackenzie narrowed her eyes. “You’re a pig.” She turned her attention back to the coach.  “So now what? I have to go home and suffer my punishment?” she hoped.

“No, we still have practice.”

“No I think I broke something when that bitch pushed me to the floor.”

“You’re the bitch!” one of the teammates held Christy back.

Mac ignored her. “Seriously coach my head is on fire. She was trying to pull my brains out because you know she has none. It’s in violation of my rights for you to keep me here without a clean bill of health from a doctor.” That sounded about right to her.

Even the coach was starting to reach the end of his patience. “You know what? I feel a headache coming on. Practice is over for today, we’ll make up for it tomorrow when we all stay an extra two hours.” The team let out groans and sighs of frustration as he walked away to this office.

Mackenzie felt the glare of everyone in the room. “I didn’t do anything! Be mad at her she started it but oh yeah she has huge knockers so blame me!” she picked up her backpack and stormed out of the gym, but not before stopping in front of Christy. “I swear I am going to run you over the next time I see you. Leave me the hell alone.”

Outside Mac didn’t head home; she leaned against her aunt’s car and waited for a certain someone to make his way outside.  “Oh crap,” Dean groaned, there was no getting rid of her. “What do you want?”

“I want to punch you very hard. Your stupid little girlfriend is giving me flack because of you. Do something or I’m going to start taking it out on you every time she bothers me.”

He twisted his face in confusion. “You haven’t been already?”

“You think I’m bothering you, making your life hell? You ain’t seen nothing yet.” She chose that moment for her exit, not stopping for anything that time. That morning home alone seemed like a nightmare and now it was where she wished to be; away from all the idiotic trials of high school.

Mac slammed the car door closed and marched up the pathway.

“Whoa angry woman walking.”

She turned her head to the right; the Chandler’s porch. “What?” she glanced at the stranger and felt the fury grow higher within, she didn’t need anyone else trying to make fun or start a fight with her.

Instead the stranger surprised her. “Are you ok?”

Mac stopped the nasty remark she had lined up when he asked the question she least expected, a question she didn’t hear a lot. “What?”

“Are you stuck on that word?” he hopped off the porch and crossed the lawn to her walkway. “I’m Jake.”

“And I’m I-don’t-care.” She kept walking to the front door. “I wish everyone would stop bothering me.”  She slammed that door closed too.

IIII

His parents and the baby sitter believed Dean had practice, no reason to tell them otherwise.  He drove around town and used the time to be his old self; a teenager without a care in the world. His cell phone rung in the seat beside him, it was Christy, the fifth time that hour. He finally shut off the phone after the seventh time it rang. It pocketed the phone after parking in the driveway.

“Hey man.” Jake greeted from the sofa where he watched TV. “Who’s the hot girl next door?”

Hot girl? Dean thought, had someone finally moved into the Peterson’s old home? “Who?”

“Short, dark hair and kinda moody.”

Dean couldn’t believe his ears or his luck. “You mean Mackenzie? Dude.” He groaned.

Jake sat up and turned off the TV. “What? She’s cute, bitchy but cute.”

“No I hate her and as my cousin you have to take my side and never speak to her.” His shock quickly turned to anger, the thought of Mac and Jake simply pissed him off, it made no sense.   

Jake snorted. “On that note I think I’m going to talk to her right now.”

“Jake.” Dean stood in front of the door, his voice laced with something like pleading and warning.

“Ok fine, why do you hate her?”

“It’s a long list but currently she knows about Megan and she’s blackmailing me.” Being family and also staying at the house Jake was told the truth about Megan and sworn to keep it to himself.

“Hmm that does suck but not my problem.”

Dean’s cheeks flamed. “You know what? Whatever it’s not like she’ll give you the time of day anyway. She hates me and once she finds out we’re related she’ll be a bitch to you too.”

Jake opened the door. “A man’s gotta try.”