Summer of 62

Chapter 11

"You left the jacket it your basket on your bike." Phillips said with a smirk.

"Gee, thanks." I mumbled taking the jacket back.

"Mary I think I'm going to go home." I said feeling a headache start to form.

"Aww why?" She asked standing up from her bed and making her way over.

"Because I don't feel good. I just wanna go home." I said as the headache got stronger.

"I'll take her home." Phillips said looking from Mary to me.

"No I can manage." I said starting to get annoyed with everyone here.

"You sure?" Phillips asked sending a smirk to his friends and putting a hand on my lower back.

"I said I'm fine Phillips." I said swatting his hand away.

"Hey calm down, Nancy." Mary said obviously trying not to laugh. I looked around at all of them trying not to laugh.

That's when I knew it was a joke. They were all trying to make a complete fool out of me. I felt my heart start to pound and I clenched my fists tightly. They thought it's be funny to mess with the weird girl they didn't know existed.

I turned to Phillips and shoved him hard, dropping the jacket back into his arms. He looked surprised by the girls little stunt but I wasn't't taking any chances. Thought they could pretend to be nice to me and make me dress how I hated and then make fun me. Lovely.

"You guys are such assholes!" I said yelling the last word as loud as I could.

"Shut up!" Mary whispered angrily, glancing at the door.

I quickly ran to the bathroom and grabbed my clothes and snatched my hat off the floor.

"You are all complete shit heads!" I said yelling again and storming out of the room.

Making my way down the steps Mary's dad passed me on the steps. After I was past him I started to run. I ran through the opening room and the yelling started. I grabbed my converse and ran out to my bike.

I kicked off the flats into Mary's yard and shoved my clothes into my basket. I got on my bike and started pedaling as fast as I could.

I turned back to see the boys mounting their bikes and Mary's dad yelling. I laughed to myself and turned back around to see somebody standing in the middle of the sidewalk.

I gasped and jerked my bike to the side causing me to topple off of it and into the grass.

"Hey are you okay?" Asked a familiar voice.

I sat up to be face to face with Benny.

"Nancy?" Benny asked still extremely close to me.

"Hey Benny." I said putting on an innocent grin.

"What're you doing out here?" Benny asked looking me up and down.

"I was- at my cousins." I said feeling my face grow red.

It was only about 7:00 so it was still light out and I couldn't hide my embarrassment from him.

"Bullshit Nanc." He said standing up and helping me up as well.

He turned to see Phillips and his little group of friends riding towards us on the sidewalk.

"Hey Sawyer!" Phillips called waving as if nothing had happened.

"William Phillips you little rat!" I yelled jumping at him. Benny grabbed me around the waist.

"Not now, Nancy." Benny whispered quickly as the other boys stopped and examined us.

"Are you cheating on me?" Phillips asked making his friends chuckle.

"Go to hell." I spat back making them stop laughing.

"You know, you can be a real bitch." Phillips said getting off his bike and coming closer to Benny and I. His friends all followed.

"Phillips take it back." Benny said tightening his grip around me.

All the guys dropped their bikes and stood in front of us. Phillips right in front of Benny and I.

"I'm just telling the truth. She's a little whore!" He said with a laugh.

Benny pushed me off to the side and into Holmes arms. He held my arms as Benny and Phillips got up close and personal.

"Take it back." Benny said pushing Phillips.

"Yeah right ass hole." Phillips said looking to his friends and laughing.

"Benny, don't." I said struggling to get out of Holmes grasp.

Benny gave me a quick glance before winding up and punching Phillips.

"Holy shit Benny." I said as I stopped struggling.

Phillips looked up at Benny and took a swing as well. The rest of Phillips guys pounced on Benny right after.

I started to struggle again.

"Guys knock it off! You're going to seriously hurt him!" I said thrashing around watching Benny get beat up.

I watched in horror as they pounded on one of my best friends. Phillips wasn't even in there, he was laughing at Benny with blood flowing from his nose.

I felt the anger swell up inside me again and I finally pushed Holmes away long enough to pounce on Phillips. I pushed him and he stumbled a little but just smirked.

"Make them stop!" I said pointing to Benny still trying to fight back. Phillips just chuckled.

"Maybe he should have minded his own business and maybe you should just listen to me." He said reaching out and grabbing my arm.

I yanked it back and punched him across the same cheek Benny had sending him to the ground. All the other boys stopped and stared at me.

My hair had fallen out now and my hair was covering my eyes.

"Hey! What's going on out here!" Called someone from behind me. I spun around to see an old man, I think with the last name Stevenson, glaring at us from his front door.

"Get off that boy now! You all get outta here!" He yelled shaking his cane and sending Phillips and his boys scrambling to their bikes.

"We'll get you back Sawyer!" Phillips yelled as they rode away.

I ignored him and ran to Benny's side.

"Benny are you okay?" I asked nervously examining him.

"Yeah I'm fine." He said with a lopsided grin. He had blood trickling from his nose and smudged around his mouth. His eye was already swollen and changing colors, and he had a lightly purple bump on his cheek.

"Like hell you're fine." Said the old man from beside us now. "Look kid, you come on inside and I'll help get you cleaned up a little." He said, his eyes softening and a slight smile growing on his face.

Benny and I exchanged glances. I smiled a little and put my arm around his waist. We stood up together and Benny let out a grunt of pain. I looked at him as we walked and felt the guilt start to set like a weight in my stomach.

It was my fault. I had provoked Phillips and Benny had to pay the price for it. Including all the other stuff I had done, I was becoming a real shitty friend.