Coffee with Mr. Casey

12 - I've Got Friends in Low Places

Lola

The bursting noise through my bedroom sent jolts of terror up my spine. I expected my father to come in and finish the beating he’d started over the weekend, but I began to feel worse once I saw Julia standing there staring at me with fire burning in her eyes. The sweat perspiring from her face made her dark hair stick to her skin. Black streaks of mascara covered her cheeks.

There was no telling what she was mad about. I should’ve been the one who was angry. She’d gushed about Johnny all goddamned day. It made me absolutely sick to my stomach the way she talked about him—as if they were screwing already. I knew that Julia had thought Mr. Casey was hot, but I didn’t find out how she really felt about him until today. From what she told me, I guessed he felt the same way about her.

I didn’t move from the bed, but I did close the Math book in front of me. “What is it Julia?” I asked, looking up at her trying to usher sympathy, but she wasn’t buying it.

“So that’s why you got sick!” She screamed, forcing me to flinch. She kicked her leg, causing a pile of dirty laundry to fly all over my dresser. “You knew that he was singing that stupid fucking song to you!” She forced a laugh and ran her hand through her jet-black hair. “I can’t believe it.”

As hard as my heart was beating, I tried to keep my calm. My eyes shot to the door, afraid my father would come angrily stomping in. “Keep your voice down, Julia,” I whispered, gesturing for her to close the door.

Despite her fury, she forced her hands to her sides balling her fists tight, and kicked the door shut. “Why didn’t you tell me?” She exhaled like a bull ready to charge.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes to keep myself from crying. “Because it’s nothing,” I lied. It might have been nothing to Johnny, but it damn sure meant everything to me. I tried to tell myself that my heart wasn’t breaking the moment I walked away from him at school. I tried to tell myself that I was only falling for him because he was my first…

But how could I deny it when I have these feelings for someone I’d thought I hated?

Julia stomped towards the bed and towered over me as she folded her arms across her chest. “You left the bar and didn’t come back, Lola. And I can’t forget the fact he inconspicuously slipped out right after you did.”

The memory of that night washed over me and my head fell into my hands as the tears started to form. No, I won’t let her see me cry—not over Mr. Casey. As I tried to pull myself together, two hands pushed hard against my shoulders, jerking me back and forth.

“I can’t believe you had sex with him, you bitch!” She screamed, letting the whole god forsaken neighborhood hear.

The treacherous sobs escaped my throat, but my hands helped muffle them down. Julia wouldn’t stop shaking me and she nearly had me pinned onto the bed. I should’ve known she’d eventually put two and two together.

“What the hell is wrong with you? Why would you do this to me?” Her voice projected horrified screams as I continued to defend myself from her with my arms. Soon, I started to hear slaps and felt stinging against any body part that was easy for her to get. Somehow I managed to maneuver into the fetal position as she hit and clawed at me.

Instantly I heard a thundering voice, making Julia halt what she was doing. I peeked through my fingers to see her hovering over me, staring at the door with a look of complete terror.

“Get off of my daughter and get out of my house,” Dad’s voice rumbled, nearly shaking the whole house.

Julia, fearful and horrified, hurried off of me and stood there like a deer in headlights. I quickly sat up and raised my eyes to my father’s, only to be caught with a sympathetic look. It had to be his poker face in front of Julia. He had to have heard her, especially the part about me sleeping with somebody.