The Girl he Wants

17- We Used to Make Out All the Time.

Laughter erupts inside the gymnasium and echos so much that giggles and chuckles are the only things Elizabeth can hear. She stands frozen in place, unable to breathe, move, or talk. The only thing that moves is the water droplets that roll down her body in the gym light. People in the stands point at her, laugh at her, and even take pictures of her with their phones, probably posting them all over Snapchat. As Elizabeth sees this, she figures it's the end of the world as she knows it. Hell, even the PE instructor smiles, although he moves toward Elizabeth in a hurry.

Stepping in front of her, he says, "Shut up, you weasels. Mind your own business!" Turning to her and blocking her from the sight of the bleachers, he says, "Kid, where are your clothes?"

   Elizabeth swallows, her throat dry and frozen. Her eyes are wide, her hands gripping her towel so tightly that her fingers are turning white. The coach just looks at her expectantly, his lips pulled back in an embarrassed grimace. "Kid?"

   Tess rushes out of the locker room, dressed and breathless. She doesn't hesitate a second to stand in front of Elizabeth and point at Sasha. "Give her back her clothes!"

   Sasha and her group of friends laugh hysterically, one of them even snorting, but Tess doesn't budge. The coach turns, inserting himself in the feud. "Give them back to her."

   Sasha, rolling her eyes and holding one hand on her hip, stalks over to Elizabeth and hands over her clothes. Just the touch of the familiar fabric against her skin snaps her out of her daze, so she quickly rushes out of the center of attention, water trailing in puddles behind her.

***

   "We're going to be late for class, Elizabeth." Tess mumbles softly to her through the bathroom stall, her voice being the only sound in the room besides Elizabeth's sniffles. Tess can't see her, but she is dressed and seated on the lid of the toilet, her face in her hands. Tears slip down her cheeks, burning her eyes and tasting like salt in her mouth.

   Elizabeth replies in a hush. "I don't want to go out there."

   "Nobody saw anything." Is Tess's attempt to assure Elizabeth that the incident was not as embarrassing as it seems, but she fails to cease the hot tears.

   After a few more seconds, Tess sighs. "The bell is going to ring any minute."

   "You can go out there." Elizabeth's voice is as quiet as the sound of a puppy's snore. "I don't want to hold you back."

   "Elizabeth," Elizabeth can almost hear the frown on her face. "I'm not going to leave you. Come on out, now. It wasn't that big of a deal."

   "Yes it was!" Elizabeth cries, trying her best to wipe away her tears. The salty liquid in her eyes nearly blinds her, but somehow she is able to dab it with the end of her shirt and clear it away. "I just can't believe this."

"Just come out and talk to me." Tess orders Elizabeth in a smooth tone. Elizabeth takes her wise advice, and grudgingly swings open the bathroom stall. Stepping out and sniffling, Elizabeth embraces Tess in a warm hug.

That only lasts for a few seconds until Elizabeth pulls away, saying, "That was the most embarrassing experience in my life. I feel so humiliated... So sad... So... So... So freakin' angry."

Inside Elizabeth, it's like a light switch has been turned on. "Yeah, that's it. I'm angry."

"Well, what are you going to do about it?" Tess queries, her gray eyes dark like rainclouds.

Elizabeth thinks back to when she had seen James kissing a girl behind the school, and she says with a knowing smirk, "I think I have an idea."

***