Ange (girlxgirl)

Chapter Fourteen

I don't know how Carol and I didn't get phenomena that day, although we came close to it. We lay there on those boulders in the weak sun for ages, talking about nothing but at the same time everything. When we were tired and I ran out of vodka to keep us warm, we trekked back to Miss Winnett's house, got the saddle and bridle, called Emma for a lift, put up with her disapproval of getting Carol tipsy and stumbled home to bed. I lay under the covers, dirty and cold, feeling the beginnings of a cold starting.

The next week, Katherine brought me soup to my room every meal and I stayed there without moving for about a week. Carol was in the same boat, expect her cousin is a doctor so he gave her antibiotics, she was better within three days and straight back at school. Katherine also wanted to take me to the doctor, but I wasn't going back to that place in a rush, at this she clucked her tongue at me and walked out the room. She asked me how I got the cold and when I got it, but telling her how would be me signing my own boarding school papers. So, I told her it was going around and when she eyed the saddle suspiciously, I told her it was a friends that they want me to oil and I did oil the saddle causing Katherine to think that I must be in full health again.

Monday comes and I'm at school where people call out to me again as I walk to the library and I make noncommittal nods and waves to some. I see Carol discussing something Emma quiet intensely as I spot them in the library.

"Hey." I say, throwing down my bag and sitting down beside Emma.

"Oh my God," Emma starts excitedly. "Jake's party is next weekend and he invited us!"

Jake Garder is the "hottest" guy in the school, not according to me. He is popular, sporty and kind of clever. What more could you want? Well, a lot.

"Are you going?" I say to Emma a little harshly.

She blushes. Emma really likes Jake, even when he made fun of her stutter for about three years. She always goes out of her way to impress him or see him.

"Maybe," she stutters. I feel bad, she only stutters in front of Carol and I when she feels scared or upset.

"You can if you want to, I'm not. I hate him."

Carol looks nervously at Emma, who is staring at the table with pink cheeks. Carol looks at me furiously.

"What?" I mouth.

She nods her head at Emma. "Well I'm going. It'll be fun," she says cheerfully to Emma, who smiles at her.

"Cool," she says.

"Look," I say firmly. "You know I hate Jake, he is a little fucker and a player. He is rude and I could go on about him forever."

"I know," Emma says sincerely. "I know you don't like him. I do, though and I want to go, but it will be better if we are all there." She looks at us hopefully and Carol kicks me under the table.

I sigh, I can't believe I'm doing this. "Fine," I groan.

"Yes," Emma hisses.

I roll my eyes and Carol and Emma laugh as the bell rings and we head off to homeroom.

Miss Winnett smiles when she sees me and I smile back. Emma looks at me betrayed and Carol laughs, complaining that everyone likes me when I hate them.

"I suppose you are just irresistible." Carol says in a mock posh accent with a lisp, reaching out to stroke my hair. "Aren't you, darling?"

We burst out laughing.

When the bell goes, Miss Winnett calls me back, Emma and Carol look at suspiciously and I wave them on.

"So," she starts, sitting down at the desk. "Been sick have we?" It seems like more of an accusation rather then a question.

"Yep," I say bluntly.

"Really?" She raises her eyebrows at me in question.

"Yep," I repeat.

"Ok," she says softly. "Just thought you might have been wagging. You seemed quite sick of school on Friday."

"No, of course not. I was in bed for a full week," I say annoyed that she thought I was wagging.

"You can tell me if you are struggling. You know you don't have to always be so guarded."

"Yeah, that is sort of my whole deal. Unpredictable, guarded, enigmatic, scary. People who I don't like don't cross me this way." She laughs. "Sarcasm. It is also another defence mechanism I use." I say and smile at her, she laughs and grabs her bag.

"Don't let my freakishly good looks intimidate you from telling me if there is something wrong." She says with a serious face and walks to the door. "Oh," she stops beside me. "If you are going to smoke weed, maybe don't do it in school uniform before school."

I laugh and walk to the door. "Only losers do drugs." I say in disgust and shake my head.

She laughs and I walk off to math.