Icarus

7

"What's the quote everyone says when something bad happens suddenly?" I ask Jaeger.

"Oh, crap?" She fires back sarcastically.

"'All good things must come to an end.' This was true in the extreme as soon as school started."

"School started?" She lays her pen down on the table.

"Today's story is about the first day of my junior year." I pull a hangnail. "Felix went to the other high school across town, our rivals only in football. He couldn't protect me from there."

"What became of your 'friends?'" I could see the air quotes gnawing the word.

"I went back to them," I said with no small amount of shame. "I just promised myself I would have a little bit more spine, this time."

"And did you?"

"Less, if any."

↢ ↣

I had managed to hide from them for all of four periods before they caught me before lunch. Right as I put my bag in my locker, they surrounded me, Amelia leading the way with a jerk of her head. I rolled my eyes and walked along, feigning aloofness. All seven members of the clique, as well as Carter and a couple of his friends I'd kissed found me, forcing me into a janitor's room in an empty wing of the school. It reeked of mildew and bleach. One window, high above my head, leaked watery, gray light.

"Gotta say, guys, I'm flattered you thought it would take nine of you to have an intervention," I said with swagger, trying to mask my shaking voice and leaning against a shelf. The wood groaned in the silence. I didn't think they'd come to physical blows, but the sticks and stones rule didn't apply in the world I just came out of.

They ignored me, waiting on Amelia to speak. And when she did, it was with a burning fury. "Where have you been, Gemma?" She threw her hands on her hips, bringing my attention to her new designer skirt. "You didn't come to work. You didn't come to any of the summer parties. You didn't even participate in the group chat. You couldn't even send a simple text. So I'll say it again: where have you been?" She enunciated each word carefully.

"I've been busy," I said softly, all confidence gone. "Some things came up at the beginning of summer. I needed time to handle them."

"Three months to handle them? Three?" She flipped her hair over shoulder in a silver white sheet. "Missing a few parties I can understand. Even taking a few days off work, even though I had to tell our boss you went to Hawaii without telling anyone. But three months? Are you out of your mind?"

"You missed some very cute swimwear, too," Tamaryn said, earning a scathing look from Amelia. "What? The boys in the mall couldn't keep their eyes off of us."

"This is our junior year, Gemma," Amelia started again. "You've got to make your decision. Are you with us? Are you willing to maintain yourself enough to have everything handed to you willingly? Or are you with the losers? We saw you hanging out with that boy, the redhead, this summer, taking him to our hangouts. You can't have both. You can't be beautiful and hang out with the commoners. It doesn't work." The rest of her posse shifted towards the door. "To use a cliche from our history teacher, you're with us or you're against us. What'll it be?"

"Gee, Amelia. I'm surprised you bothered to listen to anything any teacher says." I knew it was the wrong thing to say as soon as it came out of my mouth. She narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms. Her entire body language read 'revenge.'

"Maybe spending some more time by yourself will help you make your decision." She herds the rest of them out the door before looking back at me. "Have fun," she purred, shutting the door. I heard the lock click from the outside.