For Hating Me You Sure Are Possessive

18: Undeserved Attacks

When it came time to finally leave the bathroom I didn’t particularly want to. I didn’t want to bump into Logan again. Or ever.

My mind drifted to his hand between my legs. His finger pushing into me… I shook the image away. No Kara. No. Don’t think about that sex driven, cocaine sniffing, alcohol drinking low life loser. You need to be firm with him and tell him to back the fuck off next time he touches you. I tried to give myself a mental pep talk. He won’t stop with teasing. He’ll take the next step and next thing you know you’ll find yourself in an even worse situation.

I pushed out of the bathroom and meandered back into Maver’s room. All three were awake, much to my relief, and they all sat around Maver’s room talking about some movie that had come out recently. I didn’t pay any attention and suddenly began to feel uneasy wearing Maver’s clothes as I sat a safe distance from Jim on the bed. The conversation lulled and I butted in. “Hey Maver could I get a ride home soon? I have a basketball game tonight and have things to get together.”

“Nah man I’m too tired to drive, can’t you walk?”

I felt like punching him in the face. We always ended up having the same conversation. He’d agree to bring me home. I’d pay his gas money. Then when it came time to bring me home something always came up. “I find it flattering that you’ll come up with any reason to be around me a few moments longer,” I teased, “but I’m serious. I have a game tonight.”

“You’re still on the team?” Paul asked and I couldn’t help but wonder why he asked. No I’m just watching the basketball game so it is important I’m there on time. What was he stupid?

“Uh, yeah I am.”

He nodded. “Just thought with what happened with your parents and all you must have quit or something.”

Oh. That. Of course. Some days I seemed to forget everyone knew and everyone judged me on it like some sort constant evaluation of my worth. What gave them any right I had no idea. They didn’t know me. I once thought they did. Called the people at school my friends. We all smiled together and talked together. We all spent time together. Said hi in the halls. Were nice enough. But in the end I’m dropped like some once interesting dish that has now gone past expiration point.

“I can give you a ride.” Jim piped up filling the silence that had followed Paul’s weak statement.

Paul laughed. “Dumbass you don’t have your car here.”

“I can take Maver’s.” Jim responded looking now to Maver who had been silent for the past bit. “Right?”

He shrugged. “I don’t care. Just don’t wreck her.” Maver lazily tossed his key ring towards Jim and he snagged it easily from the air.

“Yeah yeah. Like she could be any worse off than she already is?” Jim got to his feet and stretched. “Speaking of which I could probably take a look at the rear bumper if you want. Looks like it needs to be reattached.”

I got to my feet thankful for Jim’s presence for the first time since I’d met him. Had Maver proven himself stubborn and followed through with being too lazy to give me a ride home I would have walked. Walking would have taken far too long and by the time I reached my destination it would have been pushing too hard on time. “You sure you don’t mind?” I asked Jim as I pulled on my hoody and pushed my clothes under Maver’s bed with my toe. It’d be annoying to get dressed in my clothes from yesterday and so I’d just wear Maver’s boxers and t-shirt home and make sure next time I came, no matter what, I brought some spare clothes.

“Not at all. Could use some fresh air.”

Hell I’ll take what I can get. I told myself deciding not to insist that he doesn’t have to drive me back. I wanted to get back and if this was how then it wasn’t so bad. Besides, he offered. I slipped on my boots and trudged out into the hall with Jim following behind me. I looked like an idiot. Wearing boxers, a faded teeshirt, some boots and a hoody that seemed to bunch around my waist in the most unattractive fashion it possibly could.

“And where are you headed miss fashion statement?” Logan mocked from where he sat smoking pot in his disheveled livingroom.

Before I had a chance to respond Jim spoke up from behind me as he too stepped into the room. “I’m dropping her off at her place.”

Logan scoffed. “You sure you even old enough to drive kid?”

What is his problem? I wondered, not willing to make eye contact, and looked to see Jim’s amused response. “Yeah. I’d tell you what year I was born in but I doubt you could do the math.”

I couldn’t help but give a surprised chuckle covering my mouth with my hand as I tried to smother it. It hadn’t been that funny of a comment but I’d never heard anyone talk back to Logan and the sound of him almost choking on his smoke caused a fit of giggles to fight to come out. “You should watch what you’re saying while you’re in other people’s houses kid.”

Jim shrugged. I wanted to pull him forwards towards the door and say “Let’s just go.” But I couldn’t. He’d already started to respond.

“And you should know to mind your own business and let people leave.”

There was a pause and I glanced over towards Logan who sat, eyeing Jim up with a look of deep thought on his face as he sucked on his pot pipe. He blew out the smoke slowly and a smirk crossed his face. “Just thought you were cool enough last night and it’d be a shame to have you sucked into her gaping black hole without at least being warned that you may lose a limb in there and never find it again.”

That asshole! It was all I could do not to snap at him as I dug my nails into my palm. He knew well enough I wasn’t some little hoe. He’d felt it himself. Why did he have to make personal attacks at me for no reason? I wasn’t even a part of whatever little dispute they were having!

“I’m sure you wouldn’t know firsthand so I won’t take your word for it, but thanks for the warning mate.”

Jim seemed to have realized too that it was past time we should have gone and that he shouldn’t have poked the bear in the first place. He walked past me and nodded his head towards the door in a “C’mon” fashion and I followed him as he pulled it open.

“And what if I said I personally knew how gaping a hole it is?”

We both paused looking over our shoulders at Logan who had stood to say this, his eyes narrowed directly at me as if daring me to say something in rebuttal. I wanted to. Oh did I! Something that would put him in his place and make him shut his stupid mouth and end that idiotic smirk. But I didn’t. I knew that my silence would annoy him more than anything.

I’d already taken a step out the door when Jim had answered. “I’d say you were a liar.” He chuckled and pulled the door closed behind us.