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No chick will ever control me again. Been there, done that, have the T-shirt. No, seriously, I still have the stupid shirt Gracie gave me for my birthday one year. It says, “I do what I want,” then in smaller print below, it says, “Let me just ask my girlfriend first.”
I loved that shirt and wore it proudly back then. I was a fucking fool. I should probably burn it now. I should get rid of everything I have left that reminds me of her. Of our time together. I guess I’ll just have a big bonfire when I get back. Purge myself of the ghosts that haunt me and try to keep me locked in my misery.
I have a plan. Avoid Gracie as best I can while I let the girls destroy her, finish school, then go off to Basic training. Carter and I have goals, and I won’t let Gracie’s return derail them.
I watch the sun set over the water and finish my beer. With a sigh, I climb to my feet and dust my ass off, then grab my phone and pull up Dom’s number.
He answers before the second ring.
“Ash, fuck, where are you? Do you need us? Are you okay? We’ve been calling and calling,”he rushes to say, and I groan.
“I’m good. I needed some space, but I’ll be home in a few days. Can you do me a favor?” He chuckles, and it’s not a pleasant sound.
“Yeah, whatever, Ash. You needed time. Well fuck you. We’ve been here trying to clean up your messes and control Bianca, but sure, what can I do for you, Almighty Fucking Ashton?”I pull the phone away from my ear and check to see that I actually called my best friend, Dom because how he’s acting is not normal.
“I just wanted to know how school was?” I ask, and he starts swearing at me. My stomach churns, and I feel like I’m going to be sick. Maybe I shouldn’t have had that fourth beer without any food.
“Why don’t you just ask what you want to, Ash. I’m fucking exhausted, man, and I don’t have time to play your fucked-up games at the moment,”he snaps, and I flinch.
Damn, who pissed in his Cheerios? “Fine, fuck, you need to get laid, man. Or something. How is Gracie? Did Bianca put the stuff in her locker? I don’t want her to get comfortable. She needs to leave Willows Creek.”
“Yeah, Ash, your little sycophant is following orders. She’s recorded it all to show you when you get back. But I think you need to stop and think about what you’re doing here. Carter and King agree with me.”
I cut him off. “Oh, yeah, is there something I need to know, Dom? Has Gracie been spreading her thighs for you and my other so-called best friends? Well fuck you all. Better enjoy it now because when I get home, I’m going to break her down so low that she won’t ever show her face in public again!”
I end the call and shut my phone off. Gracelyn Rose is about to learn who the real monster under her bed is. I’m done playing childish games.
Gracie
I sit on the sidelines once again, watching my team practice. I guess after my third stumble of the routine, they were done with me. Not that I can blame them. I just want to quit. Our coach claps her hands and ends practice. I sigh, grab my bag and stand, ready to leave and go home. My mom is in the parking lot waiting because I have another therapy session.
Bianca, India, Tinsley, Cheyenne, Hope, Emma, and Sheryl walk toward the locker room, laughing. They ignore me, but Bianca’s voice gets louder as she talks about the upcoming Halloween party.
I roll my eyes. Like I would be caught dead going to that. No, I have plans to stay in my room and binge-watch some horror flicks. After running into Carter and him not being mean, I made the mistake of thinking that maybe things would mellow out here.
Yeah. If anything, it was the opposite. This week has been the worst yet. I mean, I’ve been dealing with name-calling and some nasty notes left in my locker since the first week I returned, but this week… Oh no, they decided to step up their little game.
I found nasty things in my locker every day. Monday, there were used panties and jockstraps. Tuesday, someone dumped fish broth all over my books. Wednesday was even worse; there was a bag full of bloated dead fish, making me think that’s where they got the juice from.
By Thursday, I just avoided my locker all together. Bad idea, really bad idea. By Friday, they were onto my plan and decided to corner me in the cafeteria and dump a wastebasket full of rancid garbage mixed with women's used sanitary products over my head.
Yeah, I still can’t believe someone would actually take the time to do something like that. Do they not have anything better to do with their lives? I mean, this is senior year. College is coming up. They need to grow up.
I tried to act unphased. I’ve learned that pisses Bianca off, and I guess it’s my own little form of payback. I can live with the stupid pranks, and I’m learning to deal with the laughter but the smell. Ugh, the odor, I couldn’t handle. I ran out of the lunch room as fast as possible, found a trash bin in the hall, and threw up what little I had to eat.
Thankfully, I was able to shower and change into practice clothes, and the office gave me a note to leave early.
I’d laugh at how childish this shit has was if it wasn’t breaking me down. In private, of course. I can’t show them they are winning. I’m starting to wonder if the reason no one visited me while I was stuck at home healing is that I never had any friends to begin with. They just tolerated me because I was always with Mia.
Ugh, self-reflection sucks. Thankfully this week flew by with all the studying and trying to keep up.
I leave school and walk over to the car. I don’t bother talking to my mom. Something is going on with her, but she’s still a stranger to me, and I’m not ready to have her unload on me.
I have enough on my plate.
* * *
Therapy goes by quickly,and soon we are pulling into the driveway with takeout. I guess it’s just us this weekend. My dad is working on some big case and won’t be around much. I enter the house and bring the bags to the kitchen.
