The Fragile Ordinary(67)
“Oh God.” Steph looked like she was going to be sick.
“Have they got nothing better to do than shout about sex?” Vicki scowled at them. “Probably because they’re not getting any.”
“Oy, blondie, how are ye on yer knees?”
“That’s it.” Steph stood up, her cheeks blazing. “I’m gone.”
“Steph!” Vicki shouted after her but Steph was already hurrying out of the cafeteria, making Stevie and his lads crow with laughter. “She just gave them what they wanted.”
“We can’t blame her.” I sighed. “If they don’t stop soon I’m going to vomit all over this table.”
Tobias reached for my hand. “They’ll get bored,” he repeated, but he himself looked like he was hanging on by a thread.
And then our savior stormed into the cafeteria in the form of Mrs. Penman. At her side was an older dinner lady I hadn’t seen leave the room. She pointed at Stevie’s table, and Mrs. Penman nodded at her before marching toward them. We watched as she said something to them. They clearly gave her lip back because she stiffened and said something else. And then suddenly she roared, “Move!”
The entire cafeteria hushed as Stevie and the boys scowled at her but did as she asked, swaggering ahead of her out of the cafeteria. They flashed wicked grins at us, Jimmy winking at me, and I jerked my gaze away.
In that moment I hated them.
Even Stevie.
Once they were gone, Tobias slid his arm around my shoulder and pulled me against him. “You did good.”
“You both did,” Vicki agreed.
I smiled at her. “You did better than any of us.”
“Well, I was barely their target. It’s easier for me to tell you to just ignore them.” Her expression was sympathetic, concerned. “I’m sorry they’re doing this to you. And—” she glanced down at her phone and winced “—just an FYI...if I were you I’d continue to avoid all social media. They just sent out a filthy post about you on Messenger to a whole bunch of us.”
Tobias and I shared a weary look. “This is one of those moments when being an anti-social-media introvert actually works in my favor.”
He grinned but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Guess so.”
*
It was English last period but as soon as the bell rang Tobias had to hurry to the rugby park to see if he’d made the local boys’ rugby team. The lit mag wasn’t up and running yet so I had no extracurricular activities to stay at school for. Vicki had encouraged me to tag along with her to the school show rehearsals and Tobias had seemed relieved that I wouldn’t be walking out of school alone, so I’d agreed.
I should have kept to the agreement but frustration and anger clouded my judgment. I attempted to tell myself that the fear Stevie’s friends were making me feel was nowhere near as bad as the cowardice I’d feel if I allowed them to make me change my routine.
“Comet...” Vicki shook her head in concern as we stood outside English. I’d just told her I was going home instead of accompanying her to the school auditorium. “No.”
“I can’t wait around for you to make a decision, sorry.” Steph backed away, looking anything but apologetic.
I felt like shouting surprise, surprise after her. “I’ll be fine,” I promised Vicki instead. “I’ll text you when I get home.”
There was little she could do to change my mind, but as I stepped out the front entrance of the school and saw them waiting at the gate I almost turned back around. I’d considered sneaking out the back entrance through the teacher’s car park, but it would mean a detour down a street Forrester lived on. His parents weren’t around a lot so I knew from Stevie that Forrester’s was the most common hangout for them. There was a possibility of running into them all no matter which entrance I left through. Trepidation moved through me in waves of nausea and quivering tremors. Knees shaky, I tried to look as casual as possible as I walked down the stairs and made my way toward the gates.
Jimmy saw me first and hit Stevie on the shoulder. They all turned. All of them were together, including Alana and one of her friends.
“Aw aye, here she comes,” Jimmy called out as I approached. I stared straight ahead, not giving them the satisfaction of meeting their eyes so they could see my fear. My body was in revolt against my stubbornness, desperate to take off into a sprint away from them. “Dinnae worry, Com Com, we never got suspended. Just a gentle warnin’.” They all cackled like hyenas.
I strode through the gates, praying they wouldn’t follow.
My prayers fell on deaf ears.
“Such a stuck-up bitch,” Alana said as I heard their footsteps fall into rhythm behind me. “What the hell does he see in her?”
Jimmy’s answer was so unbelievably crude I wanted to disappear. My shoulders hunched around my ears as if I could block out their comments.
Then Stevie’s voice joined the herd, “Nah, she’s no’ givin’ it up. Thinks hers is made o’ solid 24-carat gold. She’ll just tease him til his gonads drop aff.”
His words hurt most of all. The frightened tears I’d been holding back spilled down my cheeks, and I hurried my steps so they wouldn’t catch up and see. Everything and everyone became a blur as they cackled at my back through town, shouting obscenities.