Naked In School

She thought about that for a while, and then said, softly, "You know, nobody’s ever done what you did for me today. "

"I know."

"I’m feeling bad about it."

"I know you are," I said. "You’re feeling bad because you don’t think you deserve it," I said. She looked at me in surprise. "Well, you do, at least from me. You’ve been nothing but nice to me all week. And you’ve been treated very badly."

"You’re my hero, you know that?" she said.

I snorted. "I’m nobody’s hero. Heroes don’t get their faces bashed in."

"It was the intent, not the result," she said.

"Look, Missy, don’t build me up to be something I’m not, OK?"

"I’m not," she smiled. "I just think it’s admirable. Look, you’ve gone out of your way to help someone that you don’t particularly like very much." I looked at her. "What, you think I didn’t know that?" she grinned. "Remember how this week started, what you said in Mr. Tilling’s office. I think you’ve found yourself responding to what you think is an injustice. Believe me, I’m grateful-but I don’t think it means you’ve changed your opinion on me any."

"Well, yeah I have." She looked at me. "Changed my opinion of you."

"You have?"

"I don’t hate you anymore," I smiled. "But, I’ll be honest-right now I don’t know what to make of you."

"That’s fair, because I don’t know what to make of myself right now either."

Just then, the Doctor came in. Luckily, my nose wasn’t broken. Just bloodied. I was bruised. I was going to have a hell of a black eye very shortly. I got painkillers.

By the time he got done-he checked Missy’s nipple, too, that was also just bruised-it was time for second period. Missy and I both had English. We walked in together and people just stared at us. Honestly, I don’t think too many people were thrilled with me. It was insane. It was like mob rule had taken over the school. Everyone just wanted to see Missy hurt, and that was all that mattered.

I don’t know, was I crazy? Maybe I should’ve just let the jackals at her, and kept myself out of it. But I couldn’t. I had seen the look in her eyes yesterday when she was hit. It was complete devastation, and not all from physical pain, either.

The other thing that bothered me is how resigned he was to a lot of what was going on. Not yesterday, only because the pain and shame was too much. But other times before that, and again today. When Roger grabbed her, she just stood there. This was not, to be blunt about it, the heinous bitch I had known her to be for the past few years. Missy was generally not at all this passive.

Anyhow, with all that going on in my head, I got through the next two classes and made it to lunch. I got my food, and found Missy.

"You probably don’t want to eat with me. The impression that I get is that you’ve joined me on the shit list," she said.

"Oh, well. In for a penny, in for a pound," I grinned.

"YO!" I heard from behind me. It was Jared, with Amanda in tow, coming to join us. "Mind if we join you?"

"What, you want to join the school pariahs?" I laughed.

"Yep. Might cut back on this pristine image I seem to have developed," Amanda grinned. Missy was just looking stunned, as Amanda sat next to her. Jared was sitting next to me.

CHAPTER ELEVEN MISSY

I was stunned. I felt bad enough that Dave was sitting there, but he was right-he probably already had the target painted. But Jared and Amanda? I know why they were there-to support Dave-and me being there was just going to poison things.

"Excuse me, I think I’ll find another table," I said.

"Why?" Dave demanded.

"Because your friends are here to support you."

"Yes, but you’re welcome here, too," Amanda said. "He is supporting you, after all."

"But you guys are friends with all them, including Cassie!" I said. "What is she going to say if she sees you over here with me?"

"She knows," Jared said. "We cleared this with her. She’s not upset."

"In fact," Amanda said, "I think she’s coming to tell you herself."

I looked up, and here came Cassie. She said hello to the other three, and then turned to me. "Missy? I owe you an apology."

WHAT?!?!? "Excuse me?"

"Look," she said, looking upset, "I just wanted you to have to go through some of the insults you put me through. If I had known it was going to be like this, I never would’ve told Mr. Tilling that I thought you did the pictures. This is too much. It’s not right for anyone to go through this. I’m sorry." And then she started to walk away.

I was stunned. Shamed, embarrassed, guilty. And, believe it or not, angry.

Really angry.

"God DAMN you, Cassandra Vyshenko!" I yelled. She stopped walking and turned towards me, surprise on her face. I stood up, and walked over to where she was. "Don’t you dare apologize to me! You did not do this to me! For one, you haven’t bothered me all week! For two, I got myself into this, OK? Don’t feel bad. If anyone should be apologizing, it’s me! Got it?"

"Got it," she said with a funny little smile on her face.

"GOOD!" I yelled-and stormed out of the cafeteria. And stopped. At a complete loss, I ran to the nearest bathroom. Which, thankfully, was empty. I sat in a stall and cried for a bit.

When I came out of the stall, Amanda was standing there. "You OK?"

"I’ve been better," I admitted. "She tries to apologize to me, and I yell at her."

"I think she took it in the spirit in which it was intended," Amanda smiled. "She didn’t look upset. I mean, you did sort of apologize to her."

We walked out of the bathroom. Jared and Dave were there. "I don’t know," I said. "I just got so mad at her. I mean, apologizing to me? It’s ridiculous! Why the hell would she do that?" I threw up my hands.

"Because she still cares about you," Dave said.

"Why on earth?" I replied.

"You guys were friends for a long time," Jared said.

"Long enough to have seen the good things about you," Dave said. "Also long enough to know what your home life is like-which probably leads her to cut you some slack."

"I’ll buy the home life thing," I said, "but I don’t know if there’s too many good things about me."

"If there’s no good things about you, why was Cassie your friend for so long in the first place?" David asked reasonably. That’s one I couldn’t answer. I thought about it for a while.

The afternoon went OK. Mr. Tilling’s edict must have finally set in, because I didn’t get touched. Word got around that Roger was suspended for the rest of the school year, meaning he’d either have to go to summer school or repeat Junior year. And he was off the football team. I got out of my final class and walked outside, Dave along side me, as we shared final class.

"How’s your nose?" I asked him.

"OK. So, do I have a black eye?"

"An impressive one," I laughed. "You want a ride home?" I asked.

"Sure. See, now I’m using you to save me from the horrors of the bus," he grinned. I just giggled. We got outside, to, surprisingly, no crowd. "Looks like you’re yesterday’s news," he said.

"Thank goodness!" We found our clothes and got dressed, then headed to my car.

"Hey, you know what? It’s been a long day. I need ice cream!"

"Oh, that’s a good idea," he agreed.

"Fuzzy’s?" I asked.

"Fuzzy’s," he agreed. Fuzzy’s was the best ice cream stand in town.

We got there, ordered our cones-Dave insisted on paying for mine!-and sat on a bench to eat them.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Better," I said. "Still a little sore, but I should be able to continue my usual wild sex weekends by Friday."

Dave looked at me, then laughed. "You forget, I was there when the doctor asked you if you were a virgin."

"Caught me," I grinned. "Are you?" I asked.