Under My Skin (14 page)

No. Sally backed up. He wasn't angry, he was shocked . . . scared even – a rabbit in her headlights. He backed away from her, eyes wide. Well, as wide as they could physically go with all the swelling – he had two black eyes and a nasty red gash on his cheek. He was so disfigured, he was only just recognisable as Kyle.

Did I . . . ? Did she . . . do that?

‘OK, darlin' here's what you're gonna do.' It was Molly Sue and she was back, loud and clear. ‘Before ya start freakin' out, I want ya to stand up real tall and ask him if he's done what ya told him to do.'

They faced-off at opposing sides of the playground like a pair of cowboys at high noon. Empty crisp packets rolled across the concrete in place of tumbleweeds. Sally did as she was told, trying to stop her voice from shaking. ‘Did . . . you do what I told you to do?'

Kyle scanned the deserted path for help. Sally could see it even in his malformed face: he was scared of her. Perhaps he should be. He actually held up his hands in surrender. ‘I . . . I only just got here, Sally. No one found me until this morning! You . . . you have to give me some time . . . I'll do it, I promise.'

Molly Sue piped up again. ‘Now tell him he knows what'll happen if he don't.'

‘Well . . . you better . . . do it . . . or you know what'll happen.' Sally tried her hardest to be menacing, but her voice sounded high and strangled.

‘I know, I know! I'll break up with Jennie.'

Sally tried to keep surprise off her face. ‘Good. Do it . . . nicely.' That one was all her own.

‘Tell him he has until the end of the day.'

‘You have until the end of the day. I . . . mean it,' she threw in for good measure.

‘You might also wanna remind him what'll happen if we so much as see him put a pinky on another girl . . .' Molly Sue's voice contained an unmistakeable smirk.

‘And you know what'll happen if I see you even look funny at another girl.'

Kyle nodded. He looked like he might cry. ‘I . . . I promise.'

‘Good,' Sally said. ‘And if you tell anyone what I did . . .'

‘God, I won't! Do you really think I want the whole school to know that you did this to me?' He stopped himself, no doubt scared of what she'd do. ‘Can I go?'

‘Yeah!' Molly Sue chuckled. ‘Tell the jackass to run on home to his mama!'

‘Just . . . go,' Sally said.

Kyle scuttled into the school like a mouse some cat had tired of pawing.

You and I need to talk
, Sally told Molly Sue.

Sally couldn't go home because her mother would be there, but there was no way she could go back into school with such a congested mind. Instead she went to the diner and squashed herself into the darkest booth in the darkest corner. At this time of day, it was pretty empty – there was one mother with a toddler and a single waitress playing on her phone behind the neon and chrome counter. With what little money she had, she ordered an Oreo milkshake in one of those metal tumblers, the way she'd seen Todd and Melody do from outside on the pavement.

What did you do to him?

‘Oh, here it comes!' Molly Sue groaned. ‘You're such a nag. Girl, I did you a favour.'

You STOLE my body!

‘No I didn't! You told me I could take it!'

You know what I mean! You hurt him!

‘You deaf or somethin'? I thought you wanted him to leave your girl alone . . . mission accomplished.'

Sally fought the urge to scream at the tattoo out loud.
I didn't ask you to mash his face!

‘What can I say? I figured askin' real sweet might not get the job done.'

Tell me what you did.

‘Why?'

Sally clenched her jaw.
Molly Sue, you can't do things like that with MY body! I . . . I can't remember ANYTHING about last night. You talked to Todd! What did you say to him? What did you do? It . . . it's not fair!

‘Ya wanna talk about fair? How you wanna try being a freakin' drawing for a few hundred years?' Molly Sue broke off suddenly as if she knew she'd said too much.

A few hundred years?

She paused. ‘I can show you last night if you really wanna see it.'

Of course I want to see it! It's MY body.

‘OK. Just relax, darlin'. You're head's about to get real full . . .'

Boom.

Darkness. And then, colours.

It was like watching a film – passive. There were words and sounds and colours, but she was outside of the action. A hi-def, 3D movie over which she had no control. Sally was a passenger in her own head, Molly Sue in the driving seat. The first thing she saw was The Old Boat Shed – right where Molly Sue had taken over the night before. She joined the queue of people filing in.

Being in her head felt claustrophobic, like she was hermetically sealed inside a suitcase. Molly Sue was right at home, though, testing her muscles, stretching her limbs, rolling her neck, curling her fingers and toes – Sleeping Beauty awoken from her long, deep sleep.

The back of Molly Sue's hand was stamped with a red stop sign to show she was under eighteen, and then allowed in The Shed. It was cramped and sweaty and the warm-up act – Kyle's band – were already on. Sally hated them and she sensed Molly Sue did too. The instruments were so high in the mix they were crunchy and distorted, totally overshadowing the vocals – although the singer was pretty much just growling into the mic.

Hardcore fans were at the front by the stage, moshing and bounding into one another like Weebles. Molly Sue was unimpressed; Sally could feel her thoughts and she thought they were try-hards – LOOK HOW WILD WE ARE! They weren't wild, they were sheep. Girls trying to impress boys, boys trying to impress boys.

Molly Sue sidled to the bar, sashaying in a way that Sally never would, her hips swinging from side to side. When Molly Sue walked with Sally's legs she lifted her feet for one thing – one foot in front of the other, like a lady panther. She fixed the dimpled-cheeked bar boy in a vice glare. ‘Double malt on the rocks.' Molly Sue's words, Sally's accent. It sounded
insane
.

The bar boy looked at the underage stamp on her hand, but she continued to stare him down with a look that said,
And what
? He went to get her whiskey without question. She paid him and rewarded him with a curve of her lips, lifting herself onto a bar stool. He couldn't take his eyes off her as she downed the drink in one huge gulp. ‘Dear God, I was ready for that, you have no idea. Can I get another, cutie-pie?' He did as he was told, blushing.

That was when Todd appeared at the other end of the bar. Trapped in her own head, Sally screamed at Molly Sue –
stay away from him
– but he'd already clocked her and wove his way through the crowd. ‘Hey, Sally. Didn't know you were coming tonight.'

‘Well, here I am.' Sally felt Molly Sue's weariness – she had little patience for schoolboys, Sally suspected, but the last thing she wanted was to upset Todd. He looked so good tonight – he was wearing a creased Hollister shirt, rolled to the sleeve to reveal thick forearms. Enough buttons were undone to see the curve of his chest and a light smattering of dark hair. Sally liked that, it was . . . masculine.

Molly Sue must have taken pity on Sally's doomed crush because she summoned the energy to make conversation. ‘Thought it'd be nice to support . . . whatshisface . . . Kyle.'

‘The band are pretty good.'

‘They're terrible.'

‘Ha! Yeah . . . but it's better than nothing, right?'

‘If you say so.'

‘Wow,' Todd said as the bar boy arrived with her drink. ‘Didn't have you down as a whiskey drinker.'

Molly Sue pursed her lips. ‘You think you know her . . . me? You think you know me?'

Todd fumbled his words. ‘I . . . no . . . I've just never seen you here before.'

‘Don't sweat it, kiddo. You want a drink?'

‘I can't – I drove down.'

‘Well, aren't you a good boy? Where's the delectable Miss Melody Vine tonight? Washing her cauldron?'

Thankfully Todd laughed. From her vantage point behind her own eyes, Sally could have died. ‘Are you kidding? Mels wouldn't be seen dead here and – between you and me – her parents won't let her come out on a school night.'

Molly Sue chuckled behind her tumbler. She tossed Sally's hair over her head, and moved a fraction closer. Closer than Sally would have ever dared. ‘So, Todd Brady, prime rib of Saxton Vale High School, are you going to ask me to dance or am I waiting for a written invitation?'

He grinned. ‘Oh God, I'm a terrible dancer.'

‘I sure hope that's false modesty, because you know what they say about boys that can't dance . . .' Sally gasped, Molly Sue held her nerve with a sly smile.

Todd blushed. ‘Sally, would you like to dance?'

‘What would
Mels
say?'

‘Melody isn't here and she doesn't own me.'

‘Correct answer. I'd love to.'

Kyle's band had one slowie and they chose that moment to play it. ‘Looks like we've entered the Erection Section,' Molly Sue mumbled out of Todd's earshot.

‘I never know what to do.' Todd slipped his arms around her waist like two wet noodles.

Molly Sue hooked her arms around his thick neck. Sally looked helplessly on, wallflower at her own first slow dance. ‘You just sway.'

The singer hunched over the microphone like he was in great pain, singing about bleeding out of his heart. Todd looked uncomfortable to say the least, unsure of where to look. He leaned in close to her ear. ‘How am I doing?'

‘You're doing good. There's nothing to it . . . just hold me tight and don't step on my feet!' He tightened his arms and the space between them shrunk. They now swayed hip to hip; her head on his broad, strong shoulder. Heat radiated from him, his shirt smelling of lavender fabric conditioner and his almost lemony aftershave. Sally blazed with jealousy. Molly Sue had stolen her moment. ‘This feels good,' she muttered to herself more than Todd. ‘It's been a while . . .'

Todd melted into the dance, his self-consciousness fading. They were in a sea of dancing couples, although few were as beautiful and graceful. She felt his jaw brush her hair. Molly Sue looked up to find him ready, poised, looking into her eyes. He wanted to kiss her – well, who wouldn't? Sally screamed although no noise came out. It was like being in those nightmares where you can't control your legs and they keep walking towards the edge of the cliff.

‘You smell so good,' Todd whispered, licking his lips.

Molly Sue smiled a carnivorous smile, their mouths almost touching. Sally felt his breath on her lips. She cried with frustration, stuck behind her two-way mirror.

Todd pulled away, dropping his hands from her hips. ‘Sorry, Sally, I can't.'

Molly Sue rolled her eyes. ‘You're scared of her.'

‘Aren't you?'

‘No. And if you don't got the boy bits to dump that junkyard dog, you're no good to me.' Molly Sue shot him a poison glance and walked away, the crowd parting. Kyle's band finished their set to applause. She had work to do.

Todd followed her. ‘Aw, come on, don't be like that . . .'

Molly Sue, wearing Sally, turned back to face him. ‘Choice is yours. I'm an only child, don't do sharing. Never did play well with others – least of all Melody Vine. You know where to find me if you want to dance again sometime.' She gave him a dazzling, suggestive smile and lost herself in the crowd. Todd could only watch her go.

Now, where was Kyle? She fought her way to the front as most people headed to the bar while the next band set up. Sally guessed that they'd be packing up their instruments by now and evidently so had Molly Sue. Checking she hadn't been seen, she slipped through the stage door like she was made of silk.

The two bands met in the middle with much self-congratulatory back-slapping and high-fiving. Molly Sue hovered in the shadows. The lead singer caught sight of her, his eyes tracking up and down her legs. ‘Ruh-roh, a groupie got in.'

Sally got the distinct impression Molly Sue did not like that. ‘You caught me!' she said through a forced smile.

‘Sally?' Kyle squinted at her. ‘What are you doing here?'

‘Just wanted to say well done, I thought that was . . . real special.'

‘Dude, she's smokin',' the drummer muttered loudly on purpose.

She ignored him. ‘You want a drink?' Molly Sue asked sweetly. ‘I convinced the bar boy I was over eighteen.'

‘Sure. I'll have a vodka and Red Bull.'

‘Cool. How 'bout I meet you on the terrace?'

Sally saw her secure two drinks and then sneak out through a fire exit onto the terrace that backed onto the lake. It was designed that way so boaters could pull into the jetty and then get drinks or food when they were out for the day on the water. On summer days, this terrace would be packed, but right now the tables and parasols were packed away.