From the Damage 1 - Opposites Attract (4 page)

“I’ve always thought that guy was a jerk,” Kelly said as she came closer. “Are you okay?”

Meagan nodded as she picked up her biology book, the last of them, and stood.

“Yeah, I’m used to it.”

“Is that your locker?” Kelly pointed to the graffiti behind Meagan.

“Yeah,” Meagan said with a sigh. “They’re real jokers, that crowd.”

“I thought they were your friends.”

“Me too,” Meagan whispered. “Apparently, that all changes when you quit the cheerleading squad.”

“I didn’t know you quit,” Kelly said. “Of course, I haven’t been to a game since...”

Meagan figured Kelly hadn’t been to a game since the quarterback, Alex, had dumped her for Stacey Nelson, but she didn’t say anything about it.

“So, look, I know it might’ve been kind of weird to run into me at that meeting yesterday.”

“A little,” Meagan said, relieved to know Kelly had felt the tension too.

Kelly smiled. “I just wanted you to know that anything you say stays in that room, and I’d—”

“Appreciate it if I did the same?” Meagan finished. She nodded, clutching her books to her chest. “No problem.”

“Good,” Kelly said, looking as relieved as Meagan felt. She pointed to the locker.

“So, uh, is there anything I can do to help with this?”

Meagan shrugged again. “Not really. I just have to file a report. If you hear anybody call me a slut, though, feel free to kick them right in the—”

“Shouldn’t you two ladies be in class?” a teacher asked as she rounded a corner and spotted them.

Kelly giggled a little and gave Meagan a small wave. “I’ll see you later.”

“See ya,” Meagan called to Kelly. Turning to the teacher, she pointed to her locker. “I’d say this is a pretty good reason to be tardy. Look at what these jerks did.”

≈≈≈

The Westview High cafeteria was crowded with people by the time Kay carried her lunch tray to the table she always shared with Zander. He wasn’t there yet, so she sat down and began to eat alone.

The group meeting yesterday had been interesting—definitely an eclectic group of people. Still, Kay couldn’t help but regret her decision to lie about what had landed her there. Even though it’d completely been her choice to go, when the attention was on her, she’d panicked and lied.
Maybe eventually I’ll tell them the truth
, she thought,
but not
yet.

A shadow fell across the table as Zander sat down across from her.

“Finally,” she said, giving him a big smile. “I’ve been waiting forever.”

“Sorry. I got held up after the bell rang.”

“Held up, huh?” she teased. “Were there guns involved?

“A couple M16s and an AK 47. Nothing serious.”

“At this school you never know.”

“Right about that,” he said, taking a bite of something that resembled macaroni and cheese. “So glad we weren’t in that classroom. I just lost track of time while I was talking to someone.”

“A girl someone?” Kay asked, intrigued, as she leaned closer.

“
Maybe.
We’re getting off this subject.”

Kay laughed and pulled a scrunchie from her wrist.

As she pulled her hair back into a ponytail, Zander spotted a bruise on her arm.

“What happened?” he asked, pointing to it. “That’s a nasty-looking bruise.”

She’d completely forgotten about it, and a knot dropped into her stomach as she glanced down at the purple discoloration. “I know. It’s so gross, right? I ran into the door.”

Zander eyed her over his plate of food, and not for the first time, she wished Zander didn’t know her so well. “Your mom still gone?”

Kay nodded. “Yeah. She’s meeting with some clients in Richmond.”

“Well, if you need to, you know you can always—”

“I know,” Kay said, cutting him off. “Thanks.”

≈≈≈

Carmen approached her sister’s house, carrying her backpack over her shoulder.

Stopping in front of the porch, she realized she didn’t want to go in. Renee looked so much like their mother that just seeing her reminded Carmen of her loss, and it was only getting harder and harder to face it. Nevertheless, with a deep breath to brace herself, she jogged up the steps and pushed open the front door.

“Look at you!” Renee’s voice came from the living room to the left.

Carmen turned as she dropped her backpack by her feet and pulled off her coat.

She just needed to get upstairs, away from Renee, and then she’d be alright.

In the shadows of the living room, Renee’s slim figure mirrored their mother’s as she walked slowly into the foyer with her arms crossed over her chest. Her blonde hair was pulled into a tight ponytail, making her look much older than twenty-two, but even freakier than that, Renee had the same expression as their mother, the very same one their mom used to wear when she caught Renee sneaking in late: a mix of disappointment, fear, and anger. “Carrying around a backpack as if you actually went to school today,” she said, not even trying to hide the sarcasm.

Carmen’s back went stiff as she realized Renee knew she’d cut class. Then, it came to her.
Why should I care? Mom’s gone. What else do I have to lose?

“The school called. They said it’s the third day you’ve missed this week.” Renee brought a hand to her forehead as if she had a headache. “Carmen, you’re fifteen years old. You need to go to school...you know, to learn...and stuff.”

“To learn what?” Carmen asked defiantly, wondering what could possibly happen in a classroom that could impact her life any more than her mother dying. No one had been able to answer that question yet, and she was sure Renee didn’t have the answers either.

“I don’t know,” Renee said, exasperated. “It’s just the law. You
have
to go.”

“No, actually I don’t,” Carmen said, kicking her backpack out of the way as she started up the steps. “I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to do...and you can’t make me. Nobody can.”

“Carmen, get back down here!” Face flushed and red, Renee planted her hands on her hips, but she looked funny instead of intimidating.

“No! You’re not my mother, and I don’t have to listen to you!”

“Carmen,” she hissed, “we have a meeting with your principal first thing in the morning, and you better be there!”

Carmen slammed her bedroom door in response to her sister’s voice. Sprawling across her bed, she felt guilty for lashing out at Renee, but there was no one else around to hurt.
Why should I be the only one to have to bear all the pain?
she wondered. She hadn’t seen Renee shed a single tear since their mother died, not even when they’d buried her two months ago, and that only made it easier for Carmen to blame her.

≈≈≈

Kelly swung her backpack over one shoulder and hoped she could make it through the house to her bedroom without her mother noticing. The living room was empty, as always, but Kelly heard her mother cooing in the kitchen. Groaning, Kelly walked through the kitchen on her way to her bedroom.

“Hi, honey,” her mother said, barely glancing up from the Gerber Graduates she was feeding to Will, who was getting more of it on the outside of his mouth than the inside.

“Hi,” Kelly grumbled, making it to the end of the kitchen table before her mother turned around.

“How was school?”

“Fine.”

Will, a pudgy cheeked one-year-old, started to cry for his next bite, and Jodi turned back around to face him. “I hope you’re paying more attention to your grades. I don’t want to see another report card like that last one.”

“Well, I had other things on my mind.”

“Like what?”

Kelly rolled her eyes and shifted her backpack to the other shoulder. “Just stuff, Mom.”

“Have you tried talking to Alex?” Jodi turned to look Kelly up and down.

“You’ve been grumpy and distant ever since your mysterious breakup.”

“Look, Mom, about that—”

“Woo, am I glad to be home!” Kelly’s stepfather, Jordan, carried his briefcase into the kitchen. He bent to kiss Jodi on the forehead and then planted one on Will. “I thought I’d never get out of that office today!”

Jodi stood and ushered him into the seat. “Sit down and let me make you a snack. Kelly, do you want anything?”

Kelly shook her head and darted up the stairs to her bedroom. She leaned against the door as tears threatened to fall. She couldn’t believe she had almost blurted it out to her mother, of all people. She slammed her head against the door at her own stupidity.

No, I can never, ever tell anyone. Never.

Willing the pain away, she tuned her television to a teen soap opera and powered through her homework. After she closed the last textbook, she pulled the drapes that hung from her window closed and turned on the disco lamp. She curled up in her bed and watched the brightly colored red, green and blue circles spin around the pink walls. She wanted to float, up, up and away—to a place where she was a better person.

Chapter Three—Knight Ryder

Ryder approached a brick house with cars lined up on both sides of the streets.

Loud music flowed from the house, and a crowd of people walked in and out of the open doors. Ryder walked into the living room, scanning the area until he found the booze table. In his experience, most of the fights broke out around the liquor, so he needed to keep an eye on it.

A guy around his age walked over to him. “Ryder, man, ya made it!” Rob said, knocking his fist against Ryder’s.

“Of course I made it. Just needed to take care of a few things first.”

“Just in time too. The party’s just starting to liven up. You got a girl here with you tonight, or are you here for damage control again?”

“Damage control? Ha, ha,” Ryder said, shaking his head. “You could say that.”

Rob laughed. “Gotta say I like it when you play bouncer. It keeps things from getting broken.”

Ryder chuckled.

“Well, we got a poker game goin’ on that table.” He pointed to the left. “There’s beer pong at that one, and some smokin’ hot girls are dancing right over there.” He jammed his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the living room.

Nodding with a grin, Ryder grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler. “You go have fun then. I’m sure I’ll find something to do.”

Rob headed toward beer pong, and Ryder headed to the staircase so he could get a better view of the party. Scanning the room, his eyes landed on the backside of a skinny girl with long red hair. She wore a nice pair of tight jeans and sexy tank top.

The girl poured herself a drink when a tall blond guy Ryder recognized walked up to her and struck up a conversation. Shane handed the girl a shot, which she downed and chased with a cup of beer. Keeping his gaze on the girl, Ryder hoped to catch a glimpse of her face, but she kept her back to him as Shane led her out onto the makeshift dance floor.

In defeat, he gave up and kept looking around the party. He noticed a few girls checking him out, but he wasn’t in the mood to flirt.
Except maybe with her
... His eyes were mysteriously drawn to the redhead again, and he couldn’t help watching her hips sway to the music. Shane pulled her in close, and Ryder saw her push back a little as his hands roamed down her back to her butt. She grabbed his hand and pulled it away, but she still continued dancing.

He watched intently, with an eyebrow cocked, then moved from the steps to the living room floor so he could hear.

“If you don’t stop that, I can’t keep dancing with you,” the redhead said in a playful but serious tone.

“Okay. So let’s just go upstairs and do a little horizontal dance,” Shane said, shamelessly groping his unwilling dance partner again.

“I mean it! Stop!” She pushed away from him, but he pulled her back.

Pressing his lips against her ear, he whispered in a drunken slur, “Where ya goin’, baby? I’m just getting started.”

Finally fed up, the girl shoved off of the guy. “No, this dance is definitely over.”

As the girl turned to walk his way, Ryder recognized her as Meagan from their group therapy. Shane reached out and grabbed her wrist, but Meagan yanked away from him. When he finally let go, it caused her to stumble back.

Ryder stepped up, holding out his arms so Meagan would fall into him and not onto the hard floor. “Didn’t you hear the lady, Rivers? She said she’s done,” Ryder said to Shane, “so back off.”

Grumbling under his breath, Shane turned around and stumbled away drunkenly in search of another girl to hit on.

Ryder turned to the girl. “Meagan, right?”

She nodded. “Yeah. Thanks for...for that.”

“No problem,” he said, giving her a warm smile. “You okay? You need a drink or anything?”

“No. I think I’ve had enough,” Meagan said with a light laugh, a sort of fear slipping into her eyes like she’d been rescued by a jerk worse than the last. Turning to walk away, she stumbled as if the alcohol was finally hitting her legs.

“I meant water actually.” Ryder held up his bottle to show her he hadn’t been drinking. “Are you celebrating or drowning?”

“Huh?”

“The alcohol, the party. Are you here celebrating something or drowning something?”

She laughed. “Oh...um...just having a good time. Or trying too anyway.” She shrugged. “Anyway, I should probably be getting home.”

She stood to leave, and Ryder stood too. Before he could ask for her number, they were interrupted as a group of three girls approached them.

“Well, well, well! If it isn’t Meagan the Man-eater. How’s everything been, Meg?”

Her lips tight, Meagan whispered, “Just great, Lena. How are you?”

Ryder looked from Meagan to the girls, knowing something nasty was about to go down. He knew a catfight when he saw one.

“Where’d you get that tank top,” Lena teased, hands on her hips, “at Sluts-R-Us?”

“It must have really hurt your brain to come up with that one.”

“At least I don’t look like I crawled out of a dumpster.”

“You sure about that? There might be a mirror in the bathroom,” Meagan shot back.

As Lena’s face snarled in insult, Ryder chuckled. Meagan may not have known how to handle Shane’s advances, but she knew how to handle Lena alright.

A girl behind Lena raised her eyebrows and pointed to Ryder. “Who’s this? Your new boy toy? The poor guy.”