Chapter 23

A Chapter by Emi

Chapter 23

The pounding seemed to echo within the confines of Gwen’s head. She was sitting alone on one of the concrete benches in the school courtyard, she had grown tired of the library scene. The sun was shining down on her, but she felt no warmth on her skin. She didn’t know how weak she had become, in fact she was amazed that she had lasted so long. Obviously an indication of how much stronger she had become since that time. However if the radiating pain was any clue then it was clear she was in trouble.

“Hi Gwen, Kate said you might need this.”

Gwen looked up as Jackie took a seat and handed her a bagel sandwich.

“Thanks, Jacks,” she said.

She tried a small smile as she accepted her lunch, but it fell flat.

“How’s she been treating you so far?” Gwen asked biting into the sandwich.

Egg, ham and cheese flooded her taste buds making her sink her teeth in it a half a second later.

“As well as can be expected I guess,” she said lightly. “Though you might want to tell her I gave you a sandwich.”

“Why?” Gwen asked with her mouth full, then quickly swallowed.

Jackie giggled at her lapse in etiquette.

“She said if I really wanted to help I’d bring you something to eat since you’ve been lacking lately, but I’m not sure she thought I would,” Jackie replied.

“That’s Kate for you,” Gwen said. “Try not to take it personally.”

“You think I have a problem with her, you do realize who I’ve been hanging around with since freshman year, right?” Jackie asked with a wide grin.

“Good point,” Gwen said before finishing the sandwich. “Does Kelli even know you’ve left her little group?”

“What the hell is this!?”

They glanced around as Kelli and her fake blond sidekick Darcy approached like an oncoming hurricane.

“Apparently not,” she said quietly.

Jackie stood as her former friends stomped up to them.

“Something wrong, Kelli?” Jackie asked, surprisingly calm considering the glares she was getting.

“What are you doing talking to the enemy?” Kelli asked her eyes glinting furiously.

Gwen swallowed the urge to laugh, she sounded like an army general.

“Dramatic much, anyway she’s not my enemy,” Jackie said standing firm. “I can talk to whomever I want.”

Kelli’s face twisted until she looked remarkably like a foul tempered Pekingese.

“I see, so evidently your friends mean nothing to you,” she said with her nose in the air.

Gwen would have pointed out the hole in that statement, but Jackie beat her to the punch.

“Friends, huh is that what we are? ‘Cause as I remember friendly is the one thing you’ve never been,” she said with a sneer.

Gwen eased back on the bench honestly wishing she had some popcorn. She wasn’t a spiteful person by any means, but she wondered how Kelli would react to a blunt chat with Jackie.

“The thing that sticks in my memory,” she continued. “Was when I broke my arm last year, I missed two days of school and you never called. You didn’t even find out what happened till I came back. Worse still is that the thought of helping me with my books never entered your mind.”

“How do you know?” Kelli replied defensively.

Darcy hardly moved, she was just there like a good little subordinate.

“Oh, so you did consider it, but chose not to, well that’s much better,” Jackie said sarcastically.

Kelli pursed her lips stubbornly, quickly going from a Pekingese to a child being denied a cookie.

“Do you have any idea how many times I dropped my books?” Jackie asked. “Or the fact that only one person helped me pick them up?” She looked at Gwen. “Your hair was shorter then.”

Gwen smiled faintly.

“Yeah, I don’t think it suited me though,” she said tousling her red locks. “I like it this length.”

“Why would you help her?” Kelli asked aggravated by Gwen’s shift in attitude.

Gwen shrugged calmly.

“I’m always there for those in need,” she said casually.

“This must be a sick prank,” Kelli rambled.

Gwen stood and tapped Jackie on the shoulder.

“Let’s go, experience is alerting me we’re teetering on the edge of a blowout,” she said quietly.

Jackie nodded and they left the courtyard. The hallways were packed with students, most sitting by their lockers and talking with friends. Some were even playing poker for cheese curls.

“You’re rubbing your forehead again,” Jackie noticed.

“Getting rid of dead skin,” Gwen replied tiredly.

“Hey!”

“God, what now?” Jackie asked as Kelli and Darcy stormed toward them.

“How dare you walk away from me!” Kelli exclaimed, grabbing Gwen by the collar and throwing her against the wall.

“Stop!” Jackie yelled.

She stepped forward, but was immediately swept into a full nelson by Darcy and held back, forced to watch the fray. Anyone who was standing backed away nervously and those who were sitting stared wide eyed.

“The last time I checked we don’t live in a dictatorship,” Gwen answered somehow able to sound heated even with half the air missing from her lungs.

Kelli lifted her nearly an inch off the ground and slammed her against nearby lockers.

“Let go!” Jackie screamed wiggling with all her strength.

Not that it did much good, Darcy was large, broad and tough as an ox. Jackie had no chance. A few more impacts and Kelli pinned Gwen to the lockers, she was trapped, but at least it gave her an opportunity to breathe.

“You ruined my life,” Kelli shrieked.

Gwen’s head was spinning from being tossed around so much and she wasn’t sure which ached more her chest or her back.

“You’re pathetic,” she wheezed, her heart pounding.

That earned her another couple of batters against the metal doors which rocked her to the core, when the dizziness subsided she focused on Kelli.

“I didn’t do anything,” she said unwaveringly. “You were the one who wouldn’t let go of your crush. You kissed him when you knew we were together. You attacked me both in class, in front of teachers and in the halls. You convinced others to turn against us.”

She paused both for effect and for much needed air.

“You have nobody to blame, but yourself.”

Kelli was stunned, for about two seconds.

“You B***H!”

Kelli drew her hand back, made a fist and . . . was grabbed by a large hand with thick fingers. She turned to find Mr. Howard the science teacher staring at her with a very unpleasant expression. A heavy set man with beady eyes set close together dressed in his spotless lab coat.

“Enough,” he said sternly.

Kelli let go, Gwen slid to the floor exhausted. She looked about as Kate walked up to Darcy and tapped her on the elbow.

“I’d drop her now if I were you,” she said simply.

Darcy did so without comment and Jackie moved closer to Kate massaging her shoulders.

“That’s how you help,” Kate said nodding toward Mr. Howard. “Don’t worry, you’ll learn.” she added with a grin.

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