Chapter 3 - The Rage Inside Book

Emma comes bouncing to my side. “Time for lunch Rachel, I’ll show you where to sit, with the cool kids. I see you made some friends, be careful around those three,” she whispers.

  I follow Emma to her locker and then we take the long way to the lunchroom. It’s like she is trying to stall or something, but I don’t question, I just follow. Then I hear the warning bell ring, we have to get going. Emma and I rush into the lunch room just in time for the final bell. The lunchroom is packed. I follow her to the front where she stops me.

  “Turn around, there is a new girl ignition for seniors,” She says.

  I’m annoyed, but I turn around to face her with my back to the lunch room.

  I hear her say, “Close your eyes, when you hear name, turn around fast! But keep your eyes closed,”  I wait and wait to hear my name. I feel dumb standing here with my eyes closed. Then I feel the presence of three people stand behind me.

  “Rachel!” streams three male voices.

  I do as Emma commanded, and turn around fast with my eyes closed as instructed by Emma. My breath leaves me as soon as I turn around because I feel a cold water splash the front of my shirt. I gasp in shock as I open my eyes to see three smiling senior boys laughing at me and pointing at my chest. I hear the entire lunch room laughing me too. I’m wearing a white shirt, I look down at myself and my heart jumps in my throat because my bra can be seen thru my wet white shirt. My shirt is just clinging to me, making a perfect outline of my breasts plus the lace outlines of my bra.

  I look at Emma with my mouth open in shock. I’m just horrified at her as she laughs her a*s off. She starts to high five the three boys.

  “You b***h!” I yell and cover my breasts with my arms. “F**k you guy!”

  I look out into the lunch room and everyone is laughing. I spot Ben and Devin, who are standing up, they are not laughing, they looked pissed off instead. I see Eddy just staring at me with wide eyes, like he never saw b***s before. I feel tears start to well up and I spot the bathroom, so I run to it.

   A male teacher stops me before I go in. He is tall, about 30 and athletic.

 “Are you ok?” he asks me sounding concerned, but I notice him trying to check out my b***s.

  “Fine, are you going to punish those a******s?” I demand and look down away from him because his gaze is making me uncomfortable. I’m getting a creepy guy feel from him.

  “All I saw was a good show,” he snickers while smiling at me lustfully.

   My stomach feels sick because I can’t believe this teacher is hitting on me, gross! I walk past him and into the bathroom. Kelly is there putting on lipstick.

  “The old ‘wet shirt gag.’ That happened to me too,” she sighs and fixes her eye makeup.

  I look in the mirror, “I’m soaked and of course I had to wear white today. What am I going to do?” I say and wring out my shirt. “My bra is even wet. I guess I could call my drunk mother to bring me come cloths.”

  I see Kelly turn and face me, she looks a little sorry for me. I hear her sigh. “You can borrow the shirt I’m wearing. I have a black tank underneath this shirt. You are going to have to take your wet bra off and the shirt I have is going to fall off a shoulder,” she says as she takes off her black shirt. She doesn’t look bad, just wearing that tank so she can pull off the new look.

  “Thank you so much Kelly,” I’m so grateful.

  I take the shirt from her and head to the stall to change. I come out, Kelly is waiting for me. I look at myself in the mirror. Not too bad, the shirt is a little snug and it does fall off my right shoulder. Truthfully I look a little sexy in it because a person can tell I’m not wearing a bra, ugh.

  “Thank you Kelly, I owe you,” I say as I wring out the water from my shirt and bra in the sink.

  “Now, you have to sit with me,” she says and smiles.

  I nod my head in agreement as I fold my bra into my shirt so no one can see it. We walk out of the bathroom together and the entire lunch room is staring at us. I feel myself getting red and I notice that the creepy teacher is checking me out again. I look at Kelly and she gives me a little nod to follow her to the kitchen to get some lunch. Since I’m not wearing a bra, I can feel myself giggle. Great, I bet everyone notices my giggly boobies.

“Cheese fries will help cure the embarrassment,” she says as she grabs two containers of fries and a huge tub of melted yellow cheese for us to share.

I don’t feel like eating much so I just grab a yogurt, bottle water, and I’ll have some of Kelly’s cheese fries. We slide our student cards to pay for our meal and I follow Kelly to an empty table. I see Devin sitting with Eddy at a table, two down from us. They are not talking to each other, seems like they are keeping each other company. Maybe Devin is his protector from the bullies in this school.

  “What is Devin’s story?” I ask Kelly when we sit down to eat our fries.

  “He is an orphan. He parents died when he was about four years old in their private airplane. He lives with his Uncle Benjamin and his cousin Ben. Benjamin is mega rich and has a huge house just outside of town,” says Kelly as she eats her cheese fries.

   I feel bad for Devin. To lose your parents so young must have been hard on him. Someone sits hard in the seat next to me making the whole table shake, I turn to look fast at the person, its Ben.

  “How are you Rachel?” asks Ben as he shoots me a toothy smile. His teeth are so white it’s blinding.

  “It was going good until I got soaked,” I’m annoyed.

  “Those guys will get what’s coming to them. What did that teacher say to you in front of the bathroom?” he asks.

  I’m too embarrassed to tell him what he said. “Nothing worth repeating,” I say and avoid his gaze on me.

  I feel Ben staring at me like he tries to get the truth from my brain, like he is trying to read my mind.

 “Hi Ben,” says Kelly. She seems annoyed to be ignored by him. Ben doesn’t acknowledge her.

  “I’ll see you in gym class, its coed.” Ben says to me and pats me on the back.

  I watch Ben get up from my table, walk toward Devin and he points to him. Like on command, Devin gets up and follows him out of the cafeteria.

  Poor Eddy is alone now. I just remembered, no one is supposed to leave the lunch room.

  “I guess those two do anything they want, huh?” I ask Kelly.

  “Pretty much, they rule the school,” says Kelly while eating some her cheese fries. “So you have gym next?”

   “Yes, I’m hoping to get on the basketball team to avoid gym class,” I say.

  “Nice try to avoid gym, but at this school, everyone has to take gym, even the football players and marching band. I have gym class next too, lets walk together,” says Kelly.

  I make a face, that’s not fair that this school has that stupid gym rule. At my old school if you are on a sports team, you get an instant credit for gym. The bell rings, so Kelly and I get up and walk together.

  I see Emma skipping over to me in her perky way to escort me to the gym. I can’t belie her, she really thinks that I want her with me right now after that prank.

  “Ready for gym!” Emma says. She starts walking by me and smiles to me like nothing happen just under an hour ago.

  “Stay away from me Emma,” I say coldly. I take Kelly’s arm and make her walk fast with me to get away from Emma. I look back at her and I see her standing there with her smile fading.

  “Slow down, I think Emma is not going to follow,” says Kelly as she jerks her arm away.

  “Sorry, it’s going to be torture to see that girl everyday. Do you even think she has a clue?” I say.

  “No, that girl is an airhead. Oh, in gym we get to pick our own lockers. I’ll show you where the outcasts like me go,” she says.

  I sigh, I really like Kelly, I’m not sure why the other students treat her like an outcast. Well, I’m going to consider her my friend.

  “Want to hang out after school today?” I ask her.

  Kelly stops and looks at me surprised. She then stumbles on her words, “OK, so you really want to be friends?”

   I giggle, “Of course, you literally gave me your shirt off your back.”

  Kelly just smiles, the first one I have seen, and we walk to gym class together. Before we go the lockers, we stop in the office so I can borrow a sports bra. The little assistant in the office told me I have to give it back after class, great, I was hoping to wear it the rest of the day. I follow Kelly into the locker room and into the very back away from the other girls changing. We change into our gym uniform and head to the basketball courts. I forgot this was coed so there are boys and girls standing around talking. I see Eddy by himself looking up for some reason, his gym uniform looks way too big on him. I watch a boy come up behind him and shove him, poor kid. I do not see Ben or Devin yet, I bet they will show up late or not at all. A lady with short spiky blond hair wearing a purple sweat outfit walks under the basketball hoop. She has a clipboard, a hat full of little papers and has a stopwatch around her neck.

  “Ok people, I need two lines. Boys stand on the blue line and girls stand on the red line. In case you forgot, I’m Ms. Adams. When I walk to you, please tell me my name so I can do roll,” barks the women gym teacher.

  I roll my eyes, I hate gym and she looks intense. I follow Kelly to the end of the girl’s line. I spot Devin and Ben rush in and force their way to the front of the boys line. The teacher takes roll and she gets to me.

  “New girl, Rachel, right?” she asks me fast and strong.

  “Yes.”

  “Welcome to Willowbrook High. Attention class, new student!” she yells and points to me.

  I feel myself turn red. I think everyone already knows I’m the new girl now. Ms. Adams walks back to the front.

  “Ok, we are playing touch football for a few weeks. Teams will be chosen today. Then we will rotate. Your grade for football will depend on how well you participate and how well your team does. I need 4 captains which will be chosen from this hat,” says the team teacher as she picks up a baseball cap from the floor that is filled with small pieces of folded paper. I’m guessing our names our on those papers. “New girl! Come here and pick the captains from the hat.”

   I feel my face turn red as I start walking toward her with my head down. I really don’t want attention on me. I get to the front, face the class. Ben is just smiling at me and eyeing me. Devin is just giving me a cold stare. Eddy is looking at me with wide eyes and with a sense of wonder. I pull four pieces of paper out of the hat and hand them to her. Then she hands me her clipboard and her pen. I guess she wants me to write something.

  “Write the captain's name here and the team members below, ok?” she asks me and I just nod my head. She starts to unfold and read the names. “First Captain is Ben, second is Henry, third is Wilson and fourth is Emma. Please come up here to the front captains. You must pick girl, boy, girl, then boy or girl depending on who is left. Ben you start.”

  Ben looks around the room and then looks at me. “I’ll take the new girl, Rachel,” he says and smiles at me.

  The other captains pick their first girl teammates. I write down everyone’s name on the teacher clipboard. Kelly is not picked during the first round. Ben has to pick his second player, a boy.

  “I think I want, let me see, oh Devin,” he says and smiles at me again.

  The rest of the team picks their 2nd boy. It’s time for the 2nd girl to be picked.

  Ben looks at me and mouths to me ‘who do you want’ and I mouth back ‘Kelly’. Ben nods, “Kelly for my second girl.”

  Kelly looks shocked that Ben called her. I bet she thought she was going to get called last. After the captains are done, I’m on team Ben, Devin, Kelly and this boy named Larry. The three boys that pranked me with water at lunch are on team Emma. Poor Eddy got picked last.

  “Ok people, teams are formed lets head to the field for a quick game. Team Ben & Emma, you guys are on field one,” barks the teacher as we follow her outside to the field.

  Great, I’m playing against people that I can’t stand right now. I feel Ben and Devin walk on either side of me.

  “It’s time to have them pay for what they did,” whispers Ben in my ear. I’m shocked at what he just said.

  Then Devin and him walk fast and get ahead of me. I guess they want to get to the field first, Kelly starts to walk next to me.

  “This will be an easy A. Just let those two win each game. It felt good not being picked last,” she says and smiles at me.

 Kelly and I walk to the football field where Larry, Devin and Ben are playing catch with each other while waiting for us. The other team is there and I see Emma give me a dirty look, whatever. This is no touch, flag football, so the teacher passes out our flags that we will wear around our waists. Then Ben gets us to huddle.

  “Ok, this will be easy, Devin I’m passing it to you. The rest of you guys just try to block for me, I guess,” he says and smiles. “Ok break!”

  Ben hands me the ball, so I guess I’m snapping the football at him. I bend down in front of him and place the ball on the ground. Kelly and Larry stand on either side of me. Devin stands away from us, ready to run down the field.

  “Ok, one, two … hut!” Ben yells and I toss the ball to him.

  The other players have to count to 10 before they can rush the quarterback. Larry, Kelly and I lock hands and stand in front of Ben so no one can get to him. Devin has four people follow him as he sprints to the end of the field to our goal line because he is so tall that it doesn’t take him that long. I notice that Ryan is running right besides Devin. Ryan was one of the boys who poured water on me. Suddenly, I see Ryan go flying in the air.  Devin must have pushed him or something. I can’t believe that Devin did that, this is no touch. Ben throws a Hail Mary which Devin catches it with no problem giving us a score. The teacher blows her whistle while rushing over to Ryan who is hurting on the ground.

  “What happened here?” Demands the teacher as she helps Ryan up. Ryan looks at Devin with nervous eyes, I don’t think he wants to get him into trouble.

  “I just got in the way,” Ryan manages to squeak out.

  “Devin, you keep this game clean. I’m watching you!” says the teacher. “Now play ball!”

  It’s the other team turn to snap the ball and Ryan is the quarterback. I’m to cover Emma. After the ball is snapped to Ryan, Emma runs down the field so I follow. I see the ball come flying right to me, so I jump up and catch it to my surprise.

  I’m not sure what to do now that I caught the ball, but I hear Ben yell “Run! The other way!” so I do.

 I’m almost at our goal with the intercepted ball when I see Rodger, the other boy who poured water on me, rushing full speed toward me. I don’t think he is going to stop, I think he intends to tackle me! I run faster toward Devin, who is at our goal for some reason, he spots Rodger running to me. Devin takes off running toward Roger. Then I feel Ben running beside me blocking the other team from pulling my flag. He turns and starts to run toward Rodger. OH no, Rodger is going to get creamed.

  Like freight trains Ben is running toward Rodger and Devin is running toward Rodger in the opposite direction. I was right, when the boys meet Rodger they t-bone him, Devin slams his chest and Ben sweeps his legs. I watch Roger fly up in the air, flip twice and then land with a thug on the ground. Rodger doesn’t move, he got hit really hard. I make the touchdown, but I really feel bad for him. I think he is hurt. Then I hear the whistle blow like crazy the gym teacher is just frantic.

  “Damn it Ben and Devin! I saw that, you must go the Dean’s office right now, don’t even change your gym clothing. Emma, go get the nurse and hurry!” Yells the teacher.

 Devin and Ben are both all smiles and they start walking toward me. Emma, with tears in her eyes, runs to the school to get the nurse. I just stand there next to Kelly in shock of what I just saw.

 Ben passes me and he whispers, “That was for you.”

  I watch the two cousins walk back toward the gym and out of my sight, I’m speechless. I look back at Rodger who is starting to come too. He is shaking his head, but I can tell he is in pain.

  “I’m fine Ms Adams,” I hear him whisper and try to get up.

  I watch as Ms Adams fuss over him while forcing him stay down. She orders the rest of us to go back inside because we are dismissed. As gym class walks back, I hear everyone mumble about Ben and Devin. I hear some say that was wrong for them to do that to Rodger. I hear some say they did it to impress the new girl, me.

  Kelly and I get to the girls locker room and start changing. My white shirt and bra is still wet, so I have to wear Kelly’s shirt again.

  “Do you have English next?” I ask her when I’m done changing.

  “No, Math. So you still want to meet-up after school or were you just messing with me?” asks Kelly sounding sad.

I’m surprised. “Oh, I want to hang out with you silly! I live right off main street, so do you know that little coffee shop downtown, we can hang there if you want.” I say as I look at her.

  She smiles, her face lights up, “Ok, I know the place, good coffee drinks there. What time?”

 “6 o’clock good for you?”

  Kelly smiles, “Perfect, Ok I’ll see you later then.” Kelly walks away to go to her next class.

  I’m putting things in my bag when I see Emma walk up to me. “Just so you know Rodger is going to the hospital. Tell your boyfriends they fucked up, I hope they kicked out for this. Oh, just so we are clear, we will never be friends,” She says with an angry tone and walks away.

  Whatever I don’t like fake people like Emma anyway, but I do feel bad for Rodger. The prank he pulled on me was bad, but he didn’t deserve to get hurt. I wonder if Ben and Devin will be in English class.