DIRTY LITTLE FREAKS

CHAPTER TWO: The Naked Love

Breakfast passed in silence. Cody's words about Jude got me worked up. I couldn't even taste my sandwich. To be perfectly honest, it was like sawdust on paper. I knew Rafael was waiting for an opening to shoot his mouth off about Jude again, and I wasn't going to give him the chance. Therefore, as soon as breakfast was over, I took Barbie's hand and pulled her towards the waiting shuttle which would take us back to the Blocks.

“Reese, don't be so tensed. I'm sure Jude is all right,” Barbie said soothingly.

“Easy for you to say. Remember 2010? Remember what he did?” I said to her.

“Of course I do,” she replied, “but I'm sure he's okay. Maybe he is drunk. But he's okay.”

“I really admire your confidence,” I said snappishly. Barbie wasn't foolish enough to snap back, and unable to spleen my anger, I was reduced to telling off some fifth graders for giggling too loudly early in the morning.

          We reached our room in the E-block, not surprised to see that neither Trina nor Hope had returned. However, they returned while we finally put on our uniforms. Remembering the way she was giggling with Cody, I went out of my way to ignore Hope. She was probably too full of the breakfast memories to bother with my attitude anyway.

          School started at nine am for all of us. While on the bus, Barbie pulled out our schedule. I eyed the thing with great distaste. I hated Mondays, and the schedule wasn’t going to make things easier for me in any case. I had History, double Chemistry, double Arts and stupid Maths. Some people like Barbie and Hope, who were born geeks, enjoyed Mondays. I sighed and leaned my head against the window, my red hair blowing in my face. With Rafael's everlasting hatred of Jude and Cody, I was actually surprised about my three month relationship with Jude. But no matter how hard I tried to deny the truth, there was this inescapable business of my break up with Jude. I wasn't being able to cope up with Jude's eccentric manner anymore. Adding to it was him dogging Ashleigh's every step. It was as if I signed a contract with him: Take me, take Ashleigh.

“Oh my...”

          Barbie's voice trailed out, bringing me out of my reverie. I sat up with a jerk and adjusted my glasses. What I saw made my jaw hit the floor. I climbed down the shuttle with Barbie, unable to believe my eyes. My boyfriend was lay spread eagled in front of the stone steps of the gothic looking building we called school, deep in sleep, looking almost comically out of place in grey jeans and a navy t-shirt. I say almost, because at that moment I felt less like laughing and more like crying.

“Oh man,” I moaned as Barbie moved forward.

           Barbie, our Head Boy and a prefect named Dexter took charge.

“Get going Reese,” Dexter called to me. I realised my mouth was still hanging open and I snapped it shut, aware that I was pale with anger. I must have looked murderous too, because Hope took two steps back when she saw my face, her eyes uncertain.

“All right guys!” there was a shrill whistle. We winced and looked. It was Cody, along with the rest of the prefect body.

“Get going. School's not gonna wait,” he said to the gaping crowd, his thin face taunt and strained as he pushed past Hope. He glanced at me and turned away quickly.

          Swallowing hard, I trekked up the stone steps alone, not speaking to anyone. All I wanted to do was to find Ashleigh and tear her throat out. Not noticing where I was going, I bumped into excited, gossiping people in the corridors and finally reached my classroom, where Trina and Alyona gave me over friendly waves which plainly told me that they have stopped talking about me moments ago. Sharpey, however, gave me a smug look which made me want to throttle her dearly.