Dancing with the Devil

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Mackenzie was sitting in the school cafeteria and saw Frankie walk in, looking for her. Mac looked down hoping she wouldn’t find her in the crowd. Over the last three weeks it had become obvious that Frankie just didn’t understand what a broken heart felt like. 

Mac just wanted to avoid more of her nagging and not have to explain every little thing. No such luck.

“I see you’re sitting with your new best friends, chocolate, grease and sugar,” Frankie said as she dumped her backpack on the floor. When Mac didn’t reply, Frankie leaned over the table and placed both hands on Mackenzie’s shoulders. “Dude, I am attempting to make contact with the alien who has taken over the body and soul of Mackenzie Douglas. Are you in there, Alien One?”

Mackenzie looked up, her eyes glazed and tired. If she could explain to Frankie how out-of-control she felt when she and Grady were going over the edge … like she was falling through space … like she was going to hit the pavement and splatter, maybe Frankie would understand. 

But how could Frankie understand if I don’t get it myself?

Mac barely had enough energy to ignore it, let alone explain it aloud to her best friend.

Her skin had turned a dull shade of grey, interrupted by patches of florid zits. Her hair hung in greasy clumps. She shook her head. “I can’t, Franks.” She stuffed a handful of chips into her mouth. She barely chewed them before reaching for the brownie on the paper plate in front of her.

Frankie said, “You’ve certainly covered all my favorite food groups…fried, sugared, and uh, fried.” She fingered a bag of Fritos. “Your chopsticks still on vacation? I ask again, who are you, and what’ve you done with Mac?”

No response, no smile. “How ‘bout Skater?”

“Cut it out, Frankie. I just need time to deal.” Or, if she ignored it long enough, maybe it would just go away.

“Time? How long since you ate anything green?”

“I had some green M&Ms for breakfast this morning.”

“Oh, wait! That sounds familiar…was that a joke?” Frankie sighed and leaned forward. “Mac, at the risk of sounding like my mother, you need some veggies. You have to keep up your training. How’re you going to manage the trip?”

Mackenzie stopped eating and looked at Frankie like she’d never heard of the trip, then shoved another bite in her mouth and looked down again.

Frankie said, “C’mon, you’re not surprised that that’s all he wanted, right? And if that’s the case, who needs him anyway?”

“I thought he was different. And I did believe he loved me. And if he loved me, why couldn’t he just wait?”

Frankie asked, “You know what he’s thinking. If you loved him, why couldn’t you just blow him?”

“What was that?” Charlie said as he put his tray down next to Mac’s. “Sounds like an interesting conversation if you ask me.”

“No one did,” Frankie said. She waved at him. “Buh-bye, now.”

Instead of leaving, he turned to Mackenzie and surveyed her lunch. “Oh yeah, I can see you’re way over that goofball swimmer. It’s so sad about your RC though. You’re going to crush that fine instrument under that big butt you’re growing.”

“You are such an asshole, Charlie. Anyone ever tell you that?” Frankie reached over and pushed his lunch away.

Charlie hooked his finger over the edge of the tray and pulled it back. “Actually, dad says it every day, right after he kisses me good morning.” Turning back to Mac, he said, “You know, if you don’t want the bike, I’m happy to take it off your hands. I’ll still fit on it.”