Other Worlds - The Wilds

Chapter 12

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  Sunday flew by without a hitch. Carol didn't bring up her absence, but she knew her well enough to know that it wouldn't be dropped just like that. It gave her time to go out and buy some more make-up, meet up with Regan then work on the assignment by herself for a few hours.

  By the time Monday rolled around, Toni was feeling much better than Saturday. She felt like she had a little bit of control back.

  Regan picked her up from school at their spot around the corner. Everything with Regan was so easy. They never talked about heavy stuff, they had loads in common and there were never any awkward silences. It was essentially perfect.

  They kissed and parted ways when they reached the school.

  Toni didn't realise until today that she shared first period math with Andrew.

  Goes to show how little attention she paid to that class considering he was loud and obnoxious throughout the entire class. He threw things at the teacher and made fun of the people that were actually doing the work. How could Shelby date such a prick?

  A thought dawned on her as she watched Andrew ball up the paper of the girl sitting next to him and throw it across the room, If he was like this at school, was he like this with Shelby? That was it, she was going to have to talk to Shelby about this because if there was more to the story than just infidelity, Toni couldn't stay out of it. She couldn't just watch someone being mistreated. The more he hassled the students around him the more Toni felt the control on her anger slipping.

  The bell rang and Toni waited for Andrew in the hallway. He walked out, chatting to a friend until he noticed her waiting. "Oh, It's you," He said laughing, "The girl who got drunk and embarrassed herself at my party the other week."

  That sounded familiar.

  "Sure," Toni replied, her anger rising to the surface in less than a second, "And you're the asshole who can't seem to keep his dick in his pants."

  The friends that Andrew had been talking to before whooped and egged on the fight, causing a few more people to gather around and see what was going on. Andrew looked elated with the attention. "Says the dyke sleeping with my sloppy seconds."

  That couldn't be right. "I'm seeing Regan, you don't know her. She's new here."

  Andrew looked like a hunter that had just caught an animal in a trap. His grin was somewhat malevolent as he arrogantly responded, "Ask her. We dated during summer. It's too bad she chose that sinful lifestyle, she was hot."

  His confident smirk paired with the same judgemental words she had heard too often in the past ten days was the last straw for Toni. She snapped and swung right for his face.

  He must have seen it coming because he caught her punch, pulled her down and kneed her in the ribs. She straightened up instantly; she could take the pain. it was worth it for a confrontation she could finally fight back in. This felt like control.

  She swung again, this time nearly missing but just clipping Andrew's cheek. It couldn't have hurt but Andrew keeled over and plastered a distressed expression on his face. He looked up, and over Toni's shoulder said, "Miss, she's just attacking me out of nowhere."

  Toni looked behind her and saw the English teacher, Mrs Whiting, standing with her arms folded in the crowd. If she had only just arrived then the circumstances did not look good for Toni. Her rage sunk back down, leaving her filled with dread instead. Her injuries were too old to pass off as Andrew's doing. There was no way anyone was going to believe that Andrew fought back because he had, as far as Toni recalled, never been in a school fight before. She, however, had been in more than she could count.

  The thought of Shelby or Regan with that smug asshole made her want to ignore the teacher and strike while he wasn't expecting it; but she decided against it. She had already hindered her chances of rejoining the team today, why add to it? Good one Toni, She thought, way to prove to Coach that you've changed.

  With no clear way out and no believable excuse for her actions, Toni hung her head and followed the teacher to the principal's office.

  The meeting was short. It was just the same old speech about having to change her behaviour and how this was her last warning. This was probably her 6th last warning. She never did anything bad enough to get expelled but Principal Evans could never think of a better threat. At this point he should probably realise that it's like the boy who cried wolf. He lectured her about the money for the microscope but Toni could hardly pay attention. She was still reeling over the Regan, Shelby, Andrew situation.

  So much for that easy relationship.