Walker's Path

Chapter 6 Fractured

My knuckles rapped against the wood. "Joy?" I asked.

No answer.

"What happened?" Lacy said. She was still over by the mirror with Gina.

Gina shrugged.

I knocked again. "You didn't see how she looked at me?"

The door opened. It was Sam. "She needs time to think, Walker."

I tried to look past her but Sam was too big. "I'm sorry Joy!" I yelled. "I'll take all this junk off." I pulled part of the top I was wearing out from my skirt.

Sam grabbed my wrist. "Just wait okay. I'll talk to her." She let go of me and then closed the door.

My whole body was frozen. I stared at the spot where Sam was. A part of me wanted to put my ear to the door so I could listen.

"Kennedi?" someone asked. They seemed so far away. Everything seemed far away.

I'd never had a relationship last this long and I didn't want to screw it up. How can I fix thi—

"Comere." they said again and dragged me to the bed.

A hand appeared in front of my eyes and snapped. It was only an annoyance so I pushed it away. I kept my eyes on the door. Someone stepped in front of me. What the hel—

Lacy shook my shoulders. "Earth to Walker!"

I sneered at her. "Leave me alone!"

"Don't look at me like that!" she pushed me and I fell backward onto the bed.

Part of me wanted to give up but another part wanted to watch for Joy. If we broke up it wouldn't be the first time I'd lost a girlfriend. This couldn't end worse than Missy Harkins and my breakup last year. The details of which I didn't want to think about.

My mind shifted to Lacy and Gina and what we were doing moments before Joy interrupted us. Was I really dancing like a girl, in a skirt? The experience was so new and so unexpectedly... enjoyable. Am I gay? I pushed the thought out of my head. Being gay was social suicide.

You didn't like it. I lied to myself. You're a boy.

I looked at my chest and the low-cut top I was wearing. Tell that to them. The whole situation was so shitty. Why can't I just have a normal birthday? Mom didn't really like celebrating birthdays but I always saw the big celebrations in movies. It always made me so jealous.

The girls were staring at me as I curled up.

Alyx pushed me on my side. "Your panties were showing."

My panties. I felt as if I should be grossed out but instead felt nothing at all. Do clothes even matter?

I knew the answer. They did. Especially if I wanted any sort of relationship with my friends. Vic was cool and would probably blow it off if he ever saw me dressed as I was. Steve probably wouldn't care. He was always making sure we were having fun and being nice to each other.
Johnny was new to our friend group and I didn't know much about him. Nick was an old friend but he could be an ass sometimes.

The person I was really worried about was Rich. He was a clean freak like his parents who also happened to be really religious.

I wondered what they were doing, then I remembered the tournament, sat up, and let my legs dangle off the bed.

"Can I use the phone?" I asked Alyx.

She shrugged and pointed at the phone on Joy's nightstand.