Hold Me Back

"Fuck off, Abe. I'm trying to put up my textbooks."

Joan threw her locker open, letting the metal door make a deafening clang as it smashed Abe square in the face.

The taller clone recoiled with a yelp. He held his nose as he moved around the door to stand on Joan's right side. He raised his non-nose-holding hand up in dismay.

"Joan, I just said 'Hope you have a nice weekend!' What's your deal, man?" Abe's voice turned up at the end, grating Joan's ears. He had worn down her patience for him long ago. Joan hoisted her bag around her shoulder, then shrugged and tossed it into her locker alongside her books. Finally a weekend with no homework.

A yellow note on the floor of the locker caught Joan's eye. She read it without bending down, the large print easy to read: "Basketball court hallway(black mold one), after classes?????? -JFK".

Joan grimaced. The past couple weeks have been a rough one with JFK. To make a long story short, they just aren't... working yet. JFK is annoying. And callous. And a moron. And can't get anything done during their tutoring sessions.

Joan had no idea why he bounced back to her after she broke things off with Abe, even after the train wreck of a post-prom fiasco.

He's horny and desperate. He's just rotating through all the "broads" on his fuck list.

Joan shoved the locker door shut. Guess she'd try to sneak past the gym on her way to the upperclassman lot. Last thing she wanted to do was end her week listening to JFK ramble about his day to her.

"Mhm, 'k thanks Abe."

Joan turned, expressionless and started her way down the crowded hall. She felt Abe stare her down from behind.

"I hope you know that Kennedy is using you Joan! Yeah I've seen the two of you together! Getting a bit desperate for that 'attention' you wanted so bad, huh!" Abe called after her, turning the eyes of passerbys at her. Joan walked faster, hating the pressure of their gaze. "We all know he's got you just like he used all those other girls! And just like he used Gandhi before prom too! Well, um, not in that way, but you know what I mean!"

Joan's facade was beginning to break down.

"It's okay Joan! No worries! I'll be here when you finally see the truth!" Abe affirmed to himself.

Joan stormed down the hall, her mind racing. She shoved her hands in her pockets. Maybe Abe was right.

JFK is using you. What else would he want from you? The end goal for him is, and will always be, sex. Anything that strokes his ego. Anything to satisfy his self-image.

She was so consumed in her thoughts that didn't even notice herself passing by the gym's darkened side hall until it was too late. Joan felt a large hand catch her arm and pull her behind the opaque 'CAUTION BLACK MOLD' curtain.

Two hands caught her shoulders as Joan careened into the small space. She blinked as she began to register what happened. A single dim fluorescent lit the empty hall. Plastic curtains covered all the walls, turning the lockers and ceiling into a blurry mess. In front of her, latched to her shoulders, was the last person she wanted to see.

"Really, Kennedy? The black mold hallway?" Joan flatly groaned at him.

"They're er uh finished fixing it, Betty. No need to be uh worryin' bout that." JFK smirked, gesturing his eyes up at the sparkling clean vents above them. He looked back down at her. Joan swapped her glare from one of his eyes to the other. "However, I er uh am not finished with y-"