Freaks of Greenfield High

Freaks of Greenfield High (Chapter 7)

Jay did not want to keep on running. She wanted to stay in Snapperton and attend Greenfield High and pretend to be a normal teenager. She wanted to explore the possibility of friendship with Tyler and Caro and—

Most of all she wanted to explore that possibility with Tyler.

She did not know why all this was suddenly so important to her. She only knew that it was. And if she were to have a chance at normality, this present situation must be contained before she tackled the potentially far more serious issue of the video clip. The clip showing Jay tossing a much larger, heavier person into a dumpster as though he weighed nothing. The clip that was now out in the public domain for anyone to see—for them, the men who relentlessly pursued her, to see.

"I regret what I did," she said, meeting Marissa's fierce gaze. She assumed an earnest expression, hoping it would help sway the woman if her words didn't. "You should be proud of Tyler, Mrs. Davidson, and proud of yourself, too. You've raised a son who'll look out for his friends and won't hesitate to step in to defend them if they're threatened. Many kids these days are so tied up in themselves, it wouldn't even occur to them to bother to stand up for others."

Marissa stared at Jay, mouth agape for a moment before she gathered her wits enough to shake her head in disbelief. "You have nothing to apologize for, Jay. I can't believe Shawn hit you. You poor kid. Are you sure you're okay? Do you want me to take you home and have a word with your parents?"

"I'm perfectly fine, Mrs. Davidson. The handprint can barely be seen and my face doesn't hurt at all. Please don't worry about me."

Marissa tore her gaze from Jay to glare at her daughter. "And that's the boy you've chosen as your boyfriend, Caro? A boy who hits on other girls behind your back and then gets physical with them when they don't return his interest? You need to get your priorities straight, my girl. Good looks, flashy cars, and wealthy parents don't necessarily add up to good boyfriend material."

Jay had to admire Marissa Davidson's interrogation technique. Beneath her steely-eyed regard, Caro broke out into a cold sweat and wriggled about in her chair. "I'm, uh, planning on dumping him first thing tomorrow?" she offered.

"No need," her mother said. "Because I'm ringing Wes Evans right now and telling him what his precious son has done. And then I'm telling him if that boy comes anywhere near either of you girls again, I'm going to—"

"Mom, please!" Caro's face twisted into an agonized expression.

"Yeah, please don't ring Mr. Evans, Mom," Tyler said. "School's hard enough as it is without Shawn really having it in for me."

Jay added her voice to the fray. "I wouldn't recommend that course of action, Mrs. Davidson."

Marissa turned that gimlet eye on her again. Her lips had compressed in a thin, bloodless line. A vein visibly pulsed at her throat.

Jay fought the impulse to quail. Mrs. Davidson would be an asset to any interrogation team. "If you bring this incident to Wes Evans' attention, it will cause him public embarrassment," she said. "And I predict he will retaliate by pressing charges against Tyler for assaulting his son. If the incident with Shawn slapping my face is not included on that video clip you saw, then it will show Tyler attacking Shawn without provocation. It will be Tyler's word against Shawn's."

Marissa's jaw worked but only a strangled gargle came out, so Jay continued. "Since I was the one who provoked this incident, if anyone should be ringing the mayor to complain about his son's behavior, it should be me. And I choose not to take further action. Shawn took an interest in me and believed I would welcome that interest." She paused when she noted Tyler's posture go rigid.