Prank War

Chapter Twenty-Four - Crushed

Ugh, late chapter is late XP Sorry everyone, unfortunately life got in my way and I had to give it a damn good b!tch-slap! XD So I want to thank you all for refraining from sending me hate-filled messages about the last chapter, not so sure you will after this one though, *gulp* 'tis all I'm saying! XD

So don't forget to comment, fan, don't take a shower for three days and see how bad you smell... I'm just taking a guess at that as I've never actually done it, but I'm guessing you'd be pretty rank... On second thoughts, don't try it. Unless you live alone and don't leave the confines of your house of course, then by all means feel free! ;)

 Oh! And if you like, vote for 'out-assing the jackass scale' XD

Chapter Twenty-Four - Crushed

Two days.

It had been two days without so much as a word from the 'the-jerk-who-shall-not-be-named'.

After... the incident, which also was not to be named, I hadn't heard a word from or about him. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he vanished. Unfortunately I did know better and it was obvious he was avoiding me.

I'd tried getting in touch with him, but his phone must have been turned off as every time I called it it went straight to voice-mail without ringing. I'd even rung their home phone only to have Deb tell me he 'wasn't available'. I figured it was her polite way of telling me he didn't want to see me, until my mother informed me that he was in fact away fishing with his dad. It didn't make me feel all that much better.

I was angry, confused, sad, frustrated, miserable, moody and hormonal. So, naturally, I did what any teenager going through an 'emo' stage would do. I ate my weight in unnecessary saturated fats and sugar every four hours or so; listened to depressing, angst-ridden music; and watched sloppy romance movies just so I could yell at the screen like an old fart shaking a cane at whippersnappers who wouldn't stay off the damn lawn.

All in all, I was in pretty bad shape. Or so Bree pointed out to me when she stopped by my place Monday afternoon.

"You stink," she declared after giving me a tight hug.

Blinking back at her with an expressionless face, I dryly replied, "Well thank you for your encouraging words, Bree.  I just don't know how I'd get through this difficult time without you."

"I'm serious Nat, when was the last time you bathed?" she asked, scrunching up her nose and blinking back the tears in her eyes.

Oh come on! I don't smell that bad! My mind protested. Do I? Experimentally, and subtly, I lowered my head and sniffed under my armpit only to have my nose hairs burned alive. Wow, that is bad, I thought as I choked on the noxious fumes.

"Okay, so maybe I haven't bathed since yesterday," I mumbled with a shrug. After she arched a perfectly plucked eyebrow and gave me a disbelieving look I rolled my eyes and admitted, "Fine! So it was Friday, who gives a shit? It's not like there's any guys waiting around to sniff me!"

"Oh honey, still no word from Mor‒him?" she asked, changing her word at the last minute when she caught sight of my face, distorted with rage and disgust at the mere thought of his name.

"No," I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest and pressing my lips together in a firm line as I looked anywhere but my best friend's sympathetic, green eyes. I knew it would tip me over the edge, and I was too tired to cry anymore than I already had these past few days. "But who cares? I don't. No, I don't give a crap about that insensitive, arrogant, egotistical... numb-nuts!" I threw out when I realised I didn't have an insult appropriate for his level of betrayal. I seemed to get my point across though, as she quickly changed the subject.