Just Me - [S. Barber]

Box of Tampons

"You didn't tell me there was a party?" Lia asks as she, Sydney, and Liam walk their neighborhood. "It didn't come up." She responds.

"Don't drop the ball, you idiot." A boy ahead yells. "Uh.. can we go the other way instead? I want to walk back by the train tracks." Liam pauses. "That's the long way." Sydney informs.

"I know." He nods. "It's good exercise. Uh...." he trails off. "Uh, Liam, Wait. Goob, whats wrong?" Sydney questions. Lia glances back at the boys in front of them, understanding instantly.

"That's Richard Rynard, right? The kid who wants to kick your ass?" Lia asks, earning a nod. "That's the kid who might kick you ass?" Sydney repeats.

Liam doesn't respond, only looks down at the ground. "Hey, it's alright. We can go by the train tracks. Right, Syd?" Lia asks, wrapping her arm around her brother.

Sydney shakes her head, walking forward. "Syd, Wait, stop!" Liam calls. "Please don't." But it's too late. She's already approaching him.

"Damn it. Um- you know, it's not too late to just run away." Lia states. She turns around, only to be pulled back. "I'm too scared to move, Lee." He says, evidently shaking.

"I'll just carry you." She shrugs, picking him up. "Put me down!" He flails around. "Jeez, alright." She says, setting him back down before pulling him close to her.

"Hey, Richard!" Sydney calls. "Yeah?" He asks, turning around. "You see my little brother?" She motions behind her.

He glances back, catching Lia's attention, who waves at him, only with her middle finger. "Shut up." Liam slaps her arm away. "I didn't say anything."

"You mean the one hiding because he's so scared?" Richard snorts. "Well, you're gonna leave him alone." Sydney orders. "Got it?"

"Yeah, sure thing." Richard nods, allowing Sydney to turn around and begin walking the other way. "Oh, thank god." Lia says.

"Go choke on a tampon, freak." Richard calls out. Sydney, of course, turns around angrily. "Damn it." Liam sighs. "Hey, language, little bud." Lia flicks him.

"You say it all the time!" He argues. "Yeah, well I'm older." She responds. Sydney stares at him intensely, causing the boy to awkwardly glance to the side.

"Hold on. I'm gonna go do something before she kills him." Lia states, beginning to make her way towards one of the houses. "Where are you going?" Liam calls.

She knocks on the door, smiling as she sees Caleb. "Hey." He grins. "Hey, Um. I need to borrow something." She says.

"Well, let me tell you something. One day, it's all gonna go downhill, buddy. Your life will be so pathetic, you'll attend high school reunions, because you know what? Nothing else is ever gonna happen for you in your entire life." Sydney says to Richard as Lia comes to stand beside her.

"Yeah, you won't even have a dog!" Sydney adds. "Uh, Yeah. Alright. Well, here you go." Lia smiles, handing the boy a box of tampons that she had gotten from Caleb's mother. He stares at the girls, dumbfounded.

"It was great talking to you. Try not to choke on them." She smirks, grabbing Sydney's arm. "Come on, Syd." She pulls her sister away as the girl flips him off.

"Sydney, you're a fucking dumbass."