six: guilty
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀He lied. Conner lied about treating me like a disease. At home, he was nice and acted like I actually mattered, but school was a little whole other story. He treated me the same if not worse.
Today when I was passing his lunch table, his "friends" threw paper balls at me. When I had turned around, Conner had launched a spoonful of Mac n' cheese at me. That happened today, Friday, only three days after I had helped him. Later at home he had explained that his friends made him do it, but did they really?
After all I did to help him take attention off of the video and fix coach problem. Last Tuesday was the big day, the day our plan took action.
"You ready, Mar," Conner asks quickly glancing from the road to me.
"As I'll ever be. I really hope this works," I sigh and stare out the window.
"You don't have to do this, Mar. I'm the one who got angry, and Kylie just so happened to record it."
"Not to mention post it and totally ruin your soccer career," I say under my breath so he doesn't hear me. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating by saying she ruined his soccer career, but I felt I needed to exaggerate.
There may be a part of the plan that Conner doesn't know about. The plan may or may not involve Kylie Andrews.
"I'm going to do it, Con. No matter what you say, I'm going through with the plan."
As soon as we pull into the school parking lot, my heart rate picks up. I honestly have no idea if the coach will buy our plan, but I'm hopeful. I'm no evil genius, in fact, I'm surprised I'm even going through with my plan. Well, the part about Kylie not the coach part.
"Good luck, Mar." Conner replies before making his way towards Kylie and the other populars. And so the Conner who thinks I'm a disease ensues.
Grabbing my bag, I make my way into the school and straight for the athletic department. The athletic offices are adjacent to the gym which is one of my least favorite parts of the school. As a sophomore, gym is a required class we have to take.
Before I head for the offices, I enter the girl's locker room to conduct my plan for Kylie. Kylie's a sophomore like me and we have gym together. Everyday Kylie leaves gym fifteen minutes early to shower. Fortunately, for me, she leaves her shampoo bottle in the locker room which is where my plan comes in.
Kylie Andrews is a model with the perfect blonde hair, perfect complexion, and the perfect form. Kylie models with an agency here in California. She's very well known in the modeling world.
I pour pink hair dye in Kylie's shampoo bottle. I quickly get rid of the hair dye bottle so nobody can link the prank back to me. Now that plan one is complete, time to carry out plan two.
Exiting the locker room, I make sure nobody sees me leaving. I hurry to the athletic offices. Once I know I've made it out safely, I try to calm my racing heart. The adrenaline is coursing through me right now. I cannot wait for sixth period when we have gym.
"Can I help you?" Coach Myers walks up to me as he heads towards his office. I follow him inside of the highly decorated office. Soccer pictures align the wall with multiple trophies sitting on a shelf above his desk.
"Yes, sir," I reply slowly taking the seat across from his desk. "My name is Marley Parker. I'm-"
"Conner's sister. What can I do for you?" Coach Myers takes a seat in his chair solely focusing on me. That was kinda freaky how we finished my sentence for me. How do you think on your feet so fast?
"I'd like to talk about the video," my voice trails off and I shift in my seat uncomfortably. Coach's face hardens at the mention of the video. "Sir, it's not what you think. It was a harmless prank my brother and I were pulling on our friends that were at the restaurant," I breathe slowly in order to calm myself down. I have to be believable. "It was my idea. I thought it would be funny to prank my new friends, but Kylie videoed it. It was supposed to only be a harmless prank. I didn't mean for it to blow up like it did," my voice quiets. My hands play with the hem of my shirt as I wait for Coach's reply. I really hope Coach doesn't know that I have only made one new friend. And she wasn't even at the restaurant.
"Well," Coach Myers folds his hands together. "It wasn't funny. I'm going to have to bench Conner for two games after that."
"No, no, no! Don't do that. Don't punish Conner. He didn't want to pull the prank, but I begged him to. Please, punish me not him."
Coach Myers stays quiet for what feels like eternity. "Well, I can't actually punish you, Marley, but I won't bench Conner. Just," he rubs his face before continuing, "just don't let it happen again. Got it?"
"Yes, sir. It won't happen again. Thank you, Coach Myers."
"Now get going before you're late to class, Marley."
I gather my things quickly before exiting the office. I make my way toward my locker where Ryland is waiting for me.
"Hey, where were you?" Ryland asks as I reach my locker.
"I was talking to Coach Myers," I reply shoving books I don't need for my first hour class into my locker.
"Really," Ryland's eyes widen. "How did it go?" I had told Ryland about Conner and I's plan about talking to Coach. I almost told her about the Kylie plan, but I decided not to.
"It worked," I shut my locker and turn towards Ryland. Her red hair is braided to the side. She has on a black and white polka dotted shirt that makes her red hair pop. "It actually worked." We whisper so nobody overhears what we are talking about.
"Nice," she bumps my shoulder just as the eight o' clock bell rings. "I gotta get to class before I'm late. See you at lunch, yeah?"
"See you then." The red head takes off running in the opposite direction. I make my way towards government.
• • •
⠀⠀⠀⠀Ryland and I make our way to the locker room after lunch. Finally, the class I have been waiting for all day. Ryland can tell somethings up because normally I dread gym but not today.
"Okay, Marley, tell me what's going on. You hate gym class, but today you're excited. Tell me," Ryland pries as we enter into the locker room.
"Not here. Change quickly and I'll tell you in the gym," I whisper as we make our way to our gym lockers.
We change quickly and meet each other in the gym. I pull Ryland away from the changed group.
"Okay, I'm dying to know."
"So, this morning I didn't only talk to coach," I pause glancing at the group of other sophomores. "I sneaked into the locker room and I may or may not have poured hot pink hair dye into Kylie's shampoo."
Ryland starts laughing, but she covers her mouth to muffle the sound. I crack a smile at my own genius plan. "You didn't," Ryland asks between laughs.
"Yes, now hush before people suspect something."
Gym class seems to drag on for me and Ryland as we watch the clock waiting for Kylie to leave to shower. After what seems like forever, Kylie makes her way towards the locker room.
I glance at Ryland who has a smirk on her face. The next fifteen minutes drag on, but the time finally comes. Ryland and I make our way to the locker rooms. When we arrive Kylie hasn't discovered her new hair color.
Just as everybody enters the locker room, Kylie comes out of the shower room. Her hair is currently in a towel.
Kylie removes the towel which causes one of her good friends to scream while all the other girls laugh.
"What?" Kylie asks.
"Your hair!" The girl who had screamed replies with wide eyes.
"What's wrong with my hair?" Kylie asks before running to the mirror. Of course she screams when she sees her reflection. "Who did this!" Kylie demands looking at every girl in the locker room quieting all the laughter. "Who ruined my hair?" The once blonde screams at the top of her lungs. "I have a shoot tonight and if I'm not blonde by then, the person who did this will regret it. I can promise you that."
Kylie turns back to the mirror and messes with her hair. Another girl, one who is brave might I add, walks up to Kylie. "You know, it doesn't look that bad. I think you pull it off."
Her comment earns a glare, but then Kylie adds, "you're right. I do look good." Kylie then continues with getting ready.
I shoot Ryland a look. For the most part my plan worked. Maybe I should've chosen the color green.
Later that day, Conner confronts me. "Kylie's hair?" He asks. "Was that you?"
I put my hands up in mock surrender. "Guilty." Conner cracks a smile before shaking his head.
"Nice one." He high fives me. "Night, Mar. And thanks," he pauses, "for today."
"No problem, bro. Night," I lean against my door frame going over the events of the day as Conner disappears in my room.
Who would have thought that I would do what I did today. If you asked me three weeks ago, I would have laughed at the thought.
As I crawl into bed, my phone buzzes indicating I have a text.
From: Jackson
Hey, Marley, it's Jackson. I was wondering, would you like to go out with me this Saturday? You know, since the first time got interrupted.
I freeze after I read the message. Conner has warned me about Jackson, but he hasn't told me why. Jackson doesn't seem like a bad guy. Plus, I like him—not in a crush kind of way, but in a friend kind of way. I've only seen him twice, but we've been texting back and forth a lot. From our text conversations, he really seems like a nice guy.
To: Jackson
Sounds good. I'll have to meet you somewhere so my brother won't find out.
Send. I feel bad for sneaking behind Conner's back, but if I don't, he won't let me go out with Jackson.
From: Jackson
We'll meet at Jameson Park. Can't wait. 😄
And now it's the day before I go out with Jackson. I've done a good job at keeping a secret from Conner.
But, tomorrow's the day. And I know Conner will find out sooner or later. Let's hope for later.
author's note
I really like this chapter. (: I hope you like it, too.
The picture is of Kylie Andrews with her new hair. Haha she looks good.
Was Marley's hair prank a win or fail?
Tell me what you think.
Comment. Vote. (:
Thanks.
.j