"Are you going to the party tonight?" I asked Sammi. She scrunched the right side of her face as she answered.
"Don't know." Her face went back to normal.
I didn't say anything right away, trying to think of what to say that will make her want to go. "The party's said to be said to be the party of the year. They're even letting us 3rd form go!"
That got her to smile. "Only because your boyfriend's captain of the football team." She laughed. "So how's it going with you two anyway?"
"Terrance and I have been going very well lately! He's so kind and sweet. Even to the kids his mates pick on. Oh! Did I tell you what he..." I paused. "Oh no girl. You're not getting away that easily. I won't say another word until I get a straight answer from you."
"Well... You think Stephen will be there?" She asked as we turned the corner.
Around the corner was a circle of people chanting 'fight' over and over again. Sammi and I stopped behind them. I stood on my tip-toes trying to see over the heads of the crowd. Next to me, Sammi is jumping, trying to see as well. I'm considerably taller than she is.
"Can you see anything?" She now gave up on trying to see the fight.
"No, I can't..." That's when I see him. Well, the back of his head anyway. There's no mistaking his light brown hair. "He's the cause of this?" I whispered to myself.
"What'd ya say, mate?"
I ignored her. Now fueled with anger, I marched up to the crowd, their backs to me as they chant, and began shoving people out of the way with my boney elbows. When I finally break through the outer ring, the scene went in slow motion. Terrance was crouched over a younger boy, whom clearly had taken a beating. His nose dripping blood and his left eye looking to be the beginning of a nasty bruise. He was slouched against the lockers, fighting to stay conscious.
Terrance's fist were showering down on the boy, each blow making his eyes shut more as unconsciousness wins. I hear Sammi gasp beside me as she finally made it through.
"Terrance." I hissed as I stomped up to him, fists at my side. He either didn't hear me or didn't care. Before he could muster another swing, I caught his wrist. Thankfully I had enough of an adrenaline rush to hold his wrist back in mid-swing. He turned around swiftly, his face contorted, red with anger. His other hand was in a fist as well. I kept a weary eye on it. The crowd had gone silent. My anger has been chased out by fear, giving no fight, but I held my ground. I couldn't back down now. Terrance would just go back to beating the boy up, who I'm sure is unconscious now. And no one else would be dumb enough to stand up to Terrance.
"How dare you Brandi. You have no right getting between me and this boys business." he said boy with a decline in his voice, showing how little worth the boys life was to him.
I stood there, motionless. This was the first time I've seen Terrance like this in four months. He'd promised me that he would quit. Apparently, that promise means little to him now. I was speechless. Words were a foreign concept to me. He snarled as he shook his wrist free. It didn't take much effort to do so. Terrance turned back to the boy, picking him up by the collar. The boy moaned, wakened by the rushing pain of being moved.
"Break it up guys!" A voice boomed from behind. The owner of the voice shoved his way pass me in a mad rush to get to Terrance. Two more teachers pressed pass me to get to the boy. The first hauled Terrance off by the collar. He was twice the size of Terrance. The last two now kneeled by the boy. The crowd had cleared up fast, since the fight was now over, but Sammi and I stayed behind.
The two teachers whispered in hushed tones about the boys conditioned I didn't know the teachers, but I recognized them. The tall blonde taught history while the brunette taught some sort psychology class.
"Okay Liam, we have to move you to the nurses now. Its going to sting, but we'll be careful." the brunettes voice is calm and soothing. "Everything will be okay." he reassures Liam as he groans from being lifted. I watched them walk away with Liam. For some reason, by the teacher saying it will be okay I believed him, even though Liam's condition didn't look so good.
Sammi and I stood there for a while until the three disappeared behind the same corner we had come from. Sammi looked up at me, her eyes showing worry. I ignored her for a second before turning away while asking, "so you're coming to tonight?" I wondered why Terrance would beat up Liam. I mean, he would always beat up nerds before I told him he had to stop. He had promised and, then, seemed like he meant it. But the thing that threw me was the fact that Liam was an easy fight on Terrance's part.
"Brandi?" Sam's voice pulled me from my thoughts. "You okay? I just gave you the answer you've been waiting for and you just stared blankly ahead." I turned to look at Sam, her eyes conveying she was worried about me. She's an open book.
"Oh, sorry. I'm fine. Just excited for the party tonight is all." He's a wimpy child who can't stand up for himself anyway. And Terrance is going to need my help after this one. I look at Sam staring ahead, biting her lower lip. I can tell she knows I'm lying. Thankfully, she doesn't push it. I decide to change the subject. "I'm still coming over to decide what to wear to the party tonight, right?"
Her face lit up as she started to ramble on about how she had been secretly thinking about her outfit for awhile now. She started to explain it. I tried so hard to focus on her but my mind drifted to Terrance and his problem that is presenting itself. The school had told him that if he got into one more fight, he'd be off the team. He would be furious if that happened. I turned my attention to Sam and her non-stop chatter about what to wear tonight at the party. Apparently she's second guessing herself.
<><><><><>
"You almost ready?" Sam hollered from the room.
"Yeah! Just finishing up." I stood in front of the full length mirror on the back of the door. Having long legs has its perks, short dresses for example. The dark blue dress hugged my form enough to enhance my curves but not too much. The neck was cut into a V. The straps cut along the outer part of my shoulders, giving the appearance that their slipping. In the back, the straps cross in a thick in the middle of my back then joining together just below my waist. My hair was half in a ponytail, and curled. I left my bangs straight in front cutting across my forehead. I teased the top of my hair into a slight bump. My makeup was was noticeable yet not very bold. I glance at the mirror over the sink before I stepped out.
Sam was sitting on the end of my bed flipping through a magazine. She had a short, dark jean shorts on with a white button up short sleeved blouse. The top three buttons were left open. She had a small black vest over her torso with a black tie loosely tied. Her hair was in a simple ponytail with small strands of hair curled, outlining her face. And of course, no make-up. It was a battle to get her to put on any form of make-up.
Sam looked up and smiled. "Told you that dress would look good." She stood up, setting the magazine down on the bed.
"Yes you did, but I didn't object!" I grabbed my small black purse that was hanging on the chair next to the bathroom door. "Ready?"
"Of course! I wasn't waiting for the season to change." She laughed at her obviously bad joke. I couldn't help but laugh as we went downstairs to say goodbye to her mom.
Her mother smiled her warm smile as we trotted down the stairs. "You two looking stunning." She turned to Sam. "You're father wouldn't want to see his little girl all grown up." Sam's mom smiled again, this time with a hint of sadness. But it was such brief hint that I wasn't sure I had seen it. Sam's father and older sister have been in Ireland for a business trip of her father's. They're there for two years. It's been four months since they left.
"Party ends at eleven so we'll be home about midnight." Sam was testing her limit. Saying it in statement form to see whether or not her mother would agree.
Her mom shifted her weight as she thought. "Only twelve? Fine by me. Wasn't expecting you back until at least one. But ok, see ya at twelve." Her mother smiled big.
Sam stood up straight, her facial expression was pure shock. "Well, one will do."
"Oh no. You said twelve so I'll see you at twelve."
I couldn't hold it anymore and busted out into laughter. "Oh man, your mom is awesome!" I continued to laugh as Sam hugged her mom goodbye and left.
Sam was smiling. "Can't believe I didn't see that coming. My mum does that to Lea all the time."
My laughter had died down naturally, but hearing that made it fire up again. "That is hysterical. Can't believe you have seen her do that to your sister and still fall for it."
The party was at the end of her street, so we decided to walk there. Sam looked at my shoes and sighed.
"Thought I told you that you weren't aloud to wear heels by me. Makes me look too small."
"And I told you to wear higher heels if you didn't like it."
She paused a little before answering. "You know I can't stand in heels without falling, much less walk in the damn things."
I laughed at her. After a few, she began to laugh to.