chapter 8

I couldn’t just stand there and be the object of everyone’s humor, so I did the same thing any girl in my position would do.

To be honest, I didn’t think anyone’s ever been in my position before.

With tears in my eyes I ran out of the cafeteria and into the safest place in this dumb school: the bathroom.

I slid down one of the stalls and buried my head in my arms sobbing.

The toilet was an icky place to sit on the floor crying — even more Wood High’s disgusting own — but I didn’t care.

I sat there and sobbed painful, bitter, soul-wrenching tears.

I just wanted this to be a good first day, is that too much to ask?

Letting the tears flow, I recalled the last time I had cause to sit in a bathroom to cry.

Before my parents moved to Kentucky, we used to live in New York. That’s where I was born. I had one of those safe secure childhoods that many people didn’t want to leave. But I wasn’t that type of kid. I was adventurous, extroverted and boisterous as a kid, I wanted to explore.

So I was delighted when my mom put me in ballet school. It was a great deviation from the norm.

I’d watch with awe at the changing scenery while my mom drove me to practice every Saturday.

My five-year-old self would put on the pink tutu I was convinced was the prettiest of all the girls.

Madam Winter was our instructor. A fat unfashionable woman, she never picked me to be her assistant. It was always this short and totally vile person called Nina. 

I didn’t let that bother me though. I was just delighted not to be around an always-crying Adrianna.

One day, I got my big break. The ballet school was having a recital and needed girls from every class. Thankfully, Nina was sick. Madam held a small contest to see who would represent our class.

I gave my all and obviously impressed her because she chose me.

I was over the moon. Jumping around at home and telling everybody, whether they cared or not. I practiced every day and vowed to be the star of the show.

On that day, my mom and dad attended as well as my three-week-old little sister. My maternal grandmother was also there and my ten-year-old older brother.

Everybody was happy for me and they were all excited to see me perform in front of a large audience and a man presumed to have choreographed The FreeStylers; a group of world-acclaimed superstar dancers.

Getting on that stage, I wasn’t nervous. This was something I’d wanted to do for forever.

When the curtain rose and the music started, I danced and I danced and maybe, I danced a little too much, because the next thing I knew I was on the floor and the entire overhead lighting was curled around me. Obviously my foot got caught in a wire and that’s what started the entire chain reaction of chaos.

I ran to the bathroom, locked myself and pretty much ended up in the same position I am now.

After that whole fiasco, I gave up ballet and seeing anything positive in any event. Since I was five, I’ve known I came to this world with my own special package of bad luck.

The beanie was making my head feel hot so I took it off and slammed it on the floor. My tears had dried down and I cleaned my wet face.

The bathroom door opened, flooding light into the dim room then Indy and Andi stepped in.

“There you are!” exclaimed Andi.

“We’ve been looking all over for you,” confirmed Indy.

Andi sat on my left and Indy sat on my right. They both hugged me.

“I feel so miserable,” I croaked.

“I get it and it’s not your fault sweetie. But the bathroom? This place barely has any light and you know how pale you are. You need sunlight!” Indy tapped my arm.

“Yes, because that is the most important thing right now.” Andi rolled her eyes and turned to me. “If you’re thinking about revenge, I have three very fine options and at least two of them ends in grievous body harm. The last one ends with a body bag and a shovel. Don’t worry nobody will miss her and I checked it. You’re a first time offender, you’ll get minimum.”

“What are you talking about?” I sniffed and wiped my nose.

“You didn’t see her?” Andi’s eyes were as round as saucers.

“Who?”

“Rebecca!”

I felt the fragile glass surrounding my anger shatter and red hot rage fill my body.

“Well, she was behind Stacey. She tripped her and made her spill her lunch over you,” explained Andi.

“This has gone way too far! It’s time to teach Rebecca a lesson in payback.”

I’m sure my face was red because my heart was pumping rapidly and my fists were clenched.

“Calm down Tay. Confronting Rebecca would mean admitting to her that she won,” counseled Indy.

“No way! Don’t confront her and she’ll keep taunting you.”

“Actually, I have something else in mind,” I gave them a mischievous smirk and stood up.

Opening the bathroom door I scanned both sides of the hallway. It was empty indicating everyone was still in the cafeteria.

I ran down the other side and came upon three pink lockers standing side by side.

Being Rebecca’s best friend once came in handy as I easily guessed her locker combination.

Opening it, I heard footsteps behind me.

“What are you doing Tay?” Indy whisper-yelled.

“Giving that imbecile a taste of her own medicine, I presume,” whispered Andi arms crossed. I nodded at her with a smile.

Looking around I spotted a garbage can that prevented waste from lining the immaculate cream and yellow tiled floors.

Moving closer to it, it smelt like something dead and rotting was residing inside it. Perfect!

I carried it with my head turned the other way due to the terrible smell and walked back to Rebecca’s locker.

“Don’t do this Tay. Violence begets violence, and you really don’t want to get into trouble on your first day as a junior. And for the record this was not what I meant when I said you needed to get some sun,” begged Indy as she nervously looked over her shoulder.

“She started it.” I whispered back.

“I concur. Tip it Taylor,” Andi almost shrieked with excitement as she clapped her hands.

I turned the bin upside down and watched as the dirty, disgusting clump of raked leaves poured down on her makeup, extra clothes and shoes, staining everything with a slimy green color. Rebecca didn’t take school work so seriously, so there was hardly any book there – unfortunately.

“That’ll teach her lesson number one: do not mess with Taylor Crewman.”