Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 98992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 495(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 495(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
This is my senior year?
You’re telling me I have to go through months of this shit before I can…I don’t know…pull a fucking Felicity where I move across the country, cut my hair, and tell myself the world is my apple pie?
Good God, I could go for some pie.
Carmen keeps an unimpressed tone when she joins in the quest for more information. “What’s this bitch’s name again?”
“Bambi. Bambi Summers.”
Carmen and I turn around as we snap in tandem, “Tell me you’re fucking joking.”
“I wish I could, girls,” Suzie sighs before she starts to laugh. “God, I fucking wish I could.”
“Clearly, her parents had a hard dick for Disney,” the freshman chimes in again.
“Or were fucking high as shit like mine,” Sunny snickers on a hair ruffle. “So, Presley, what really happened between you guys, anyway? There's a rumor that he dumped you because he thought you were getting too fat.”
“Fat?!” Carmen scoffs as if she’s been slapped. “Puh-lease. You see that thing he’s with? She’s like a 4’11 ball of blubber! Like a baby whale walking around in discount sneakers. Like an overweight penguin that should be on Atkins. You see that? I mean the ho’ fucking waddles!”
--
Katherine folds her hands in her lap. “Sometimes I forget just how vicious teenage females can be.”
I’m just gonna not remind her about what she said regarding Kathleen a couple hours ago.
“How did that make you feel?”
“Their cruel teasing of her and ass kissing to me? Grateful.”
“And how about the weight shaming rumor?”
I start to reach for a breadstick out of habit, but stop mid-motion, the possibility of turning into what they thought just as real in this moment as it was then. Pushing a strand behind my ear instead isn’t satisfying whatsoever yet showcasing I do have self-control somewhat is. “Like all of the insecurities I had ever had were about to be printed and plastered and poured from every mouth in that fucking school.”
Katherine looks like she’s making a note, yet she doesn’t move a single finger.
Ugh.
I’d honestly rather her make notes in front of me than behind my back.
“How’d that evening end? Did you run away? Did you engage in the hurtful conversation about Bambi? Did you escalate or de-escalate the very flammable situation?”
“I happily listened to the shit talking.” An adjustment in my seat is made prior to me continuing. “Carmen was an instigator. She was my own personal, self-appointed counselor in the court room of high school justice. She called that poor girl every name in the book that she could think of. Attacked everything about her possible down to the fact the girl didn’t have nearly as much money as the rest of us – self excluded, of course. I didn’t come from money, but it was one of those things that was easy for everyone else to forget when they were hating on someone else. I knew part of all the vileness was to make me feel better – which it did to an extent – but the other? Well…Carmen was really just a bitter and bitchy brat that didn’t understand not getting your way, didn’t mean neglect.” The eye roll is unconscious. “Back then…we were all battling shit. It’s what you do when you’re an adolescent. You spend a lot of time fighting the world only to realize you’re really just fighting yourself. Carmen punched everything with her words. Made girls hate her and guys worship her. I took the opposite approach. I aimed for peace and hugs. It made girls like me and most guys less interested. We probably shouldn’t have worked as friends, but somehow, we did.”
“At any point during that encounter, did you and Ryder talk or communicate?”
--
I steal what has to be the fiftieth less than subtle glance over my shoulder.
For fucks sake, they’re still at it?!
Shoving their tongues down each other’s throats for show and groping each other like a live porn. Ryder’s got his hands – hands that I never thought would touch another girl’s – death gripping her hips while she’s running her pudgy hand over his jean covered crotch.
Ughhhhhhh.
They’re fucking stuck together like they shared a goddamn bath in Guerilla Glue!
I know what I need.
Besides to continue to fight the violent urge to storm up there and slap them both in the face.
I need a hot dog.
I need that thick bun.
That thick bun with a deliciously bad decision in the middle.
I need it covered with lots of mustard. Extra relish. Maybe some onions.
And a soda! Something fizzy to wash it down. Perhaps let Carmen even splash a bit of vodka or Wilcox to keep me buzzed and happy rather than full and miserable.
Shifting my attention back to Carmen, I state, “Let’s go get food.”
“Not hungry. Plus, I plan to drink my calories later. Johnny, Crown, and Wilcox will all be fighting for my affections.”