Chapter 52
Bobbie was taking a shower while Faye was looking through her email. She
laughed at the irony of all the emails she got promising to make her
penis bigger.
"Who in the hell is Mike Sobol?" She asked to the impassive screen. She
clicked on the message because of the attachments and the familiarity
that existed in the first line of the preview. She scrolled past the
message and looked at the attachments. There were the pictures from the
shoot. Bobbie stood there in poses that Faye had taught her, but then
something happened.
Faye had been on an uncountable number of shoots, always the same; dull.
But, the final product always looked the same. Very cheesecakey and
swimsuit issue, these were different. There was a spellbinding magic to
the shots. In the abstract, Faye was glad she didn't have to do this
shoot. Snow? Hell no...
...and that wolf outfit?? Ridiculous.
And yet, according to Bobbie, Rach had seemed to like it.
As she continued to flip through the pictures, she got more and more
stunned. The clothes became less and less. Then, nothing at all. Bobbie!
Faye raged. Allegra is going to kill me! I'll never work again.
Justice, she better figure this out quickly.
Everyone had cleared out while Bobbie spent forever on the phone. Who
the hell is she talking to in there? When Bobbie finally came out, there
was an uncomfortable silence.
"So, princess," Faye started, folding the laptop closed. "You want to
explain those pictures? Oh yeah, forget about email?. No wonder you
didn't get bored. Fuck anybody while you were at it?" her face hardened.
"Who the hell are you? Are you trying to kill my career?"
Bobbie smiled. "Fuck anybody? Yes... Your girlfriend." She raised her
voice an octave and cocked a hip. "Had to 'be Fay-fay for the weekend,
remember?'"
SLAP! Faye's hand connected with Bobbie's face, stinging sharply. "You
don't get to say that!"
Bobbie rubbed her face. "If you wanted to touch me..." She pulled at the
green streak. "All you had to do was ask."
Faye screamed a girly scream and clenched her fists.
Bobbie forced an opening. "And what about you? Who told you to get all
romantic with Tim? Riding the Vespa? When did you get all mushy?" She
let out an exasperated sigh. "Getting back together? Dammit Faye, that's
not your call" Bobbie returned the animosity.
"Because," Faye yelled, "you two are perfect for each other and Roxx is
playing you. I don't understand her connection in all this, but..."
Bobbie's phone vibrated in Faye's pocket.
"You could just keep it in your front pocket and have them call you
back," Bobbie delivered in a sly, sexy tone.
Answering the device. "Yeah? Oh, hi. Almost ready. See ya soon," Faye
flipped the phone closed.
"To be continued."
"Was that Tim?... Is your knight gonna come get you on his Shetland
Pony?" Bobbie smiled plastically.
"You could put the food away before I get back. I made it, you ate it,"
Faye pointed at Bobbie. God, this was such a mess. There was a stabbable
tension in the air, lanced only by the sound of a tinny horn and a small
engine.
****
Faye's being such a bitch. Stealing my boyfriend, my life... aaaaah.
Isn't she? A voice in Bobbie's head... a voice not Bobbie's
Faye's voice. It was weird to hear someone else's voice in her head.
I mean, Faye's voice continued. Look at it this way, she would never
have taken those shots. Hasn't everything been so much.... More?
Yeah, it was. How did you not see that, Faye? You're gonna be famous.
I'm helping you you dumb bitch.
Hey, Faye's inner voice barked. Be calm, she thinks she's helping you.
Bobbie's voice, Helping? By getting back with a cheating boy? How does
that help me? Seriously?
Faye's voice again, Maybe I'm jealous. I really like those shots, still
think the green streak is crazy. But, trying to out Faye me will be one
fight I won't give up.
Bobbie looked into the mirror, staring at the swell of her breast.
Detroit's noise came up loud, then was gone. Nick entered the apartment
with a thud as the door swung shut.
"Hello?" he called.
"In here," Bobbie responded.
"All this stuff on the counter is dinner, right?"
"Yeah."
Bobbie re entered the living room to see Nick holding a badly rolled
burrito.
"Y'know? I was thinking we should just keep Bobbie."
Bobbie shot him a nefarious look through a cannon. She saw the tightness
of his colors, the burned so richly they seemed to leave an afterimage
on her retinas when she closed her eyes.
"Put the food away, will ya?" Bobbie smoldered. The slam of her door was
all the evidence Nick would ever need that the conversation had ended.
****
"I feel the need... The need for seeds," Faye said, adding poppyseeds to
the new lemon poppyseed cupcake. Tim facepalmed. "What's next? The
Terminator? Chocolate and blueberry? Still can't believe you wanna call
this the Ishtar."
Faye smiled "Why not?"
"Yeah," Beth chimed in. Looking up from the chocolate ribbons and
frosting flowers. "Why not?"
Tim laughed. "No one saw Ishtar, not even the people who made it."
"Well excuse me for trying to salvage it. It's also the ancient Egyptian
goddess of love, you know."
Beth finished up the chocolate ribbons and started working with the
fondant, sculpting it into tiny, purple tentacles. A small pile of white
candy suction cups sat next to them. "What's with these? Tentacles and
eyes? The pretty ones are always, well... pretty."
"I was talking to Mike over at the Revival. He's showing a film series
for the Lovecraft Appreciation Society." Tim looked up from his
homework. "Thought he could sell a few," he pointed with his pen.
"Tentacles were her idea."
Beth dropped her head and shook it in the negative. "Sometimes, Bobbie,"
she laughed. "I'll bet Steve gets it."
"How do you think I found out about the Lovecraft Society?" Tim smirked.
Beth rolled her eyes and looked at Tim.
"Not surprised," Beth returned to assembling the tiny tentacles.
"Bobbie?"
"Hmmm," Faye turned her head, her work braid slithering back over her
shoulder.
"You got the paperwork together to get Prom Tickets, right?" Since he
wasn't a student anymore, he could only attend as Bobbie's plus one.
"Well. "Faye started. " I haven't thought about it," Because Bobbie's
gonna be back in here before then.
Tim was staring at his notebook. "Already taken care of. You don't think
I'd wanna cheat you out of that. Do you? Even asked Heather to help me
pick out a new suit."
"That has to be the most back asswards proposal I've ever heard." Faye
looked at Tim dryly.
Tim slowly and deliberately walked away from his schoolwork. He knelt to
one knee, took Faye's flour-coated hand.
"Would you like to go to the Prom with me?" Tim looked up into Faye's
big, blue eyes.
There's that damn feeling again. I know Bobbie's pissed about this. But
she'll see...
If this ever ends.
I thought you were done with me? Bobbie'll see, she's getting it... I
think.
Yeah, the other voice snickered. Like that time she decided she was
shooting for Penthouse.
Shut up! This is my moment. In the back of her mind, old files were
called up. The occasional sincere guy had tried to talk his way into her
affections. She'd always equipped quips and fired indiscriminately,
collateral damage be damned.
This is Bobbie's moment. Just a rental, remember?
Can we go back to the part where you're done with me?
He's asking her, moron. And since when are you interested in Prom,
anyway?
Okay, that's it. Now it is I who is done with you.
"Yes," Faye said. She wanted to jump and sing and.... Oh, my God. You've
gone native.
Shut the fuck up! "Of course," her eyes smiled. The echo of her own
voice stabbed at her in a different way. Meh, whatever. Bobbie's gonna
figure this out before then anyway. Faye's soul shriveled on a subatomic
level when the attack landed.
The voice pressed. You know you've got it bad if you're letting me get
the last word.
Done with you, go drive over a puppy or whatever it is you do when we
aren't having these little talks.
"Okay, good," Tim said, quickly getting up. Stealing a kiss as he stood,
he looked over at the fondant station. "Now that that's settled."
"Let's get these cupcakes together before the stars come right."
Both Bobbie and Beth looked at Tim confused.
"...City of R'yleh? Really, Bobbie?" Tim's surprise was plain on his face.
"You of all people?"
Faye smiled. "Hey, I know Cthulu from the internet. Tentacles is all you
need to know, right?"
"You have a point there," Tim said, waiting for Bobbie to say something
about being perfect. But the Faye inside completely passed it over into
unheard oblivion.
The cupcakes were assembled, with their green tinged white cake, black
cream cheese frosting and a carefully placed yellow eye flat in the
center, surrounded by four purple fondant tentacles that reached from
the netherrealm of deliciousness.
Faye and the crew started cleaning up the bakery, with her not thinking
about pictures, or anything else but Tim.
Are my methods unsound?
Faye? You're not listening at all, are you?
Faye?
***
Roxx saw Kim on Tuesday morning. The short girl nearly tripped over her
own feet to fasten herself to the girl who defined so much of who she
was these days.
"Missed you. Been a little sick lately, just a cold. But you know..." Kim
was trying to play off the light sweat and fluttery stomach that had
been plaguing her all morning. Roxx pulled out a small bottle from out
of her purse and discreetly handed it to Kim.
"Missed you, too," She ran her fingers over Kim's scratchy scalp. I know
you're out... Sorry. The guy I normally go through got into some trouble
with some Russians, so I had to find a new supplier. You'd think that in
a town this size, that would be so much easier, but no," She sighed, her
breasts heaving against the pressure placed on her by Kim's ivylike
grip. "Gotta run to class."
"See you at break, yeah?" Kim said, not letting go. She wanted to be
near Roxx, but the call of withdrawal clawed at her, knowingly or not.
The young girl couldn't tell where the excitement of seeing Roxx ended.
And where the relief of simply having the pills in her possession began.
"Sure," Roxx smiled. Kim disappeared into the corridor.
Almost Advocate, almost.
***
Bobbie was making those noises again, that could only mean one thing.
She would be up soon, Faye was wondering how no one heard the 'scream
of a thousand souls' but her. Nick was used to the sounds of Faye's
nocturnal activities to the point that they were just part of the
ambient sound of the apartment. She was sipping coffee and finishing up
her makeup, hoping to be finished when Bobbie finally woke.
Bobbie, Faye reflected. What the hell is going on with her... with me?
Thoughts of slow dancing with Tim, and even working at the bakery made
her smile. The red corners of her lips twitched upwards.
Bzzt Bzzt!
Faye glanced at the screen, indicating a text from Tim. She flipped it
open and...
Be in soon.
"God, Bobbie needs to join us here in the future," Faye snapped the
phone closed. She looked at the machine. It had no touchscreen. Memory
was practically nonexistent.
And the internet?? Geez, don't get me started. Faye missed her Twitter
account...
Faye was amazed that Tim got up an extra hour earlier to do extra prep
for the day at the bakery... just to take her to school. And he was there
right when she got out of her last class, using that time as his lunch
break. She knew it was just another in a long line of endearing traits.
The discordant moans of pleasure subsided. Knowing what that meant, out
the front door she silently stole. Faye waited out front and watched the
sun peek out above the horizon.
It was warm for this time of year, and the air smelled different. She
didn't know if it was the baking, but she seemed to smell everything
differently. The appeal of joining the zombie horde made itself known to
her, she could see the appeal. In a morning devoid of sound, Tim's Vespa
came around the corner. The headlight looming closer. She smiled again
as he rolled to a stop.
She grabbed her helmet from the back bar and boarded the motored
scooter. Better enjoy this while I can.
***
Bobbie looked for Faye when she woke up, the absurd normality of untying
her hands from the vine of her womanly flower just another in the new
facts of life. Only the empty scone plate told the tale of Faye's early
exit.
Raspberry scones with white chocolate chips? Cool. Bobbie grabbed one of
the pastries and poured the coffee and contemplated how much had
changed. Now she was the sexy one. She was the star of that shoot,
promising to move Faye's modeling career to the next level. She looked
down somnolently.
And what had she done? Wrapped herself around Tim's little finger?
Biting into the scone, she realized that Faye had obviously inherited
her cooking ability. And I get the senses of porno Wolverine. Snikt!
Seems like I'm getting the better end of this. What am I gonna learn
here? She sipped the bitter coffee. Looking down, she realized that she
was drinking it black. She thought better of eating anymore of the
scone. Her bra was feeling a little tighter this morning. I guess Faye's
right. She hefted her breasts. She considered another scone for a second
before thinking some new bras might be in order. Her boyfriend, my tits.
She brought her arms together, squeezing them together lightly. She felt
lightheaded as her nipples responded instantly, stiffening almost
uncomfortably against the tightening undergarment. "Mmm... Definitely
gonna need some new bras," She mused.
Bobbie finished her coffee and completed her Pre-Nick routine. The
scones did quite a bit to ease Nick's general irritation over using the
Camaro as a school bus.
***
Rach was leaning on the crutch, happy for the hundredth time that she
saved them from the last injury. Getting dressed caused some winces, but
nothing that the Vicodin couldn't cure. She would be happy to be rid of
the pills. The pain she could live with, just not right now. She heard
the Camaro rumble to a stop. She crutched her way over to the door and
went downstairs to see Faye.
She's been acting so funny lately. I hope everything's okay.
The ride to school was fraught with silence. Nick seemed chatty, with
only the tan crumbs on the shirt depicting Rei Ayanami in a bikini and
some unreadable Kanji that hung loosely over his chest.
***
Bobbie was tapping her foot, the straps of her boot flip flapping
against the legs of the chair. She had to get out of there. One more
word about J.D. Salinger was going to make her climb a water tower. She
got up and made for the door.
"Miss Valentine," Ms. Wolanczyk barked. "Where do you think you're
going?"
"The ladies'," Bobbie barked back. "Wanna know why?"
Ms. Wolanczyk sensed why, but wouldn't say. She sighed and acquiesced,
waving her hand and continuing her lecture about Holden Caulfield's
skewed outlook on life. Bobbie heard the lecture end as the door closed,
thankful that the dreaded literature mites would no longer be infesting
her brain. She saw the bathroom and smelled it before she saw it. A
cigarette.
Bobbie entered the bathroom and saw her there, Ferrari red hair, curves
that wouldn't quit and clothes that appeared to have been made from
space age polymers.
Roxx... Her colors were curiously absent, completely content in who she
was, what she was.
"Well, well, well, Faye. Nice to finally meet you. She's told me so much
about you. She's kind of impressed, actually," Roxx said extending her
free hand. Bobbie couldn't take her eyes off of the cigarette. Her voice
sounded friendly, the maliciousness was gone.
"Where are my manners? Want a cigarette?" Roxx used the free hand to
reach into her purse and pulled out a pack of Camels.
My old brand. Why not? Better enjoy it while I can.
"Sure," Bobbie said, accepting the nicotine stick and placing it firmly
between her lips. It felt normal, right... comfortable.
Clink! The flame slipped up from the fluid soaked wick as the striker
wheel raised sparks from the flint. Bobbie puffed, then inhaled. It
scorched her throat, a heavy cough followed by another. Then; finally, a
breath. A moment later it stopped, Bobbie inhaled again. A few seconds
later; her breathing settled, she inhaled on it again. It felt so good,
the nicotine absorbed almost immediately after a long, luxurious
exhalation, Bobbie turned and rested her luscious ass on the sink.
"Still trying to be a good girl?" Roxx dropped the purple stained butt
into the toilet.
Bobbie could feel the nicotine building in her brain, doing its
endorphin shifting sorcery.
"Definitely an E-Ticket ride. Every little thing I do is magic," She
winked, and rested her hind end on the sink next to Bobbie. Bobbie
grabbed the cigarette with her thumb and forefinger, moving it over the
sink.
"C'mon, girl. You know you feel it? The rush of... well, everything. You
know they're staring, you obviously like it. Can't imagine anyone
dressing like that if they didn't."
"You feel her, I know you do. Why are you fighting so hard? There's
absolutely no reason to."
Bobbie looked at her. "If you say that we all float down here..." Bobbie
trailed off like a Wilhelm scream. Kim... "Where's your girlfriend?"
Bobbie wondered about Kim. Since Sylvia threw her out, she knew nothing.
Roxx cut her off with a laugh. "Kim? She parties way too hard for even
me, breaking it off," The evil grin returned. "It's all just sex and
drugs with her."
Bobbie inhaled on the cigarette one last time, she wanted to curl her
hands into fists and pummel the girl, but stopped. Why am I fighting?
Kim made her own choices. Like brother, like sister. She's right...
...isn't she?
Roxx smiled as Bobbie's cigarette butt gained a companion in the toilet.
"Don't forget to flush," Roxx said walking away. Bobbie saw the Kanji on
her back burning Ebony, twisting and like live Gakh. The sole sign that
she was marked by Lust. She could see that now, through the slithery
onyx.
"Lust," Bobbie breathed, understanding Roxx at last. The wrong she had
felt at the party, in this very bathroom. "Is it possible that this
might be the right team?" Bobbie couldn't shake the feeling for a long
time, she stayed quiet during lunch. Just thinking and pondering, and
for the first time...
Why are you fighting so hard?
Bobbie didn't know.
***
Faye had excused herself from Mr. Lesko's class, planning to meet Zoe in
the bathroom. She fired off a quick text to her most rebellious friend.
She smelled smoke when she entered the bathroom. Bobbie was standing
there, looking a million miles away.
"Bobbie? What the fuck? Are you smoking? I swear, what the hell is going
on with you?"
Bobbie looked at Faye from a distant star. "Roxx...she..." Bobbie looked
worried. "I've got to go..."
Chapter 53
Zoe had gotten the DHS cheerleader uniform out of Stacy's room with no
problems. She had been eating coffee cake that morning, Bobbie had sent
enough pastry to keep everyone snacking until Prom... Ugh, between the
increased sugar intake from the coffee cake and the saccharine sickly
sweet stamp of the students threatened her pancreas with permanent
shutdown. She had made plans with Bobbie to 'drop off the package' in
the restroom. Zoe had to laugh at the thought of Stacy blushing under
that zombie makeup. Like still water, Bobbie ran deep. The plan was to
hand off the outfit in the ladies during lunch. But her text had come
early. She saw Faye leave the bathroom hurriedly.
"Faye," she called, but was ignored. "Faye!" She called again, but was
gone around the corner.
She's been acting weird for a few days, I hope everything's okay.
Zoe entered the bathroom and passed the bag to Bobbie, who thanked her
and promised to get a picture of her sister's face as she ran away.
"Careful, Bobbie. She's a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Don't think your
boyfriend will be much help," She said.
Faye snickered. "Leave her to me."
"Wasn't Faye just in here?"
"Yeah...I..." Faye felt weird talking to Zoe about Faye. It's me in here,
dipshit.
"I've known Faye for a while, Bobbie," Zoe put her hand reassuringly on
Faye's forearm. "The building may fall, but she always walks out in slow
motion," She smiled broadly. "It's kind of her thing."
Faye put a bright smile on Bobbie's face. For all the things that had
happened since the switch, she appreciated hearing what others thought
of her. Nick, Zoe...
Rach... She missed Rach. Faye hadn't seen her since she came to get
Bobbie, and now with the injury...
Don't get me wrong, Tim. You made me feel... special. But, in a different
way. Faye really just wanted back to her own body, before Bobbie did
some real damage. She reflected over the pictures, both naked and not.
Smoothing things over with Allegra would be easy, provided nothing else
happened.
Faye looked down at the cheerleader uniform and grinned. Stacy would rue
the day she messed with Bobbie Sharpe.
Faye Valentine, dammit.
***
"Damn, Bobbie. I'm starting to like this badass streak of yours," Amber
was putting down her sandwich and pushing up her glasses while she
addressed Faye.
"Bobbie," Beth said with a sharp intake of breath. "You're gonna ditch?"
her eyebrows vanished into her hair.
"Absolutely, Yes. Look, Beth. Tim needs a night off. He can't do that
without some prep. So, I'm helping," Faye said. Beth smiled.
"We'll cover ya."
"Fuck yes."
"Bully!" Heather said, raising a fist. Everyone else looked at her.
"What?" She made a face. "You're right. Too outdated, even for me."
Faye looked at the Scooby gang and laughed through her nostrils. Here
was an odd bunch; some musicians, a baker, a dressmaker. But there...
between Amber and Beth, there was an empty space. Bobbie had told her
enough about Kim to see that they all missed her. She could see it in
all those assembled.
And now, Grrl Army was flying the missing man formation in honor of
their comrade.
Gone, but not forgotten... safe passage until the sisterhood is reunited.
Faye broke from lunch early and drove Bobbie's body out to where the
fence that marked the school perimeter lay, uniform in hand.
***
Kim swallowed two of the pills with a handful of water from the sink.
Just a couple to get through the rest of the day. She had noticed that
these weren't as good, hence the double dose. Kim was hoping to get in
some quality time with Roxx. She was so much more fun than the plastics
she used to hang around. More like Robb used to be.
Robb? How in the fuck had that happened? Robb, Bobbie... probably the
biggest one eighty ever. And Bobbie? Jesus H. Christ, even Barbie with
her pink sportscar and dreamhome couldn't out good girl Bobbie. She
thought of Roxx and smiled, life had been so much more fun since they
met on that day in the field.
Kim coughed and spat in the sink. Her cough had gotten both better and
worse, less coughing fits, but more severe coughing. Just a cold, wish
it would just go away. She frowned; she wanted to make sure Roxx didn't
catch whatever this was. Kim wanted to cuddle and kiss her girl, now
that they could share proximity again. She shrugged off and tripped over
her foot slightly as she left the bathroom.
***
Roxx... Lust... That means she's been a thrall the whole time...
Faye's voice: Justice said 'Until you learn what you're fighting
against', right? Is this what she meant?
Maybe...I just don't know. Can we talk about this later?
Bobbie couldn't handle school anymore today, she was walking out by the
perimeter fence where the...Ahh, still there. From time immemorial there
had been a spot in the fence that had been cut open. However often it
was fixed, it somehow always appeared again. Like a diabetic wound that
just wouldn't heal. Robb had been through this hole a few times, with
Melanie waiting for him on the other side. Bobbie smiled at the memory,
the thrill and flush of adrenalin that made his legs weak. A weakness
Bobbie was feeling at that moment.
"Bobbie? What the hell are you doing here?" a voice jolted her to the
here and now. Faye?
"I just can't take anymore today," said Bobbie nervously, the
conversation with Roxx still playing in her mind. She raised an eyebrow.
"What about you?"
"Me neither, going to that party out at the cemetery," Faye said
nonchalantly. "You're going, too. Right?"
Bobbie ignored the question as her eyes hardened. "You're taking Tim,
aren't you?"
Faye shot back defiantly, "Yes. I. Am," She pointed a blue nail at the
other girl and began wagging her finger. "He needs a night off. All he
does is homework and work the bakery. Why? Because of you. You fixed him
without even trying. You should be doing this."
"I told you already. That's not your call, Faye."
"Someone needs to do it. And it looks like I'm elected."
"Well," Bobbie put on a British accent. "I didn't vote for you."
"Y'know," Faye said, smiling and laughing through her nose. "I see why
you like him. He's sweet. He loves you, and..."
A slight cracking sound in the distance made both girls jerk their heads
in the same direction.
"Shit," Bobbie said. Smiling, she darted for the fence. "Gotta go," And
with practiced motions and perfect muscle memory, she rolled under the
hole and was gone. Faye followed suit with slightly less adroitness, but
was also under quickly. Faye looked around, but saw her old body
nowhere. Dammit. She looked down at the thin, white plastic bag that
kept the uniform dirt free.
"Bobbie? What the hell is going on with you?" And then she looked down
at the cheerleader outfit that she planned on wearing for Tim while she
took him to an illegal party.
"What the hell is going on with me?"
***
Roxx was walking out to the perimeter fence. She could see them talking.
Well, aren't they all buddy buddy?
Crack! She brought her heel down on a fallen branch. Why was she calling
her Faye? Roxx looked back to the campus.
"Well, that was easy."
One to go.
***
Mary was leaving campus quickly. Everyone was talking about Prom, and
she just couldn't take another word. All of her friends seemed to be
going, she moped. Maybe she'd been a little too forward with Bobbie.
It's just that she was so pretty, and smart, and...
It was almost love at first sight, she was standing there in the middle
of the crowd. But Mary couldn't see them clearly. Kim was playing the
bass on stage; she twitched the corners of her mouth upward. Mary
checked that she was at minimum safe distance before she pulled out a
cigarette and lit it. She walked, feeling the world's spin pulling her
down into a vortex of sadness.
"Why so glum, tiger?"
"Huh?" Mary looked up, terrified.
Roxx laughed. "Hard to see such a pretty face frowning."
Kim brought her eyelids down. "Where's Kim? Aren't you two still..."
Roxx laughed again. "Not so much. She's always busy doing something now.
Can't imagine what. Want some company?"
Mary smiled a little. "Sure."
"Got one of those for me, handsome?"
***
The door's clatter shook Tim from his focus on the audiobook he was
listening to while he pulled out the trays of candied bacon.
"Just a second!" he yelled, setting the hot tray on the cooling rack. He
came out to the counter and saw Bobbie. "Hey, aren't you supposed to be
at school?" he smiled, suddenly looking less tired.
"Aren't you?" Faye smiled. "Big Brother has Winston Smith killed just
like he saw the dissidents from earlier in the book. There, you should
have enough to write the report. Now, let me in there so you can get
this stuff done."
Faye almost pulled out Bobbie's phone and snapped a picture, his face
was absolutely irreproducible.
"You're going out tonight. No buts. Now, where can I hang this?" She
held up the opaque plastic bag.
***
Bobbie opened the door to find Nick gone. There was a quiet to the place
she hadn't noticed before. "Dammit," She said, trying to scratch at the
spot on her back that she just wished could pushed out the airlock. The
itching grew to a fever pitch as she entered the room. Stripping off her
clothes she bent slightly at the waist and rubbed her back against the
corner of the doorjamb. She thought that she had scratched too hard as
she felt the skin pull awkwardly. A couple minutes later, she leaned
against the wall. Still itching, but wanting to refrain from making the
surrounding skin any rawer.
She hadn't told Faye, or Zoe for that matter, that she would be
attending a different event. Faye would understand. It's work, besides...
She'll be busy with Tim. The thought of Tim and Faye partying out at the
graveyard rankled her. You should be doing this.
"Fuck you, Faye," Bobbie said looking at herself in the mirror. She took
advantage of the time alone she had to get herself ready for Luka. There
was some time spend in the cosplayer's graveyard that was Faye's closet.
Who in the hell did she think she was anyway? She nearly sprained an
elbow trying to get the bra's last hooks fastened. The fishnets, skirt,
and boots came together quickly enough. Bobbie had started to wear the
style of clothing Faye wore regularly wore. Her mind flashed back to the
girls Robb used to keep his desktop background company.
Once her makeup was done, it was a waiting game until she heard from
Luka. Powering on the game unit, Bobbie fought with many digitized
warriors. But her best combos were unleashed against the red headed
opponent that the computer had selected for her.
Roxx couldn't get out of her mind. Lust, she thought. Knowing that now,
Bobbie resolved to learn as much as she could about her. As Faye, the
information might be just that much easier to get.
***
Kim was walking through the field, she had decided to forgo the
cigarette that was usually her accompaniment. There was some noise out
and away by one of the rock piles that dotted the landscape. A laugh.
Roxx?
From nowhere she appeared, her red hair announcing her presence.
With someone else. Kim couldn't tell who it was.
Kim tried to delude herself into thinking there was a good reason for
what she was seeing. But, seeing Roxx and the unknown newcomer kiss and
grasp each other's hands cemented the reality for her. A particle of
nothingness expanded in the pit of her stomach. She felt her legs lose
strength and tears begin to deluge from her eyes. But, why?
She watched them walk out of the distance through vision distorted by
the salty tears that monsooned down her face.
Why?
***
Luka had the top down, Her Karmann Ghia roaring with acceleration as she
changed lanes onto the Delacroix offramp. Patsy Cline was singing about
walking after midnight, and Luka was thinking about the same thing. But,
doing the walking with Faye. She'd never met anyone like her. She exuded
confidence and sexiness in a way that her cornfed looks and willowy
frame would not allow.
Luka stomped the gas with a pink leather cowgirl boot and glanced over
at the empty seat that would soon be occupied by the one girl she'd met
who was obviously comfortable in her own skin. The phone was telling her
to turn off here and make a left at the light.
Okay, Faye. I'm on my way. Luka smiled.
***
Faye was chopping the candied bacon, while Tim was storing the batter
and frosting. "This should buy you a couple of hours."
"Bobbie, I gotta be honest. I'm not too sure about this," Tim said. "I
mean, I'm pretty far ahead on the schoolwork and everything, but..."
"Shh," Faye put up a finger to his lips. "All work and no play..."
He looked at the door. "Why do I feel like I should be expecting your
identical twin to come in here and join you in a chant of 'Come and Play
with us, Danny'?"
Faye laughed, "Forever and ever," She realized that she was going to
have to break down and watch some of this weird shit he keeps talking
about. Only getting about ten percent of his references was like full
contact Trivial Pursuit. "Let's get cleaned up?"
"Sure," Tim smiled. They turned to the cleaning duties, which were so
practiced that they were done quickly.
"Okay," Faye said, closing the broom closet. "Think I can take a shower
and get changed?"
"Sure, I'll be up in a minute.
Faye took the elevator up and entered the living room of the apartment.
Myka was hunched over a key board.
"Hey, Bobbie," Myka said without looking up. "You're here early."
"I'm making sure Tim goes out tonight. He's going to turn into a cupcake
if he spends anymore time down there."
Myka laughed.
She held up the plasic bag. "Was just going to take a shower. That
okay?"
Myka waved her hand. "Sure. Towels are in the cabinet."
Faye entered the bathroom and splayed out her purse's contents. She
entered the shower and scrubbed the remnants of frosting and batter from
her hands and face. She worked quickly and was done in a matter of
minutes. Hair washed and towel dried, Faye looked at herself in the
foggy mirror. The blue of her eyes showed through the condensation.
"Gimme an 'A'," She said as she looked closer at what she was doing. Top
and panties, pleated skirt. Faye almost couldn't believe she was wearing
this thing, it wasn't her first time in an outfit like this. The last
time had seen her draped on the hood of a Trans Am, luckily that ad
campaign had been scrapped.
It took her about an hour to finish up, and she emerged from the
bathroom. Tim was mid sandwich and Myka was looking at him laughing.
Upon seeing his very own cheerleader, he inhaled a mayonnaise coated
slice of rye bread with some shreds of sauerkraut still clinging to it.
Much coughing ensued as he turned to the sink.
"Bobbie!" Myka said. "You're a cheerleader? Tim, why didn't you tell
me?"
Regaining composure. "Because she isn't, Mom. Is it some kind of costume
party?"
Faye straightened one of the two blue bows that secured her partial twin
ponytails. "No. But, I've been your cheerleader for a while," She smiled
sweetly. "Thought I could dress the part for once," She absently brushed
at a red smear on her left shoulder.
Faye twitched her thumb behind her, towards the bathroom."Your turn. Get
ready. I'll be waiting right here, doing my makeup."
***
Nick finally came home to see Bobbie standing near the screen, screaming
at it while doubled over.
"Eat fist, fucking bitch. Gonna rip that red hair out with my hands.
Fucking slut."
Huaaaaa!
"Aww.. Allergic to Poizn?"
"Whoooa ooh. Ooooooh. Nice shootin' Tex," Nick said.
Bobbie glared at Nick.
"Ditched out, huh? Bad day?" he said, looking at the counter. "Faye?
Where's the coffee cake?"
The crumb studded plate on the table gave him the answer. He sighed.
"Fine," he grabbed himself a cola from the refrigerator and sat down.
"So you going to that party?"
Bobbie softened her face and looked at him. The yellow and green were so
prevalent, the reds and purples imbuing them with a sickly taint. She
smelled the detergent and milk again. "Nah, got a work thing. I can miss
an illegal party now and again. Keeps me mysterious."
Nick chuckled. "Yeah, I'm sure they'll survive being deprived of your
presence."
Bobbie batted her eyelashes. "Wanna save Metro City? There's not enough
fist when I play alone."
What the hell does that mean? Nick thought. He accepted the control pad
and selected Lucia. Bobbie looked at him funny, but ignored it as the
fists and feet of fury began to fly.
***
"Where the fuck is Faye?" Rach leaned on her crutch as she scanned the
parking lot. No sign of her girlfriend or the Camaro. She saw the hoodie
with the bobbing hood walking up the path and turned to face her. She
caught Zoe's shoulder clumsily. The other girl snatched her earbuds out
and flopped down her hood.
"Zoe, have you seen Faye?"
Zoe sighed. "Yeah, she took off earlier. She looked like something was
wrong."
Concern crossed Zoe's face. "Goddammit. She's been acting funny for
days. She say anything to you?"
"No. Seems okay to me. Dressing a little weird, just hanging out with
Bobbie for too long. The green hair looks a little weird, but..."
Rach frowned. "Think I can get a ride?"
"She left you? That doesn't sound like her at all. I suppose I can," Zoe
seemed slightly annoyed.
Leaving the campus. Rach looked at Zoe.
"Skipping the party tonight?"
"I heard about it, but with the ankle, no."
"I'm sure we'll get by."
Zoe turned up the radio, and took the quick side trip that would rid her
of Zoe for the night.
***
"I need that meat, you get the gems," Nick said, jamming buttons in
haphazard patterns.
"Got it," Bobbie said. She had taken to bashing every single female
target that appeared, Nick got the feeling that his roommate wasn't
talking about whatever it was that was bothering her. The opening of the
door didn't draw any attention as the button mashing continued.
"Hello," Faye called through the door with Tim in tow. Bobbie turned her
head and stared at Faye, her face full of both rage and worry.
"Oh, hey Bobbie," Nick said. "I'd love to say that I loved the coffee
cake. But, someone..." he jerked his thumb at Bobbie "...ate the whole
thing."
Faye scowled at Bobbie. "Faye, can I talk to you for a second?"
"Sure," She said, swinging her posterior dangerously close to Nick's
face. She made it down the hall slowly. Once inside, she saw her old
face as irritated as she had ever seen it.
"EVO keys, now. And what's with the coffee cake?"
Bobbie handed over the jingling mass of keys. "I can't believe you're
falling for this shit with him," She hissed, wanting to keep her voice
low.
"Roxx attacked him, I would say she has it out for you. How in the hell
else did your mom get that picture?" Faye shot back.
"Well, seems to me that you're the one she has it in for," Bobbie said.
"Have fun."
"You're not going?"
"Nah, got a work thing."
"Work thing?" Faye cocked an eyebrow. "This is my career you're talking
about."
"Hey, when this is over, you're gonna be famous. You're gonna thank me.
Don't leave loverboy waiting," Bobbie turned on a booted heel and left
the room.
"What the hell else can possibly happen?"
You asked. You sure you want the answer?
It wasn't until Faye had the EVO out on the road, with a hand on Tim's
knee that she started to feel comfortable about the situation. The
simple act of repositioning the seat and mirrors to accommodate her
different mass and volume did a lot to shake her from the reverie. The
graveyard beckoned, and Tim's night off was a priority she couldn't
shake.
***
Nick answered the door to a strange knock. He blinked several times
rapidly at the young woman at the door.
"Hi," She drawled. "Is Faye here?"
"Yeah, one second," he couldn't take his eyes off of her. She had on a
cowboy hat and boots. Torn, tight jeans, and a blue denim jacket that
set off her deep cornflower blue eyes.
"Faye," Nick called.
Bobbie came out to the door and looked at the rodeo queen that stood
before her.
"Luka, hi," Bobbie went forward and hugged her. A strange sight it was,
the goth emo princess, and the bronco bustin' beauty. "Let me get my
purse and I'll be out," A quick retrieval of the handbag saw Bobbie
leave so quickly that Nick could have sworn that he saw an afterimage of
her long after she left.
Chapter 54
Kim sat in the living room and swallowed two more of the pills. She
stared at the tv's blank, black screen.
Why, Roxx? What did I do? Whatever it was, I'm sorry.
The high came on, and whatever was wrong with this batch of pills was
suddenly gone. Kim was soon higher that she remembered being. It was as
if warm water washed over her, removing tension and pain. Sweet,
blissful detachment came over her. The screen played memories of her
time with Roxx. Kim became ambivalent, she missed Roxx already. The way
she felt when they were alone, the warmth of her cuddle, the raspberry
taste of her lip gloss.
Raspberry, an unusual choice. Kim couldn't feel anything at the moment,
and that was just the way she wanted it.
She thought of Roxx as her eyelids became superdense and fell lower and
lower. Her muscles relaxing, she sank into the couch and sleep.
...and the tomblike silence of oblivion.
***
Blue.....
Oh, so lonesome for you...
The radio was blaring, even still Bobbie had a hard time hearing it over
the roar of the passing wind that blew from every direction. The
Karmann-Ghia was every kind of agile as Luka deftly avoided every
possible accident, although she may have caused a few.
It was just after leaving Delacroix proper that she pulled off of the
freeway and found some desolate environ to stop and drink in some
silence. She got out and looked at the horizon, the sun dipping into
it's prismatic ending show for the day. She pulled a joint from her
purse and lit it.
"Gotta get my head right before I get there. These things are always so
fake."
"I've never been to one."
"Oh, they're all the same. Everyone comparing the work of the surgeon
that gave them their personalities," She inhaled deeply on the
intoxicant and offered it to Bobbie.
Bobbie took the joint and studied it. So nice to have this again.
Soon the two girls were stoned, and laughing at the things guys said to
girls in country songs. The faded convertible zipped back onto the
freeway, ferrying Bobbie to a world as unfamiliar to her now as
femininity had been when Bobbie was still learning what it meant to be
what she was.
The Walden came into view soon after they stopped to grab some bottled
water, the cottonmouth was unbearable. Slowing into the entrance, Luka
got out and tossed the keys to a waiting valet.
"Take good care of her, sugar," Luka drawled and touched the brim of her
hat.
The valet winked and bowed his head.
"Shall we?" Luka offered her arm.
Bobbie smiled.
"We shall." She linked her arm with the blonde girl and entered the
lobby.
***
Tim was a little confused.
He had been running a low level erection since seeing Bobbie come out of
the bathroom at home. It had been compounded by the fact that he could
feel her grinding against him from the back of the Vespa. Now, here he
sat in the passenger seat of Faye's car. Her very nice car. Listening
to a series of beeps, boops and throbbing bass.
"Doon-chicka-doon-doon. Chicka doon," Faye was singing along to music
that had no words. Hitting the steering wheel in time, she yelled. "DROP
THE BASS!" As if on command, the bass and the surface tracks came
together with the keyboard loop.
Bobbie was still Bobbie, but she had been acting funny since Spring
Break. Tim figured that there was just a lot on her mind. But, she never
screwed up a movie reference. Nor did she drive, or completely lose
control whenever someone played dubstep. But the warmth of her hand kept
feeding its kundalini into his left thigh.
"Don't worry, Tim," Faye yelled over the music. "We won't break too many
rules," Tim smiled weakly.
"When did you start driving?"
"Faye let me borrow the car. She's been teaching me," Faye said, not
liking the lie. Even though the flavor of truth was definitely on the
menu.
The EVO made its way to the side mounted klieg lights and jury rigged
sound equipment. Tim looked at the party. He remembered the parties he
used to attend, the things he did there. It had been a good long while
since Tim had been to one of these things. But, he trusted Bobbie.
So she was acting funny. Her whole life fell apart in a matter of weeks.
Tim felt the car roll to a stop. He exited the car, only to find Faye
there. She tenderly grabbed his hand.
"C'mon, let's get some fun in you," Faye said as she led him into the
pounding bass maelstrom.
***
Kim was still watching tv. Quirky little programs. Scenes of an all girl
band played.
Flip.
Scenes of some girls running around a bakery.
Flip.
Two teenagers on a Vespa.
Flip.
The faces were all blurry, Kim either couldn't or wouldn't get up. She
couldn't figure out which.
A busty Asian girl walked up to the seat she was a part of, carrying a
covered plate.
"Turkish Delight?" She said with a flourish, removing the cloche.
***
When Sylvia came home, her reaction was immediate. The nonreactivity of
her daughter, the foam around her mouth. She'd been afraid of this,
first with Robert, then with Kim. During the length of time it took for
her to dial 911, she feared that she would have lost both of her
children. She thought of Bobbie, and how none of this happened until she
came around.
By the time the paramedics showed up, Sylvia was crying as she watched
them bundle Kim onto a gurney and fitted with oxygen tubes. The EMT had
told her that Kim's labored breathing required oxygen. They asked her if
there were any prescription medications in the house. Sylvia responded
in the negative. She was mad at everything at that moment, busy clinging
on to Kim's hand, hoping and praying that her last link to Jeff would be
okay. Thinking only of Kim, with fleeting touches of Robert... Robert. She
wanted to scream, she wanted to hit something, but that would wait. She
was terrified. She kept out of the EMT's way while he watched and tried
to make small talk to cheer up the hysterical woman. Kim's breathing was
stabilized by the time they reached Delacroix General.
And Sylvia was scared.
***
"C'mon. Dance with me," Faye said to Tim, starting to swing her hips to
the beat. She was brushing against his Gap jeans fleetingly. The party
was impressive, DJ Plugman was laying it down. His new hardware making
the beats tighter than she remembered from the last party he'd played.
Tim tried to sway with her, but he seemed to be like Steve Martin in The
Jerk, his rhythm always off by microseconds.
After a couple of hours, Tim started to loosen up. His dancing looked
like an epileptic on fire coupled with someone trying to run away from
his own arm. Faye laughed and tried to incorporate some of the spasmodic
twitching into her own dancing.
"I..." Tim panted. "I need some water," Faye could barely hear him over
the music and the press of people jumping up and down. She led him out
of the dance pit and found the coolers full of water. They each grabbed
a bottle. Faye sipping hers, and Tim downing his in the time it took to
tell a knock knock joke.
"Bobbie," Tim said between ragged breaths. "How is it that you're not
sweating?"
"Magical cheerleader powers," Faye took another measured sip. Tim tried
to laugh, but his breathing wouldn't let him.
***
Stacy was similarly out of breath and was searching for water. She was
also feeling that Steve Martin feeling. She felt as if she had nothing
in common with these kids. She saw one of the Blue Devil cheerleaders
making out with a boy. She smiled, reminded of simpler times. When they
separated, she looked at the girl.
It was the porn queen and the burnout. The slight red stain on the left
shoulder told her everything she needed to know. When it had come back
from the cleaners, they told her that the red stain from the makeup
would never completely come out. That's my... how in the fuck? Zoe, oooh!
I'm gonna throw her out the window.
The memory of the theater suddenly fresh in her mind, she stomped
towards the couple.
"You..."
***
Faye was giddy, making out with Tim had that effect on her. So, it was
still a little strange. But it was strange in a wonderful and alien way.
"You... BITCH! Take it off," Stacy screamed. Faye snapped her head up. Oh,
shit.
"Why? I wear it better," Faye said defiantly, she grabbed Tim's hand.
"Gotta go," She whispered, pulling him away from the party and into the
foresty night.
Chapter 54
"Two fingers of Bulleit, one of Chambord, splash of club soda and
Angostino bitters," Bobbie said confidently to the bartender. She looked
at Luka. "Make it two," With bottles spinning and liquors flying, the
blonde girl with the gold vest presented the drinks quickly.
"Thanks," Bobbie and Luka stereoed.
Luka sipped at the drink. She coughed after the first, test sip. "Really
strong."
Bobbie sipped and smiled. "Good though, right?"
The girls looked out at the sea of blonde hair and gold lame. Ears
bobbed everywhere.
"We stand out a bit," Luka said. "Don't we?"
Bobbie looked closer at the room. She was the only brunette in the room
with breasts. Confronted with reminders of her old body everywhere, she
felt an odd alienation.
"Well," Luka drawled. "We should mingle, too much going on to stand here
and watch from a distance. Meet back here in an hour?"
"Sure," Bobbie smiled distantly. Luka's hat crested and troughed into
the crowd.
We're gonna need some bigger tits. Bobbie's mind played the sound bite
in Roy Scheider's voice. She saw an opening in the crowd, and wriggled
in. Just like the ski lift. She felt like a salmon swimming upstream,
drink in hand and pushing past platinum blondes, dishwater blondes, and
other shades that seemed to fade into each other. The room had an
undertone of greens and yellows. Lots of fear. She downed the last of
her drink.
"Sure is," a seductive voice. "Take your glass?" Bobbie looked around
into the face she'd grown increasingly too familiar with. Faye's face,
only this time with blonde hair.
"Yeah, sure."
"You shouldn't fight so hard. Maybe you'll enjoy it."
"Excuse me?" Bobbie said, puzzled.
"I've been to so many of these things over the years. Fighting just
makes it harder to get out."
"Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in." Bobbie set her
glass on the tray.
The Asian girl laughed. "You have no idea." And she was gone.
***
"What is it that you want?" said the woman with the tray.
"For you to fuck off and leave me alone," Kim flipped the channel again,
this time showing a redhead dancing. Tears started to leak from her left
eye.
"Oh, little one. You can still be together. I just need one thing from
you."
"Please tell me that you want me to tell you to fuck off."
The Woman made her mouth a tight line. "It's not too late you know. Roxx
only did what she did because it was for a greater good. I just need you
to help her do one, last thing..." Kim thought of all the time she had
spent with Roxx. The girl had made her feel special in a way no one else
had. She learned about more things than she ever knew possible.
"And Bobbie..." she began, waving a hand to the left.
"Yeah, she can fuck off, too. Robb was more fun." She trailed off. "When
he was around."
"Robb... yes, Bobbie."
Kim looked at The Woman, stunned. "You know about that?"
"Of course I do. I also know that she's hasn't been quite herself
lately."
Kim looked a little scared. She realized that she didn't know how long
she'd been sitting there.
Setting down the tray, she continued. "Didn't you notice anything funny
about that? I mean, first he's a girl. Then she starts baking cupcakes..."
Kim looked around. Why couldn't she get up? Why couldn't she recognize
any of the shows on tv?
The Woman smiled. "Where did you think you were? Those pills of yours do
a marvelous job of keeping one unconscious."
Kim started to panic, she suddenly felt leaden. "What did you do?"
Again, the laugh. But now, it was malevolent. "Me? Nothing. This was all
you."
"And Robb." Her voice deepened slightly.
"Robb...Bobbie? How?"
"If she hadn't shown up, everything would have been simple. I'd love to
tell you the whole story, but," She patted her head gingerly. "It
appears that time is something you don't have a lot of," The channel she
was watching faded to snow, then a bright smurf blue.
Kim's panic reached full velocity. "What do you want?"
***
Bobbie looked at the bartender. It was blonde Faye again. "What do you
want?"
"I just don't know anymore. I'm... I used to be such a loner. Just wanted
everyone to leave me alone. I guess I got my wish," Bobbie brushed her
hair over a shoulder.
Blonde Faye smiled. "I meant to drink?"
"Oh, sorry. Scotch rocks?"
"You look like a single malt girl. Isley?" She blurred behind her and
had a drink poured with inhuman grace. "Macallan 15."
"Thanks," Bobbie said curtly, casting her eyes down. She turned. Luka's
hat had disappeared some time ago, leaving her cut off and not knowing
where to find her. Getting a drink let her view the carousel of yellow
hair and bunny ears, hoping to catch the one face she knew in the crowd.
"You know," The bartender said. "You can have whatever you want. You
just need to let yourself go a little. Joan of Arc didn't stand idly
by."
Bobbie turned back to blonde Faye, she gave a questioning look.
"Sorry, I just love history. But, if there's one thing I've learned at
this job is that if you want something, you have to just take it. It's
not a party until something breaks."
Bobbie sipped at her scotch, it burned peatily all the way down.
Settling into her stomach she considered leaving, but thought...
Let's try another lap.
***
Beth was getting ready for bed when the phone rang. She could hear her
father talking in alternating tones of excitement and utter calm.
"Beth!" Roy yelled. He knocked and opened her door. "I've gotta go.
Sylvia and Kim are at the hospital."
"Hospital? Why, everyone OK?"
"No, Sylvia's fine, but something's wrong with Kim."
Oh, no. Beth thought. She remembered their failed intervention. "Kim,"
Beth started to feel her eyes burn and mist. Roy hugged his daughter.
"She'll be fine, I'm sure. But I'll be back, can you get to school
tomorrow and everything?"
She wiped her eyes. "Yes, daddy. I'll call Heather."
Roy grabbed some things and hurriedly left. Beth immediately got on the
phone to sort out the logistics of staying home alone. It almost never
happened, when it did, it was usually a fun experience. But not tonight.
Beth activated her phone and contacted Heather.
***
Bzzt Bzzt!
Heather was cleaning her face when the phone rang. Looking at the screen
she saw a picture of Beth, smiling with Steve. Wearing a dress she made,
the red one with the polka dots. The one Steve liked. She smiled and
fingered the accept bar to the right.
The aftergrin from her laugh vaporized. "Sweet residence. Heather
speaking," She laughed. "Hi, Beth. What's up?"
"It's Kim," Beth blurted anxiously. "She's at the hospital. I think... I
think..."
"I'll be right there," Heather was out the door in her sweatpants and
baggy t-shirt so quickly that the filmy soap had dried before she
arrived at Beth's house.
Beth had the door open in time for Heather to enter the room.
"Everything will be okay. I'm here," Heather had said.
"Kim." Beth sobbed into Heather's bathrobe, hugging her.
"She'll be okay," Heather said.
"She didn't listen to us," Beth continued to cry. The intervention had
left everyone worried about Kim, only to have their fears realizing
right in front of them. Heather felt her eyes leak as well. She wanted
to just scream, she thought of Roxx.
I'll fucking kill her. Heather felt a rage she was unaware of building
within her, as if Audrey Hepburn became the Hulk. Heather wiped her
face as she pulled away. She rubbed the tears and filmy soap between her
thumb and finger, she studied the streaky substance.
"Get dressed. We're going," Heather said. "Just let me wash my face."
"But, School, and Daddy..." Beth wasn't sure about this. Going out on a
school night was similarly unusual.
And a decidedly unenjoyable experience this time.
"It's Kim," Heather said. Beth could see Heather's upset face. "We're
going. Grrl Army leaves no one behind."
The car was off with both girls. Beth calling Bella and Amber...
And everyone suddenly trying frantically to reach Bobbie.
***
The fabric of Faye's seat vibrated. She'd left Bobbie's phone there
along with her purse. The uniform had no pockets, so she was
unreachable. The rumbles and beeps went unnoticed as the voicemails and
text messages started to pile up.
***
Stacy was tromping around the semi forest. There was anger over the full
bottle of water that spilled on her, making it see through and clingy.
"Hope you're having fun blowing your pet burnout."
Where is that bitch?
And how did Zoe get the uniform out of the house? She resolved to have
some words with her sister when she got home...
Right after she spent some time doing some sparring practice with an
unwilling opponent.
***
Faye was on top of Tim. Her breath smelled of peppermint, her blonde
hair falling into his face and tickling his nose. They could hear Stacy
stomping around out there, stringing random syllables together.
Something about her being wet and 'gonna kill her', before finally
fading off into the distance.
They lay, unmoving. Smiling and trying not to laugh as they looked into
each other's eyes. Faye's laugh was the first to break the silence. How
long had they been there? Time both stood still and was irrelevant. She
bent forward and kissed Tim. His response was immediate, the moment
overtaking him. Showing up at the bakery like that, making him go out
and be a little irresponsible. He could feel how much she cared about
him, the warm, soothing embrace and the shared heat of their bodies.
His arousal was at a fever pitch. Her sheer presence was doing something
to him unlike anything else. His hand reached for a breast, he thought
better of it and started to pull his hand away. Faye gripped his wrist
and pulled it back, forcing him to squeeze.
"Mmmm," Faye moaned, she felt his other hand slide down her thigh. It
then doubled back to touch the lacy, sheer undergarment beneath.
Tim smiled. "Nice underwear," he ran his finger along the inside of the
lacy waistband, recording the tactile sensation of the sheer fabric.
"Shut up," Faye said as she kissed him again. She felt the throbbing
heat of him as she brought her hand closer to the button of his jeans.
Tim hesitated.
"It won't be like with Roxx, I promise," Faye moved in again, feeling
Tim relax under her. He sat up, klutzily trying to undo her bra strap
with one hand and trying to move down Faye's panties with the other. She
found his clumsiness sweet, endearing. Practice had seen Faye become
highly adept with Rach's buttons. But Tim had on button fly jeans, which
meant that she had to repeat the process five times. She watched him
bite his bottom lip as her hand felt the rough cloth of his boxer
briefs. Boxer briefs? Had him for a tighty whiteys kind of guy.
Tim was feeling like he just won the lottery, it wasn't like their date.
This place, this night, this moment. Hiding from Stacy, the adrenalin
and endorphins coursing throughout his veins.
Faye gasped as Tim's hand reached the inside of her thigh, a vapor trail
of inflamed passion chalked its way into her skin. She hooked a finger
around the elastic waistband and pulled down the maroon underwear. His
erect penis pointed skyward. Faye grabbed it, gently sliding her hand
along the shaft.
Faye, looking at the fleshy protrusion in her hand, stared at it. If
you had told me just two years ago, this was gonna happen. I would have
called you a fuckwich. Strangely, she remembered where all the nerve
endings were and how best to control the activity. Just like riding a
bike... with testicles. He sat up again, sliding the unfastened bra and
the cheerleader top upward with his calloused hands. Tim twisted his
hips to move Faye under him, she complied effortlessly. She felt him
start to slide down the panties, Faye lifted her hips to grant the
intimate item passage as they slid down the smooth, toned legs.
The part of Faye that she didn't like to talk about at parties, while
still done with her, looked on as Tim entered her. She gasped as she
felt him invade a place that had never had contact like this. Faye felt
her insides stiffen as her pussy gripped and clenched, throbbed in time
with him. The peristaltic action brought him closer and closer to
orgasm.
"Bobbie..." His bit back his moans and cries, lest Stacy come back and
perform the kata of coitus interruptus. The pumping action slowed
slightly. Faye took the opportunity to flip him back over quickly,
allowing herself to be impaled on his erect manhood.
***
Faye took control. Keeping a thought straight was becoming increasingly
difficult.
Hey there, Cinderella. What would Kane say?
Not now, busy.
What about Rach?
I will find you and have you removed from my brain. I don't care if I
can't do math.
That's the point, nitwit. Bobbie's brain, boyfriend...
Her life.
Faye bit her lip as she felt Tim spasm his entire body. Still...ooh...st....
BUSY!
Faye felt herself glow from within, a light candy coating of
perspiration washed over her like a tide. She laughed, collapsing onto
him and rubbing her nose on the side of his neck. Tim's arm came around
to the small of her back, then further, to slither around her hip. He
squeezed her close to him. Their eyes caught each other.
It wasn't until they had both lost circulation in one of their hips
before they decided to get up from their position. The disentangling of
their bodies was a delicate dance of directionless moving and scant
avoidance of being struck by an errant knee or elbow. Finally fully
dressed and vertical, fingers again entwined, they headed back through
the last stragglers of the party starting to clean the party zone. There
were people cleaning up the streamers and empty cups. The kegs were long
gone, DJ Plugman had removed his implements of doom. The sound of the
bass and the sense memory of the rhythmic intimate dance they had just
shared persisted in their heads as they reached the white EVO. Tim
looked at the plate. He stifled a laugh at the license plate that hung
proudly in the rear bumper's center.
NT UR followed by a blue heart.
"Definitely Faye's car. Not your Valentine. Ha," Tim brought Faye in for
a closer, more personal hug. "Bobbie."
"Hmmm?" Faye said, feeling herself melt into Tim. Heightened senses left
Faye with a lingering smell of leather and wood.
Tim was still grinning from ear to ear like a five year old with a dozen
cookies. He looked into the eyes he'd been lost in so often, he'd
started to find his way around in there. "You made me go out tonight."
"I did," She looked back in.
"You saved my dad's dream, you fixed my mom you...you...."
"Bobbie Sharpe, I think I love you."
Faye blinked.
I TRIED TO FUCKING WARN YOU.
"I...I love you, too," Faye said. She thought back. His tears at the
store, his drunken apology. That date. She swelled inside, being asked
to the prom was special. This, on the other hand was something new,
stratospheric. They entered the car and drove away into the twilight,
taking one of the long roads back into Delacroix proper. The phone,
devoid of charge lay silent and dormant under her seat. Tim couldn't
stop staring at Faye the whole way home, the repetitive music playing in
their heads over the silence.
She heard a siren in the background.
No, no, no. The cherry red and raspberry blue lights came on and spun
rapidly.
"Bobbie? You don't have a license, do you?"
Faye smiled at him. "Uh, no. I don't."
"We're gonna go to jail," Tim hung his head.
"Don't freak out yet," Faye rolled the evo to a stop on the quiet road.
Faye kept her hands on the steering wheel as she saw the flashlights
come up on both sides of the car. She rolled her window down.
"Do you know why I pulled you over?" A voice asked from a dark face
above the flashlight's bulb.
"Uh," Faye began. "I was driving?" She smiled paralegically.
The officer laughed. Tim knew that laugh. "Officer Hudson?" he rolled
down his window. "Officer Hobson?"
"Tim, what are you doing out here? We were checking some noise reports,
but we didn't find anything."
"Yeah, We didn't see anything," Faye said quickly.
"So, this is Bobbie."
The flashlight in the driver's window dropped suddenly. "Nice to finally
meet you. You're right Tim. She's gorgeous," Faye blushed.
"Go on, get out of here. My wife would never forgive me if I wasn't able
to bring home any more of those maple bacon ones," Officer Hudson said.
"Thanks."
"No problem. And Bobbie?"
"Yes, officer?"
"Get Faye's car back to her. You're a better driver than she is, but she
needs to fix that brake light."
"Thank you," Faye said, feeling odd since it was her car.
"You kids get home. It's a school night," Officers Hudson and Hobson
turned and wa