a lot of effort not to laugh. I’m sure she was expecting me to call her chicken legs or one of the other variations we tag each other with, but I like being unpredictable. Keeps her on her toes.
Besides, ‘chicken legs’ doesn’t describe Violet anymore. So, if I’m gonna use it, I have to make it good.
Abigail peers at me suspiciously. “What’s got you in such a good mood? Did you get a D- on your biology exam, instead of an F?”
“I came bearing a gift, actually,” I say. “For beautiful Violet.”
“What the hell—” Violet begins to say as she tries to unsuccessfully pull away from me, totally wary and expecting a punchline any moment. Smart girl.
“How about some frog legs to go along with those chicken legs?” I yell, pulling the not-yet-dissected dead frog I borrowed from Biology from behind my back and stuffing it down the front of Violet’s shirt.
Caught off guard, Violet lets out an ear-piercing scream, grabbing at her shirt as she tries to get the frog off her. Between the two of us, her shirt gets more than a little stretched out, and her red lacy bra flashes for a split second.
I’m shocked for a moment, not having expected to expose her. But then she takes off running for the girl’s bathroom, still screeching like a banshee, and like the immature asshole I am, I double over in laughter. Nearby, all of my buddies and boys up and down the hall are laughing and pointing as Violet’s screams echo through the hallway.
“Dammit, Ross, why do you have to be such an asshole to her? She’s my best friend!” Abigail hisses angrily, punching me in the chest. “Why can’t you ever just leave Violet alone?”
“Calm down, Abs. It’s just a joke,” I say defensively, surprised at how angry Abi is.
We play pranks on each other all the time like this, and Abi is usually a good sport about the casual warfare Violet and I have against each other.
But not this time.
It did go a little further than I’d intended, but Violet’s cool. She’ll be pissed and then come back at me just as hard. I’ll have to be on the lookout for her retaliation.
Furious, Abi lets out a disgusted huff. “Stuffing a frog down her shirt is your idea of a joke? Grow up, Ross! You probably just ruined her favorite shirt, the one her grandpa gave her for Christmas! And half the football team just saw her bra.”
For the first time in a long time, I feel a pinch of shame. Maybe I took my juvenile antics just a little too far this time. I look back to my boys and see them high-fiving each other and realize that I might’ve put a target on Violet that I didn’t intend.
Some of the guys think the incoming freshmen are ‘fresh meat’, and I had to put a bounty on both Abigail’s and Violet’s heads to make sure no one would touch them. Just a big brother looking out, but I might have to refresh the guys’ memory about Vi being off limits after that little show.
Shit.
“Sorry, Abs. I didn’t mean—”
Abigail shakes her head, and I can feel the disappointment coming off her in waves, even as she glares daggers at me. “You never do, but sometimes, I wonder about you, Ross.”
I begin to argue. “I’m just having fun—”
“Yo, Ross, that was epic! Get your ass over here!” My best friend and buddy, Kaede, calls from my locker, laughing.
“Go and have your little laugh with your friends . . . at Violet’s expense.” The accusation burns, but she’s not remotely done. “But I expect you to give Violet a sincere apology after school . . . or else,” Abi threatens, letting me know she’s going to tell Mom, who can be absolutely ruthless in making me apologize whenever I get too out of line. I might be an asshole to most, but not to my mother.
Once she’s sure I understood her threat, Abi walks off in the direction of the girl’s bathroom in search of Violet.
As I watch her go, I keep telling myself that Abigail’s full of shit.
I didn’t take it too far, did I? It was all in fun, and Violet’s fine. Hell, she’s probably plotting her vengeance right now. She’s good like that, exciting, challenging, likes to give as good as she takes. But I’ll apologize to keeps Abs off my back. Probably have to guard my balls so Violet doesn’t rip them off,