My Dad's College Friends - Cassandra Dee Page 0,13

driveway.

School is okay. It’s pretty much the same every day now, this close to graduation. But there is one downside: even though I try to avoid Roger, it seems that he doesn’t want to avoid me. I darted around corners whenever I saw his hulking frame, and literally ran into the women’s bathroom at lunch to try and hide from him. But when the last bell rang, the game was up, and Roger finally caught up to me.

“Amelia, can we talk about last night?”

I shoot him a hard stare.

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

He shakes his head.

“Of course, there is. I know that you must be struggling with what you saw, but nothing has to change, you know. In fact, this works out perfectly. I can publicly be with you while continuing my affair with Carmen behind closed doors.”

My jaw practically drops to the ground.

“You must be out of your damn mind to think that I would agree to something like that. Are you fucking kidding me?”

Roger has the temerity to look puzzled.

“Why, what’s wrong with what I just said?”

I stare at him.

“You want me to be your beard? While you enjoy fucking your stepsister? NO!”

Roger looks around while shushing me.

“You know, I really don’t appreciate your indiscretion. There are other people walking around right now.”

I glare at him.

“You’re lucky I don’t scream the truth out to everyone right now!”

He rolls his eyes and shoots a disgusted look at me.

“You’re really something, you know that, Amelia?”

Again, I’m taken aback by his words.

“I’m something? How about you?”

This seems to set him off as he leans over to laugh with tears coming down his cheeks. With one last guffaw, he stands back up.

“Obviously, you’re not very smart. You’re good with books, but you’re not street smart, Amelia. Who do you think is going to believe you? Who do you think is going to date you, if not me? Who could possibly be attracted to you? I mean you have a pretty face, yeah, but don’t kid yourself. You’re a tub of lard, and look like you just swallowed your twin. It’s fucking disgusting, and you should seriously consider my offer. I’m doing you a favor, not the other way around.”

Pushing past Roger, I run towards the parking lot. Hot tears stream down my cheeks, and it kills me, but I can’t run very fast. Like a maimed elephant, I stumble onto the blacktop before stopping next to my car.

Suddenly, a loud voice interrupts my thoughts.

“Amelia! Amelia MacKinnon, if you don’t stop right now, I swear you’re going to be sorry!”

Turning, I see my best friend Toni sprinting after me with her blonde ponytail swinging back and forth like a metronome. Leaning against my car, I wait for her to catch up while swiping at my tear-stained cheeks. When she finally manages to catch up, she stares at me with a frown.

“Someone had better be dying after you made me run all the way here. I know you heard me screaming your name, Amelia.”

“Sorry Toni. I really didn’t.”

She pats my arm sympathetically.

“I know why you’re crying. I swear I hate the douches at this school. The entire time I was running over here, all I heard were catcalls and jeers about my tits flopping all over the place. I cannot WAIT until we graduate so that we can be around some real men.”

I stare at her.

“They said that?”

She nods.

“Hell yeah. It’s our bodies, Amelia. Look at us. We’re big girls, so people think that gives them license to be rude and crass.”

I shake my head. I’m so sick of this body image stuff, and don’t even want to hear about it anymore.

“What’s up, Toni? What’s the big rush?”

She shifts her books to balance against her hip.

“Well, Darren James is screwing Milly Trainor behind the bleachers, is what I heard. Cindy Perkins is over getting “perked” by Coach Stam. And Mrs. Rincon, you know who teaches first period English, is doing it with Alex Kramer during study halls.”

I stare at her.

“Eeeew! No way.”

Toni giggles.

“Okay, I’m not sure about Mrs. Rincon, but I think it’s true. Now back to you girlie. You’ve been withdrawn all day and now you’re running from school. Plus, the tears. I know it’s not just the usual catcalls. What’s up with you Amelia?”

Deciding that I didn’t want to have this conversation outside where anyone could hear, I pointed to the car as I walked around to climb into the driver’s side. Waiting for Toni to climb in and shut the door,