Rating: So far, PG-13... a couple of bad words thrown in, you know what a potty-mouth I have!
Feedback: I need it to live, without it I am nothing and you wouldn't want that, would you... Please let me know what you think at pilar@chickmail.com. Thanks for even getting this far...
"Are you kidding me? Why would I envy the Capeside Geek Society? I just so happen to be observing them as part of a sociological study on the mating rituals of the pathetic and useless," she snapped back.
"You know... I could show you some mating rituals--if you're looking for a control group reference." He raised his eyebrows seductively at her and she rolled her eyes in return. In your dreams...
"Chris--when I'm looking for Jen Lindley's sloppy seconds, I'll let you know. Until then, why don't you slink back under the bleachers and and get abck to looking under the pep squad's skirts."
"I'll be waiting for you, baby, whenever you're ready for a real man." He wandered past her and into a classroom, as the final bell rang.
The halls emptied as Abby stood transfixed, watching the couples separate. "Andie McPhee walked toward her class, pretending to enter, all the while keeping her eyes on her boyfriend as he sauntered away and turned the corner. Paranoid, she looked around her as he disappeared. She exited the class, breaking into a run towards the doors leading to the outside. They made a loud bang as she hit them and tore to her car, screeching from the school parking lot.
Abby midlessly wandered inthe direction that Pacey Witter had gone. She could miss another English class, it wasn't as if she could get lower than the F she had already earned for herself. Pushing open a set of double doors, she entered the darkened auditorium and walked towards the stage. She always came here when she wanted to be alone. This time, somebody else had beaten her, invading her space of solace. She took a seat behind him, fighting off the urge to brush her fingers across the soft down of hair on the nape of his neck.
"I just saw your psycho girlfriend take off from the parking lot. Quick run to the loony bin, I suppose?"
"Fuck off, Abby." She froze for a moment. Abby never really meant to say the things that came out of her mouth; the words just flew from between her lips. Often, she regretted them immediately. She stood and walked to the row of seats ahead of him, turning backwards in her chair, she could see him fighting back tears as he looked away from her.
"I'm sorry, Pacey--I didn't honestly mean that--really..."
"Get out of here. Go spread your special brand of cheer elsewhere. Please."
She knew that she deserved his acidic tone and looked towards her feet, biting her lips and trying to think of something to say to redeem herself. Nothing came. Apologizing again, she rose and began to exit the auditorium, her platform heels making hollow clicks on the tiled floor. Nearing the door, she turned back to him, still sitting motionless and staring at the stage. She took a deep breath.
"Um... I know that you hate my guts and all, and I know you'd never want to talk to me, but if you need someone to... well... uh... I know you've got enough friends, but if you want to talk, I'm around. Sorry..."
He turned to look at her, silhouetted against the light from the open door, and furrowed his brows in disbelief.
"Uh... thanks, Abby", it sounded more like a question than anything else. She pushed through the doors and walked out, of the auditorium and then the school.
Abby roamed Capeside with no destination in mind, her heart hurt and she was tiring of being the bitch that everyone hated. She didn't understand herself, when had she become so insufferable? After a time, she found herself at the docks.
Sitting and staring out towards the water, she thought about her increasing attitude problem, getting out of Capeside, making an entirely new life for herself. One where no one had cultivated such negative opinions of her.
Everyone, by now, had come to expect her to be nasty, she really had never not been. Ever since Junior High, in another small town, she had realized that her life was too boring and mundane and that she had a special talent for creating drama and havoc. It gave her a certain amount of pleasure watching other people suffer. But on the other hand, she was miserable, and at this rate, she would remain the virgin no one thought she was, until she died.
The sound of footsteps startled her out of her thoughts. It was getting darker and she realized that she should probably start towards home, but she sat still, not wanting to deal with her mother, and already hours later than she was expected. She would make up another story about hanging out with some non-existant friends at their house. She would believe her, she always did.
The footsteps stopped coming closer and she turned her head slowly to see their owner. Pacey Witter stood feet behind her, stopped in his tracks. He looked as if he wasn't sure what to do with himself, as though he'd been looking for the same silence she had found on the docks. She turned her head back around slowly and listened as his footsteps moved away from her, to another bench, the wood creaking beneath his weight as he sat.
If he wanted to talk to her, he would. She thought that maybe, if she kept her acerbic mouth shut for once in her life, he would interpret it as her attempt to be nice, to respect his feelings and leave him alone.
Pacey's eyes met the water and he gazed out; past the lights of the boats moored near the docks, past the horizon line, wondering what the hell he was doing there. His day was ending as horridly as it had began. The argument with Andie, her declining mental state, what she wanted him to be... he couldn't be manipulated and he told her so. He didn't want it to be like that between them, he wanted her to accept him for who he was. Is that so much to ask? He shouldn't have to change into some other person for anyone to love him. His father, Doug, Andie--all the same, they thought he wasn't good enough, he was supposed to change for them. Fuck 'em all he thought to himself wearily. He didn't want to be anyone's golden boy, not if it meant betraying himself. To thine own self be true, he let out a small laugh, surprised that he heard Abby do the same.
They looked towards each other, a few benches separating them, and began to laugh uncontrollably. Nervousness? Possibly, an odd moment, certainly. For the time being, they shared the parallel expression. Finally, out of breath, she spoke to him.
"What?"
"You first."
"I was trying to come up with another lie to tell my mother about why I'm not home yet, make up something about having friends to hang out with. Funny, huh? And you?"
"I broke up with Andie this morning, she thought that she could mold me into some straight-A student, perfect boyfriend--hilarious."
"We're just pathetic today, aren't we? In the prime of our lives, depressed and screwed up. Excellent."
"Yup. Fantastic."
"I'm sorry about Andie, you guys looked like you were real happy together."
"I could have really fallen in love with her, if she'd just let me be myself. What is it with you people, women, why does it always have to be your way?"
"I think you're fine the way you are, Pacey."
"Whatever... I mean, uh, thanks."
"Well, I should go face the music at home..."
"I'll walk with you, you are going my way."
She smiled at him then. Abby had harbored a small crush on Pacey since she'd seen him in one of her first classes in Capeside, when she'd moved into town. As always, she had made a horrible first impression and it had gone on like that ever since. Maybe now, they could go get beyond that and move on.
"Gee... what are your friends going to think if they see you walking the streets with Capeside's Lady Lucifer?", she winked at him, smiling.
"Like I've ever gave a shit what anybody thinks of me..."
"That's exactly what I like about you, Pacey."
"You like something about me. I was under the impression that you hated everything and everybody in Capeside."
"Shows how little you know".
"I guess so..."
He walked her to her house, standing at the curb as the porch lights came on and she walked to the front door, turning and waving back to him. She mouthed the words "Thank you", and he nodded. "Same here, coming from his lips. She watched from the entry as he made his way up her street towards home.
To Be Continued....