Mothballs
A huddle of cheerleaders by the lockers sniggered as she sulked past them. It was the third group of students to give her that reaction this morning. And she'd only been in the building twenty minutes.
"You were great last night!" One of the popular guys elbowed her as she sat down in her seat ready for English. She twisted to glare back at him but he was already laughing and pointing with his jock friends. There was no point in pushing the matter.
The bell rang and lunchtime began. Hundreds of students piled into the long hallway, some heading towards the canteen, some towards the parking lot to travel else where for lunch.
She had honestly thought the snide comments and sniggers would have died down by now. But no. They had continued through out her first few lessons of the day. And without a doubt then continue for the remained.
She dumped her heavy rucksack into her locker, then stood. Taking a deep breath she composed herself and headed down the corridor to fresh hair.
"Well if it isn't Miss Lindley." The sarcastic comment full of laughter hit her as soon as she'd reached the main doorway. "Quite a show you put on the other night. I don't think some of the guys at the party had ever seen a strip show before."
"Leave me alone Drue." She pushed past him and ran to the nearest empty space.
She sat there, on a piece of wall behind the school, for a long time. She didn't know how she'd managed to make it to classes today. Her head throbbed and she constantly felt sick. Last night had been terrible and worst of all; she could recall pretty much everything.
Before the party, held at some guy's house in the senior year with which she'd hooked up with once, she'd down half a bottle of vodka to get her in the mood. She'd had a shitty day at school and wanted to unwind. Once there the alcohol was flowing, every drink you could want was one hand as well as a number of drugs floating around. She couldn't remember exactly what she'd drunk or taken but she vividly remembered, as Drue had said, performing a strip tease on a table top to a bunch of jocks. Then she passed out and woke up at home.
-----
The end of day bell didn't come soon enough. But when it did she knew the nightmare was over. She'd made it through the afternoon with fewer comments than she'd had that morning. There was of course the odd glare from a jealous girl who'd boyfriend had hit on her.
She rushed to her locker to avoid any more comments so she could drop off any books she didn't need for the evening. A night in would be a good idea.
"You were very rude earlier Jennifer." The same mocking tone that had greeted her at lunch appeared by her locker door.
"Screw you." She slammed her locker door and turned to leave.
As she disappeared down the corridor, Drue watched, "And that the thanks I get for making sure you got home safely."
The hallway emptied the further along it she walked. She appreciated the silence. She turned left and into the auditorium. At the back was her favourite place in school. The smell of mothballs hit her as she entered. Walking down the rails of costumes, she found her small stool. She pulled the nearest item of clothing, Lady MacBeth's clock, and curled up in it.
Everything seemed better.
A huddle of cheerleaders by the lockers sniggered as she sulked past them. It was the third group of students to give her that reaction this morning. And she'd only been in the building twenty minutes.
"You were great last night!" One of the popular guys elbowed her as she sat down in her seat ready for English. She twisted to glare back at him but he was already laughing and pointing with his jock friends. There was no point in pushing the matter.
The bell rang and lunchtime began. Hundreds of students piled into the long hallway, some heading towards the canteen, some towards the parking lot to travel else where for lunch.
She had honestly thought the snide comments and sniggers would have died down by now. But no. They had continued through out her first few lessons of the day. And without a doubt then continue for the remained.
She dumped her heavy rucksack into her locker, then stood. Taking a deep breath she composed herself and headed down the corridor to fresh hair.
"Well if it isn't Miss Lindley." The sarcastic comment full of laughter hit her as soon as she'd reached the main doorway. "Quite a show you put on the other night. I don't think some of the guys at the party had ever seen a strip show before."
"Leave me alone Drue." She pushed past him and ran to the nearest empty space.
She sat there, on a piece of wall behind the school, for a long time. She didn't know how she'd managed to make it to classes today. Her head throbbed and she constantly felt sick. Last night had been terrible and worst of all; she could recall pretty much everything.
Before the party, held at some guy's house in the senior year with which she'd hooked up with once, she'd down half a bottle of vodka to get her in the mood. She'd had a shitty day at school and wanted to unwind. Once there the alcohol was flowing, every drink you could want was one hand as well as a number of drugs floating around. She couldn't remember exactly what she'd drunk or taken but she vividly remembered, as Drue had said, performing a strip tease on a table top to a bunch of jocks. Then she passed out and woke up at home.
-----
The end of day bell didn't come soon enough. But when it did she knew the nightmare was over. She'd made it through the afternoon with fewer comments than she'd had that morning. There was of course the odd glare from a jealous girl who'd boyfriend had hit on her.
She rushed to her locker to avoid any more comments so she could drop off any books she didn't need for the evening. A night in would be a good idea.
"You were very rude earlier Jennifer." The same mocking tone that had greeted her at lunch appeared by her locker door.
"Screw you." She slammed her locker door and turned to leave.
As she disappeared down the corridor, Drue watched, "And that the thanks I get for making sure you got home safely."
The hallway emptied the further along it she walked. She appreciated the silence. She turned left and into the auditorium. At the back was her favourite place in school. The smell of mothballs hit her as she entered. Walking down the rails of costumes, she found her small stool. She pulled the nearest item of clothing, Lady MacBeth's clock, and curled up in it.
Everything seemed better.