Chapter XXI:

"Sticking The Oar In"

Elliott grunted as she hurled the pebble with as much force as she could muster. It went pretty far actually, and it skipped three times on the water's surface before disappearing below with a low plop. She watched the ripples for a minute and then reached down to pick another smooth stone up from the snow at her feet.

'Okay,' Gary nodded, fiddling with his beanie hat as he leaned against one of the wooden posts that held up the pier. 'This is how it's going to happen.'

Elliott threw the next stone and stayed silent. Before her run in with Jimmy Hopkins she had been planning on going back to the Girl's Dorm and sneaking back to bed. She certainly didn't want to see Gary today, but Jimmy had struck something in her. And, as usual, she knew just where to find Gary because he knew just where she would look for him.

'Lola has arranged to meet Gord this afternoon in Bullworth Town. Johnny Vincent and the rest of the Greasers will be in New Coventry, probably braiding each other's hair and trying to salvage the last of their manliness. What you have to do is go down to New Coventry, find Johnny, and tell him that Lola is with Gord.'

Elliott frowned down at the ground as she kicked the snow away in search of another pebble. 'That's it? Won't Johnny just laugh at me?'

Gary chuckled. 'You don't know Johnny. And hint that Lola is a two timing little slut and he'll either break down in tears or beat the crap out of you.'

'Great. So he's either going to give me another black eye or get bogies all over my shoulder.'

Gary pushed away from the post and joined her side. 'You're a girl. He's not going to beat the crap out of you. And plus he probably knows that you've been spending time with Lola. He'll have no reason not to believe you. And the other Greasers hate Lola. If you make sure they're there they'll back you up.' He kicked the snow aside and bent down to retrieve a smooth flat stone, which he then handed to her. 'It'll totally get the ball rolling.'

Elliott took the stone and turned back to the water. 'Why the Greasers though? I don't see why you have to mess with them. It's not like they do anything.'

'Everyone's got their place.' Gary told her. 'Just like you have. You're just lucky to be in on it. A lot of girls would give their right arm for that.'

'Yeah, they'd lose their right arm while trying to scramble away from you.' Elliott replied. She threw the pebble and it skimmed the surface, totalling seven bounces on the water before losing momentum and sinking. 'I'm not sure if I'm comfortable setting Lola up like that. I mean… she's been really nice to me and…'

'You're not wussing out, are you?' Gary smirked, nudging her with his elbow.

She frowned at him. 'No. Just…'

'Because if you are I can easily just let you get on with your peaceful little life here at Bullworth Academy…'

Elliott nudged him back, frowning deeper. 'I'm not.' She insisted. 'I just…' She sighed. 'I ran into Jimmy Hopkins earlier…'

Gary's expression immediately darkened. 'James? Oh I bet you did. What did that evil little troll have to say? I bet he tried to be your buddy and denied everything that he said about you. He's such a lying little bastard…'

'He said you made it up,' Elliott said. 'That you're just screwing with my head like you're doing with everyone else.'

'You don't honestly believe him, do you? Did you see what he did to Bif? And Derby? Those guys were sucking through straws for a week.' Gary began to pace and she could see he was getting agitated. When he was getting worked up about something he hunched slightly and began moving in awkward jerks and shuffles. 'I tell you what he's trying to do, he's trying to turn you against me. He wants you on his side to take the school through nothing but brute force. He wants this place for himself. He knows I'm onto him and he needs to get me out of the way…'

Elliott wrinkled her nose a little. 'Is this like a… territory thing? Sounds like the two of your have too much testosterone. I'm expecting to walk back into school to see you both running around campus and pissing on walls to mark your scent.'

Gary turned to her. 'You understand that we can't let him win, don't you? Can you imagine what this place would be like with him in charge? You think it's bad now…'

Elliott rolled her eyes and half laughed, placing one hand on his chest to make him back off a little. 'Calm down, Gary. I don't believe him. I think I can tell when someone's trying to play me. Plus it doesn't help when they outright threaten to beat me up.'

Gary frowned momentarily, and then that snaky smile broke out across his face. He nodded. 'Good.'

Elliott kicked the snow aside to produce another flat stone. 'So Johnny will be in New Coventry, yeah?' She launched the stone towards the water and brushed her hands together. 'You sure he's not going to beat the crap out of me?'

Gary smiled at her. 'You think I'd send you down there if he was?'

Elliott smiled a little in return. 'Right. Well, I'll catch you later. Apparently I have some shit to be stirring.'

She began to head away but felt Gary grab her hand. She turned, half frowning, and looked at his solemn expression.

'You know I'm not the one you have to watch out for, don't you?' he asked. 'Forget what I said before. We can only trust each other.'

Elliott eyed him for a moment before nodding. 'Yeah. I know.' She pulled her hand away from him, feeling uncomfortable. 'I'll let you know what happened.'

Gary nodded and turned away, plucking a fat round pebble and throwing it into the water. 'Oh and I meant to ask you,' he shot her a quick cheeky grin. 'How's your head?'

Elliott rubbed the back of her neck and looked away. 'Um… okay since I got some aspirin.'

'Mrs Peabody give you a hard time?'

She felt herself blushing. 'I better get going. I'll find you later, okay?'

He smirked at her. 'I'll find you.'

Elliott nodded, red faced and awkward, and headed away. It was hard walking across a snowy beach but she managed without embarrassing herself too much and made her way towards New Coventry.

Elliott had managed to avoid New Coventry altogether since starting at Bullworth Academy, and she wished she had been able to continue avoiding it. Police sirens wailed in the distance, hobos shuffled along the sidewalk yelling at phantoms and drinking from brown paper bags and the surrounding buildings were practically derelict. She had no idea where she was going. Gary had said they would either be at the Tenements or the underpass. The urine stinking underpass was desolate apart from one rather foul-mouthed hobo in a Santa hat and she had no idea where the Tenements were.

Maybe she hadn't thought this whole thing through properly.

'Hey, it's that kid who had the sex change!'

Elliott stopped and rolled her eyes. She looked around to see a trio of Greasers emerging from the underpass. It probably would have helped if she knew what Johnny Vincent actually looked like.

'It's Elliott, actually.' Elliott said, trying to look annoyed rather than terrified. 'I'm looking for Johnny.'

A handsome, smooth faced Greaser stepped forward, one eye narrowed suspiciously. 'You are, huh? And what do you want with Johnny Vincent?'

Another Greaser stepped forward, his hair slicked back. He stood close to the smooth faced Greaser and jabbed a finger at Elliott. 'Johnny don't see just anybody you know.'

'Cool it, Peanut.' The smooth faced Greaser told him. He turned back to Elliott and crossed his arms. 'I know you, kid. You set up that whole thing to humiliate Ted Thompson. We liked that, didn't we guys?'

The third Greaser, a heavyset guy just finishing off a cheeseburger, sniggered and nodded. 'That weird Nerd had a boner in those pictures.'

'Shut up, Hal.' The smooth faced Greaser shot at him. He turned back to Elliott. 'You've been hanging out with Lola too, haven't you?'

Elliott crossed folded her arms over her chest. She didn't want to show that she was nervous, but her hangover was already making her shake like a little kitten. 'That's what I came to talk to him about actually.'

Peanut and Hal glanced warily at the smooth faced Greaser, and immediately Elliott clicked on that he was Johnny Vincent. Also in that moment she became more exasperated with the whole thing rather than frightened. She sighed heavily and rolled her eyes. 'And drop the act, I know you're Johnny. Christ, who do you think you are, the Mafia or something?'

Peanut scowled and jabbed his finger at her again. 'No one talks to Johnny like that.'

'What do you want to say about Lola anyways?' Johnny frowned, taking a step forward. 'You know where she is?'

'Well, I know what she's going to be doing later.' Elliott shrugged.

Johnny eyed her. 'What do you want?'

She blinked. 'Huh?'

'You must want something. Kids don't just wander into New Coventry to tell people where their girlfriends are. You know something and you want something.'

'I don't want anything,' Elliott replied, pushing her hands in her pockets. 'Apart from a bit peace and quiet. And maybe for the next three years to go past in three seconds. No, I just thought you had a right to know what your girl is up to.'

Johnny frowned at her. 'I'm not buying it.'

Elliott shrugged and tilted her head. 'Okay, fine. Suit yourself.' She started away but was grabbed by the arm and dragged back. Johnny pushed his face near hers, his lip curled back.

'Where is that slut?' he demanded.

'Johnny, man, cool it.' Peanut told him. 'She's a girl, man.'

Elliott tried to pull from his grip but it was too tight. 'Let go of me!'

Johnny let go stepped in front of her so she couldn't leave. 'Come on then! Who's she screwing now. Huh? Everyone knows that she's a complete slut! She's making me look like an idiot! Who is it, huh?'

Elliott recoiled from his yelling face. 'Some Prep called Gord.' She told him. 'She's meeting him this afternoon in Bullworth Town. Just go and see for yourself if you don't believe me!'

'You're setting me up for something too, aren't you?' Johnny demanded. 'Same way you set that pretty boy quarterback. Why would you come and tell me this if you don't want anything? I thought you were Lola's friend.'

Elliott shrugged. 'I just thought you had a right to know. Now can you move your greasy ass out of the way so I can leave?'

Peanut opened his mouth to tell her that nobody speaks to Johnny Vincent like that but Johnny whirled around to the two other Greasers.

'I want to know if it's true,' he told them angrily. 'Get someone to follow them.'

'But, boss…' Peanut frowned. 'If she sees any of us then she'll know what we're doing…'

Elliott smiled a little and slipped past Johnny.

'Well get someone else!' Johnny yelled. 'What about that other new kid? I hear he's been doing a lot for other kids. Yeah, get the new kid. Tell him I want to see him, now.'

Elliott hurried away before the Greasers could stop her. It was obvious she had just started something here, but she was unsure to what it was. Either way she couldn't help but feel a little giddy. Who knew that shit stirring could cheer a person up so much?