Chapter 7: Jessica vs Judy
It was very obvious now that Jessica wanted Rocky to eat out of her hand- figuratively, not literally eat out of her hand. Jessica thought that if she played nice with Judy that Rocky would give her a second glance. Jessica and her two best friends, Bethany and Mackenzie, always sat right next to Judy's lunch table. Judy was very irritated when they barged into their conversation.
For the past week Judy had to put up with Jessica. Jessica had even revived the old habit of inviting herself over to Judy's. Luckily, Judy had soccer practice everyday and was able to successfully avoid her.
"So...Judy," Jessica said, pursing her icy pink lips. "How about we hang out after school today?" she asked loudly, making sure Rocky could hear her.
"I can't!" Judy replied mockingly and just as loudly. "I have soccer practice...with Rocky!"
That cracked Rocky and Judy up but Jessica was left with an angry pout.
One day Judy was washing her hands in the bathroom when Jessica pranced in.
"Listen," she said, glaring at Judy. "Let's stop the games and get to the point," she said tapping her nails on the counter. "I want to get to know Rocky. He's the most popular guy in school and let's be honest I'm the most popular girl," she reminded Judy. "You," Jessica said, gesturing to Judy's whole body. "It just doesn't make sense."
"You can take him," Judy said, nonchalantly. "We;re not dating."
Judy focused her energy on soaping her hands.
Jessica rolled her eyes. "Rocky has some weird attachment to you," she said, annoyed. "He won't ever talk to me because you don't like me."
"You know," Judy said, beginning to rinse her hands. "We've been in the same classes since kindergarten. Maybe if you were nicer, you guys would be friends already."
Jessica chose to ignore the logical explanation.
"What do you offer him?" she asked, tapping her chin with a jeering smile. "I bet that's your secret," she laughed. "Are you easy?"
Judy stared at Jessica in disbelief.
"You little slut..." Jessica condemned when Judy didn't rush to respond. She took out a sharpie from her purse and wrote on the bathroom wall; Judy Moody is a
She didn't get to finish because Judy cupped a handful and water and threw it at Jessica's face.
Jessica stood there wet and her mouth hanging open. She began screaming in very colorful language. She was spelling bee queen after all...
Judy bolted from the bathroom as fast as she could. She skidded down the hall and ran for her life. All of a sudden she was pulled into a classroom.
"What happened?" Frank said, closing the door.
"Why are you running?" Amy asked. They were in a computer lab.
Judy was breathing heavy. "I just threw water at Jessica Finch's face..." she said.
Amy and Frank just looked at her. "You better tell us the scoop," Amy said, turning the light off in the lab. They moved to the back of the lab and Judy explained what had happened.
"Woah," was all Frank could say after Judy finished.
Amy thought about this carefully. "She might want revenge," she finally said.
"I'm not afraid of her," Judy scoffed. "I've put up with her since 1st grade."
"She was different in first grade," Frank reminded Judy. "She knows how to manipulate people now."
Judy shrugged. "Bring it on," she said to no one in general.
Afterwards they went back to class and met up again during lunch. Rocky was coming later because he had to run an errand for a teacher. Everyone let out a breath of relief when they saw that Jessica and her friends weren't camped out at the table next to theirs. Judy dropped her backpack off in a chair and went to get lunch. All of a sudden there was the sound of glass breaking near the entrance of the cafeteria and yelling. Judy went to go check it out. She was shocked at what she saw. A senior who played in the boys soccer team was standing over a short blonde boy...Stink. Besides them an iced tea bottle was cracked on the ground.
"You spilled my drink!" Dean exclaimed. "Pay up!"
Stink cringed away. "No, I didn't!" he exclaimed. "You dropped it on the floor by yourself!"
"Are you calling me a liar, freshman?" Dean said, grabbing Stink by the front of his shirt.
"Hey Dean!" Judy yelled, storming over to him. She yanked his arm off Stink and pushed him. He barely moved.
"Get off of him, you idiot!" Judy snapped.
Stink who was usually embarrassed by Judy, now cowered behind her. Dean was bulky and over six feet tall.
"He ran into me and ruined my drink," Dean said, crossing his arms.
"Did you not hear him?!" Judy said standing a foot away from him. "You dropped the drink yourself...klutz!"
"The little liar is going to get a beating if he doesn't pay me."
"Over my dead body," Judy said, emphasizing each word.
Dean shoved Judy out of the way. Judy, only being 115 lbs to Dean's 180 lbs, was literally thrown back into a cafeteria table. The loud crash got everyone's attention.
Judy felt like she just got run over by a bus.
"Stink, leave with Frank!" she snapped.
Stink scurried over behind Frank and Amy who looked scared too.
"Judy, don't be rash," Amy said, frantically but not daring to get close.
Judy painfully picked herself off the floor and slowly walked over to Dean again.
Crowds of bored students crowded by the doorway. No one was stereotypically yelling "Fight fight!" but there were cheers and chanting going on.
"Get outta my way" Dean said, trying to push Judy aside. He wanted to get to Stink but Judy grabbed a hold of his arm and shoved him toward the wall. Now all the students were excited and immaturely yelling "Fight fight fight!" while Amy and Frank were begging Judy to stop.
Judy made a fist like Rocky showed her and slammed it into Dean's jaw.
Dean called Judy a very ugly name and yelled at the booing crowd to shut up. He grabbed her by the shirt and threw her on the ground. Judy felt herself slide across the dirty cafeteria floor and quickly covered her face. Dean got one good hit in her cheek before his weight on her disappeared. Judy saw Rocky pull Dean off her and slugged him in the gut.
"You moron!" Rocky yelled, punching him in the face this time.
"Stop it right now!" a voice snapped.
The security guard aka today's volunteer teachers was upon the scene now. The crowd dispersed instantly, all pretending to not have seen any fighting. Rocky, Frank and Amy all rushed over to Judy's side.
"Oh my gosh, Judy," Amy said, scanning her face. "Does it hurt?" she asked, tenderly brushing the bruise with her finger tips.
Judy winced but shook her head. Frank went to explain what happened to the teachers. Afterwards, Dean was then taken down to the principal's office.
"Can you walk?" Rocky asked.
Judy nodded weakly as Frank and Rocky helped her to her feet. "I'm fine."
"I'll take her down to the nurses," Rocky told everyone. "You guys should probably take Stink back to class."
Judy had almost forgotten about Stink. She was surprised that he hadn't passed out from all the stress. Judy reassured everyone that she was alright. Stink gave her a big hug which wasn't usual but due to current circumstances, Judy hugged him back tightly.
Frank, Amy and Stink left, leaving Rocky to help Judy walk. In the midst of her anger, she didn't even feel pain but now there was a throbbing on her ribs. He slung her arm around his shoulder and steadied her as she took a painful step.
"Where'd he hurt you?" Rocky asked.
Judy shrugged.
"Judy," Rocky said, very seriously.
"He threw me into a table," she finally admitted, looking away.
Rocky swore and tightened his hand in Judy.
"Ouch!" Judy yelped.
"Sorry," Rocky said, immediately loosening his grip.
Judy just shrugged it off but winced at the pain in her side again. Rocky paused and then without warning, picked her up. He put Judy's arms around his neck and insisted on carrying her the rest of the way to the nurse's office.
"I'm fine!" Judy said, blushing. "Put me down!" she hissed as three girls were whispering and staring when they passed by them.
Rocky kept his serious face on. "What are you looking at?" he snapped at the spectators. The three girls immediately left.
Judy only felt her face get even more red. "You're embarrassing me!" she whispered exclaimed. Rocky couldn't help cracking a smile.
"You can cover your face if you'd like," he said. "I'm not embarrassed."
Judy awkwardly put her arm over her face as Rocky walked down the stairs.
"It's your fault if I drop you," Rocky reminded her.
Judy started laughing and then groaned at how bad laughing felt. She was awkwardly on the verge of tears.
"It's a good thing we're at the nurse's," Rocky said looking at the laughing and crying Judy in his arms. Rocky opened the door with his foot.
"Oh dear," Mrs. Hett gasped as she rushed over from behind her desk. "What happened, darling?" she asked as Rocky laid Judy down on one of the cots.
"Got beat up by a senior," Rocky said.
Mrs. Hett gasped again. "Oh dear," she repeated.
"You're going to have to take off your shirt so I can check," Mrs. Hett said.
Rocky got the message and went to sit in one of the plastic green chairs.
"You can go back to class," Mrs. Hett suggested.
Rocky shook his head. "I'd like to stay and make sure she's alright, if that's okay," he said, politely.
"Of course honey," the nurse said and then pulled the curtain out to give Judy privacy. "What a gentleman," she whispered to Judy.
Mrs. Hett first got her an ice pack for her face and then instructed Judy to take her shirt off. Judy laid on her back with the ice nursing her swelling face.
"My sweet child," the nurse said. "You'll be feeling this for a while...look at this bruising."
Judy clenched the sides of the cot as Mrs. Hett pressed on various spots on her skin. At some places Judy would only wince but at others Judy couldn't help yelling.
"Can't you be gentler...?" Judy asked, blinking the tears away. The nurse sympathetically patted Judy's hand and went to get bandages. She put some cold medical cream on her bruises and bandaged them up.
"No broken bones," Mrs. Hett said while helping Judy up and handing her her T-shirt. Judy put it back on and stiffly walked out from behind the curtain.
"How are you feeling?" Rocky asked.
Judy shrugged. "I'm okay," she told him.
Mrs. Hett rushed back over to Judy with Advil and water. Judy swallowed the pills and thanked her.
"Be careful," the elderly woman said as Judy and Rocky left. "No more fighting!"