Chris Campbell, Dean Sampson, and Joey Donner slowly made their way up the stairs that led into Hollywood High. Every couple of seconds Chris would turn to Dean, say something that probably wasn't at all funny, and then all three would begin to giggle like vicious hyenas searching for their dinner. But then, in the midst of everyday high school angst that has been reciprocated countlessly (and often ridiculously) on corny TV shows, something absolutely shocking occurred. It would have been fine if Miguel Lopez Fitzgerald or Jonathan Mox or anyone else on the football team where to join them, but it wasn't a jock, it wasn't even popular. It was Anton Tobias, one of the most lazy, rude, annoying, stupid people that Torrance Shipman had ever met. Sure, Anton had a lot in common with most of the jocks, and Torrance knew this only because she had unfortunately dated many of them, but that didn't matter. The jocks were the way they were because of the sports they played, and the stereotypes they felt obligated to uphold. Anton was the way he was because all he ever did was smoke weed. While Torrance wasn't against smoking weed, even Torrance had tried it a couple times, she didn't think it was right that some people let it consume their lives and turn them into lazy idiots that didn't get anything done. That is exactly what weed had done to Anton.
The Shipmans and Tobias' lived across the street from one another, creating a perfect friendship between Torrance and Anton. All through grade school Torrance and Anton where inseparable. They made movies with Anton's camcorder, watched Dawsons Creek and Buffy The Vampire Slayer together, and even sometimes spent the night at each other's houses. But all that changed when Torrance and Anton entered high school. Torrance got onto the cheerleading squad, and Anton got into the drug scene with help of a senior named Todd Gaines. Todd had introduced Anton to everything from raves to bong water, and Anton loved every second of it. At first, Torrance was included on their little escapades, but then Torrance made a huge mistake and dated Todd. Needless to say, it ended badly, with Torrance loosing something to Todd that she could never get back, and no, it wasn't the relationship she had with Anton. She lost that much later. After the breakup, Torrance and Todd remained friends, mainly because neither wanted to ruin what they had with Anton. They would hang out at each others houses, but a lot of the times, they would go over to Todd's best friend, Derrick Webb's house. Derrick's family was loaded so he could always get the best chronic weed you could find. Derrick was dating Naomi, a popular cheerleader who had starred in many of the recent plays put on by the school. They where the "perfect" high school couple, they had even been voted Homecoming King and Queen. Although things where awkward between Torrance and Todd, Torrance still couldn't deny she had a great time with Anton, Derrick, and Naomi. They would smoke bud, drink beer, and once or twice snort some blow, and they always had a great time doing it. But one night things stopped being so great. Apparently, or at least according to the police report, after Anton, Todd, and Torrance had fallen asleep, Naomi had overdosed and tripped out. But Torrance, and everyone else that was there that night knew what really happened. Naomi hadn't "overdosed and trippped out", Derrick had raped Naomi. Derrick's father had paid off the police and silenced all the witnesses forever with differing amounts of money. Naomi moved away, Todd and Derrick graduated, and things went on as usual at Hollywood High. Torrance, befriending new people from the cheer leading squad, and Anton, meeting people that loved drugs just as much as he did, slowly grew apart. There was never an angry confrontation, or parting of ways…….they still lived across the street from one another, they just, simply wouldn't talk, call, or communicate with each other.
Looking at him now, blending in with her crowd, her turf, she suddenly got angry. Torrance felt violated and betrayed, they had silently made a pack to leave one another alone, and here he was mixing with her clique. This wasn't the first time, either, earlier in the year when she had led her team to finals with the help of Missy Pantone, her ex best friend, she had been shocked to find out, while she was dating Missy's brother, Cliff, no less, that Anton had lost his virginity to Missy! This had infuriated Torrance, and ultimately ruined the friendship she had with Missy. Torrance was never sure whether she was actually mad at Missy for betraying their friendship or simply protectoral of Anton, but either way Torrance did not like or want Anton to associate, let alone sleep with her friends.
As Torrance approached Dean, Chris, Joey, and their numerous groupie sluts (B squad cheerleaders) she noticed Anton was particularly friendly with Cecile Caldwell, a ridiculously clumsy sophomore. Cecile was giggling and practically molesting Anton with all her physical contact. It was disgusting. Torrance quickly struck up a conversation with Dean, and leaned on him knowing that he would automatically put his arm around her. The entire time she was dying to turn around and see Anton's reaction to her silent treatment. As Torrance leaned against Dean, completing tuning him out, or at least trying to tune him out while straining to hear Anton and Cecile's conversation over Cecile's annoying giggling. She was trying so hard to hear Cecile and Anton's conversation, she didn't notice her new boyfriend, Paul Metzler walking towards her preparing for a hug. At first she regretted flirting with Dean, even though Torrance and Dean both knew they where only friends, she hadn't found out whether Paul was the jealous type. Torrance's fears where quickly erased by Paul's huge bear hug. Torrance no longer cared about Anton or Cecile, all she wanted was to stay in Paul's arms forever. It wasn't that Torrance was sexually attracted to Paul, it was more that Torrance loved the way she could tell Paul anything, and even though she wasn't always sure he understood what she was saying, he never judged her for it. When Paul and Torrance pulled apart to talk to their "group", Torrance was surprised to find Anton, Cecile, and Joey Donner heading towards the senior parking lot.
"What was that all about?" asked Torrance trying to act nonchalant.
"What?" Dean asked smiling at Torrance, the smile that always made her love Dean.
"Anton. Why the hell is he hanging out with Cecile and Joey?" Torrance asked shooting a glance in their direction.
"I don't know, maybe Joey finally realized nobody likes him and decided to get some real friends that are just as fucked up and stupid as him?" Chris snickered.
"Oh, it was so funny. Last night Joey was bragging to me and Sasha about how he had a photo shoot next Wednesday. He totally thought we where all impressed and shit, but who the fuck wants to be a god damn model?" Dean said giggling.
"Sasha got into that college she wanted to go to, right?" Paul asked seriously.
"Yeah, Pendleton University, baby. She was so fucking excited, and I got to reap the benefits!" Dean said, bursting into laughter, and high fiving Chris.
"Yeah I bet. I'm leaving, but if you guys hear what's going on with Cecile and Anton let me know, okay?" Torrance said while slowly walking away from the group.
Dean immediately started telling everybody about how great Sasha was in bed and Torrance had to laugh. Dean was so cute, yet so perverted and immature. But that was why she loved him. Sure, he was a sleeze ball, but she had known him since the 3rd grade and it was a character trait she wouldn't want him to loose. When Dean's voice completely faded away, Torrance began to wonder about Cecile and Anton. Torrance didn't know very much about Cecile, other than she was a bona fide idiot. Torrance and Cecile had been lab partners during their freshman year, and Cecile had managed to screw up almost every one of their experiments. Cecile was actually known for her clumsiness, mainly because it seemed as though she didn't go a day without making an ass out of herself. Whether it was tripping, knocking something over, or just saying or doing something that made absolutely no sense, Cecile was always a fun topic to bring up and laugh about at lunch.
Torrance entered her first period class and quickly made her way to her seat. She hated sitting in the back, well she actually hated having to walk past Cliff Pantone, her ex, every day. Cliff used to sit next to her, in the back. After they had broken up he had switched seats with Nicole Walker, who sat more towards the front of the class. Nicole and Torrance had sort of become friends. The only thing was, Torrance didn't really feel comfortable around Nicole. There where a lot of rumors about Nicole, and the skittish, insecure way she acted only reinforced them. Torrance had heard millions of different stories about what had happened to Nicole, the most common being that she had dated an older guy that was in his twenties, and he had become obsessed and tried to kill her or something. Torrance didn't know, and she honestly didn't care if any of it was true, but she could never get comfortable with Nicole the way she could get with her other girl friends. Nicole always acted nervous, as if something bad was about to happen.
"Hey." Torrance said with a smile.
"Hey. Did you do the homework?" Nicole asked worriedly.
"Um……no, actually I was gonna ask you to let me copy it." Torrance said somewhat sheepishly with a pathetic grin.
"Oh I did, I just couldn't get number 9. I read the entire chapter over and over again. But yeah, you can copy." Nicole said with a quick flash of a smile.
Nicole made sure the teacher wasn't watching, and quickly put her paper on Torrance's desk. Torrance started to copy the answears but then noticed, out of the corner of her eye, that someone was approaching her desk. She freaked out, thinking she was caught red handed, but then realized it was only Gavin Strick. Torrance relaxed and smiled at Gavin as he sat in the seat in front of her.
"What's up, sister soldier?" Gavin said with a playful smile.
"What?" Torrance said with a huge grin.
"Never mind. Inside Joke. I guess it wasn't funny because you weren't there. Hey Nicole." Gavin said glancing at Nicole.
"Hi." Nicole said quickly.
"Are you stoned?" Torrance asked trying to find the answear in Gavin's eyes.
It wouldn't be surprising if he was, Gavin was a stoner. But unlike Anton, Gavin was a lovable stoner. Torrance had known him since the 2nd grade, and while they where never very close, they would always talk and joke around with another.
"Me? Stoned? Never." Gavin said as both Torrance and Gavin started to laugh. "But, hey, seriously, Tor, I was wondering if you could come with me tonight and do me a huge favor."
"What?"
"Well…….I was kinda hanging out with a drug dealer. And…..well…….see he kinda has this girlfriend. You probably know her, she used to go here, Courtney Shane?"
"Oh yeah!" Torrance said excitedly. "She's the one that killed the cheerleading captain during our freshman year. Shoudn't she still be in jail?"
"No, that was an accident, stupid. She didn't mean to kill her, she just got in trouble for trying to cover it up or some shit like that. But anyways, this drug dealer is dating her, and I sorta, kinda made out with her and he caught us."
"Let me guess, he's sorta, kinda gonna kill you." Torrance said smiling.
"No, see I told him that I wasn't attracted to her and that I had just been fucked up. I begged him not to kill me and somewhere between saying "Put the gun away" and "Owwww, please don't rip my balls off" I told him that I had a hot, cheerleading girlfriend."
"But you don't, and why would that matter, anyways?" Torrance asked beginning to see what Gavin was getting at.
"Well see, he was really pissed, he even got out a fucking loaded pistol type gun. So I tried to tell him, you know, I don't need to hook up with your girlfriend, I already have my own hot little sex toy at home you know." Gavin said as he giggled with Torrance. But he quickly pulled himself together and shot Torrance a dramatic look. "He said I was full of shit and that he wanted proof or he'd smash my skull in. So……I need you to come with me tonight and just pretend to be my girlfriend. Okay?"
"No way! Paul would flip if he found out and……"
"Paul is a dumbass."
"I don't want to go over to a drug dealer's house, especially if he has a murderer and a loaded gun there with him." Torrance said sternly.
"She isn't a murderer, okay? She's actually kinda hot, and I was sorta hoping you could maybe distract Todd while I, you know, got……"
"Todd. Todd Gaines? Todd Gaine's came back to Hollywood?"
"How do you know him?"
"Me and Todd used to date."
"Your full of it."
"I am not, I used to date him back when I was friends with Anton."
"For real? Then this is perfect, you can rekindle your romance with Todd, and I can rekindle the boner I had on Saturday and finally let Courtney do something with it." Gavin said with a huge smile.
"No way, Todd is a bastard. So is Anton. Do you talk to him anymore?" Torrance asked remembering what had happened earlier.
"Not really. Every now and then he'll smoke me out. He gets the best shit! Oh god, man. You should try this shit, it keeps you blazing for hours." Gavin said getting a little caught up in the moment.
"He probably still gets it from Derrick."
It was odd. When the actual incident had happened, Torrance had been indifferent, somewhat shocked and not yet used to the fact that it had happened. Then a little while later she accepted what happened, but came to the conclusion that where ever her emotions where they where probably keeping her feelings company. But now, hearing herself say that bastard's name out loud brought back all the anger she never felt. Right then and there Torrance decided something, and hell hath no fury like Tor when she had come to a decision. Torrance decided she WAS going to Todd's , that she WAS going to distract Todd by bitching him out and demanding they turn Derrick in, and she WAS going to get the revenge Naomi deserved.
To be Continued………………………..
The Shipmans and Tobias' lived across the street from one another, creating a perfect friendship between Torrance and Anton. All through grade school Torrance and Anton where inseparable. They made movies with Anton's camcorder, watched Dawsons Creek and Buffy The Vampire Slayer together, and even sometimes spent the night at each other's houses. But all that changed when Torrance and Anton entered high school. Torrance got onto the cheerleading squad, and Anton got into the drug scene with help of a senior named Todd Gaines. Todd had introduced Anton to everything from raves to bong water, and Anton loved every second of it. At first, Torrance was included on their little escapades, but then Torrance made a huge mistake and dated Todd. Needless to say, it ended badly, with Torrance loosing something to Todd that she could never get back, and no, it wasn't the relationship she had with Anton. She lost that much later. After the breakup, Torrance and Todd remained friends, mainly because neither wanted to ruin what they had with Anton. They would hang out at each others houses, but a lot of the times, they would go over to Todd's best friend, Derrick Webb's house. Derrick's family was loaded so he could always get the best chronic weed you could find. Derrick was dating Naomi, a popular cheerleader who had starred in many of the recent plays put on by the school. They where the "perfect" high school couple, they had even been voted Homecoming King and Queen. Although things where awkward between Torrance and Todd, Torrance still couldn't deny she had a great time with Anton, Derrick, and Naomi. They would smoke bud, drink beer, and once or twice snort some blow, and they always had a great time doing it. But one night things stopped being so great. Apparently, or at least according to the police report, after Anton, Todd, and Torrance had fallen asleep, Naomi had overdosed and tripped out. But Torrance, and everyone else that was there that night knew what really happened. Naomi hadn't "overdosed and trippped out", Derrick had raped Naomi. Derrick's father had paid off the police and silenced all the witnesses forever with differing amounts of money. Naomi moved away, Todd and Derrick graduated, and things went on as usual at Hollywood High. Torrance, befriending new people from the cheer leading squad, and Anton, meeting people that loved drugs just as much as he did, slowly grew apart. There was never an angry confrontation, or parting of ways…….they still lived across the street from one another, they just, simply wouldn't talk, call, or communicate with each other.
Looking at him now, blending in with her crowd, her turf, she suddenly got angry. Torrance felt violated and betrayed, they had silently made a pack to leave one another alone, and here he was mixing with her clique. This wasn't the first time, either, earlier in the year when she had led her team to finals with the help of Missy Pantone, her ex best friend, she had been shocked to find out, while she was dating Missy's brother, Cliff, no less, that Anton had lost his virginity to Missy! This had infuriated Torrance, and ultimately ruined the friendship she had with Missy. Torrance was never sure whether she was actually mad at Missy for betraying their friendship or simply protectoral of Anton, but either way Torrance did not like or want Anton to associate, let alone sleep with her friends.
As Torrance approached Dean, Chris, Joey, and their numerous groupie sluts (B squad cheerleaders) she noticed Anton was particularly friendly with Cecile Caldwell, a ridiculously clumsy sophomore. Cecile was giggling and practically molesting Anton with all her physical contact. It was disgusting. Torrance quickly struck up a conversation with Dean, and leaned on him knowing that he would automatically put his arm around her. The entire time she was dying to turn around and see Anton's reaction to her silent treatment. As Torrance leaned against Dean, completing tuning him out, or at least trying to tune him out while straining to hear Anton and Cecile's conversation over Cecile's annoying giggling. She was trying so hard to hear Cecile and Anton's conversation, she didn't notice her new boyfriend, Paul Metzler walking towards her preparing for a hug. At first she regretted flirting with Dean, even though Torrance and Dean both knew they where only friends, she hadn't found out whether Paul was the jealous type. Torrance's fears where quickly erased by Paul's huge bear hug. Torrance no longer cared about Anton or Cecile, all she wanted was to stay in Paul's arms forever. It wasn't that Torrance was sexually attracted to Paul, it was more that Torrance loved the way she could tell Paul anything, and even though she wasn't always sure he understood what she was saying, he never judged her for it. When Paul and Torrance pulled apart to talk to their "group", Torrance was surprised to find Anton, Cecile, and Joey Donner heading towards the senior parking lot.
"What was that all about?" asked Torrance trying to act nonchalant.
"What?" Dean asked smiling at Torrance, the smile that always made her love Dean.
"Anton. Why the hell is he hanging out with Cecile and Joey?" Torrance asked shooting a glance in their direction.
"I don't know, maybe Joey finally realized nobody likes him and decided to get some real friends that are just as fucked up and stupid as him?" Chris snickered.
"Oh, it was so funny. Last night Joey was bragging to me and Sasha about how he had a photo shoot next Wednesday. He totally thought we where all impressed and shit, but who the fuck wants to be a god damn model?" Dean said giggling.
"Sasha got into that college she wanted to go to, right?" Paul asked seriously.
"Yeah, Pendleton University, baby. She was so fucking excited, and I got to reap the benefits!" Dean said, bursting into laughter, and high fiving Chris.
"Yeah I bet. I'm leaving, but if you guys hear what's going on with Cecile and Anton let me know, okay?" Torrance said while slowly walking away from the group.
Dean immediately started telling everybody about how great Sasha was in bed and Torrance had to laugh. Dean was so cute, yet so perverted and immature. But that was why she loved him. Sure, he was a sleeze ball, but she had known him since the 3rd grade and it was a character trait she wouldn't want him to loose. When Dean's voice completely faded away, Torrance began to wonder about Cecile and Anton. Torrance didn't know very much about Cecile, other than she was a bona fide idiot. Torrance and Cecile had been lab partners during their freshman year, and Cecile had managed to screw up almost every one of their experiments. Cecile was actually known for her clumsiness, mainly because it seemed as though she didn't go a day without making an ass out of herself. Whether it was tripping, knocking something over, or just saying or doing something that made absolutely no sense, Cecile was always a fun topic to bring up and laugh about at lunch.
Torrance entered her first period class and quickly made her way to her seat. She hated sitting in the back, well she actually hated having to walk past Cliff Pantone, her ex, every day. Cliff used to sit next to her, in the back. After they had broken up he had switched seats with Nicole Walker, who sat more towards the front of the class. Nicole and Torrance had sort of become friends. The only thing was, Torrance didn't really feel comfortable around Nicole. There where a lot of rumors about Nicole, and the skittish, insecure way she acted only reinforced them. Torrance had heard millions of different stories about what had happened to Nicole, the most common being that she had dated an older guy that was in his twenties, and he had become obsessed and tried to kill her or something. Torrance didn't know, and she honestly didn't care if any of it was true, but she could never get comfortable with Nicole the way she could get with her other girl friends. Nicole always acted nervous, as if something bad was about to happen.
"Hey." Torrance said with a smile.
"Hey. Did you do the homework?" Nicole asked worriedly.
"Um……no, actually I was gonna ask you to let me copy it." Torrance said somewhat sheepishly with a pathetic grin.
"Oh I did, I just couldn't get number 9. I read the entire chapter over and over again. But yeah, you can copy." Nicole said with a quick flash of a smile.
Nicole made sure the teacher wasn't watching, and quickly put her paper on Torrance's desk. Torrance started to copy the answears but then noticed, out of the corner of her eye, that someone was approaching her desk. She freaked out, thinking she was caught red handed, but then realized it was only Gavin Strick. Torrance relaxed and smiled at Gavin as he sat in the seat in front of her.
"What's up, sister soldier?" Gavin said with a playful smile.
"What?" Torrance said with a huge grin.
"Never mind. Inside Joke. I guess it wasn't funny because you weren't there. Hey Nicole." Gavin said glancing at Nicole.
"Hi." Nicole said quickly.
"Are you stoned?" Torrance asked trying to find the answear in Gavin's eyes.
It wouldn't be surprising if he was, Gavin was a stoner. But unlike Anton, Gavin was a lovable stoner. Torrance had known him since the 2nd grade, and while they where never very close, they would always talk and joke around with another.
"Me? Stoned? Never." Gavin said as both Torrance and Gavin started to laugh. "But, hey, seriously, Tor, I was wondering if you could come with me tonight and do me a huge favor."
"What?"
"Well…….I was kinda hanging out with a drug dealer. And…..well…….see he kinda has this girlfriend. You probably know her, she used to go here, Courtney Shane?"
"Oh yeah!" Torrance said excitedly. "She's the one that killed the cheerleading captain during our freshman year. Shoudn't she still be in jail?"
"No, that was an accident, stupid. She didn't mean to kill her, she just got in trouble for trying to cover it up or some shit like that. But anyways, this drug dealer is dating her, and I sorta, kinda made out with her and he caught us."
"Let me guess, he's sorta, kinda gonna kill you." Torrance said smiling.
"No, see I told him that I wasn't attracted to her and that I had just been fucked up. I begged him not to kill me and somewhere between saying "Put the gun away" and "Owwww, please don't rip my balls off" I told him that I had a hot, cheerleading girlfriend."
"But you don't, and why would that matter, anyways?" Torrance asked beginning to see what Gavin was getting at.
"Well see, he was really pissed, he even got out a fucking loaded pistol type gun. So I tried to tell him, you know, I don't need to hook up with your girlfriend, I already have my own hot little sex toy at home you know." Gavin said as he giggled with Torrance. But he quickly pulled himself together and shot Torrance a dramatic look. "He said I was full of shit and that he wanted proof or he'd smash my skull in. So……I need you to come with me tonight and just pretend to be my girlfriend. Okay?"
"No way! Paul would flip if he found out and……"
"Paul is a dumbass."
"I don't want to go over to a drug dealer's house, especially if he has a murderer and a loaded gun there with him." Torrance said sternly.
"She isn't a murderer, okay? She's actually kinda hot, and I was sorta hoping you could maybe distract Todd while I, you know, got……"
"Todd. Todd Gaines? Todd Gaine's came back to Hollywood?"
"How do you know him?"
"Me and Todd used to date."
"Your full of it."
"I am not, I used to date him back when I was friends with Anton."
"For real? Then this is perfect, you can rekindle your romance with Todd, and I can rekindle the boner I had on Saturday and finally let Courtney do something with it." Gavin said with a huge smile.
"No way, Todd is a bastard. So is Anton. Do you talk to him anymore?" Torrance asked remembering what had happened earlier.
"Not really. Every now and then he'll smoke me out. He gets the best shit! Oh god, man. You should try this shit, it keeps you blazing for hours." Gavin said getting a little caught up in the moment.
"He probably still gets it from Derrick."
It was odd. When the actual incident had happened, Torrance had been indifferent, somewhat shocked and not yet used to the fact that it had happened. Then a little while later she accepted what happened, but came to the conclusion that where ever her emotions where they where probably keeping her feelings company. But now, hearing herself say that bastard's name out loud brought back all the anger she never felt. Right then and there Torrance decided something, and hell hath no fury like Tor when she had come to a decision. Torrance decided she WAS going to Todd's , that she WAS going to distract Todd by bitching him out and demanding they turn Derrick in, and she WAS going to get the revenge Naomi deserved.
To be Continued………………………..
