The Monday After
Chapter Two Of "What Goes Around Comes Around"
By Novalee
Carrie walked into school, painfully aware of the stares around her, scowling at her favorite leather jacket with the pins. She stalked through the hallways, clutching her books to her chest. Carrie stopped by her locker and quickly dialed the combination. Alison appeared silently by her side.
"Hey", whispered Alison. Carrie jumped, dropping her calculus book on her foot. She winced at the pain shooting through her toe.
"Christ, Alison. You scared me", said Carrie, bending down to pick up the book. She looked up at Alison, and noticed she had kept the new look that Claire had given her. Her brown hair was pulled back with a small, pink headband, and she wore a tasteful lavender blouse with a pleated black skirt. Carrie glanced at Alison's feet, and smiled. She was glad to know Alison hadn't changed everything about her. She had on a pair of opaque black stockings and the dirty, bedraggled Converse sneakers were tied to her feet in neat bows.
"Sorry, I tend to be quiet".
"Sidler. Did you talk to any of the others this morning?"
"Brian and Andy have talked to me, I haven't seen John, and Claire ignored me".
"I figured as much".
"What the hell is her problem anyway?"
"She thinks too highly of herself to be seen with the likes of us".
"Yeah, I know", a male voice replied. Carrie whirled around to see Brian standing behind her, and Andy with his arm around Alison's waist. Alison was slowly turning a shade of lobster red. Jocks and prisses that walked past saw Andy and Alison and their jaws dropped in the most unsophisticated fashion. Andy and Alison paid no mind to their audience.
"Hey", said Carrie, smiling slightly at Brian. Brian grinned his goofy smile, showing all his teeth. Carrie could have sworn she saw his face flush pink.
"Claire said hi to me, but she completely ignored Alison. She wouldn't even look at Brian. I think Bender might be cutting school today", said Andy. But just as he said this, Bender came charging up behind Andy and shoving him into a locker.
"Heya Sporto", said Bender. He glanced at Alison.
"Nice look".
"Coming from a turd like you, that shouldn't mean much, but thank you anyway", Alison did her best to glare at Bender, but failed. She didn't look as menacing without her heavy black eyeliner. Andy leapt on Bender and they continued to wrestle in the style of teenage male immaturity. Carrie rolled her eyes, but couldn't help laughing at Andy putting Bender in a chokehold. At that moment, the last of their Breakfast Club Crew came sauntering down the hallway followed by a gaggle of blonde cheerleaders. Claire saw the five of them standing there expectantly, but she quickly looked away. Ashley Morrison, the cheerleader whom Carrie had mauled earlier last week, caught sight of Carrie and busied herself with the fat tube of bubble gum lip gloss she was applying.
"Yeah, you better look away bitch", leered Carrie at both Claire and Ashley.
"Fuck this", muttered Bender. He walked up to Claire and slipped his arm around her waist and kissed her on the cheek. Claire pushed him away and continued walking. Her head was ducked down as to avoid the glares of the four others. The Dumb Blonde Posse giggled and followed her. Bender strode back to the crew and leaned on a locker.
"I shoulda fuckin' known". He kicked the locker angrily and stalked off. None of them went after him. Andy looked down and shuffled his feet.
"Christ...", muttered Carrie. The bell rang, sounding the beginning of first period. They parted ways, after promising to eat lunch together. Alison said she had first period with Claire and that she would try and talk to her. Brian mustered the courage to give Carrie a little squeeze around her shoulders, before scurrying off to his first period class. Carrie smiled a little and walked away. Some football player passed her and said "Punk bitch". She looked back, grinned and thanked him, and continued on her way.
Alison slipped into her first period class and sat in her seat. She glanced around and the dumb-stricken faces around her. This new look was somewhat beneficial. She loved seeing her mother's jaw drop when she got in the car after detention last Saturday. And now Andy comes along…he was really the first guy to notice her at all, to give her the time of day. Claire's red hair came into her view as she sat down in front of her. Almost immediately, a cloud of blonde cheerleaders surrounded her. Alison was hit with a wave of preppie perfume. She scowled at Ashley Morrison, who was staring at her, her expression agape. Alison leaned over and tapped Claire on the shoulder. Claire whirled around.
"Hi Claire".
"Do I know you?", a trace of guilt flickered across Claire's face. She turned back around and giggled with the blondes, who had all looked at Alison as if she was swamp water. Alison felt tears springing behind her eyes. She remembered Saturday…
**I hate having to go along with everything my friends say!**
**Then why do you do it?**
Claire had to get out of that classroom. She could feel Alison's eyes burning into the back of her neck. She asked the teacher for a pass to the bathroom and jetted out. She walked slowly down the hallway. She knew that she shouldn't have done that to Alison or John. It was like John said, "Only you know how shitty that is to do to someone". Claire didn't know. All she could do was stick to what she knew. Fashion. Shopping. Nail polish. And applying lipstick with her cleavage. But this was her chance to make it up. She spotted John stalking down the hallway, bedraggled in his tweed jacket and filthy boots. Claire ducked into an abandoned janitor's closet and kept the door open a crack. As John was passing, Claire leaned out and grabbed him by the collar and yanked him into the closet with her.
"What the fuck?", John said, looking at her confusedly. Claire threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. John shoved her away.
"No, I mean what the fuck Claire? What the fuck was that this morning? You blew me off, and you blew Alison off. Let me ask you something Claire. Why is it so important to you to look good in front of those dumb blondes? Because, honestly I don't think they have the brain cells to understand. I should never have kissed you. I regret it. You haven't changed at all. You are still the same pampered little princess that I met Saturday morning".
"John, I…"
"I don't want to fucking hear it alright?" Tears came streaming down Claire's face.
"Don't cry for me, baby. Go cry to Mommy and Daddy or Big Brother. I don't give a shit".
"John, please…". John held up a hand to silence her. He threw open the closets door and stalked out. The door bounced off its hinges and swung closed, leaving Claire overcome by tears.
The bell rang as Carrie walked out of her first period class. Chemistry next. Brian was in that class with her, she realized. What was with that blush and the little pseudo-hug that morning? "Dammit, he better not have a crush on me" thought Carrie vaguely. She stepped into class and heard the daily snickers of the people around her.
"The Clash, who the hell is The Clash?" a jock asked her, referring to the large patch pinned onto her jacket. Carrie whipped around and glared at him.
"Obviously, you don't know, you'll never know from me, so don't fucking talk to me". She replied, giving him a dark death glare. Fear flickered across his face.
"You wanna start something punk bitch?" he asked waveringly. Carrie jumped up from her seat and glared up at him.
"Try me" she hissed. The jock grabbed her arm. His fellow barrel-headed cronies leapt up and pulled him back. Carrie felt a pair of arms around her waist, and she turned to face Brian, who was looking at her with eyes that said, "Don't risk it."
"Don't hit a girl, man" one of the jock's friends muttered, "Just sit down, Carrie don't start this". Carrie straightened her jacket and sat back down. The teacher came walking into the room, her high heels tapping the sound of death towards her. A cold wind seemed to pass through the entire row of students sitting silently at their desks, like they were awaiting execution by means of acid ingestion.
"Was that you wreaking havoc once again, Carina?" Carrie flinched at the name choice and nodded.
"It was only on Johannsen back there. Honestly, I don't think he has the brain capacity of a bratwurst to realize what was going on". Carrie said, giving the teacher her famous innocent gaze. The teacher narrowed her eyes at Carrie and tapped away towards the blackboard. She picked up a piece of chalk and scrawled "Nuclear Fission" across the board, accompanied with a symphony of what sounded like cats dying. The whole class groaned and the rustle of notebooks opening and pens clicking was heard. Carrie glanced at Brian, who gave her a small, glinting smile from his desk. Carrie half-smiled back. She never smiled.
Claire stepped out of the closet, her eyes red and bloodshot from crying. She had made the biggest mistake, not to mention completely embarrassing herself. She wrapped her leather jacket around herself protectively and walked slowly down the hallway. She turned the corner to see Andy sauntering down the hallway, whistling the same tune they were last Saturday. She ducked into a corner, in some shadows and waited for him to blindly pass her. He walked past.
"I know you're there, Claire. You can't fool me". He said without looking back. Claire came out of the shadows. At least she was safe in the shadows. She caught up with Andy. They walked in silence for a while.
"I saw you with Alison, that's really great, Andy", she said sincerely.
"Not that you would know about that or anything, right?", Andy said bitterly. Claire flinched.
"That's not what I meant, Andy. I meant that you two look good together".
"Bullshit. If you really thought that way, then why did you push away Bender? It's not easy to hurt a guy like that, but I think you may have succeeded".
"I never meant to! You don't understand!"
"Sure didn't look like that". Andy turned a corner into his class. Claire stormed back to her classroom. The teacher caught sight of her slipping soundlessly into her seat.
"Miss Standish, that was entirely too long to be in the bathroom", she snapped, chalk in hand.
"I had..", Claire began. The teacher held up a hand to silence Claire's excuse.
"The answer to that is a detention next Saturday. Moving on…". Claire slid down in her seat. In front of her, Alison smirked and lowered her head to concentrate on a drawing of a snow-laced forest.
Andy sat in class thinking of Alison. He had never thought he would end up with someone like her, or anyone for that matter. She was incredible…
"So what's with that shopping bag chick you were with this morning, Clarke?", one of his friends asked. This guy, Charlie Johannsen was dating the cheerleader that Carrie had fought the week before. Andy was not particularly fond of Charlie. The class fell silent. The rest of his friends, all jocks, stared at Andy, as if hungry for what he was going to say about Alison. Their greedy eyes pried into his mind and searched for the answer that they wanted. Computer nerds tore their eyes away from their computer screens and gazed at Andy as if he were a Greek god, and he was about to serve them with a holy decree. Girls all dressed in the latest fashions, poring over a magazine glanced up and eyed Andy with flirtations spinning inside their brains and eagerly awaiting his answer to twist around and begin a tree of gossip. Andy cast a glare at Charlie.
"She isn't a shopping bag chick, and if I ever hear you calling her that again, I'll waste you".
"Whoa…alright man, but you can do better. She ain't that great looking, if you ask me"
"Well no one asked you, so shut the hell up".
"You wanna start something, Clarke, because I thought we were friends, man?"
"Eat my shorts", Andy muttered under his breath. He gave a little half-smile when he realized whom he had sounded like.
"What was that, asshole?" Charlie asked threateningly. He got up and faced Andy. Andy leaned back in his chair, in a relaxed position. He smirked at Charlie.
"Eat…my….shorts", he said louder. Charlie glared at Andy and whipped off his varsity letter jacket.
"That's it, Clarke, lets go, right here right now", he shouted. Andy stood up sharply and stared Charlie right in the eye.
"You don't wanna get into this with me man".
"You bet I do" Charlie snapped back. The substitute teacher, a meek, skinny woman with scared eyes that darted back and forth between the two guys nervously, uttered a word to stop. Neither one of them paid any attention to her. She went back to staring. Charlie and Andy were face to face, staring each other directly in the eye, daring one another to throw the first punch. Out of the corner of his eye, Andy saw John waiting by the classroom door, out of sight to the rest of the class, who were watching Charlie and Andy with an intense morbid fascination, waiting for the first drop of blood to fall. Charlie's face tightened as he brought back his fist and threw it forward. Andy brought his fist up sharply to block the punch thrown. Charlie, seeing that he was disabled in his one hand, shoved his other fist forward, striking Andy in the stomach. Andy stumbled forward as Charlie pushed him backwards into a desk, startling a girl sitting there. John leapt in and threw a punch at Charlie's eye. Charlie fell backwards into his jock friends, cursing John worse than a blacksmith would, his hand holding his eye in pain. Andy saw the girl he had knocked into out of the corner of his eye. She was running out the door, to stop no other but Mr. Vernon himself. He dragged Andy, John and Charlie out of the classroom, uttering apologies to the substitute, who was substantially shaken. People in the hallways stared at the unlikely party straggling down the hallway; Charlie moaning of pain and threatening John. Andy hunched over, trying to regain breath. John was calling Charlie a "coward ass cocksucker" and other obscenities.
"Looks like another Saturday for you, Clarke. I expected a little more decorum from a varsity letterman on his way to a scholarship". Vernon smirked and ushered the three into his office.
Chapter Two Of "What Goes Around Comes Around"
By Novalee
Carrie walked into school, painfully aware of the stares around her, scowling at her favorite leather jacket with the pins. She stalked through the hallways, clutching her books to her chest. Carrie stopped by her locker and quickly dialed the combination. Alison appeared silently by her side.
"Hey", whispered Alison. Carrie jumped, dropping her calculus book on her foot. She winced at the pain shooting through her toe.
"Christ, Alison. You scared me", said Carrie, bending down to pick up the book. She looked up at Alison, and noticed she had kept the new look that Claire had given her. Her brown hair was pulled back with a small, pink headband, and she wore a tasteful lavender blouse with a pleated black skirt. Carrie glanced at Alison's feet, and smiled. She was glad to know Alison hadn't changed everything about her. She had on a pair of opaque black stockings and the dirty, bedraggled Converse sneakers were tied to her feet in neat bows.
"Sorry, I tend to be quiet".
"Sidler. Did you talk to any of the others this morning?"
"Brian and Andy have talked to me, I haven't seen John, and Claire ignored me".
"I figured as much".
"What the hell is her problem anyway?"
"She thinks too highly of herself to be seen with the likes of us".
"Yeah, I know", a male voice replied. Carrie whirled around to see Brian standing behind her, and Andy with his arm around Alison's waist. Alison was slowly turning a shade of lobster red. Jocks and prisses that walked past saw Andy and Alison and their jaws dropped in the most unsophisticated fashion. Andy and Alison paid no mind to their audience.
"Hey", said Carrie, smiling slightly at Brian. Brian grinned his goofy smile, showing all his teeth. Carrie could have sworn she saw his face flush pink.
"Claire said hi to me, but she completely ignored Alison. She wouldn't even look at Brian. I think Bender might be cutting school today", said Andy. But just as he said this, Bender came charging up behind Andy and shoving him into a locker.
"Heya Sporto", said Bender. He glanced at Alison.
"Nice look".
"Coming from a turd like you, that shouldn't mean much, but thank you anyway", Alison did her best to glare at Bender, but failed. She didn't look as menacing without her heavy black eyeliner. Andy leapt on Bender and they continued to wrestle in the style of teenage male immaturity. Carrie rolled her eyes, but couldn't help laughing at Andy putting Bender in a chokehold. At that moment, the last of their Breakfast Club Crew came sauntering down the hallway followed by a gaggle of blonde cheerleaders. Claire saw the five of them standing there expectantly, but she quickly looked away. Ashley Morrison, the cheerleader whom Carrie had mauled earlier last week, caught sight of Carrie and busied herself with the fat tube of bubble gum lip gloss she was applying.
"Yeah, you better look away bitch", leered Carrie at both Claire and Ashley.
"Fuck this", muttered Bender. He walked up to Claire and slipped his arm around her waist and kissed her on the cheek. Claire pushed him away and continued walking. Her head was ducked down as to avoid the glares of the four others. The Dumb Blonde Posse giggled and followed her. Bender strode back to the crew and leaned on a locker.
"I shoulda fuckin' known". He kicked the locker angrily and stalked off. None of them went after him. Andy looked down and shuffled his feet.
"Christ...", muttered Carrie. The bell rang, sounding the beginning of first period. They parted ways, after promising to eat lunch together. Alison said she had first period with Claire and that she would try and talk to her. Brian mustered the courage to give Carrie a little squeeze around her shoulders, before scurrying off to his first period class. Carrie smiled a little and walked away. Some football player passed her and said "Punk bitch". She looked back, grinned and thanked him, and continued on her way.
Alison slipped into her first period class and sat in her seat. She glanced around and the dumb-stricken faces around her. This new look was somewhat beneficial. She loved seeing her mother's jaw drop when she got in the car after detention last Saturday. And now Andy comes along…he was really the first guy to notice her at all, to give her the time of day. Claire's red hair came into her view as she sat down in front of her. Almost immediately, a cloud of blonde cheerleaders surrounded her. Alison was hit with a wave of preppie perfume. She scowled at Ashley Morrison, who was staring at her, her expression agape. Alison leaned over and tapped Claire on the shoulder. Claire whirled around.
"Hi Claire".
"Do I know you?", a trace of guilt flickered across Claire's face. She turned back around and giggled with the blondes, who had all looked at Alison as if she was swamp water. Alison felt tears springing behind her eyes. She remembered Saturday…
**I hate having to go along with everything my friends say!**
**Then why do you do it?**
Claire had to get out of that classroom. She could feel Alison's eyes burning into the back of her neck. She asked the teacher for a pass to the bathroom and jetted out. She walked slowly down the hallway. She knew that she shouldn't have done that to Alison or John. It was like John said, "Only you know how shitty that is to do to someone". Claire didn't know. All she could do was stick to what she knew. Fashion. Shopping. Nail polish. And applying lipstick with her cleavage. But this was her chance to make it up. She spotted John stalking down the hallway, bedraggled in his tweed jacket and filthy boots. Claire ducked into an abandoned janitor's closet and kept the door open a crack. As John was passing, Claire leaned out and grabbed him by the collar and yanked him into the closet with her.
"What the fuck?", John said, looking at her confusedly. Claire threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. John shoved her away.
"No, I mean what the fuck Claire? What the fuck was that this morning? You blew me off, and you blew Alison off. Let me ask you something Claire. Why is it so important to you to look good in front of those dumb blondes? Because, honestly I don't think they have the brain cells to understand. I should never have kissed you. I regret it. You haven't changed at all. You are still the same pampered little princess that I met Saturday morning".
"John, I…"
"I don't want to fucking hear it alright?" Tears came streaming down Claire's face.
"Don't cry for me, baby. Go cry to Mommy and Daddy or Big Brother. I don't give a shit".
"John, please…". John held up a hand to silence her. He threw open the closets door and stalked out. The door bounced off its hinges and swung closed, leaving Claire overcome by tears.
The bell rang as Carrie walked out of her first period class. Chemistry next. Brian was in that class with her, she realized. What was with that blush and the little pseudo-hug that morning? "Dammit, he better not have a crush on me" thought Carrie vaguely. She stepped into class and heard the daily snickers of the people around her.
"The Clash, who the hell is The Clash?" a jock asked her, referring to the large patch pinned onto her jacket. Carrie whipped around and glared at him.
"Obviously, you don't know, you'll never know from me, so don't fucking talk to me". She replied, giving him a dark death glare. Fear flickered across his face.
"You wanna start something punk bitch?" he asked waveringly. Carrie jumped up from her seat and glared up at him.
"Try me" she hissed. The jock grabbed her arm. His fellow barrel-headed cronies leapt up and pulled him back. Carrie felt a pair of arms around her waist, and she turned to face Brian, who was looking at her with eyes that said, "Don't risk it."
"Don't hit a girl, man" one of the jock's friends muttered, "Just sit down, Carrie don't start this". Carrie straightened her jacket and sat back down. The teacher came walking into the room, her high heels tapping the sound of death towards her. A cold wind seemed to pass through the entire row of students sitting silently at their desks, like they were awaiting execution by means of acid ingestion.
"Was that you wreaking havoc once again, Carina?" Carrie flinched at the name choice and nodded.
"It was only on Johannsen back there. Honestly, I don't think he has the brain capacity of a bratwurst to realize what was going on". Carrie said, giving the teacher her famous innocent gaze. The teacher narrowed her eyes at Carrie and tapped away towards the blackboard. She picked up a piece of chalk and scrawled "Nuclear Fission" across the board, accompanied with a symphony of what sounded like cats dying. The whole class groaned and the rustle of notebooks opening and pens clicking was heard. Carrie glanced at Brian, who gave her a small, glinting smile from his desk. Carrie half-smiled back. She never smiled.
Claire stepped out of the closet, her eyes red and bloodshot from crying. She had made the biggest mistake, not to mention completely embarrassing herself. She wrapped her leather jacket around herself protectively and walked slowly down the hallway. She turned the corner to see Andy sauntering down the hallway, whistling the same tune they were last Saturday. She ducked into a corner, in some shadows and waited for him to blindly pass her. He walked past.
"I know you're there, Claire. You can't fool me". He said without looking back. Claire came out of the shadows. At least she was safe in the shadows. She caught up with Andy. They walked in silence for a while.
"I saw you with Alison, that's really great, Andy", she said sincerely.
"Not that you would know about that or anything, right?", Andy said bitterly. Claire flinched.
"That's not what I meant, Andy. I meant that you two look good together".
"Bullshit. If you really thought that way, then why did you push away Bender? It's not easy to hurt a guy like that, but I think you may have succeeded".
"I never meant to! You don't understand!"
"Sure didn't look like that". Andy turned a corner into his class. Claire stormed back to her classroom. The teacher caught sight of her slipping soundlessly into her seat.
"Miss Standish, that was entirely too long to be in the bathroom", she snapped, chalk in hand.
"I had..", Claire began. The teacher held up a hand to silence Claire's excuse.
"The answer to that is a detention next Saturday. Moving on…". Claire slid down in her seat. In front of her, Alison smirked and lowered her head to concentrate on a drawing of a snow-laced forest.
Andy sat in class thinking of Alison. He had never thought he would end up with someone like her, or anyone for that matter. She was incredible…
"So what's with that shopping bag chick you were with this morning, Clarke?", one of his friends asked. This guy, Charlie Johannsen was dating the cheerleader that Carrie had fought the week before. Andy was not particularly fond of Charlie. The class fell silent. The rest of his friends, all jocks, stared at Andy, as if hungry for what he was going to say about Alison. Their greedy eyes pried into his mind and searched for the answer that they wanted. Computer nerds tore their eyes away from their computer screens and gazed at Andy as if he were a Greek god, and he was about to serve them with a holy decree. Girls all dressed in the latest fashions, poring over a magazine glanced up and eyed Andy with flirtations spinning inside their brains and eagerly awaiting his answer to twist around and begin a tree of gossip. Andy cast a glare at Charlie.
"She isn't a shopping bag chick, and if I ever hear you calling her that again, I'll waste you".
"Whoa…alright man, but you can do better. She ain't that great looking, if you ask me"
"Well no one asked you, so shut the hell up".
"You wanna start something, Clarke, because I thought we were friends, man?"
"Eat my shorts", Andy muttered under his breath. He gave a little half-smile when he realized whom he had sounded like.
"What was that, asshole?" Charlie asked threateningly. He got up and faced Andy. Andy leaned back in his chair, in a relaxed position. He smirked at Charlie.
"Eat…my….shorts", he said louder. Charlie glared at Andy and whipped off his varsity letter jacket.
"That's it, Clarke, lets go, right here right now", he shouted. Andy stood up sharply and stared Charlie right in the eye.
"You don't wanna get into this with me man".
"You bet I do" Charlie snapped back. The substitute teacher, a meek, skinny woman with scared eyes that darted back and forth between the two guys nervously, uttered a word to stop. Neither one of them paid any attention to her. She went back to staring. Charlie and Andy were face to face, staring each other directly in the eye, daring one another to throw the first punch. Out of the corner of his eye, Andy saw John waiting by the classroom door, out of sight to the rest of the class, who were watching Charlie and Andy with an intense morbid fascination, waiting for the first drop of blood to fall. Charlie's face tightened as he brought back his fist and threw it forward. Andy brought his fist up sharply to block the punch thrown. Charlie, seeing that he was disabled in his one hand, shoved his other fist forward, striking Andy in the stomach. Andy stumbled forward as Charlie pushed him backwards into a desk, startling a girl sitting there. John leapt in and threw a punch at Charlie's eye. Charlie fell backwards into his jock friends, cursing John worse than a blacksmith would, his hand holding his eye in pain. Andy saw the girl he had knocked into out of the corner of his eye. She was running out the door, to stop no other but Mr. Vernon himself. He dragged Andy, John and Charlie out of the classroom, uttering apologies to the substitute, who was substantially shaken. People in the hallways stared at the unlikely party straggling down the hallway; Charlie moaning of pain and threatening John. Andy hunched over, trying to regain breath. John was calling Charlie a "coward ass cocksucker" and other obscenities.
"Looks like another Saturday for you, Clarke. I expected a little more decorum from a varsity letterman on his way to a scholarship". Vernon smirked and ushered the three into his office.