Jess quickly pushed the loneliness to the back of her mind as she sat
on the bus between her friends, Nikita and Mick. She loved watching their
faces as she told them about her run-in with Jim and Miles the day before.
Their expressions were priceless! It looked like their eyes were going to
pop out of their heads!
"You said that to MILES?!" shrieked Nikol, "Are you NUTS?!"
"Well," she said, shrugging with false modesty, "It was better than just standing there are letting him pound my face in without any challenge at all, right?"
"Y...yeah, I guess," said Mick, but his face was pale and he looked almost ready to pass out at the thought of what could have happened to her. But that just made Jess laugh.
"You guys worry too much. Trust me. I can take care of myself."
The bus lurched to a stop and Jess stood and started out before her friends could respond. Jim was waiting for her when she got off the bus, Steve and Adam on either side of him looking intimidating. She grinned as they encircled her, Nikita, and Mick. She could see them shaking out of the corner of her eye, but happy-go-lucky Jess could never and would never let anyone see her sweat.
"You left the party early yesterday, Anderson," said Jim in a taunting voice.
"And I suppose you came to return my glass slipper, right Jimmy?"
Jim was a little taken aback, but recovered quickly. "You could say that, since you and I are gonna dance after school. And I DON'T mean the Charleston."
"Uh. . .Sh. . .She's got p. . .plans. . ." stammered Nikita.
"Really? Well I hope for your sake she cancels them, because if she doesn't show up, we'll have to come looking for all three of you."
"No worries, Jim," said Jess, stepping forward, "I'll be there. It's on."
"Great. You're going down, Anderson."
"We'll see about that."
"I can't believe you'd fight a girl!" cried Mick.
Jim turned to face him. "Would you prefer it if I fought you, pipsqueak?"
"I. . .I. . .uh. . .I just. . .er. . ."
"That's what I thought. After school, Anderson. Liberty Park. Be there."
"Count on it." Jess watched the three bullies strut arrogantly toward the building. Nikita grabbed her shoulders and spun her around to look her in the face.
"Are you CRAZY?! You can't fight Jim Davis!"
"Give me one good reason why not."
"He'll MAUL you, J-Girl! You're gonna get yourself killed!"
She just shrugged her shoulders. "Even so, it's against my policy to back away from a challenge. And Mick? You may want to change your pants. They're a little damp." With that, she turned and headed into the school building.
"You said that to MILES?!" shrieked Nikol, "Are you NUTS?!"
"Well," she said, shrugging with false modesty, "It was better than just standing there are letting him pound my face in without any challenge at all, right?"
"Y...yeah, I guess," said Mick, but his face was pale and he looked almost ready to pass out at the thought of what could have happened to her. But that just made Jess laugh.
"You guys worry too much. Trust me. I can take care of myself."
The bus lurched to a stop and Jess stood and started out before her friends could respond. Jim was waiting for her when she got off the bus, Steve and Adam on either side of him looking intimidating. She grinned as they encircled her, Nikita, and Mick. She could see them shaking out of the corner of her eye, but happy-go-lucky Jess could never and would never let anyone see her sweat.
"You left the party early yesterday, Anderson," said Jim in a taunting voice.
"And I suppose you came to return my glass slipper, right Jimmy?"
Jim was a little taken aback, but recovered quickly. "You could say that, since you and I are gonna dance after school. And I DON'T mean the Charleston."
"Uh. . .Sh. . .She's got p. . .plans. . ." stammered Nikita.
"Really? Well I hope for your sake she cancels them, because if she doesn't show up, we'll have to come looking for all three of you."
"No worries, Jim," said Jess, stepping forward, "I'll be there. It's on."
"Great. You're going down, Anderson."
"We'll see about that."
"I can't believe you'd fight a girl!" cried Mick.
Jim turned to face him. "Would you prefer it if I fought you, pipsqueak?"
"I. . .I. . .uh. . .I just. . .er. . ."
"That's what I thought. After school, Anderson. Liberty Park. Be there."
"Count on it." Jess watched the three bullies strut arrogantly toward the building. Nikita grabbed her shoulders and spun her around to look her in the face.
"Are you CRAZY?! You can't fight Jim Davis!"
"Give me one good reason why not."
"He'll MAUL you, J-Girl! You're gonna get yourself killed!"
She just shrugged her shoulders. "Even so, it's against my policy to back away from a challenge. And Mick? You may want to change your pants. They're a little damp." With that, she turned and headed into the school building.
