Chapter 2. Trouble
"Oh, looky, looky what we have here," Cole sneered and Julie groaned, she didn't have time for this. She had to get back to her room drop off her stuff, and then grab a sandwich, she was already running late. She'd had to stop at the library but the book she needed was out. Now after wasting precious time, she had to deal with these buffoons that was all she needed.
"A pretty little ducky." Riley sneered as he stood beside his buddy.
"What do you two want?" She demanded.
"What's wrong the cat feeling caged?" Cole Smirked nastily.
"Chill man." Riley said and she frowned, what game were they planning? Even after the Junior varsity/varsity game they'd not changed much. They still pushed Ken around, made fun of the other ducks and had even started hassling she and Connie.
"I really don't have time for this, I have a game tonight." She muttered and he tilted his head as if deep in thought.
"I think you better make time Cat, better make time." He said and stepped forward and with one quick move he jerked her close, his mouth slanting over hers.
Julie felt the nausea welling up and shoved at him hard. He let her go but still smirking at her he whipped his mouth with the back of a hand. She didn't think just drew back her fist and popped him right in the nose.
"Hey Cat Lady!" A voice called and she was glad to see Charlie, Connie, Portman, Russ and Averman coming their way.
"Later little duckette." Riley sneered before he and this flunky disappeared down the hall.
As the other ducks reached Julie she smiled at them. Charlie's eyes were narrowed. Ever since the trouble last year with the Varsity team they'd all had to be careful, not that the older kids had tried to do anything. Now she felt safe. but had she felt unsafe? Giving herself a mental shake Julie shoved her still sore hand into a pocket and waited for the Malay of questions.
"You ok?" Connie asked as Charlie frowned after the older guys.
"What was that all about?" That was Charlie.
"They wanted to "Talk"." She replied.
"I knew those guys were gonna be trouble." Portman muttered as if to himself and Julie glanced at her watch.
"Well, it was nothing just a little testosterone show. I have got to drop this stuff back in my room or I won't have time to have dinner." Julie said trying not to be rude; she just really wanted to eat something, not to mention take an aspirin her hand was still aching from her lunchtime chair calamity. As if reading her mind
Portman's eyes strayed from her face to her injured extremity.
"How's the hand?"
"Hand?" All eyes went to it.
"You hurt it?" Charlie was moving forward going into team captain mode.
"Guys it's nothing, I'm just hungry and have stuff to do before practice." She lied even as Charlie was reaching for her hand.
"It's not broken." Portman said but Charlie didn't even glance at him.
"That's why you were under the table." Russ commented even as Charlie looked at their goalie.
"Your sure it's ok?"
"Yeah, I'm good. I just have to jet if I'm gonna have time..."
*****
Ten minutes later the phone was ringing as Julie entered her dorm room. She didn't even move for it. She had an answering machine after all.
"Julie, if your there pick up, it's Grand dad." The gravelly voice said and she frowned, why was he calling he usually only called on Sundays, it was too expensive otherwise.
Throwing herself across the bed she picked up the phone.
"Hi Gramps what's up?"
"Julie thank heavens." He said grimly.
"Gramps what's up?"
"There's no easy way to say this." He began and she felt the greasy churn of fear in the pit of her stomach. "Julie Remember I told you about Matt's new car?"
"Yes, why?"
"Well there's been an accident." As she listened to the details Julie was all ready trying to find a way to get home. Her brother, she had to see her brother.
"Ok, I'm going to see when the first plane home leaves and then..." She started but he cut her off.
"Julia Elizabeth Gaffney you'll do no such thing, you know how much Matt cares for you and he wouldn't want you to drop everything for him." The older man was saying.
"But Gramps I'm sure it will be fine." She said but met with what seemed to be a stone wall of opposition.
"You just sit tight; I'll call as soon as I know anything." He said and in such a tone that left no room for arguments.
Sighing Julie said goodbye and replacing the phone receiver on it's cradle. She just sat there staring into Nothingness for a time.
An accident. Matt.She had to stay... Vaguely she thought of her term paper she was writing on the evolution of some big corporation, of her geometry homework and of the game they had.
Glancing at the bedside radio she noted that it was almost time to leave. She knew what she had to do.
TBC
"Oh, looky, looky what we have here," Cole sneered and Julie groaned, she didn't have time for this. She had to get back to her room drop off her stuff, and then grab a sandwich, she was already running late. She'd had to stop at the library but the book she needed was out. Now after wasting precious time, she had to deal with these buffoons that was all she needed.
"A pretty little ducky." Riley sneered as he stood beside his buddy.
"What do you two want?" She demanded.
"What's wrong the cat feeling caged?" Cole Smirked nastily.
"Chill man." Riley said and she frowned, what game were they planning? Even after the Junior varsity/varsity game they'd not changed much. They still pushed Ken around, made fun of the other ducks and had even started hassling she and Connie.
"I really don't have time for this, I have a game tonight." She muttered and he tilted his head as if deep in thought.
"I think you better make time Cat, better make time." He said and stepped forward and with one quick move he jerked her close, his mouth slanting over hers.
Julie felt the nausea welling up and shoved at him hard. He let her go but still smirking at her he whipped his mouth with the back of a hand. She didn't think just drew back her fist and popped him right in the nose.
"Hey Cat Lady!" A voice called and she was glad to see Charlie, Connie, Portman, Russ and Averman coming their way.
"Later little duckette." Riley sneered before he and this flunky disappeared down the hall.
As the other ducks reached Julie she smiled at them. Charlie's eyes were narrowed. Ever since the trouble last year with the Varsity team they'd all had to be careful, not that the older kids had tried to do anything. Now she felt safe. but had she felt unsafe? Giving herself a mental shake Julie shoved her still sore hand into a pocket and waited for the Malay of questions.
"You ok?" Connie asked as Charlie frowned after the older guys.
"What was that all about?" That was Charlie.
"They wanted to "Talk"." She replied.
"I knew those guys were gonna be trouble." Portman muttered as if to himself and Julie glanced at her watch.
"Well, it was nothing just a little testosterone show. I have got to drop this stuff back in my room or I won't have time to have dinner." Julie said trying not to be rude; she just really wanted to eat something, not to mention take an aspirin her hand was still aching from her lunchtime chair calamity. As if reading her mind
Portman's eyes strayed from her face to her injured extremity.
"How's the hand?"
"Hand?" All eyes went to it.
"You hurt it?" Charlie was moving forward going into team captain mode.
"Guys it's nothing, I'm just hungry and have stuff to do before practice." She lied even as Charlie was reaching for her hand.
"It's not broken." Portman said but Charlie didn't even glance at him.
"That's why you were under the table." Russ commented even as Charlie looked at their goalie.
"Your sure it's ok?"
"Yeah, I'm good. I just have to jet if I'm gonna have time..."
*****
Ten minutes later the phone was ringing as Julie entered her dorm room. She didn't even move for it. She had an answering machine after all.
"Julie, if your there pick up, it's Grand dad." The gravelly voice said and she frowned, why was he calling he usually only called on Sundays, it was too expensive otherwise.
Throwing herself across the bed she picked up the phone.
"Hi Gramps what's up?"
"Julie thank heavens." He said grimly.
"Gramps what's up?"
"There's no easy way to say this." He began and she felt the greasy churn of fear in the pit of her stomach. "Julie Remember I told you about Matt's new car?"
"Yes, why?"
"Well there's been an accident." As she listened to the details Julie was all ready trying to find a way to get home. Her brother, she had to see her brother.
"Ok, I'm going to see when the first plane home leaves and then..." She started but he cut her off.
"Julia Elizabeth Gaffney you'll do no such thing, you know how much Matt cares for you and he wouldn't want you to drop everything for him." The older man was saying.
"But Gramps I'm sure it will be fine." She said but met with what seemed to be a stone wall of opposition.
"You just sit tight; I'll call as soon as I know anything." He said and in such a tone that left no room for arguments.
Sighing Julie said goodbye and replacing the phone receiver on it's cradle. She just sat there staring into Nothingness for a time.
An accident. Matt.She had to stay... Vaguely she thought of her term paper she was writing on the evolution of some big corporation, of her geometry homework and of the game they had.
Glancing at the bedside radio she noted that it was almost time to leave. She knew what she had to do.
TBC