CHAPTER SIX: REVENGE IS SWEET
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE DEGRASSI CHARACTERS!
"Hey look everyone, its trampy!" Ashley Kerwin, sophomore at Degrassi High, giggled to one of her friends.
"She's such a slut!" One of them laughed, not caring that Manny had overheard them.
Manny hurried her step, her pink mini-skirt fluttering behind her. She knew she shouldn't have worn such a revealing outfit. She wore a rhinestone studded pink halter, a pink mini-skirt, and high heels that practically screamed, hey, I'm a slut everybody!
Manny hugged her algebra book close to her chest, trying to fight back the tears.
Ever since she had been with Craig, she had rightfully claimed the "School Slut" title. Worst of all, Ashley had been spreading rumors about both her and Craig. She couldn't pass one person in a hallway without being whispered about.
"Hey slutty!" Ashley called after her.
Manny stopped walking, her heart beating with anticipation. She had wanted to tell Ashley she was sorry, but it didn't sound like an apology was what she wanted to hear.
"The strip club's that way," Ashley said menacingly, pointing to the exit.
"Are you going to let her treat you like that?" Aphrodite hissed across her mind. It was as if Manny had a really bad case of schizophrenia, only much worse.
"Shut up," Manny whispered aloud.
"What was that?" Ashley replied, the sound of her voice almost intimidating.
"I mean...." Manny's words trailed off as if she didn't know what to say. She had wanted to settle these little cat fights with Ashley, but apart of her enjoyed the fight. Why not give Ashley a taste of her own medicine?
"That's it," Aphrodite whispered temptingly.
"I said, shut up." Manny growled. She wasn't going to let Ashley push her around, even if she did deserve it. She didn't know how she did it, but Manny entered Ashley's mind. Manny's eyes dilated, and a look of fear flickered in Ashley's eyes. She was afraid of her.
Manny weaved in and out of Ashley's memories: memories of her gay father, Craig, Jimmy, her band, and the one thing Manny was most surprised to find. Ashley was jealous of her.
Manny drove deeper into her mind, searching for a way to turn that jealousy into fear. She was tired of being afraid of Ashley all the time. She was tired of being the prey. She was in charge now.
Manny extracted a feeling of fear from a bad dream, and replaced the jealousy with it. She gasped, her mind returning to its own realm. Had she been successful?
Ashley's friends sat at a cafeteria table, whispering madly about what they had just witnessed.
A look of pure fear shot across Ashley's face, and she ran away like a helpless little child, her black boots slapping loudly on the white linoleum.
"She's a witch!" Ashley rasped, her friends staring at her in confusion.
"I swear to you she's a fucking witch!"
"Ash," Ellie Nash, one of Ashley's best friends, tried to comfort her.
"Calm down."
Manny grinned almost evilly, triumph in her eyes. Now Ashley would be the laughingstock of the school. Now Ashley would know what it felt like to be talked about behind her back. Who would believe someone ranting and raving about a witch? Certainly not Mr. Raditch. He would probably conclude Ashley was on too much ecstasy again. Ashley sobbed loudly, the childish look in her eyes almost saddening. Manny chuckled to herself. She looked exactly the way Manny did when the rumors about her had first started.
"She did something to me," Ashley sobbed.
"I swear,"
"Don't worry about it," Ellie coaxed.
Ellie walked over to Manny, in her usual black and red attire. She stood threateningly in front of her, eyes determined.
"What's your deal, Santos?" She said, without the least bit of fear in her voice.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Manny replied innocently.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about! Look at Ashley; she's in tears for no goddamn reason!" Ellie yelled, pointing accusingly at Ashley.
"What did you do to her?!"
"Oh I don't know, Ellie," Manny started softly. She enjoyed being in charge. The thought of a group of sophomores being scared of her was exhilarating.
"Maybe Ashley's had too much ecstasy, perhaps?"
That was the final straw. Manny saw it in her eyes. She shouldn't have been surprised when Ellie's fist came flying at her, but she was. Within the seconds that her fist came flying towards Manny, something powerful and relentless had been awoken within her. She concentrated hard, concentrated on all the anger and hate within her, and moments before Ellie's fist had landed on her face, she let it loose.
Ellie screamed in distress as she struggled to punch past what felt like an invisible force field.
"What the fuck?!"
"Have a nice day, Ellie," Manny said innocently, walking away.
"Revenge is sweet, isn't it?" Aphrodite coaxed.
Manny laughed in a voice that didn't sound like her own and said, "Yeah, it is."
Manny smiled coyly. It did feel good to have a sense of power. If only she could get Craig back, then her desires would be satisfied. Her attention was drawn away from Craig when she saw JT standing lonesomely next to his locker. He looked so hot.
"Hey JT," Manny said temptingly.
"Um, hey," JT replied reluctantly. The last time Manny had spoken to him was when Sulley had started dating her. Why was she being so friendly all of a sudden?
"Do you like my outfit?" Manny asked, flashing her upper thighs at JT as she spun in a circle.
"It's great," JT said, letting his eyes linger on her.
Manny pressed into JT's mind, searching for an interesting memory. So many of his thoughts contained countless lusty daydreams about her it almost made Manny want to make out with him right there. One that took her by surprise was a daydream of them making out in the rain, which was incredibly breathtaking in detail. Why hadn't she gone out with JT in the first place? He was so fucking hot.
Manny pulled out of JT's mind, his memories still lingering in her head. JT massaged at his temples, as if he had felt Manny pressing into his mind. He shrugged, dismissing it as a minor headache.
"JT," Manny whispered, her soft breath tickling his cheek.
"Manny, I----"
"Shh," Manny coaxed, putting a perfectly manicured finger on his lips.
Without even realizing it, Manny pulled JT towards her, her lips parting eager for a kiss. The intense desire that had controlled her in Sulley's car was taking over. She felt it pulse madly beneath her skin, like a vicious beast longing to be set free. She slid her hands up JT's back and pulled his head to hers. Their lips met, and the desire was let loose, longing for more.
JT kissed her back hungrily, and she could feel him pulling her against him eager for her kiss. Joy spread throughout Manny's body, her every molecule jumping and shouting for more. She pulled away, remembering her eternal bond with Aphrodite. The real Manny Santos would never randomly walk up to JT Yorke and start making out with him. Only some sex freak goddess would.
"I'm sorry," Manny said softly.
"Why?" JT said, awe in his voice.
"That was great,"
Manny smiled. She liked JT. But she loved Craig. She felt like one of those girls on The Young and The Restless or A Guiding Light. Her life was much more than some sappy soap opera though. She was Manny Santos, school slut. Yay for her.
"Manny?" JT said, breaking the silence.
"Yeah?"
"Would you....uh....go out with me sometime?" JT stuttered.
Manny sighed heavily. JT had asked her out countless times before, and she had always denied him of a date. She didn't want to date him, but even if she did, she couldn't because of Aphrodite, the fucking love queen. Imagine if she had told JT something like, "Sorry JT, I can't date you because there's this goddess who lives in my head and she controls me whenever I'm around boys." Yeah, right! She was better of telling him that the fucking Muffin Man had stolen her sanity.
"Sorry JT, maybe some other time. I've got a major exam I have to study for this weekend." She lied.
"Oh," JT said sadly. He didn't have to be a romance expert to know that Manny was lying.
"Another time," Manny said, trying to make her suggestion sound believably hopeful, even though the whole situation was actually rendered hopeless.
"Um, I gotta go, seeya!" Manny said suddenly. She could stand staring at JT's You-rejected-me-again-so-I'm-gonna-mope-all-day look.
"He'll get over you," Aphrodite laughed, as if Manny's whole predicament with JT was some sort of joke.
"Fuck you, bitch." Manny thought back, rage stirring within her. Aphrodite continued to laugh, her laughter ringing within Manny's head like some broken record. Unless she found someone who could help her, Manny was doomed.