" Ouch! That's hurts!" Jackie screamed. Collins backed away from Jackie's bruised eye. He let out a deep breath.
" Well, you have to put this stuff on if you want the swelling to go down." Collins responded calmly, with the tube of medicine in his hands.
" Well, if dip-shit here didn't give me the shiner, I wouldn't have to put on the stuff." Jackie said in a mad voice, pointing at Roger who was sitting on the couch. Roger, who was still feeling guilty, gave Jackie a desperate look. " Sorry." She mumbled. Collins, Roger and Jackie were the only ones in the loft. Mark and Mimi were at work. Collins had the day off because NYU was closed for the day. Jackie was getting ready to go to a new school with Joanne and Maureen today and Roger had band practice later. However, Jackie wasn't looking forward going back to school. Collins tried once more to put the medicine on Jackie left eye. This time, she merely winced in pain and allowed Collins to put on the medicine. " Do I have to go back to school?" Jackie asked Roger, swinging her feet back and forth. Roger nodded.
" Yup. Your not going to waste your life the same way I did. Besides, you need to make some friends." Roger responded. Jackie mumbled something under her breath. " What was that?" Roger asked.
" Oh, nothing." Jackie replied sweetly. Collins, who heard what Jackie had said, chuckled lightly. Roger looked annoyed and started to light up a cigarette. Collins finished putting on the medicine and allowed Jackie to stand up from the table. " So, what's so great about this school?" Jackie asked Collins.
" They got a great education system and a excellent sports program. Plus, its pretty close by so you can walk there and walk home." Collins replied, taking a seat next to Roger. Jackie walked up to where Collins and Roger sat.
" Great. I can't wait." She said sarcastically, as she took Roger's cigarette out of his hands before he had a chance to smoke it and took in a deep breath.
" Hey!" he yelled. Jackie rolled her eyes and gave it back to him. " That reminds me." Roger said taking in a deep breath of smoke. "Smoking is off limits when you go to school. It's against the rules." Roger said pointing a finger at Jackie. Jackie let out an annoyed breath.
" Fine." She said stubbornly. Just then, Joanne and Maureen came walking in through the sliding door.
" Ready to go?" Joanne asked Jackie, trying to not look at the black and blue bump that layed on her left eye. Mimi had told Maureen and Joanne the story about the large bruise on Jackie's face. Jackie shrugged her shoulders.
" If I must." She answered, grabbing her small backpack. Joanne and Maureen waved goodbye to Collins and Roger, as the left the building. Outside, there was a cab waiting for them. Jackie got in first, then Maureen, then Joanne. The cab smelled like old sneakers and wet dog. Jackie made a throw up gesture to Maureen who agreed by nodding silently. The driver, who was overweight and had a hat on turned around and looked at Joanne.
" Where to, Miss?" he asked in a scratchy voice. Joanne told him the school name and they drove off. Jackie, who was now used to the disgusting smell, was playing with the window button.
" Here Jackie. I figured that since Roger wouldn't have enough sense to buy you any school stuff, I got you some things that you may need." Joanne said taking out a bag. " Its only the basic stuff like pencils, notebooks, pens, whiteout, a calculator and a binder." Joanne said giving the bag to Jackie.
" Pookie, that's more then just the basics." Maureen stated with one eyebrow raised. Jackie grinned slightly. Joanne shrugged her shoulders.
" Ok, fine. I just want Jackie to do well in school. That's all." Joanne said looking at Maureen.
" Thanks Jo, I really appreciate it." Jackie said. Joanne beamed at Jackie. " Besides, you were right about Roger. He doesn't have much sense at all." The three of them laughed as the pulled up to a big school. It was made of brick and looked to be about 3 stories high. Jackie looked at the time on the cabs radio and saw that it was 9:30. She knew everyone was already in class. Maureen and Jackie got out of the car as Joanne paid the cab driver. Maureen put one shoulder around Jackie.
" You feeling ok?" Maureen asked her. Jackie smiled at Maureen.
" Yea, I'm good. Nothing I can't handle." Jackie answered. Maureen smiled and hugged Jackie. Joanne walked up to them and led them to the front of the door. Inside there was school entrance with a banner that was decorated with the school mascot, a Tiger. It was very quiet, since everyone was in class. Joanne, who asked where the office was, led them to it. It was a normal sized room with a couple of chairs near the secretary. She looked up at the three of them and smiled.
" Hello, you must be Mrs. Jefferson. I'm Mrs. Groodle." She said. Her light brown hair was up in a tight bun. She wore glasses that were hanging at the tip of her nose. She looked about 40 years old. " And this must be Jackie." She glanced at Jackie and Maureen. She looked at Jackie's face and was shocked. She quickly recovered and continued talking in the same, cheerful tone. "Hello dear, welcome. I've already printed out your schedule." Mrs. Groodle said, handing Jackie a piece of paper. Jackie took it and quickly scanned it.
" Well, we better get going Maureen." Joanne said. Maureen nodded in agreement. She gave Jackie one last hug and then they left the office.
" Well, we better get you to class. What dose your schedule say you have 2nd period?" Mrs. Groodle asked. Jackie looked at it.
" English with Mrs. Morgan." Jackie answered. Mrs. Groodle smiled.
" Wonderful, she's an excellent teacher. I'll show you your locker and then I'll show you to her room." Mrs. Groodle said leading Jackie out the door of the office. They walked down a hallway full of blue lockers. Mrs. Groodle showed her a locker that was hers and told her the combination. After that, she led Jackie to another hallway full of rooms. They stopped at a room witch was numbered 121. Mrs. Groodle looked at Jackie. " Let me go tell her that you are here, dear. You just wait out here for a second." She told Jackie as she knocked on the door. Mrs. Groodle walked into the room and started to talk to Mrs. Morgan. Jackie leaned on the wall that was outside the room. Mrs. Groodle came out and told Jackie she could go in now. Jackie adjusted her backpack and heading inside.
Inside the room, there were about 20 kids who were sitting in rows of 5. Jackie walked up to the teacher with dark hair whom she assumed to be Mrs. Morgan. She smiled sweetly at Jackie. She made a surprised look at Jackie when she saw the bruise that was on her face. She shook her head and smiled again.
" Hello Jackie, welcome to our school. I'm Mrs. Morgan." She said. She turned to her class. " Class, this is Jackie Davis. She is a new student from Philadelphia. Please help her feel welcomed to our school." Jackie had no expression on her face as she looked at her classmates. " There is an empty seat in the back that you can sit in." Mrs. Morgan told Jackie. As Jackie walked to the back desk, some kids whispered as they saw her eye. She ignored them and took a seat at the desk. She slumped back and took out one of the notebooks that Joanne had bought her.
It was lunchtime and Jackie was walking down the hallways. She saw a small girl with dark hair and freckles being picked on by a very pretty blonde and her friends. She was wearing glasses and she looked like she was close to tears. Jackie walked slower, trying to hear their conversation.
" Yea, not only are you ugly, but you have no boobs, bug-eyes!" the Blonde said in a nasty voice. Jackie couldn't watch this happen so she walked up next to the girl with the glasses.
" Maybe she didn't ask for your opinion." Jackie said raising her eyebrow. The blonde looked at her two friends and laughed.
" And who are you, one-eyed wonder?" she asked with her hands on her hips. The two friends giggled at the blonde's remark. Jackie rolled her eyes.
" The names Jackie and I would really appreciate it if you would leave her alone." Jackie said pointing to the girl with glasses.
" Well, Jackie." The blonde said emphasizing her name. " Would you rather I start on you, shit-face?" Jackie chuckled lightly.
" Blondie, my life growing up was a living hell. Nothing, and I mean nothing, will ever hurt me more then the things I had to go through." Jackie said.
" Yea, right. Your lying and I know it. You're just a fake " the blonde replied. Jackie's face-hardened and these words.
" So, you thing these are fake?" Jackie said pulling up her sleeves, reveling many scars. " I've got some on my back, legs, neck. You name a body part, I have a scar." Jackie replied looking at the 3 girls. " And, I don't think you want to know what happened to my eye." The 3 girls looked at each other in an unsure way. The Blonde made a defeated noise at Jackie as she turned around and walked away with her friends. Jackie smiled to herself and looked at the girl with the glasses picking up some books she dropped. When she got up she looked at Jackie.
" Thanks a lot. Brittany is always picking on me." The little girl said blushing,
" No prob. You just have to know how to scare them." Jackie said. " And you can't let them get into your head."
" My names Melody by the way. Melody Taylor but people just call me Mel," She said smiling.
" Jackie Davis." Jackie replied.
" Are all those scars really from your parents?" Mel asked wide-eyed.
" Not all of them. Some of them are from when I just did stupid stuff like jumping fences and climbing trees." Jackie responded leaning her back on the lockers.
" Oh." Mel replied. " What about your black eye?" She asked.
" That was a bluff. My brother accidentally gave it to me." Jackie said, trying not to get into details. Mel smiled.
" Whats your next class?" Mel asked. Jackie pulled her crumpled up schedule out of her pocket.
" Umm, science with Mr. Fields." Jackie said. Mel beamed.
" Me too!" Mel responded. Jackie grinned slightly.
" She's cute. And I guess I could use a friend." Jackie thought. Jackie and Mel both walked to science together where they sat down at a table and took out there notebooks.
It was 3:00 when the bell rang. Jackie and Mel both walked down the hall together talking about their classes. Then, just as they were reaching the main hallway, Brittany and her friends Carol and Frenchy were standing with 3 boys. Jackie noticed 2 of the boys from the park. They were just walking by when they stopped them in there tracks.
" Hello, Jackie." Brittany said in a nasty voice. Next to her was the dark haired boy from the park. " Justin, this is the one we were talking about." Justin grinned.
" Oh, so this is the wannabe abused girl." He said, trying to make Jackie react. Jackie's expression didn't change at the word Justin said. His face fell as he tried again. " Yea, Brittany was telling me how you were saying that you were abused growing up." Justin said. " I bet your lying." Jackie shrugged her shoulders.
" Ok, you think what you want." She said simply. " Now, if you would step away so me and Mel can get through, then we wont have any problems." Justin looked at his friends and laughed.
" Oh, so your friends with bug-eyed Mel." He said laughing. Mel's face turned red, which made everyone laugh harder. Jackie looked at her and saw that she was near to tears. Jackie's fist tighten up as her turned around quickly and shoved Justin up against the wall. He was so surprised at the sudden movement and the muscle that Jackie had to hold him 3 inches above the ground. Behind her, the 5 other kids were too scared to try and help Justin. Jackie stared at him with a hard expression.
" You ever call my friend a name again, I'll beat the shit out of you." Jackie said. Justin was choking as Jackie's hand wrapped around his neck tighter. Jackie then threw him onto the ground and walked up to him where he was still trying to catch his breath. " I'm glad we had this talk." She said smiling. Jackie turned around and walked up to a smiling Mel.
" Thanks, again." She said. Jackie shrugged her shoulders as they both walked out the door of the school. Jackie saw Joanne and Maureen waiting at a cab for her. She waved goodbye to Mal as she ran to the cab. When she got there, she got inside and hugged Maureen who was sitting next to her.
" How was your day?" Joanne asked. Jackie shrugged her shoulders.
" Fine. Where's Roger?" Jackie asked.
" He wanted to come, hunny. But he had band practice." Maureen informed her. Jackie let out a deep breath.
" Figures." Jackie said, as the cab started moving. Joanne and Maureen looked at each other, not knowing what to say. Jackie broke the uncomfortable silence.
" I made a friend." Jackie said.
"Oh, that's great! What's her name?" Maureen asked excitedly.
" Mel. She's kind of like a small, girl version of Mark." Jackie said grinning. Joanne and Maureen laughed as Jackie continued to tell them about her first day at her new school.
A/N: Sorry there was a lack of Rent members in this chap, but I thought it would be an important piece to my story. I've got some big ideas coming so keep the reviews coming please!