So, I hope everybody liked chapter 2, and, as promised, this chapter WILL be just a tiny bit shorter. But LOTS of good stuff will happen here: Jessi meets the mysterious person who "attacked" her at the end of chapter 2, Nick and Lucinda pine for each other, Jay tries to reconnect with Brad and Suzette, and Gina is saved from a sticky end by the most unlikely person.
However, I strongly implore that people who read this chapter, and the following ones, comment and REVIEW. Reviews make the entertainment world go round, it's how us writers know what people think of our work, and gives us feedback, to know what our consumers like and don't like, and helps us with ideas. And, as I have said before, anybody can feel free to message me. I'm happy to talk to fellow Big Mouth fans, which can also help with ideas.
Anyway, enjoy the new chapter. I of course own nothing except any new characters you see. Netflix owns everything else, sadly.
Chapter 3
Jessi's POV
"Word of advice, Jessi", Natalie said, grinning from ear to ear, "you'd better hope you never find yourself in a horror movie. You're definitely not 'final girl' material."
"Natalie!!", gasped Jessi. "What are you doing here?!"
Still grinning, Natalie replied. "My dad is in town on a business trip, so when I found out where he was going, I remembered you lived here, so I decided to come here with him and see you. I've missed you so much. "
Jessi had met Natalie last summer at camp. Well, met the NEW her: Natalie was transgender. She had formerly been an obnoxious boy named Gabe, who used to play pranks on Jessi and the other campers, but after transitioning she had matured considerably, and her and Jessi had become very good friends. In fact if it hadn't been for her, Jessi wasn't sure how she'd had survived that summer from hell, especially when she'd had the biggest period of her life. Jessi had thought about Natalie often, and wondered what happened to her. It was like she had dropped off the face of the earth.
"I've missed you too, Natalie. I tried texting you, but you never replied. I thought... well, I thought you forgot about me. "
Natalie laughed. "Sorry, when I got home from camp I accidentally broke my phone. SIM card got busted too. I lost ALL my contacts, and couldn't remember your number. I'd NEVER forget you, girl!!" She reached out and pulled Jessi into a hug, which Jessi happily returned.
After they broke up their hug, Natalie smiled and asked. "So, what's up with YOU? Seeing any cute guys?"
Jessi laughed. "Well, actually, after I got back from camp, I actually transferred to a new school for a bit, and met this one guy. "
She told Natalie about meeting Michaelangelo, and going out with him for a while, and how he had broken up with her after she had promised to give him a hand job and went back on her word.
Natalie made a gagging sound. "Jeez, what a fucking pig!! Reminds me of stupid, fatass Seth at camp, kissing me, then freaking out just cause I'm trans. I swear, men are garbage!!"
Jessi smiled. "Well, then, you might be happy to know I'm into someone else now, and it ain't exactly a guy."
She next told Natalie about her and Ali hanging out, getting arrested for damaging the school mascot statue, and about how she'd realized her feelings for the girl. Jessi still had feelings for Ali, but didn't want to rush things. She still wanted to try and get closer, but told herself to take it slow. When she saw her tomorrow at school, perhaps they could talk about Devon at the vigil, and ask her to hang out.
Next she told her about the most recent events: her getting a yeast infection, her and her mom moving to Lola's apartment, and, of course, having a newborn half-sister.
Natalie whistled. " Wow, a lot HAS happened. We're out of touch for like, five, six months and your life is Kardashian level cray-cray. Me, let's see: well, my sister got into college, her girlfriend got into a different one, and they ended up breaking up. Then Yara, my grandma, died. "
Jessi gasped. "Oh my god, Natalie, that's terrible. I...we recently lost somebody too. Devon, one of the students at my school, died early this morning, before school started. "
Natalie frowned. "That's rough. it's so hard getting used to Yara not being there. My dad took her home from the assisted living home she'd been living in, to try and care for her himself, but she had dementia real bad. He did the best he could, but in the end..." Natalie struggled to speak as the tears started, but couldn't get the words out. Jessi grabbed her and hugged her again. Jessi found out she was crying too.
"It's hard, Natalie. I know it is. Family comes and goes, so do friends. At first I was terrified at having a sister, but it actually hasn't been all that bad. And having YOU here just might make it a little bit easier. "
Jessi let go of Natalie, who tried to smile. "So, where IS your place?"
Jessi pointed. "Just up here. My mom should be home in a bit. Do you want to come in?"
Natalie nodded. "Sure. I'm gonna call my dad, tell him where I am. He'll come pick me up here when he's done with his meeting."
"Cool", Jessi said. "I'll go unlock the room, turn the lights on and stuff. " As she headed upstairs to her apartment room, Jessi turned to Connie. "This is great, Natalie is here!! At least for now. "
Connie laughed. "Yeah baby!! AND you got Lola next door. Maybe Friday or this weekend we can have an all-girl adventure, like that sewer trip Lola wanted. I got a nice pair of rain boots just for the occasion. "
Jessi frowned thoughtfully. She didn't think Lola and Natalie would really be a good mix. Her and Lola were on ok terms, but Lola was a bit unpredictable around other girls. She wasn't sure she wanted to introduce them.
But life has a funny way of making the things you don't want to happen, happen anyway. It's like just THINKING about such things, or talking about them, brings them into being. So it was at that moment. Just as Jessi was taking out her key and was about to put it in her door to unlock it, she heard a loud, booming voice yell out: "Jessi!!! What's up?!!"
Jessi turned and saw Lola herself running up the hall towards her.
"Jessi, I saw you get home. Why didn't you come and say hi to me? I thought we were whore sisters!!"
"Lola, please, now is not a very good time. Perhaps later, but right now..."
"No, Jessi!! Right now we need to hang out together and, like, grieve for Devon!! Just come over to my pad, and we can watch some Pretty Little Liars and eat a gallon of ice cream, just the two of us!"
Jessi struggled to unlock the door, but Lola swooped over and grabbed her wrist. " Jessi, like, please!! I can't grieve by myself!! All I have is myself and the Knights Of St Joseph, and my Hot Pockets. Rodney is out of town, I can't, like, do this on my own!!!"
As Jessi struggled to free herself from Lola's iron grip, Natalie came running up the hall. 'Oh, great. Just fucking GREAT', she thought.
"Jessi, what's going on?! Who is this?"
Lola turned from Jessi and gave Natalie a glare that could melt stone. "Well this is just RICH!!", she scoffed. "And just who are YOU??!"
Natalie glared back as she stepped up to Lola. "I'm her FRIEND, and as such I don't like you harassing Jessi. Release her. NOW. "
Jessi saw the need to intervene. As Lola released her wrist and walked up to Natalie till they were literally nose-to-nose, she tried to push the two apart. "Lola, Natalie, PLEASE, don't fight. Let's just all take a breath, and we can...
Lola scoffed. " Sure, if NATALIE " she said the name the way one might say 'cockroach' " fucks off back to Hussyville, and leaves us alone to grieve our friend Devon in peace. "
Natalie growled. "Why don't YOU fuck off?!! I was there for Jessi at camp when she had a big, bloody, painful period. I protected her from a bunch a perverted, hormonal boys. Where were YOU?!"
Lola laughed. "Bitch PLEASE, Jessi and I, are, like closer than you'll EVER be. We both have mom's who are hardly home, we both got yeast infections, and we are both a 71 on the Rice Purity Test. So, like, beat that, toots. "
Jessi turned to Lola. "Lola, don't talk to her that way!! Natalie is a great person. I INVITED her here, so ..."
"Yeah, she invited me. So YOU beat it. Don't think just cause I'm trans, that I won't slug you just cause I was once a boy. I'll take you any time. "
Jessi turned to Natalie. "Natalie, no!! No fighting, you two. Please, I think this was a bad idea. Lola, just go home. Natalie, go wait for your dad. I'm gonna..."
Lola scoffed again. "Trans?!! That's actually a THING?!! Honey, you can wear all the makeup you want, and get all the implants you want in your little boy nipples, but you'll NEVER be a girl. I'm more lady than you'll EVER be. You might as well call yourself Amanda. Get it?!? A Man, Duh!!!"
Lola started laughing, but was quickly cut off as Natalie swung. The punch came so quick, Jessi didn't have time to blink. One second, Lola stood laughing. Next second, Natalie's fist connected with her large jaw. There was a loud crack as fist and jaw connected. Lola staggered back, but didn't fall. She stood in shock, the laugh not quite gone from her face, but her eyes were wide with shock. Next to Jessi, Natalie grabbed her fist in pain.
Jessi quickly stepped between them. "Oh my god, ENOUGH!!! Natalie, I can't believe you DID that!!", she spun around to face Natalie, who still held her throbbing fist. Next she turned to Lola who was rubbing her jaw, her face still frozen in shock. "Look, Lola, PLEASE, don't hurt her. I think she broke her hand. Just please, go home, and..."
Lola, however ignored her. Pushing Jessi aside she stepped towards Natalie, who took a step back, cradling her injured hand.
"Nobody, NOBODY, hits me", Lola growled. Suddenly she broke into laughter. "And DOESN'T become my best friend!!! Honey, you like, passed the test!!!" She scoffed, and pulled the surprised Natalie into a hug. Jessi stood there, completely shocked by this turn of events.
Natalie tried to push Lola away, obviously as uncomfortable as she was confused. Lola turned to Jessi and laughed. "Honestly, Jessi, if you had, like, clobbered me years ago, like Natalie just did, you and I could have been buds WAY before the Rice Purity Test. You gotta have a vag of steel to be friends with Lola Ugfuglio Skumpy, and THIS girl here TOTALLY does!!" She snorted and released Natalie, who now looked totally thunderstruck at this weird scenario.
Lola reached out her hand to Natalie. "Like, you and me are cool now. You got guts, doing that to me. And I totally admire that. Whore sisters?"
Natalie looked from Jessi to Lola, and seemed to contemplate for a long time. Finally she reached out her uninjured hand and took Lola's. "Fine, we're cool, but DON'T call me 'WHORE', she said, as she shook Lola's meaty hand.
Turning to Jessi, Lola grinned. "So, what should us three unsupervised ladies do this fine evening?"
Jessi sighed. "Let's just go inside, I'll get some ice for your hand, Natalie, and some for Lola's jaw. "
Lola laughed. " None for me, girlfriend. I'm like, gonna wear this as a badge of honor. " She snorted and clapped Natalie on the back. Natalie flinched and clasped her broken hand again.
Jessi finally opened the door to her apartment room and the three girls stepped inside.
After telling Natalie and Lola to sit on the couch, Jessi went to the fridge and grabbed ice from the freezer and wrapped it in a paper towel. Walking into the living room she handed it to Natalie, who pressed the ice to her hand.
"How is it? Is it bad?", Jessi asked.
Natalie winced. "Well it doesn't feel GREAT. "
Lola laughed. "Sorry, girl. Jaw of steel here. " She snorted again, and turned to Jessi. "So, like, crazy about Devon, huh? I mean, we've known him since, like, forever. I've tried calling Devin to give my condolences, but she hasn't replied all day. "
Jessi sat down between the two, just in case tempers boiled over again. It was kind of hard, since Lola took up half the couch on her own. "I don't know. It IS crazy. We only saw him last week, and now he's gone. "
The three sat in silence for several moments. Jessi and Lola were thinking about Devon. Although Natalie didn't know him, hearing them talk about the dead kid made her think of Yara, who she had stood by and watched helplessly as she left this life.
Just then the door opened, and Shannon, Jessi's mom, stepped into the room. Seeing Jessi with the two girls on the couch, Shannon gave a confused smile. "Oh hey Jessi. How was your day? Sorry I had to work so late. Who's this? Lola, I believe? And sorry, I don't believe we've ever met.", she said, addressing Natalie.
Natalie smiled back. "Hello Miss Glaser. Pleasure to meet you. My name is Natalie, I'm a friend of Jessi's from camp. I came to town with my dad, he's here on business for a couple weeks. "
Shannon smiled. "That's nice. Are you planning on going to camp this year? Jessi's been bugging me, but I really don't know if we'll have the money this year. "
Natalie shrugged. "I'm not too sure yet, last year didn't go so great. " She looked at Jessi as she said this, and nudged her shoulder pointedly. The two laughed as they remembered that disastrous summer.
Shannon walked over to the kitchen. "I've had a long day, so how about something simple tonight? How do tacos sound? Do your friends want to stay for dinner?"
Jessi looked from Natalie to Lola. She knew Lola didn't have much in the way of food, as her mom was constantly on solo trips abroad. She sometimes felt sorry for her, albeit grudgingly.
"Well, do you? Natalie? Lola?"
Lola laughed. "Oh my god!! What an honor it is to be asked to dine with the Glasers!! I would like, totally be thrilled. I humbly accept your invitation!!"
Natalie smiled. "Sure, I'll stay. My dad got a bit held up at his meeting anyway, so I might as well have a bite while I wait. Afterward I should go to the urgent care about my hand. "
Jessi nodded. It had sure been one eventful day, but she was glad to finally be home, with her friends, or at least one friend and a semi-frend. Perhaps, eventually, things were finally going to turn around.
Jay's POV:
Jay stood in his room, looking at the inanimate couch cushion and pillow that had once been, respectfully, Brad and Suzette, trying to figure out how to restore them to life. Should he simply try talking to them, apologizing, BEGGING them back into being? Or should he try a magic spell? He was no necromancer, but then again, necromancy was for flesh-and-blood beings, not foam and feathers.
"Please, guys, I'm so sorry for throwing you over for Matthew. He didn't deserve me, for what he did to me. That's probably WHY he couldn't see you, because we weren't RIGHT for each other!! I only realize that now. Please, come back to me, and I PROMISE I will never ditch you two again! Just come back to me!!"
However, the pillows remained inert, stationary.
Jay began to cry. "Guys, please!! I need SOMEBODY!!! Somebody who appreciates my magic skills, my boundless horniness, my jokes. I'm not a wolf, I KNOW that now. What I am is a BOY, a boy standing in front of his former lovers, admitting what a fool he was. Perhaps I don't even DESERVE a lover, but I at least want one more chance, to be happy, to go back to the way things were!! I'm not a wolf, I'm not a rich, world-famous magician, just a lonely, sad, middle-class child of limited magic skills, and, most importantly, a BILZERIAN, and I will NEVER, ever try and be ANYTHING but, FROM THIS MOMENT ON!!!!"
Suddenly, the cushion and pillow began moving, and the faces of Brad and Suzette appeared.
"Oh Jay, we were just WAITING to hear that!", Suzette said with a smile. "We've missed you so much!!"
Brad smiled too. "We've missed your rock-hard dick, your abs, all of it!! Fuck Matthew!! Mr Fancy didn't understand you, he could NEVER understand what it is to be a Bilzerian. Not like WE do!""
Jay was still crying, but sad tears turned to happy tears as he threw his arms over his two down-stuffed lovers.
"Oh you guys!!! I promise, from now on, NOBODY will come between the three of us!! Even if I find a new lover, he or she will have to accept our relationship. But I'm not looking for anybody right now. Right now, I just want to be the meat in the middle of a pillow sandwich! Come get it!!!"
And with that, Jay jumped on his bed with Brad and Suzette, and did what he did best: being Jayzerian Ricflairian Bilzerian, Ultimate Fuck Machine.
Nick's POV:
"Duke, I'm telling you, when i met her, it was something I'd never felt before, for Jessi, Gina, nobody. I only talked to her for like ten minutes, but it felt like we'd known each other forever. I HAVE to see her again!!"
Nick stood in the attic of his house, talking to the ghost of Duke Ellington, who had haunted the house since before Nick was born. Duke was always a source of good advice, either for girls, schoolwork, family issues, and sometimes just good for small talk, if you needed somebody to lend a ghostly ear.
Duke laughed. "Nick, believe me, in life I met plenty of fine young ladies, and felt like that more than once. In fact that's how i came to be in this predicament. I decided to put down roots in this house cause i wanted to live close to this woman i was seeing. Believe me, MAKING love is easy, but BEING in love is a whole different ballpark. "
Nick thought about what Duke was saying. Last year he was almost certain he'd been in love with Jessi, until she had flat-out told him she didn't like him that way. He was almost certain now that Jessi had simply been a crush brought on by hormones, and maybe a sense of loneliness that had mistaken the need of a friend for the need of love.
When he had met Lucinda, however, she had made all his worries, from drama at home to the stress of school to the death of Devon, vanish like a ball of cotton in snow. Indeed, talking to her had made him happier than he'd been in a long time.
Next to Nick, Simon added: "Indeed, as his Hormone Monster, I must say I could feel the romantic tension in the air. Even though I'm not a Lovebug, I can still tell. Oh speaking of", he turned to Nick "I spoke to Walter, he's a bit busy, but he'll certainly try and make time for you with the Lucinda sitch."
Nick smiled. "That's great. I can't wait to see Walter again." He still felt bad about the way things ended with Walter last time, with him going full Hateworm and pulling him into the Monster World, but he was excited at another opportunity to work with him.
Just then Nick's phone buzzed. He took it out and looked at it. His heart almost leapt out of his chest: it was a text from Lucind
'Hey Nick, what's up? My grandpa is still talking about you and your grandpa. I haven't seen him this happy in a while.' She ended with a smiley face emoji.
Nick stood staring at her message, trying to figure out what to text back. " Oh shit, guys, I don't know what to say.", he said.
"Just ask her how her night is going", Simon suggested. "Girls love that kind of stuff."
Nick nodded and wrote back. " Just hanging out with a couple of friends. How are you?"
She replied back in barely a minute. 'Tired. Been a long day. My brothers are driving me crazy!!'
Nick laughed and texted back: 'I know how you feel. My brother makes my life a living hell. He once trained a pack of raccoons to attack me!!'
She texted back: 'OMG, and I thought MY brothers were bad!!!' She ended with a couple of laughing emojis.
Nick felt his heart flutter. He was making her laugh!! Always a good sign.
Duke laughed. "You're a real ladies man, Nick!! If only we had fancy gadgets like that in MY day!!"
Nick was unsure what to text next. He ended up just sending: 'My sister is cool though. She once had a high school party, and was nice enough to let me stay at my own house!!'
A minute later, Lucinda replied: 'LOL!!! You're so funny. I'm glad to have met you, Nick!!'
Nick again felt like his heart would burst from his chest. He wished he was there WITH her, seeing her laugh. He tried picturing Lucinda as he had seen her that day: her red hair, her beautiful face with her freckles, her eyes, her cute smile.
He and Lucinda texted for a few more minutes, about their siblings and other family members, and their friends. Finally Lucinda said she had to charge her phone, but promised to text back later, or if not, tomorrow.
"Great job, Nick!! The first of the many keys to a lady's heart is to make her laugh!", Duke said. "The others are food, money, flowers, and of course, your eternal undivided attention!!"
Simon added: "Maybe you WON'T need much help from Walter, you're doing pretty fine on your own. Still, he'll be happy to see what a confident young man you're becoming!!"
As Nick headed downstairs he thought about what Duke had just said: Food, flowers, gifts. Should he ask Lucinda on a date? Now seemed a bit too soon. He didn't want to, COULDN'T, mess this up like he did with Gina and Jessi. With this girl he had to make the right moves, each carefully planned, every word, every action. He realized he DID need Walter. Hopefully he'd show up soon, before Lucinda started school.
Lucinda's POV:
After she and Nick finished texting, and she had plugged in her phone to charge, Lucinda braced herself. She had prepared this speech in her head for the last couple hours. There was no going back. It was now or never, before her mother went to bed.
Walking out of her room, Lucinda went downstairs to the kitchen, where she found her mother, doing the dishes before bed, as she did every night.
Feeling more nervous than she ever had in her life, Lucinda walked up to her mom and cleared her throat to get her attention.
"Um, mom? I've been thinking. I don't want to go to dad's this summer. I mean, I don't want to go to Darlington. I mean, it's on the other side of town, and I really like it HERE. There's a school really close to our house. Bridgeton. We've driven by it a few times, remember?"
Shaundra continued washing, but responded after a few seconds. "Lucinda, we've been through this. I know you don't really like it there, but we don't really have the money for you to switch schools. I mean, with Darlington you already have the uniform, and Darlington PROVIDES all the books and stuff you need. Who knows what that other school requires? Besides", she said, turning to face her daughter, " that's the school your grandma helped start. It's part of you, it's in your blood. ":
'Here we go', Lucinda thought. 'The whole "Darlington is your destiny thing'.
But Lucinda refused to give up that easily. "But mom, think about the distance, the money for the gas: whether dad comes and gets me, or whether you bring me to his house, it's almost two hours away. That's a lot of gas money there. Plus, didn't dad say last time he's starting a new job? What if he can't pick me up? It's not safe for a little girl to walk home in that part of town!"
Shaundra snorted dismissively: "Please, Lucinda, your dad hasn't been able to hold down a job for little more than two or three months, if even that. Look, Lucinda, I know what you're doing, but the answer is no: you can't change schools! That means shopping for clothes, books, paying for school lunch, and..."
Lucinda was so frustrated, she felt her eyes start to water. Why couldn't her mom understand?
"But MOM, I HATE Darlington!! It's boring, I hate the school uniform, it's ugly and uncomfortable. The teachers are mean, and there's no free time!! I know it's grandma's school, but that doesn't mean it's for ME!!! I want to be with NORMAL kids, in a NORMAL school, go to PE, do things NORMAL kids do!!"
Shaundra held up her hands: "Whoa, whoa!!! Lucinda, what do you mean 'normal'? You saying the girls at your school AREN'T normal?! You think YOU aren't normal just cause you go there, and won't be until you go to Bridgetown just because it's close? What is this REALLY about, Lucinda? Is this about that boy who was here today?"
Lucinda felt her blood freeze. How did her mom know?!! She was about to shift gears, turn the conversation away from Nick, when her grandfather's voice interrupted them. Harrison had come into the kitchen to get a beer from the fridge, unnoticed by either daughter or granddaughter. He was surprisingly quiet for a man of his size.
"Let the girl go, Shaundra. Let her spread her wings if she wants. You're only a kid once! If she wants to go to a different school, by all means let her. "
Shaundra turned to her father, completely shocked. "But... but dad, I...she..."
"Shaundra, I know what you're about to say: Your mother, my dear, sweet Catherine, God rest her soul, helped start Darlington. I know, dear. But I also know she would never force anyone to go. Things are different now, from when YOU were a student there. Kids want different things."
Seeing her chance, Lucinda added: "How about this: If you let me finish middle school at Bridgeton, I promise I'll return to Darlington for high school. It covers both grades. I just want to go to a regular school for a bit. I promise I'll finish the rest of my grades at Darlington. Maybe by then dad will have a more secure job, and I'll be able to stay longer. Mom, please."
Shaundra thought long and hard. Finally she sighed. "Ok, but only for a bit. A trial basis, if you will. But the second I hear about trouble of any sort, if your grades start slipping, if you have problems with other students, if I hear ANYTHING, it's back to Darlington. Understood?" She looked from Lucinda to Harrison for approval. Harrison shrugged.
Lucinda smiled. "Ok mom. I promise. "
Shaundra sighed again. "I'll stop by Bridgeton tomorrow and talk to the principal, get you signed up. We'll see about getting you some new clothes, just something cheap. I'll see if the school can spare a few schoolbooks so we don't have to buy any. I'll also call your father and tell him you PROBABLY won't be coming."
Lucinda smiled again. "Ok mom, sounds good!" She hugged her mom and told her goodnight, then ran upstairs to tell Emmy the good news.
Bursting into her room, she practically shouted: " Emmy!! Emmy, did you hear that?!! Mom is going to let me go to Bridgeton!!!"
Emmy squealed and pumped her fists. "Oh my god, oh my god, OH MY GOD!!!! We're going to see Nick again!! You're going to hang out with cool kids at a normal school, go to middle school parties!!! Just wait, Lucinda, this is going to be the best year of your life!!"
Lucinda laughed. "Ok calm down Emmy. My mom still has to sign me up, so it will be a couple days before I'm there. But yeah, I'm so excited. I know Greer and India and the other girls will miss me, but I just know I'll make lots of new friends."
Emmy smiled. "That's right baby, friends who know how to PARTAY!!! Don't get me wrong, those girls at your school were pretty, but they were BORING!!! My friend Rochelle was the Lovebug for a girl at Bridgeton, AND our former coworker Sonya, and they say Bridgeton is PACKED with babes and hunks left and right, so even if Nick doesn't work out, knock on wood, I KNOW we'll find the right match for you."
Lucinda nodded. She had to admit, she was nervous. She was about to enter a whole new world. What if the teachers at Bridgeton were as strict, or worse, than the ones at Darlington? What if the girls were mean too? Or the boys, even? She knew Nick wasn't like that, he'd seemed so kind, but he was the only Bridgeton kid she'd met, as far as she knew. Yet another part of her was so excited, her heart was racing with anticipation. She was done being another Miss Perfect, another robot from Darlington. All those other girls with their perfect lives, using their family fortunes to travel and contribute to some cause in a foreign country, seemingly to be nice, but really only to brag about in class. Lucinda was so sick of those girls. Tired of the pressure she felt to BE like them. NEVER.
Soon, she'd be at Bridgeton. Soon she'd be free from the pressure of her family legacy. For a while at least. She just hoped it wouldn't blow up in her face.
Andrew's POV:
Andrew sat st his computer, looking at images of costumes at Furry cosplay events, trying to figure out the perfect one for him. Obviously something small, since he was a kid, but also able to support his rather rounded body. What then? An Ewok? A bear cub? A Wookie? A Bothan? ANY furry Star Wars creature? Or perhaps an Elder Scrolls Khajiit? So many possibilities.
Of course, when/if he found the perfect costume for a Furry event, he'd of course have to make his own from scratch. He had very little money of his own, and his parents wouldn't lend him money: his mom spent all her money on Synagogue events and charities, and the rest on food for the table, and of course his dad was too cheap to fork over so much as a penny without backbreaking labor. After getting attacked by that possum under the house, Andrew had sworn off labor. If it wasn't worth it for an Apple Brooch, it CERTAINLY wasn't worth it for a stupid costume. He'd make do WITHOUT his parents money. Plenty of material in the garage.
As he browsed images, Maury came up behind him. "Wow, you were right, the Furry fandom IS freaky!! You might be onto something here. "
Andrew smiled. "I told you, Maurice. It's just the sort of a place a guy like me can feel at home. I figure I make a costume, post some pics in a few groups, maybe do a few steamy fics, and I'll be ready to attend a convention, if one ever comes to town. "
Montel laughed. "Too bad humans can't live in the Monster World, you'd feel right at home in MY school!! All fur, all freaks, all sex, all the time!!"
Maury laughed too, and added: "Ah yes, Monster school WAS like a big Furry convention, AND we didn't even need costumes. Although I seriously hope you don't wear something like that to school, that'd be a death sentence, and the school already lost one kid today. "
Andrew laughed. "Don't worry guys, I'm not planning on wearing it to school. Let's see what's going on in the chatroom. Ah, ClittyCat98 said she wishes fur-covered Pokemon had their own category, like bug and bird types. She'd love to 'TAME' the large, muscular furry ones in a special gym. Oh naughty girl!! Let's see, WokeEwok87 says Avatar 2 would appeal to a broader audience if the Na'vi had a subspecies with fur instead of blue skin, or perhaps had fur themselves. And RaccoonKing4Anarchy asks if the world was ending and you chose to open a sanctuary for humans to cohabitate with a furry animal of their choice, which would you choose?"
Maury laughed. "Oh freaky, freaky indeed!! Let's get you that costume, Andrew!! Make your naughty costume and post it, show these freaks what a naughty boy you are, and I bet you'll be meeting quite a few of these fur-loving kinksters soon!!"
Andrew smiled. "Well, I found one that looks easy enough, but I'll have to scrounge for the materials myself. Luckily the garage has plenty of material, mostly clothes my parents don't wear anymore, some old Halloween costumes, and some decorations I can probably slap together. Let's go see what we can find. "
Silently, so as not to wake his parents, Andrew tiptoed down the stairs to the garage. Turning on the light, he searched through the garage till he found the totes with old clothes his mother had put away. Taking one down carefully, he opened it. Just as he thought: a couple of old fur coats and a few furry boas his mom had worn back in her more glamorous days. He knew, despite saving them, his mom would never wear them again. In fact she'd most likely forgotten about them.
He looked at them carefully. He was pretty sure he could cut up the coats and use the fur for his costume, and if he could put the boas together it might make a decent tail.
Just one more thing. Andrew removed another tote and rummaged through it till he found what he was looking for: The Hobbes costume he'd worn for Halloween when he was about 6 or 7 years old. WAY too small now, but that didn't matter. The fabric was soft and very stretchy, almost like the Spidey suit.
Gathering up the materials and putting back the totes, Andrew turned off the lights and carried his materials up the stairs. Andrew was no seamstress, but that was no problem. With his new friends in the chatroom, he was sure he could receive all the help he needed to make his costume.
'Look out Furry world, here comes Andrew Glouberman.' he thought.
Missy's POV:
Just as she promised, when Missy got home she called Quinta. Her cousins were back in Atlanta, and were heading to college soon, but always made time to visit for holidays. Quinta answered after a minute, and Missy immediately told her how much she missed her and made her promise to visit soon. Then finally she told her about Devon.
"Oh my god, Missy!! I am so sorry to hear that. That's terrible!!! I know you really liked him. He seemed like a really nice guy. I know he and Lena kinda locked horns, but she liked him too. I really hope you're doing ok. Sorry we haven't had much time to talk. Just been busy trying to get into college. How is your hair?"
Missy touched her messy mop. "It's doing good. I have to use a lot of shampoo, and it's tricky to comb, but it feels really great. Better than those braids. Oh, by the way. I have a new boyfriend. His name is Elijah. He goes to my school. "
Quinta screamed. "OH MY GOD!!!! Go Missy!!! What is he like? Got any pictures?!"
Missy found a photo of Elijah she'd taken of them together when they'd started dating, and sent it through text. A minute later Quinta laughed. "Oh my god, girl, he's cute!! Like a little Denzel Washington. Hey, Lena!! Guess what?! Missy got a new man!!"
Missy heard Lena give a "whoop whoop!!" in the background. Quinta laughed, and asked if she'd met Elijah's family. Missy hadn't met his parents, but had met his aunt and uncles at a barbecue. Missy told her about their plans to go to the movies on Friday.
"That's good Missy, that's great. Make sure you get that boy wrapped around your finger now, don't want him to get any ideas if some other ho come around. "
"Oh, I don't think I have to worry about that, Quinta. See, Elijah is asexual. I mean, he likes me, likes hanging out, but he's just not ready for anything other than holding hands and hugging and stuff." Missy said, but then hurriedly added," but I'm perfectly fine with that. To each their own, and I'm content to wait until he's comfortable. I'm not going to rush him into making out, cause I don't want to ruin this. I really like him, Quinta. "
Quinta laughed again. "Ok, whatever you wanna do, baby. You gotta do you. You know what's best. I'd really like to meet him. Maybe this summer Lena and I will come around, before I start college. Just hope your parents aren't still too pissed about Thanksgiving. Listen, I gotta go, but I'll call again sometime. Maybe Saturday, to see how your movies rendezvous went. Take care, cuz. Love you. "
Quinta hung up, and Missy turned to Mona. Mona had donned a black dress and veil, and was kneeling in the middle of the floor, her hands clasped.
"Missy, how can you think of Elijah at this time? We should be thinking about Devon!! WHY, DEVON, WHY DID YOU HAVE TO LEAVE US??!!!" Mona started wailing loudly.
Missy shook her head. "I miss him too, Mona. Tomorrow the school is supposed to have a memorial before school lets out. Everybody is supposed to have a chance to talk, if they want. I really don't know what I'm going to say. I mean, I liked him, maybe even... I don't know. These past few months have been so confusing, so crazy, I just don't know what to feel anymore. I mean, if I get up there and say too much, Elijah will know I liked Devon and might worry I'm still in love with a dead guy. But if I don't say ENOUGH, or say the wrong thing, people might think I'm a bitch!! It's all so confusing, Mona!!!"
Missy fell backwards on the bed and sighed loudly. So much had changed in the last year. SHE had changed. Whereas she had once been a rather shy bookworm, she was now a confident, romantic young woman who loved to masturbate. Even her appearance had changed. Missy looked at her bedside of an old picture of her in those hideous overalls, with her old hairstyle.
'Things were so much simpler back then. If only I could go back for just one day, it might clear my head', she thought. Then she headed downstairs for dinner, and after, a shower. Perhaps some private Missy time with the showerhead would set her mind at ease.
Gina's POV:
The next day at school, Gina placed an altar candle-one of the cheap dollar store ones with an image of Jesus Christ on it- by Devon's locker. The floor was already littered with flowers, cards, and pictures of Devon and his friends. There was barely room, but Gina carefully placed the candle and lit it with a match she'd brought from home.
Gina sat in thought for a long moment. Her and Devon had dated only briefly, after his brief split from Devin, but had gone to school together forever. She couldn't say whether she had still liked him, but his passing had certainly left a hole in her heart.
Today there would be a memorial service for Devon, where all students would be encouraged to say a few words about Devon. Gina wasn't sure exactly WHAT to say. While she was nowhere near shy, she was certainly no good at public speaking.
Just then her phone rang. She took it out. It was her brother, Carlos. Before answering she looked around the hall. There were lots of students hanging out in the hall, talking by their lockers, but no teachers. Perhaps she could take the call outside, unseen, and sneak back inside unnoticed.
She did just that, quickly exiting the school and answering the phone.
"Hey Carlos, what is it? I don't have much time, class is about to start soon. "
"Hey sis. I just heard your friend Devon died. Why didn't you tell us, hermana?"
Gina was shocked. She hadn't told anybody, because she didn't want her family to make a big deal out of it. She was going to tell EVENTUALLY, of course, she just wasn't ready for the conversation yet.
Distractedly she walked down the steps onto the sidewalk. "Sorry, Carlos. I just wasn't ready to talk about it. Yesterday was just so crazy. It just didn't seem real. The whole school's gone loco. Like most of us still can't believe it. There's a memorial service today, before school ends. "
Carlos sighed. "You still should have said something. We're your family Gina. You should be able to tell us ANYTHING! Families should help each other in time of need. "
Gina was surprised when she felt herself growing a bit angry. She didn't know why. Perhaps she just needed to vent. She looked around and saw a few other students who had probably also snuck out. She saw Izzy and Misha, nicknamed the Cafeteria Girls, talking to a couple boys by the school sign. Misha turned to Gina and waved, but Gina just scowled. Not wanting them to overhear, she decided to walk across the street to some benches in the park.
"Look Carlos, no offense, but I just really didn't feel like talking, ok?! I have enough going on right now. The teachers are busting my ass cause I haven't been doing well, and I think Charles might be seeing other people behind my back. " She started walking into the street, but was so distracted yelling at Carlos she didn't look to her left or right as she started crossing.
"I'm sorry, Carlos. I just can't talk about it now. I'm not even sure I'll be able to talk at the memorial. I'm not even sure what I'd be able to say." Gina thought she heard somebody yell her name behind her, but she ignored the person and continued talking to her brother. "I mean, I liked him. A lot. But that's just it. Like it's hard to put stuff like that into words in front of a whole school of people. "
Again she heard somebody yell at her from behind, this time closer. This time she was able to make out the words. "Gina, look out!! MOVE!!!!"
Gina turned around to see who had shouted, but was knocked off her feet, out of the street. She felt somebody land on top of her as she hit the curb. Her phone went flying out of her hand as she and whoever pushed her landed. Beside her she heard tires screech on the road as a car came to a stop.
Gina sat up gingerly. Her elbow throbbed from hitting the pavement, and she had skinned a knee. As she sat up she was surprised to see Devin on the sidewalk next to her. She was about to say something, but heard a car door open, and looked up to see the driver who had almost struck her.
"Oh my god, are you two girls ok?! Sorry, my I dropped my joint, and it landed on my pants, and I was trying to put it out before my pants caught fire, then I tried to find my joint, and wasn't watching where I was going. "
Gina looked up at the driver. He looked familiar. After a moment she placed him. It was the rabbi's creepy son, Leore. She didn't know him personally, but everybody in town said he was bad news.
"What the hell is your problem??!!!" Devin said, as she climbed to her feet next to Gina. "Didn't you see her walking?!!"
Leore shook his head. "No miss, I told you, I was trying to find my joint, it's very expensive weed, and these are nice pants. I'm sorry, I should have..."
Gina finally found her voice. "Yeah, should have been watching where you were going, and SHOULDN'T have been smoking while driving, ESPECIALLY if you were smoking POT!!! This is a school, with CHILDREN!!!!"
Leore held up his hands. "Whoa, easy girls!! Look, let's just calm down. How's about I give you some gummies, calm you down a bit?"
Devin took a step toward Leore, her glare strong enough to burn him to a crisp. "Did you really just offer two minors candy laced with drugs? On school grounds?! I wonder what the cops would have to say about that?"
As Devin and Leore argued, Gina finally found her phone, laying facedown in the grass. Luckily it had landed on the park lawn when it flew out of her hand. She picked it up. Undamaged, but it looked like her call had been disconnected when it landed. She'd have to call Carlos back later.
"Look, you'd better scram NOW, before I yell for a teacher, or call the cops myself!!", Devin said.
"Whoa, easy, easy!" Leore said. Look, how about I take you and THIS one", he pointed at Gina, "to the urgent care? Her elbow is pretty banged up."
"I'm fine", Gina said, although in truth it still smarted quite a bit. "Just LEAVE".
"Are you sure? I think I got a couple of unopened sodas in the car. A bit warm, but still good. "
Devin pulled out her phone. "My fingers are literally hovering over the 911 buttons", she snarled.
Leore backed away, holding up his hands in defeat. "Ok, ok, suit yourselves." As he walked to his car and opened the door, Gina was sure she heard him mutter 'stuck up little cunts'. Next second he got in the car and slammed the door. Then he finally started driving away. After the car finally rounded the corner and disappeared, Gina turned to Devin.
"Thank you. Thanks for saving me. I... was on the phone with my brother, and I didn't even hear the car, and wasn't watching where I was going. If you ... if you hadn't..." she couldn't even finish her sentence, couldn't bear to say, much less think, what would have happened.
Devin shook her head. "Don't mention it. Look, I didn't do it because I LIKE you or anything. I mean we're not friends or anything. it's just... " she took a deep breath. "It's just I can't bear to lose another person I know. Twice in as many days. With each person I lose, my world gets that much smaller. I can't live in a world like that. Plus" she turned to look at Gina, " I saw what you did, at Devon's locker. He... he would have liked that."
Gina was shocked. "You saw that? With the candle? I didn't see you in the hall."
Devin laughed ruefully. "I was hiding, cause I was afraid the teachers would put me in detention for running away yesterday."
"Oh yeah, that's right. Everybody was talking about that. Yeah the teachers were pretty upset. But I understand. It couldn't have been easy hearing that. Losing your husband and all.."
Devin glared at Gina, and for a second Gina was afraid Devin would start swinging. But instead she walked over to one of the benches and sat down. After a second Gina sat down too.
"Look, Gina, I have to tell you the truth. I mean,I have to finally tell SOMEBODY. I figure it might as well be you, since you and him briefly went out. The truth is, I mean, I LOVED Devon, but not like THAT. I've known both him and Lola since kindergarten, and he knew ME. So he probably knew the truth about me. I mean, all those kisses, the public make-outs, the 'i love yous', it might have been real, on HIS part, but the truth is, I only did it to dispel some of the rumors about me. Only they weren't rumors. And deep down I think Devon knew too. The truth is that I'm a... that I don't... don't like...
Gina smiled. "Don't like BOYS." she finished.
Devin looked at Gina, aghast. "Wait, you mean you KNOW?!!", she asked incredulously.
Gina laughed. "Well, you were right, he knew. Or as you said, suspected. When I... when we dated, he told me. But it's obvious, Devin. I mean, the way you treat other girls, the way you talk trash, like calling me a slut at the sleepover. I mean, it's obviously your anger at trying to suppress your own sexuality. AND you kissed Ali at your own wedding. Not to mention your BoycottBoyCock movement."
Devin sat staring at Gina for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Finally she looked down at the table, trying to avoid Gina's eye.
Suddenly she started crying. Hard. "I don't know. I don't KNOW why I do the horrible things I do, SAY the things I do. I just know it's true what people say about me. I'm a terrible person. That night of the sleepover, you beat me up, but I know I hurt YOU more, because WORDS hurt more than actions. I'll never know how the things I said, the things people said BECAUSE of me, made you feel, because I could NEVER know, never BEGIN to understand. You're a good person, Gina, and I hurt you, when you never did ANYTHING, except hang out with Devon. If you hate me, and never want to talk to me again, I understand. I just at least need to know that you heard me, and that you understand how sorry I am, from the bottom of my heart. I am so, so SORRY, Gina!!"
And then Devin broke down completely, burying her face in her arms on the bench table. Her entire body shook with her sobs.
Gina walked over and placed her arms around Devin. "Oh my god, Devin, it's ok. Look, I forgive you. And you know what, maybe I'M a terrible person too: I got so mad at Nick for telling everybody about our make-out to make himself famous, but now I realize I did the same thing when the school made those stupid lists ranking the girls. Like I rode that popularity, got high off it, and used that to hook up with Charles. I got so mad at Nick for telling people about us, but I used Charles and the list to do the same thing myself. God, I'm such a fucking hypocrite. "
And now Gina started crying too. For a few minutes, the two girls sat there crying. After they were all cried out, Devin finally looked up and smiled weakly.
"Wow, we certainly are a pair then, aren't we? But you're a way better person than me. People genuinely like you, because you're nice and kind. People only like me, or pretend to, cause of social media, or that stupid list. Or cause they're scared of Lola. But you don't HAVE to try, cause you're a good person. "
"Well, Devin, YOU'RE a good person too. I mean, would a COMPLETELY horrible person have pushed me out of the way of that car? Would a COMPLETELY horrible person apologize for the things she did at the sleepover? Or shed tears for Devon? You're NOT a bad person, Devin, you just sometimes do bad things. But I've always known, deep down, that there is good in you, and today you proved it. "
Devin sniffed loudly and wiped her nose with her sleeve. "Thank you, Gina. And I really AM sorry. And honestly it felt good to finally come out to somebody. I've always wanted to tell people, but I'm just so terrified how they'd react. I'm nowhere as brave as Ali. That's the REAL reason I was so jealous of her. Not because she was getting all the attention, but because of how brave she was telling everybody she's pansexual. If I told everybody I'm lesbian, I'm just scared I wouldn't get the same reception, cause everybody HERE has known me forever, whereas they'd just met Ali. You know?"
Gina nodded. "Yes, I understand. But eventually you've GOT to tell people. If not everybody, at least a few people, besides just me. You can't walk around forever with secrets. Life is like a big lake, and the more secrets you carry, the heavier you get, and soon you can't swim, and eventually drown."
Devin shook her head. "I'm just too afraid. And it's not just because of people at school. It's... look, when I was like 6 or 7, after my dad died, my mom caught me kissing another girl, and... look I can't talk about it. Ok? It's just easy for some people, harder for others. Kind of like why you didn't want Nick to tell people about you and him. Or when Ali got pissed at Missy about that Twitter story of her and Jessi. Some people simply prefer to keep things private. Even in relationships, I understand that now. And again I'm sorry for having a big mouth. I really wish things HAD worked out with you and Nick. You were kinda cute together. But Charles seems cool ."
Gina laughed. "Well, apparently you're not the only one hiding. To tell you the truth, I think Charles is secretly gay too: he only kisses me in front of his fellow basketball players, and seems uncomfortable holding hands. And more than once I've caught him looking at other guys if they take their shirts off. He never wants to hang out after school, always makes some weird excuse. And once I saw him leave a school closet, which I thought was weird enough, then Samira tells me she saw Jay Bilzerian leave the same closet minutes later. "
Devin gasped. "Oh my god!!! That's crazy. But that's totally what happened with me and Devon: we rarely ever hung out after school, just occasionally texted once in a blue moon. I usually just let him hang out with his basketball buddies. We only occasionally went on a date to keep up appearances. Him to stay popular with the guys, me to appear straight. But I think people suspected. "
Gina laughed again. "Come on girl, of course they did. You're so deep in the closet, you smell like mothballs!!"
Devin glared at Gina for a second, then broke into laughter. Both girls sat laughing for almost a whole minute, finally glad to have cleared the air. When you laugh, no matter how sad or serious or even scary a situation seems, sometimes just laughing in the face of said adversity can lighten the mood.
After they had finally stopped laughing, Devin cleared her throat and smiled. A much warmer, genuine smile than the Devin that Gina was normally accustomed to. "So, I mean, does this mean that we can be friends now?"
Gina smiled back. "Well, you saved me from becoming a human pancake, so, yeah, I'd say we're pretty much friends. " She reached forward and hugged Devin, a hug which Devin eagerly returned.
After they broke up the hug, Devin looked down, her eyes full of sadness again. "This afternoon is the memorial. For Devon. I really don't know how I'll be able to manage this Gina. I don't even know what I'd SAY. I'm pretty sure people will expect me to say something, but I don't know what. I just don't know, Gina!" She started crying again.
Gina put her arms around her. "I don't know what I'LL say either. This has caught so many people by surprise. Nobody is ever prepared for something like this. We're kids, we think something like this could never happen, but then it does, and suddenly people expect us to act like adults."
The two girls sat in silence for several minutes, then finally Gina stood up, followed by Devin.
Devin looked at Gina and sighed. "So, I guess I'll see you at the service?"
Gina nodded. "Sounds good. See you soon, Devin. And thanks again for... you know. "
After one final hug, the two girls walked silently across the street, this time looking both ways for oncoming cars, both bracing themselves a grueling day of school, and, of course, Devon's memorial, and wondering how they'd make it through the day, when so much had already happened this morning.
End of chapter 3
Wow, things are really heating up. I can assure you, things are just getting started: next chapter is Devon's memorial, and THAT'S when things get even crazier, AND darker!!
Again, if the length bothered people, it is at least hopefully shorter than the previous two, lol.
Now, a bit about the chapter: i decided to bring in Natalie cause she's one of my favorite characters introduced in season 4, and was really sad she didn't appear for the rest of the season, or even keep her promise to text Jessi!! It's like the writers completely forgot her. Then come S5 , still no Natalie. But it was finally awesome to see her in Human Resources, as well as meet the rest of her family.
I decided to give Jay back Brad and Suzette, cause it truly broke my heart seeing them 'leave' in S6. I really feel Jay needs somebody, even if it is a couple of pillows who may or may not be alive. But don't worry, Jay DOES find a HUMAN love interest in this story.
I decided to make Leore the driver of the car because he's a mysterious, creepy character we've only met once or twice. Lots of people think he's the Ponytail Killer, others say he's just a red herring. I'm not sure what he is, just that he's legit creepy, the way he talked about Jessi. Since he tried hitting on Jessi, i decided he'd try to do the same to the girls in this chapter, to continue his creepy pedo vibes.
Anyway if you have any other questions about the story, or any comments at all, or even ideas (I'm open to suggestions!!), please feel free to comment, or even message me. See y'all in chapter 4, coming soon!!!