So they ended up with two weeks of detention each. Bo's would start immediately, but Lauren's was delayed by a week and a half to allow her to prepare and participate in the science fair which was taking place next week. This was an unusually light punishment for both of them (after all, Bo was seen hitting another student, and Lauren had poisoned eight) and they had Bo to thank for it, Lauren knew. She herself had contributed little to the conversation beyond an apology, but she marveled at how expertly Bo was able to shape the flow of conversation. Without putting blame on anyone and revealing the full extent of Clio's bullying, she was nevertheless able to put both her and Lauren's actions in perspective, explaining the circumstances without making excuses, sounding remorseful and conciliatory but not guilty, and in the end, suggesting that all parties had learned from this unfortunate experience and a harsh punishment wouldn't be in anyone's interest.
They exited the office and headed towards the exit in compatible silence for a few minutes, until Lauren grabbed the brunette's arm to stop her.
"Bo, are we OK?" she asked with equal parts hope and trepidation. Bo had clearly stuck up for her, both with her teammate and again at the principal's office, but she's yet to say anything directly to Lauren, and that worried the younger teen.
Bo seemed to consider the question for a minute, and Lauren fought with herself not to panic, her heart beating ferociously.
"Bo, I've tried to apologize…" she tried again, but this time was interrupted by the brunette.
"No, stop. It's OK. We're OK Lauren." Bo replied ardently, her smile easing Lauren's anxiety instantly. "Maybe we should…" she started to say but was herself interrupted when Ciara came through the main doors.
"Lauren!" Ciara called out, but stopped when she saw the two teens standing together. "Sorry, never mind. We'll wait for you outside." She stammered and quickly left the way she came in.
Lauren looked at Bo apologetically, waiting for her to continue.
"They are waiting for you?" Bo inquired instead of picking up where she left off.
"We were going to see a movie." She explained. "I was just dropping off my bag when I ran into Clio." Lauren shivered involuntarily at the thought of her encounter with the other girl. She considered asking what Bo was about to suggested before Ciara came looking for her the second time that night, but decided to drop it in favor of a different approach.
"Would you like to come with us? It's an art-house film. I don't know much about it, but Ciara says it's going to be a 'cerebral experience', so it shouldn't be boring." She did her best to sell the movie, but Bo started to shake her head half-way through the description.
"Boring is a matter of perspective. I think I'll pass on the 'cerebral experience'" she chuckled, drawing the quotes in the air. "I get a toothache just thinking about it. Let's talk to morrow, ok?" Bo motioned for them to head out, and they started walking again.
Lauren took a moment to look at the other girl closely. She was walking right next to Lauren, relaxed and genial. They really were OK, she decided.
"Tomorrow." She confirmed. "And Bo… Thank you for today."
Bo opened the doors for them, nodding at her shorter companion. She waved at Ciara, Nadia and Lachlan, but didn't stop to chat with them before disappearing into the night.
Lauren skipped over to where her friends were waiting, feeling lighter and happier than she had in days.
"Are we going to make it?" She asked the group, noting that their expressions varied from amusement to concern.
"Sure, hop in." Nadia pointed to the front passenger seat they have left for her, the couple obviously preferring to keep the back seat for themselves.
"Buckle up, kid," Ciara winked at her. "and prepare for warp speed."
X
True to her word, Bo was waiting for Lauren at her locker the next day.
"What are you doing this weekend?" Bo asked without preamble.
"I…" Lauren paused to think about her to-do list for the weekend. There was a lot on the list – school homework, college homework, getting everything ready for the science fair. But Bo looked really excited about something, and Lauren was really looking forward to getting her relationship back on track, so she decided that there wasn't anything on her list that couldn't wait. "Nothing much," she eventually replied. "Why? What do you have in mind?"
"I'm going to buy a car. Finally saved up enough money and… wait 'till you see her, she's a beaut!" Bo exclaimed. She rooted in her back until she found a folded piece of paper and handed it to Lauren.
Lauren looked at the flier of a used yellow car that had seen much better days. The description read 'Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible', followed by the price tag. She looked up back at Bo, and had to smile at the excitement that was lighting up brunette's face.
"Can I keep this?" Lauren indicated the flier. "I'd like to do some research."
"Nerd." Bo laughed, bumping her fist into Lauren's shoulder affectionately. "Sure. So you'll come with me?"
"Yes," Lauren confirmed. "When?"
"Saturday. Meet me at noon at the Dal?"
"I'll be there." Lauren promised, stashing away the flier.
Anticipation made time fly, and just before noon on Saturday Lauren approached the tavern, breathless but eager to see what the day would bring. She noted with surprise that Dyson's car wasn't parked by the entrance. Bo had talked about buying her first car non-stop for the rest of the week, and it clearly was a momentous occasion for the older teen, so Lauren expected that Dyson would want to be a part of it.
When she entered the Dal, it was filled nearly to capacity with lunch crowd, and Trick waved at her from the table he was serving, too busy to spare her any time. Bo was just coming out of the kitchens with two plates. She motioned for Lauren to meet at the table with a 'reserved' sign.
"Saved this for us. The Dal gets busy this time of day. Hungry?" Bo said in greeting, sliding one plate towards Lauren.
"I could eat." Lauren conceded and dug in.
Trick had stopped by for a few minute to say hi to Lauren and to wish Bo good luck, than hurried off again. They finished in record time, keeping the conversation to a minimum, and Bo had jumped up and tugged on Lauren to follow as soon as her plate was cleared.
"Come on, come on, let's go!"
"Are we not waiting for Dyson?" Lauren asked, surprised.
"No, he's practically under house arrest until he takes that college admission test." Bo replied, tugging Lauren out the door and towards the bus stop.
Once on the bus, Lauren pulled out the folded flier and a thin notebook.
"I've looked into this car. It's quite popular." She opened her notebook and read off a few things. "Five liter V8 engine, 210 horse powers and 285 lb of torque."
Bo leaned over to look at the notes. There were stats and drawings of various parts. She smiled to herself, touched, but not surprised that Lauren had geeked out on this little project. She listened absentmindedly as Lauren prated on, lost in her own thoughts.
When they reached the dealership, Bo turned to Lauren.
"Listen, Lauren. When I talk to the salesman, keep a poker face on. Don't react to anything he or I say, and don't say anything. Don't tell me anything about the car while he's in the earshot either, got it?"
Lauren nodded that she understood the instructions. She saw Bo's negotiating skills in the principal's office and had no doubt the older teen knew what she was doing.
She happily examined the transmission and the breaks, ran through the belts and hoses, checked for any leaks, then turn on the car and listened to the engine while Bo haggled with a portly older salesman. She discreetly let the brunette know that almost everything she looked at checked out, noting that both tires and breaks would need to be replaced soon, but any damage she saw was normal wear and tear. Bo put that information to good use, driving the price ever lower. The salesman was red in the face and sweating when he shook Bo's hand an hour later, and handed over the keys and paperwork in exchange for a stack of cash.
Bo squealed happily as she hopped over the driver door, landing in the seat neatly. She ran her hands over the leather, alloy and plastic – her gestures affectionate, almost reverent.
Lauren attempted to enter the vehicle the same way Bo did, but had landed with her back on the passenger seat, head barely missing the gear shift, arms askew and feet in the air.
"Oof" She righted herself quickly, and looked at Bo to see if her awkward entrance was noticed. But Bo's shining eyes were on her car. A moment later she started the car, and every horsepower in the engine was engaged as they exited the parking lot.
"Where are we going?" Lauren yelled over the wind, trying to keep her shoulder length hair out of her face. She was hoping they were not headed back to the Dal already.
"I think we should take this baby for a spin. I know some roads just on the outskirts of town that would be perfect." She grinned at Lauren, navigating the car expertly. The day was unusually sunny and warm, and the cool wind felt good against her face, so she didn't regret leaving the top down.
They were cruising on the nearly empty roads, just content to feel the muscle car eat up the motorway. Since Bo was fully engaged in her driving experience, Lauren started tinkering with the radio, changing the stations until Bo screamed at her to stop.
"Oh my god, can this be any more perfect?" she exclaimed, turning up the sound and falling into the rhythms of Tom Petty's song.
"And I'm free, free fallin'
Yeah I'm free, free fallin'
Free fallin', now I'm free fallin', now I'm
Free fallin', now I'm free fallin'"
Lauren just watched, amused by Bo's antics.
"Don't you know this song?" Bo asked after the chorus.
"Nope." Lauren admitted, just happy to share this experience with Bo, even if she didn't get to sing along.
The Tom Petty song was over and Lauren went back to changing channels again, stopping abruptly when a familiar song purred from the speakers. "I know this one!" she looked over to Bo, who shook her head to indicate that she didn't. Lauren considered telling her companion that she only remembered the song because it made her think of Bo when she heard it, but got caught up in the performance and before she knew it, she was belting out the lyrics along with the singer, bobbing her head in time with the music.
"I'm a red-hot fox, I can take the knocks,
I'm a hammer from hell, honey, can't you tell?
The wild one, yes, she's the wild one.
I'm a blue-eyed bitch and I wanna get rich,
Get out of my way 'cause I'm here to stay.
The wild one, yes, she's the wild one!
The wild one, yes, she's the wild one!
The wild one, yes, she's the wild one!"
Bo decided she liked the song as well, and started to join Lauren on the chorus when a clucking noise from the engine cut through the music.
"What'd just happened?" Bo let go of the wheel as they coasted to a stop on the shoulder.
Lauren examined the dashboard, looking for engine temp and a few other things before pointing out the gas gage. The dial was on empty. "You're out of gas."
"No effing way!" Bo swore, incredulous. They were outside the city limits now, shrubbery and small ponds stretching on both sides of the road instead of buildings and storefronts.
"We could call for help." Lauren pointed out calmly.
"We could, if I had a signal out here." Bo responded looking at the phone's display.
"I think I saw a gas station about 5 minutes ago. Do you have any money left over?"
"Plenty." Bo confirmed. "How far would we have to walk?"
Lauren did some mental calculations. Five minutes by cat at roughly 45 miles/hour meant they traveled about 3.75 miles, and should cover that distance by foot in…
"Seventy five minutes, give or take" she responded quickly.
"OK, that's doable." Bo said, her good mood returning. "Hey, it's an adventure within an adventure!"
"Never a dull moment when you are around, my friend." Lauren agreed, following the older girl down the road.
"So, we are friends now?" Bo asked.
Lauren looked over in surprise, taking a minute to play back her most recent statement in her mind, as well as a number of past conversations. She didn't even realize she said the word 'friend' until Bo called her on it, and was startled to discover that it was the first time she called Bo by that title, out loud or to herself. But that was exactly how she felt about the older brunette now.
"Yes" Lauren answered succinctly.
"Good." Bo smiled back. "And speaking as your friend, I should apologize to you too, about not being there for you. When Clio was messing with you in the cafeteria. Hale was there and he told Dyson and me what happened." She explained. "I was going to tell you I was sorry, but then you retaliated and I got so mad."
"I know." Lauren whispered, glad to get the events of the past few weeks out into the open.
"Took me a little while to put it behind me." Bo continued, but she was smiling as she said it.
"What made you finally forgive me?" Lauren asked, picking at her stich on her shirt, trying to hide from the older teen just how much she wanted to know the answer to that.
"Honestly, it wasn't anything you did." Bo admitted, surprising Lauren. "I told Trick what had happened the day after those damn cookies, and he sat me down for a lecture on bullying. He told me a few things that he himself went through, and explained how things would look from your perspective." Bo stuffed both hands in her pockets, feeling vulnerable herself. "So… the reason it took me so long to say anything to you is because I was embarrassed." She explained. "I didn't know how to apologize to you, so I just brooded for days on end."
Lauren listened intently. She'd been no stranger to bullying, though to be fair, the incidents she encountered since joining Sacred Heart where far from the worst and far less frequent than at her other school. She wondered about that out loud.
"You were just unlucky they announced at assembly who you were." Bo could see that Lauren didn't follow, so she continued. "Most kids at our school come from rich and powerful families, and you don't want to bully someone whose father can end your father's career, or worse, so there really isn't a lot of bulling going on at that school. Kids are careful about who they pick on, and you, my friend, are primate meat for picking. You don't have a powerful family backing you up."
"But neither to do you. Did they pick on you?" Lauren asked.
"They did, back when we were first graders. But I've always been pretty social and popular, and Trick taught me how to stand up for myself – physically and socially – so it didn't last long. I guess it's also why I forgot so quickly what it felt like, and had joined in with Clio when she bullied others, when she bullied you."
"That's how we met." Lauren reminded her friend.
Bo nodded, remembering the incident well.
"So most kids at our school come from prominent families?" Lauren asked.
"Oh yeah. Let's see," Bo made a quick list of students that Lauren had interacted with the most.
"Clio's father is a writer. Some murder-mystery fluff, but I guess he's pretty popular, because they are mega rich.
"Dyson's father is the State's attorney and he's pushing Dyson to follow in his footsteps." Bo chuckled. "But Dyson wants to be a cop! His father will be supper pissed if he follows through with that plan.
"Ciara comes from a family of art collectors. They own several galleries and probably half of the pieces at our Metropolitan museum. Lachlan's family owns the main hospital in town. Nadia's mom is the chief editor for the Times. Hale's dad is the mayor. You see what kind of company we've been keeping?" She pocked at Lauren, making the blond laugh.
"And what about you, how did you end up at this school?" Lauren inquired.
"That's a mystery. I was about six years old when a letter arrived from an elementary school that's part of the same outfit as our high school, saying I've been admitted and my tuition has been paid through my senior year. I didn't care where to go, but Trick was really impressed with their records. And that's how I ended up among the kids of the town's most privileged citizens. We know your story of course."
"That's funny, you and I are not much alike, except we are both misfits in this school." Lauren pointed out.
"Misfits and delinquents!" Bo reminded her friend. "Speaking of that, have you ever had detention before?"
"No, I've never even been in trouble before." Lauren stated vehemently.
"Figures. You need to learn how to talk your way out of trouble, Lauren. It's probably one of the most important things I learned in this school, and I didn't learn it from the teachers. So I'm going to help you." Bo promised.
"By teaching me to talk the way you do?" Lauren asked, seeing how useful the skill could be firsthand.
"No, kid. I'll help you to get into trouble! I decided you need more fun in your life." Bo laughed.
"Yey…" Lauren responded unenthusiastically.
They walked in a comfortable silence for a few minutes until Bo put a hand out to stop Lauren.
"Did you hear that?"
"What?" Lauren asked, turning around and listening for anything unusual. Bo pointed her in the direction she heard the sound come from and a few moments later Lauren through she could hear a faint 'arf-arf' coming from somewhere.
Bo clearly heard it too, because she grabbed for Lauren's arm and pulled her along into the shrubbery lining their side of the road. "Over there" She pointed at a pond that came into view a few moments later as they moved farther off the road.
Lauren followed the direction Bo indicated and saw a small, dark form struggling through the murky waters.
"It's a dog." She said. There was a tennis ball bobbing not far from the animal, and it was clear the dog was trying to reach it.
"I think he's in trouble." Bo said, watching the animal struggling to reach his toy.
"Why? He got that far, I think he's going to be OK." Lauren said, also watching the animal carefully. He whimpered and barked, but Lauren couldn't tell if it because he was anxious to reach his toy or because he was in distress.
"I'm going to get him out." Bo pronounced after another moment and proceeded to remove her shoes.
"Wait, Bo, this is stagnant water, there is no way to know how badly contaminated it is without running some tests. There are waterborne pathogens – bacteria, viruses, protozoa, algae, multi-celled parasites – that can make you very sick." Lauren implored her friend.
"Lauren, I'm going in regardless," Bo said, steadfast, "so, any practical advice before I take the plunge?"
Lauren let out a deep sigh, not at all happy but understanding that Bo needed to follow her gut on this. "Don't swallow any water, and try to keep it out of your eyes, nose and mouth as much as possible." She advised, starting to each just from thinking about what could be in the inky water.
Bo waded in as far as she could, then pushed off and started to swim for the dog, who have managed to snag the ball by then and was laboriously making his way towards the shore. Bo caught up with him quickly and grabbed him around the middle with one arm, lifting more of his upper body out of the water and continuing to swim across as best she could, her progress made more difficult by a struggling dog who didn't understand he was being rescued and refused to stay still. When Bo reached the shallow waters and was able to stand up, she used both arms to hug the squirming animal to her chest. The dog, either disliking being handled or yearning for solid ground just feet away, had redoubled his struggles to get free. He found some purchase with his hind legs against Bo's ribcage and sprung off, smacking his rescuer in the face with a wet tail in the process. He took a few steps away, shook off the excess water and ran off, happily chewing on the soggy ball between his teeth.
Lauren, observing the scene unfold from the safety of dry land, broke into giggles watching Bo fight to hold on to the dog, then dissolved into hysterical laughter when Bo had gotten a face full of wet tail for her trouble.
Bo stood knee deep in the water, watching departing dog with narrowed eyes.
"Oh sure, keep running, you ungrateful mutt!" she yelled after his retreating form.
Dog reprimanded, she turned her attention to her younger friend, seeing little reason to join her in mirth at the moment. She had a momentary desire to step right up to Lauren and shake off her own excess water onto her unsympathetic friend, but decided that germy water was not the way to get her revenge.
Lauren had made an effort to choke down her laughter, but it was not an easy task. Bo's waterlogged appearance was more comical than she could have imagined – sodden hair plastered against her neck and shoulders, mascara smudges from cheek to chin, light summer dress bunched up on her chest and hips, leaving one shoulder and thigh bare, thin patches of green algae clinging to cloth and skin alike.
Scowling, Bo came out of the water, picked up her discarded shoes and wallet and headed back towards the road.
"My one good dead for the day." She dropped over her shoulder. "Hurry up, Lauren, I want to get to the gas station and wash up a bit."
Lauren hurried to catch up to her taller friend. When they reached the road, Bo put her shoes back on, holding onto Lauren for balance. Up close, Lauren covertly examined Bo's skin, looking for signs of irritation from the water. She felt a little better not seeing any suspicious bumps or redness, but still worried, so she urged Bo to walk faster.
It took another 20 minutes to reach the gas station, and both released when it came into sight.
"Race you!" Bo yelled and took off, Lauren close on her hills.
The gas station had a small convenience store and a bathroom attached, so Bo handed the wallet to Lauren and instructed her to buy a canister and gas and headed for the bathroom.
Lauren grabbed a canister that would hold 2 gallons of gas and headed to the checkout counter. The attendant greeter and asked if there is anything else she needed.
"2 gallons of unleaded," the girl replied distractedly, still thinking about the pond. "Do you have a car was here?" she asked the clerk.
"No, but there is a water pump outside, and some rugs and sponges for cleaning" he answered helpfully.
"Well, it's not a car I need to clean" Lauren admitted. "My friend had tried to rescue a stray dog from a pond, and I'm really worried about what she could have been exposed to in the water."
"They are not toxic, but I wouldn't go dipping my toe in them." The man confirmed Lauren's suspicions. He thought about their predicament for a moment. "The water in the pump is clean, you can use the soap from the bathroom, it's better than nothing." He offered and handed her a few quarters. At Lauren's questioning look he pointed to the water tank outside. "For the pump." Lauren smiled her thanks than went through the store's aisles again, picking up a few more things and tacking everything to get it rang up.
When she came out, Bo was waiting for her, face scrubbed clean, but not looking much better overall.
"All set?" she asked Lauren, ready to head back to the car.
"Not quite." The blond shook her head. "Grab some soap from the washroom, I think we should try to get you cleaned up a bit as soon as possible."
Bo looked perplexed, but did as she was told. When she came out with a bar of soap, she saw Lauren unfolding a long hose and dropping some coins into the machine. She turned the spigot then walked over to Bo, unfolding the hose as she went. She stopped a few feet away from the older girl and squeezed the sprayer. Noting happened. She tried a few more times, with similar results. Letting out a huff, she returned to the pump and gave the spigot a few more revolutions. Nothing happened immediately, so she turned the handle again, and was nearly swept off her feet as the hose rapidly filled with water under pressure and unfolded in her arms.
Bo waved her arms out, mimicking Lauren's spastic flailing while trying to hold on to the hose, obviously founding the tableau amusing.
Lauren narrowed her eyes at her incorrigible friend, and realized her revenge was already at hand. She aimed the spray at Bo and the water hit the older girl in the chest with a force of fist. Bo tried to cover up by placing her hands in the path of water, but Lauren didn't relent, pointing at unprotected parts.
"Common Bo, I'm not trying to be mean, I really need to get as much of the muck off you as possible. Just cover your face and turn around, this won't take long."
Bo yelled something back at Lauren that the blond couldn't quite discern, but assumed was a curse of some kind. She did turn, tough, so Lauren let it go. After a thorough pass over as much of her friend as she was able, she went back to the tank and lessened the water pressure.
"There is a wash cloth in the basket, leather up!" Lauren instructed her friend. Once the soap was applied and washed off, Lauren handed Bo some cloths to use as towels. They filled the canister and headed back to the car, hauling back a filled gas canister and a few other ins and outs that Lauren picked out. They stopped at the pond where they found a dog and Lauren collected some water and algae for later testing.
They reached the car just as the sun was setting, and Bo pulled the top up while Lauren poured gas into the tank. The car roared to life seconds later and two friends relaxed into leather seats, spent from their adventure but happy with where they were with each other.
Author's note:
Lyrics from Tom Petty's "Free Falling" www dot youtube dot com slash watch?v=1lWJXDG2i0A and Suzi Quatro's "The Wild One" www dot youtube dot com slash watch?v=-ioY3fnMnNc