"Where's your big brother, Myers?"
Said Tracy Dacke, fifteen minutes after Laurie started walking on the lane which had forked off the main strip.
That is now…
But before that, Laurie asked for nothing.
Her path home, here, it was shadowy because there weren't any streetlights. It's the older part of town that hasn't been modernized yet. Laurie travels on the side of the road, on a carpet of fallen leaves. Her heels were a softened clicking. Click — click — in rapid succession. Her feet ached. Bed sounded good right now.
Then, in the gloom, several yards ahead, walking in the same direction as her, were a group of her classmates: the rowdy ones. The ones Laurie didn't make friends with because she couldn't if she tried.
Troy, Billy, and Tracy.
These were the classmates who tormented people like her - those who never ask for it yet somehow their timid, submissive natures are misinterpreted as an invitation to the worst kinds of trouble. Up until now, Tracy never exactly targeted Laurie at school because Lynda would always be around. Troy and Billy liked Lynda. Admired her. Cared about her opinion. Because, secretly, not-so secretly, the boys thought if they would be nice when she was watching, their chances of getting into her pants were higher.
And on any school day, they would have left Laurie alone.
But, unfortunately, Tracy hated Lynda for something as simple as envy. And by extension, hated Laurie too. At the sound of her approach, the group turns around, Tracy is the first to recognize her as easy prey with a sneer so hateful it makes rabbits go feral.
And this rabbit swallows. Laurie doesn't know how to respond to a question like that. Figured it's wiser to not give them anything that they could twist back into her side.
So, she keeps walking forward. Her gait though, has slowed. As though eggshells were under her feet. Or perhaps, something more fragile and sharp than that. And one misplaced step would cut into her soles. She's just being careful. If she gives any indication of feeling threatened, they'll feed off of it and taunt her and Laurie thinks that would be the most she could handle, because never has she had the misfortune to endure real pain.
Too bad, real pain would color her skin purple, snap her bones in half, draw blood from severed flesh. Real pain you can see, you can prove. Otherwise, it doesn't count and it's not worth telling her mom and dad because otherwise what evidence does she have against Tracy?
It's a huge stroke of luck that Tracy says nothing when Laurie brushes past them.
The boys thankfully hold their tongues too. Maybe it's because in this darkness, Billy and Troy think Laurie looks pretty with her lipstick and fluffy curls. Unlike Tracy whose nose is too pointy, her cheeks too puffy, her blonde hair too dirty. She doesn't hold a light to Lynda…
Laurie feels a wave of flattery which fosters confidence. Her chin raises a little as she walks ahead.
And then, Tracy ruins it.
"He's a psycho, you know."
Something hurts in Laurie. Perhaps, it was the way Tracy said it. Or, it's the knowledge that Tracy would say anything to wound her.
But, Laurie, like a fool, falls for it. She halts in her footsteps.
Tracy is goaded and feels justified in saying,
"It wasn't your slut sister's boyfriend."
The smugness in her tone makes Laurie's ears burn pink.
"My dad works with the county," Tracy continues, "And your brother's prints were all over."
Anger strikes fast and it doesn't salve her hurt. In fact, this poison, Laurie takes, in the hopes that Tracy might die too.
And with that, her fingers curl into fists.
"Look. She's getting angry," Tracy snaps at Troy. "She'll rat every fucking person who cheats on a test, but when her brother knocks off her own sister, she shuts up."
The boys stand back - they don't want to participate. But, Tracy can't tell this.
"Watch her hands," she says, "She might have a knife too. They're all a murder fucking family."
Laurie is very quick in stepping forward and it surprises Tracy, forcing from her, what Troy and Billy didn't expect to see: A flinch.
Because really, Tracy is a coward who likes to project her envy of Lynda onto those who are closest to her. But, Laurie didn't like being labeled Lynda's friend because if this is the type of attention it lands her than she'd rather be alone.
In the gloom, Tracy looks apprehensive in the way her body straightens out, in the way she had gravitated towards Troy and Billy, who wouldn't bother to stop any punches thrown between Laurie and Tracy, because it's every boy's dream to see a cat fight.
Boys are gross. Laurie doesn't know why they couldn't all have ended up like Ben.
Handsome. Charismatic. Kind.
And dead.
Laurie meets the dull brown of Tracy's eyes and says:
"You're ugly."
Billy stifles a laugh, and it's Troy's hand cuffed around Tracy's flabby arm.
"What did you say, bitch!?"
Tracy bellows, deep and nasty, so that her shrill uncontrolled voice echoes around them, but Laurie knows she's loud because it's a better outlet than crying in the corner. Wounded pride will inevitably result in anger.
Laurie looks both ways before crossing the street, but as she does, Tracy has slapped Troy. It sounded like it hurt. She doesn't see it in time, but Troy releases Tracy in surprise. The ugly girl's impatient gait chops across the street. She is so close to Laurie. Several more steps.
And just as Laurie looks over her shoulder, Billy shouts:
"Watch it!"
Laurie spins around, hears the engine of the car before she sees it act as a wedge between her and Tracy. In momentary shock, Tracy inches from having been hit by the vehicle, scrambles to search for the driver's face, but the door swings open with the force of a punch and knocks her backwards.
"Fuck," Troy hisses. "It's him."
Laurie's breath catches as Michael exits the driver's side. He doesn't acknowledge her, his back is to her in fact. He is angled at Tracy who scrambles backward — gasping frantically. Pussy cat— Laurie thinks.
"Let's get the fuck outta here Trace."
Michael's hand are loose at his sides. Yet, the rest of his body appears taut. Laurie can tell this, in the way she sees his shoulders, drawn back. His spine steeled.
Billy scrambles to yank Tracy up who only whimpers as he drags her off the street.
As the trio disappears, their escape is quick, Michael returns to the driver's seat, and turns the headlights on.
Laurie, having no desire to walk the rest of the way home, enters the passenger seat. As soon as the door closes, the car rolls forward. She wishes she could have stayed silent the entire way, but it is only when they finally arrive home, does Laurie blurt out:
"Do you want to kill me?"
When he turns the head lamps off, she can't see Michael's face anymore. Not that seeing his face would give away his thoughts, but it's always a little less nerve wracking especially in the presence of her brother. She doesn't know what may have brought her to say it but she doesn't receive any better an answer.
All Michael does is shut off the engine and exit the car, without chancing a glance to Laurie as he walks up to the house.
On the other end of Haddonfield, In the cover of the trees, Troy and Billy have each a hand on Tracy's shoulders.
"Did you see it?"
Billy can't see her face under the curtain of her hair.
"See what?"
Troy grimaces. "Enough of this bullshit, man, I just want to go home."
"Dude, obviously not, I'm not taking her home like this. What is her dad gonna think?"
"Did you see it?"
Billy and Troy quiet.
A little exasperated, Billy asks, "See what?"
Tracy doesn't respond as quickly as the two boys may have wanted, but eventually, she does. Her voice is a certain degree of delicate which they're unfamiliar with hearing from a girl who is usually brash and raucous. The unfamiliarity gives rise to the goosebumps pimpling their skin.
"I knew it," Tracy whispers. "I knew it. I knew the devil exists."