The door opened and the principal came out. Daniella’s nose was covered in dried blood. Tear tracks were already down her face.
She was ready to go again with the bitch, but the principal merely escorted the two girls away from them.
Tabitha turned as her mother arrived. The moment Eva caught sight of her and the crew, she stopped. “Okay, am I even needed here?”
“You’re Tabitha’s mother?” the principal asked.
Tabitha stood.
“I am.”
“We need to talk. Tabitha, join us please.”
All of her friends got up.
The principal stopped in the doorway. “No. I only need Tabitha and her parents. You are all children and should be back to class.”
“Not happening,” Miles said.
“Miles, go back to class.”
“Sorry, Mom, you didn’t see what happened back there. We all did and there’s no way we’re letting that kind of shit slide.”
“Miles!” Eva snapped.
“Why didn’t those other bitches have their parents here?” Daisy asked. “You’re going to suspend Tabs for protecting herself, is that it?”
“If you don’t all leave this instant and allow me to deal with this, I will suspend you all.”
Tabitha looked at her friends and saw them all staring at each other.
“Kids, think about how annoyed your parents are going to be,” Eva said.
“You know what? Fuck this school,” Anthony said. “We’ll be back after suspension.” He picked up a chair and launched it across the room. The receptionist had to duck as it took out the computer on her desk.
“Rock-fucking-on,” Miles said.
Tabitha watched as her friends turned on the school, banging on lockers, screaming at the top of their lungs. She looked at her mom, mouthed the word sorry, stuck her middle fingers up at the principal, and followed right along with them. They busted out of school.
Daisy had already passed her driver’s license and for her seventeenth birthday, she’d gotten a car. She went with her friend, climbing in the front seat as Constance climbed in with Rachel.
“Any idea what the hell we’re doing?” Rachel asked.
“We’re being rebels. They can all go and fuck themselves. This is my girl right here.”
Daisy turned the radio up and music filled the air as they took off, heading to the only place she knew they’d be left alone, the lake.
Anthony was driving the guys. They drove through town and she spotted several of their parents.
“Oh, this is going to be so bad,” Rachel said. “Dad’s going to so give me the lecture on what it means to be doing the right thing.”
“This coming from your dad who also used to be a drug addict?” Constance asked.
“Damn, rumors are hard to kill, aren’t they?”
“Yep!” Daisy yelled and laughed.
It had been several months since her date with Anthony. Tabitha didn’t even know if they were going steady or not. There were moments she caught them together. They always looked like they were on the verge of making out or even fucking, but again, nothing.
“Come on, Tabs, how did it feel to smash that girl’s face in?” Daisy asked. “She called you a Skull whore.”
“It was pretty damn good.” She’d been so angry at this other girl getting in her face. The same girl she’d noticed at the Quad a few times but had never given her the time of day. Now, because of her, she was suspended, which also meant as soon as she got home, she’d be grounded. Like that stuck for long.
Daisy pulled into the parking space near the lake. After climbing out, Tabitha didn’t wait around. She headed to the lake, removed her clothes, not caring who saw, and dove right on in the water.
“There could be sharks in there,” Rachel said.
“So, if they even take a chunk right out of me, they know I’m going to be pissed. Also, you watch way too many shark movies.” Tabitha leaned back in the water. The guys finally arrived. “What do you say, Daisy? Are you coming in?”
Daisy shook her head but kicked off her shoes.
Tabitha couldn’t resist glancing over at Anthony. Of course, his gaze was right on her. Smiling, Daisy wriggled out of her jeans and removed her sweater but kept on her shirt that had several buttons open.
She ran to the edge and jumped right on in. In the past few months, her best friend had come out of her shell. Daisy broke the surface, gasping and pushing her hair out of her face, laughing. “Shit, this is fucking cold.”
“Come on, do you think our parents are going to let us out after today? We’re going to be confined to our rooms.”
“Speak for yourself,” Anthony said.
“Yeah, Tabs, like that’s going to stop us going to the Quad. Our parents are going to be pissed, but they can’t control us. Not anymore,” Miles said.
“You know what, that looks like fun. I’ll deal with everything later.” Constance stripped down to her underwear, silencing Miles, and like the others, she jumped right on in.