When Summer Ends (60 page)

I had a great week, but it was only a matter of time before
‘she’ came back. I was dreading it. I had no idea what she would do or say. She
was going to hate me even more now; I would definitely be back on her radar. I
sensed a lot of things going wrong in my life again, just like it used to.
Notes stuck on my back, my locker filled with mud, my books going missing. I
had dealt with all of that from her before; I guessed I would have to deal with
it again.

When that dreaded Monday morning came around, I stepped
hesitantly into the school. Nick’s arm was firmly around my shoulder for
support. He’d picked me up this morning instead of Will because he didn’t want
me to walk into the school on my own on Erika’s first day back. I chewed on my
lip as I scanned the immediate area, but I couldn’t see any commotion or
anything. If she was here already then wouldn’t people be surrounding her,
asking for details and explanations?

I looked at Nick. “Think maybe her rich parents were so
embarrassed by her behaviour, that they sent her to a private boarding school
somewhere really far away, to finish her senior year?” I asked, smiling at him
hopefully.

He laughed and shook his head. “Since when have you been
that lucky?”

I sighed and closed my eyes, letting him lead me along
towards my locker. I put in my combination and opened it hesitantly, stepping
back, expecting piles of manure to fall on my shoes. But there was nothing in
there, nothing unusual in the slightest.
Is she not coming in today? Maybe
I’ve got the days mixed up, and she’s due back tomorrow instead? Maybe she’s
sick?

I breathed a sigh of relief, but obviously I did it too
soon.

Whispers erupted from all around me, people stopped what
they were doing and looked up the hallway as about ten people were all walking
down the hallway, firing questions one after the other to the girl in the
centre of the group. I gulped as her eyes met mine. There was a hard, icy edge
to her look that sent shivers down my spine.
Wow, and she calls me the Ice
Princess!

Her jaw tightened, and my heart dropped into my stomach. Her
long legs made her almost glide down the hallway towards me. It was like a
scene from a movie where the bad guy makes their entrance and everyone parts
for them as they keep their eyes locked on their poor victim. Yep, that poor
victim was me, and I was more than slightly intimidated by her entrance - maybe
that was her intention, I wasn’t sure.

 
Oh God, please don’t let her accuse me of it in the middle
of the hallway and start this all off again. Please don’t let there be any more
trouble for Will. I can cope with anything that she can throw at me, as long as
she doesn’t get him involved anymore.

She was ignoring everyone around her as they asked her where
she’d been and if any of the rumours were true. I noticed with some
satisfaction that her hair had definitely lost that beautiful shine that it
used to have; it was now a dull blonde. I bit back a smile and wondered how
much of the hair dye shampoo she had left before she would run out and her hair
would return to its normal brilliance.

Nick stepped to my side and bent to whisper in my ear, I
felt his breath tickle my cheek, but I didn’t hear what he said. It was like
everything else faded into the background except for me and her. I couldn’t
hear the commotion that was sure to be going on around me. All I could focus on
was her evil face as she stared at me intently.

She stopped in front of me and I took the opportunity to
speak before she did. “Hi there, Erika, where have you been? People were saying
that you went on vacation,” I chirped, faking confidence. I looked her up and
down obviously. “You don’t look very tanned; did it rain the whole time?”

She sneered at me and didn’t bother answering my comment;
she just flicked her hand in a dismissive gesture to the gaggle of girls
hanging around begging for her attention. My mind dimly registered that they
all left straight away. I knew they wouldn’t go far though; they’d be waiting
to speak to her as soon as she’d finished wiping the floor with my face. She
turned her head and looked to my left, her jaw tightening, her eye making the
smallest little twitch and started to soften slightly, before I felt an arm
slip around my shoulder and Erika’s eyes immediately blazed again.

“Just leave, Nick. I want to talk to her in private, we have
unfinished business,” Erika ordered, looking at Nick who was standing next to
me protectively.

He laughed. “You think I’m gonna walk away because you do
that nasty little hand flick thing? Yeah okay, whatever you say, sweetheart,”
he mocked, rolling his eyes. He turned to me. “Want to get out of here? There’s
a bad smell lingering in this area.”

She made what sounded like a growl of frustration and gripped
my arm. “I want to talk to you, now!” she hissed, her voice menacing and harsh.

I shook off her hold. My hand clenched into a fist as I
desperately wanted to carry out that fantasy I’d once had where I smashed her
face first into the lockers. I raised myself to my full height and pulled my
shoulders back as I spoke, “You and I have nothing to say to each other.”

She snorted and looked at me with disbelief clear across her
face. Judging by the shock that was clear on her features, she was obviously expecting
me to apologise or beg and grovel for her forgiveness for getting her in
trouble. She would be waiting a long time if that was what she was expecting
from me.

She leant in closer to me; her lips pulling back in a
menacing way, showing off her perfectly straight, pearly white teeth that I bet
had cost her daddy a fortune. “Oh I think we have a lot to talk about. Now, shall
we do this in private, or in the middle of the hallway?” she spat.

I gulped. The venom in her voice was truly scary, but if she
laid one finger on me then I was giving as good as I got. I wracked my brain,
trying to remember the lessons Nick had given me a couple of years ago, self-defence
lessons and how to throw a decent punch. I didn’t want to do a Bella Swan and
break a bone while I broke Erika’s face. Maybe I should have gotten Nick to
give me a refresher course, ready for this moment.

I nodded back towards the bathrooms. If she was going to do
this either way then I would rather it done in private. Maybe she didn’t care
if she got into more trouble, maybe she just wanted to get the truth out there.
Even just a rumour could ruin Will’s career, an accusation like that wouldn’t
be easily forgotten.

“Bathrooms?” I suggested.

She nodded and turned on her four inch heel, strutting in
there, tossing her hair over her shoulder with a flick of her head. I winced
and looked at Nick for support. I was probably lucky that Amy wasn’t here
because she would have probably thrown the first punch for sure; she had more
of a fiery temper than mine.

Nick smiled reassuringly. “Want me to come?” he offered,
looking like he actually wanted to.

I laughed. “You always did have a thing for the girls’
bathrooms,” I joked.

He laughed and nodded. “It’s a magical place.” He bent down
and kissed my cheek, leaning in close to my ear. “Just tell her to go play with
traffic and then ask her how much trouble she got in for lying,” he whispered.

I smiled and pulled out of his arms. I couldn’t help but
wish Will was here with me. I needed a hug from him, a smile, a touch of his
hand, anything. He always had a calming presence around him that I could really
use right about now. I took a deep breath and followed Erika into the girls’
bathroom.

When I got in there she immediately flicked the lock on the
door so no one else could get in with us. I watched as she put her Gucci purse
on the counter, moving it slightly until she was happy with it. She was
probably worried about it getting damaged; it probably cost enough to refit the
tired looking school restrooms.

“Well, have you got something to say to me?” she snapped,
her eyes hard and accusing.

I raised one eyebrow. “Sure I have, but none of it is very
tasteful,” I offered, shrugging, smiling at her sweetly. There was no way I was
causing trouble.
She’s goading me, trying to get me to hit her or something
so she can go and report me. Stupid witch!

She frowned. “I can’t believe that you’ve gotten away with
this! You’re the one doing something illegal, and I’m the one that gets
suspended,” she ranted, throwing her hands up in exasperation. I briefly felt
sorry for her, she was right, all she was doing was telling the truth, yet she
got into trouble for it. But the guilt faded as she sneered at me and carried
on talking. “What does a guy like that see in a girl like you anyway? I mean,
look at you,” she hissed, raking her eyes down my body slowly, a distasteful
scowl on her face. “You’re nothing special, but yet he still kissed you.”

I flinched under her scrutiny.
Do I really look that bad
that she has to look at me with that much hatred and disgust? I know I’m not the
prettiest girl around, but I’m not that bad, surely.
I was always happy
with just being me, shouldn’t that be good enough? Will certainly seemed to
think so.

“Why do you hate me so much?” I asked her, shaking my head
in confusion. I had no idea what I’d ever done to make her dislike me like she
did; she always just had a problem with me and Amy.

“Because you have everything!” she shouted, glowering at me.

I took a step back from the venom in her voice, she actually
sounded scary when she shouted like that. I looked at her curiously, trying to
work out her comment.
I have everything? She’s the one with the rich daddy
that gives her everything she asks for, designer clothes, the latest
technology, horses, shiny cars – even though that must now smell like rancid
meat. What could I possibly have, that she doesn’t have? She’s Erika Freaking
Dennison. She lives like a princess.

“I… what?” I frowned; she must have lost the plot somehow.

She turned away from me, her shoulders slumping as she
walked over to the sink and gripped the edge tightly. “You have everything, and
you don’t even see it. I’ve always been jealous of you, you and stupid Amy
Clarke! Ugh, you were always together all through school, every year you just
got closer and closer, and all I got were fake friends that want to use me for
a bit of popularity and my parents status. Your parents come to the school
plays, they take an interest in you, they care about you, yet my family would
rather throw money at me than spend one minute in my presence,” she muttered,
so quietly that I had to strain to hear her.

Wait, she’s jealous of me? Me and Amy?

She laughed, but it held no humour. She grabbed a paper
towel from the side and ran it under the faucet, wetting it before dabbing it
under her eyes, checking her make-up. She fiddled with her purse, moving it
again, closer to me for some reason, probably scared to get water on the expensive
little thing.

She turned back to me and shook her head. Her smile looked a
little… sad? “You two found each other on the first day of school. I remember
sitting there in fifth grade just watching you two laughing at some private
joke, while I always struggled to make good friends that didn’t stab me in the
back or drop me at the sight of a cute boy.” She sniffed loudly and I just
stood there like an idiot, not knowing what on earth to say. “The boys all
flocked to you two, because of your ability to laugh and joke around. Then as
they got older, they liked your stupid honey coloured hair and brown eyes. I
hated that I never had anything like what you have. Then along came… Nick,” she
said, her chin trembled when she said his name. I knew right then and there
that I was right; she had a thing for him.

“You like Nick?” I asked weakly.

She snorted and shook her head a little too forcefully. “No
way! As if! He’s just, ugh, he’s so frustrating and… no!” she stated, crossing
her arms over her chest defensively.

I bit back a smile. To quote Queen Gertrude and Shakespeare:
‘The lady doth protest too much, methinks’.

I nodded. “Just checking, I thought that was a little too
out there. I mean, Nick’s not good enough to be with you, right? He’s just
plain old Nick Golding, nothing special,” I lied, watching her reaction to me
putting him down.

Her face scrunched up and she looked a little angry for a
second at what I’d said. I had the strong feeling that she was going to
disagree with me, but then the look was gone to be replaced by the famous Erika
scowl. Her eyes flicked to her purse again as she spoke. “Whatever, I’m not
here to talk about him,” she stated, waving her hand dismissively before
tossing her hair over her shoulder. “I wanted to talk to you about how much
freaking trouble I got in for telling the truth about your sordid little affair
with Mr Hottie Teacher.”

A sudden thought hit me. Was she trying to trick me into admitting
it or something? It wouldn’t surprise me if it turned out that the expensive
purse that she keeps shifting around on the side, has a tape recorder in there
or something.

The sneaky little…

I cocked my head to the side and smiled.
Okay, two can play
at that game!
“Seriously? Why are you trying to get me and him in trouble?
I don’t get what I’ve ever done to you to make you want to lie to the Principal
and get Will in trouble too,” I replied, raising one eyebrow at her.

She frowned. “I wasn’t lying and we both know it!”

I shook my head and sighed. “Look, I’d love nothing more
than to break that expensive looking nose job for you for making up these
ridiculous lies about me and a teacher. Erika, this is sick,” I said, playing
along.

I hope she does have a damn tape recorder in there to
catch all of this stuff, if she’s thinking I’m going to slip up then she has
another thing coming.
There was no way I was letting the love of my life
get into trouble because some snooty little rich girl was jealous that I had
great friends while she just had minions. If she weren’t such a bitch in the
first place then she would have normal friends. Heck, if she had wanted to sit
with us in fifth grade, then Amy and I would have let her, all she had to do
was show a little interest. I think we’d once asked her to come to lunch with
us, and she told us that she’d rather pick fleas off of the class rabbit than
be seen dead with two losers like us.