Read Online ReCAP: A NORMAL Novella by Danielle Pearl - Free Book Online
Authors: Danielle Pearl
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would feel sliding against my
own.
Suddenly she looks away, and I break out of
my lip-induced trance.
"It was an accident," she lies. Last time
she chewed her lip red she was thinking up a story, too, and I take
note of that.
"I don't believe you," I tell her.
"Me neither," she admits.
I stare at her. I want to
beg her to tell me everything. To explain why she's hurting so bad.
And fuck , what I
can do to help her. I just want her to let me help her. But I can't
keep asking her question after question – at some point she needs
to just tell me what happened, and my eyes plead with her to just
trust me. I would never betray her.
Suddenly, Rory's name rings out from outside
the bathroom, and Rory and I both turn toward the door just before
it flies open to reveal an extremely worked up Carl. She's beside
us in a second, and starts wailing about how everyone is talking
about Rory and Chelsea's fight.
Rory looks to me, so I hold out my hand to
help her down from the counter, and decide to answer for her.
"Chelsea's a crazy bitch.
She came at Rory, Rory kicked her ass." I can't help the swell of
pride I feel at reporting this. My little
badass.
"Um, if I remember correctly, haven't you
and Chelsea been friends since, like, birth?" Carl says a little
obnoxiously.
So fucking what? That doesn't mean I fucking
endorse her. I was as shocked by her behavior as anyone.
"Yeah," I reply carefully, "we were."
Now Carl looks confused,
and I feel bad. She's just looking out for her friend -- I
shouldn't get irritated with her. I want that for Rory. Carl's a
good friend to have, and honestly, she's a good friend of mine . I just really
didn't like the implication that I'm on anyone's side but Rory's.
And truthfully, that isn't the only reason I'm irritated. Rory was
opening up to me, and we were having a moment, and Carl's intrusion
has left it unfinished. And now I feel unsettled. Like there's
something I want to say – need to say – though I haven't a clue
what that might be, but now I can't, not in front of
Carl.
Rory sighs before launching into her
explanation of what went down with Chelsea. Carl reacts
accordingly, and I just look between the two of them,
simultaneously resenting Carl's presence, and appreciating her
loyalty to Rory. That is, until she turns her attention back to
me.
"And you saw all this,
Cap?" Carl is skeptical, and I realize she's wondering why the hell
I would be in the girl’s bathroom.
"No, no. I was walking toward the lot when
people started shouting about a fight between Chel and Rory so
I-"
"Came to the rescue, of
course," Carl interrupts, matter-of-factly, and I'm a bit taken
aback. What the hell is that supposed to mean? I instantly worry
that Tucker's been running his mouth about his suspicions about my
being "into" Rory. But I can't believe he would say anything, even
to Carl, whom he's closer to than he'll admit. Tucker comes across
like he has a big mouth, but I know from experience that he keeps
it shut when it counts.
"Come on, Rory, I'll drive you home," Carl
offers, and I resent that, too. Because I wanted to drive her. To
be alone in the car with her. To watch her beat that trigger all
over again, with me.
"I have my car," Rory murmurs, but I know
she's still unsettled by the whole ordeal, and I don't want her
behind the wheel.
"I'll get it home for you," I promise
her.
She looks at me meaningfully. "Thanks."
I don't know what she's
thanking me for, but I do know it's for more than getting her car
home for her, and it's a heady feeling – her gratitude. It makes me
feel as if perhaps I'm not completely useless to her, after all. As
if maybe I have helped to comfort her. And it makes me feel like
some kind of superhero. No, a God .
I got you,
Pine .
****
As We've Always
Been
W ith spring break only a few days away, there's an excitement
in the air. It's the kind that usually misses me. That I see and
sense, that I know I should be feeling, but rarely actually
own.
Suddenly she looks away, and I break out of
my lip-induced trance.
"It was an accident," she lies. Last time
she chewed her lip red she was thinking up a story, too, and I take
note of that.
"I don't believe you," I tell her.
"Me neither," she admits.
I stare at her. I want to
beg her to tell me everything. To explain why she's hurting so bad.
And fuck , what I
can do to help her. I just want her to let me help her. But I can't
keep asking her question after question – at some point she needs
to just tell me what happened, and my eyes plead with her to just
trust me. I would never betray her.
Suddenly, Rory's name rings out from outside
the bathroom, and Rory and I both turn toward the door just before
it flies open to reveal an extremely worked up Carl. She's beside
us in a second, and starts wailing about how everyone is talking
about Rory and Chelsea's fight.
Rory looks to me, so I hold out my hand to
help her down from the counter, and decide to answer for her.
"Chelsea's a crazy bitch.
She came at Rory, Rory kicked her ass." I can't help the swell of
pride I feel at reporting this. My little
badass.
"Um, if I remember correctly, haven't you
and Chelsea been friends since, like, birth?" Carl says a little
obnoxiously.
So fucking what? That doesn't mean I fucking
endorse her. I was as shocked by her behavior as anyone.
"Yeah," I reply carefully, "we were."
Now Carl looks confused,
and I feel bad. She's just looking out for her friend -- I
shouldn't get irritated with her. I want that for Rory. Carl's a
good friend to have, and honestly, she's a good friend of mine . I just really
didn't like the implication that I'm on anyone's side but Rory's.
And truthfully, that isn't the only reason I'm irritated. Rory was
opening up to me, and we were having a moment, and Carl's intrusion
has left it unfinished. And now I feel unsettled. Like there's
something I want to say – need to say – though I haven't a clue
what that might be, but now I can't, not in front of
Carl.
Rory sighs before launching into her
explanation of what went down with Chelsea. Carl reacts
accordingly, and I just look between the two of them,
simultaneously resenting Carl's presence, and appreciating her
loyalty to Rory. That is, until she turns her attention back to
me.
"And you saw all this,
Cap?" Carl is skeptical, and I realize she's wondering why the hell
I would be in the girl’s bathroom.
"No, no. I was walking toward the lot when
people started shouting about a fight between Chel and Rory so
I-"
"Came to the rescue, of
course," Carl interrupts, matter-of-factly, and I'm a bit taken
aback. What the hell is that supposed to mean? I instantly worry
that Tucker's been running his mouth about his suspicions about my
being "into" Rory. But I can't believe he would say anything, even
to Carl, whom he's closer to than he'll admit. Tucker comes across
like he has a big mouth, but I know from experience that he keeps
it shut when it counts.
"Come on, Rory, I'll drive you home," Carl
offers, and I resent that, too. Because I wanted to drive her. To
be alone in the car with her. To watch her beat that trigger all
over again, with me.
"I have my car," Rory murmurs, but I know
she's still unsettled by the whole ordeal, and I don't want her
behind the wheel.
"I'll get it home for you," I promise
her.
She looks at me meaningfully. "Thanks."
I don't know what she's
thanking me for, but I do know it's for more than getting her car
home for her, and it's a heady feeling – her gratitude. It makes me
feel as if perhaps I'm not completely useless to her, after all. As
if maybe I have helped to comfort her. And it makes me feel like
some kind of superhero. No, a God .
I got you,
Pine .
****
As We've Always
Been
W ith spring break only a few days away, there's an excitement
in the air. It's the kind that usually misses me. That I see and
sense, that I know I should be feeling, but rarely actually
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