Chris asks.
“Drew on that—that face?” Willa points at the flyer.
“I did,” I confess.
Chris mouths, “Uh-oh.”
Willa chokes up. “Are you mocking me? Are you making fun of what happened to me?”
“Oh god, no. I’m so sorry. I was just playing with it a little,” I sputter.
“Give it to me!” She grabs it.
“That’s an official police sketch, not a coloring book!” Eva Marie barks. “Are you nuts?”
Willa looks at me. Her voice drops down a half-octave. “Who are you, anyway?”
“She’s the new druggie girl at school. A rehab rat,” Eva Marie snorts.
“My name is Bea, Bea Washington,” I correct her. “And yes, I’m new at the school. And I’m sorry, I’m really sorry I drew on the poster.” I glance at Chris, hoping for some support.
He mimes closing a zipper on my mouth.
The school photographer approaches the girls and saves my sorry ass. “We’re ready to take pictures now, in the gym.”
“Oh! I must look like a wet rat,” Willa panics. “I need a mirror.”
“We’ll go with you,” Eva Marie chimes in. Sarah nods in agreement.
Willa squints her baby blues at me one last time as she pops open an umbrella and walks up the stairs of the stadium toward the gymnasium.
Eva Marie hands me an empty cup. “Bitch.” She marches off and joins her queen.
“Open mouth, insert stiletto,” Chris quips.
“Hey, Chris, cover for me?” I grab my bag from the safe. “I need a smoke, like, big time.”
“You know, you really should quit.”
“I know, I know, it’s a nasty habit.”
“I’m not going to want to kiss you on our first date with your mouth tasting like an ashtray.”
“I’m crushed.”
“You should be. I’ll have to save it for Ian, I guess.”
“Hey, thanks again for not bolting on me… with what I told you before.”
“Are you kidding me? I’m going to use you. Win the lottery with your power.”
“Shut up.”
I walk fast up the dark ramp, using my phone as a flashlight, hopefully scaring off the critters. I step out of the tunneland into the parking lot. The wind scoops in and inverts my umbrella.
Shit
. I know my hair is skyrocketing to the moon, so I duck back into the tunnel, lean against the wall, and take a cigarette out of my bag.
“Need a light?”
I startle at a figure, a man standing next to me in the shadows. A cigarette lighter flicks on in the darkness.
“Who the fuck are you?”
He lowers his cap, and a shiny badge reading POLICE glistens in the dark.
“Oh! I’m sorry I swore, officer.”
Just what I need, trouble with a cop.
I hide my cigarette.
“Well, do you or don’t you want a light?”
“You sure?” I ask.
He nods.
“Um, thanks.” I put the cigarette in my mouth, and he lights it, then lights his own, illuminating his eyes for a fraction of a second.
He exhales. “You know, you shouldn’t be out here all alone.”
“I know. I have a buddy down in the concession stand. Just needed a smoke.”
We stand in silence.
Okay… this is awkward.
“Shouldn’t you be patrolling, looking for bad guys or something?”
“I’d rather be here with you.”
“Um… I’m going to go to the little girl’s room.”
“I’ll walk you there.”
“No, thank you. I think I’ll be fine.”
“Okay, be careful. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Yeah, well, thanks again for the light.”
I jog through the rain to the back entrance of the school and turn when I get to the door, stubbing out my cigarette with my boot. He’s still standing there in the tunnel, the red embers of his lit cigarette like a firefly in the darkness.
Talk about a creepy cop!
I push open the door. The hallway is empty. My heels click and echo on the tiled floor as I walk into the ladies’ room.
It’s dark. I flip a switch. The fluorescent lights flicker on with a buzz. I look in the mirror, at my crazed hair, and sigh at the mess. The door suddenly slams open. I turn, ready to kick the creep in the balls with
“Drew on that—that face?” Willa points at the flyer.
“I did,” I confess.
Chris mouths, “Uh-oh.”
Willa chokes up. “Are you mocking me? Are you making fun of what happened to me?”
“Oh god, no. I’m so sorry. I was just playing with it a little,” I sputter.
“Give it to me!” She grabs it.
“That’s an official police sketch, not a coloring book!” Eva Marie barks. “Are you nuts?”
Willa looks at me. Her voice drops down a half-octave. “Who are you, anyway?”
“She’s the new druggie girl at school. A rehab rat,” Eva Marie snorts.
“My name is Bea, Bea Washington,” I correct her. “And yes, I’m new at the school. And I’m sorry, I’m really sorry I drew on the poster.” I glance at Chris, hoping for some support.
He mimes closing a zipper on my mouth.
The school photographer approaches the girls and saves my sorry ass. “We’re ready to take pictures now, in the gym.”
“Oh! I must look like a wet rat,” Willa panics. “I need a mirror.”
“We’ll go with you,” Eva Marie chimes in. Sarah nods in agreement.
Willa squints her baby blues at me one last time as she pops open an umbrella and walks up the stairs of the stadium toward the gymnasium.
Eva Marie hands me an empty cup. “Bitch.” She marches off and joins her queen.
“Open mouth, insert stiletto,” Chris quips.
“Hey, Chris, cover for me?” I grab my bag from the safe. “I need a smoke, like, big time.”
“You know, you really should quit.”
“I know, I know, it’s a nasty habit.”
“I’m not going to want to kiss you on our first date with your mouth tasting like an ashtray.”
“I’m crushed.”
“You should be. I’ll have to save it for Ian, I guess.”
“Hey, thanks again for not bolting on me… with what I told you before.”
“Are you kidding me? I’m going to use you. Win the lottery with your power.”
“Shut up.”
I walk fast up the dark ramp, using my phone as a flashlight, hopefully scaring off the critters. I step out of the tunneland into the parking lot. The wind scoops in and inverts my umbrella.
Shit
. I know my hair is skyrocketing to the moon, so I duck back into the tunnel, lean against the wall, and take a cigarette out of my bag.
“Need a light?”
I startle at a figure, a man standing next to me in the shadows. A cigarette lighter flicks on in the darkness.
“Who the fuck are you?”
He lowers his cap, and a shiny badge reading POLICE glistens in the dark.
“Oh! I’m sorry I swore, officer.”
Just what I need, trouble with a cop.
I hide my cigarette.
“Well, do you or don’t you want a light?”
“You sure?” I ask.
He nods.
“Um, thanks.” I put the cigarette in my mouth, and he lights it, then lights his own, illuminating his eyes for a fraction of a second.
He exhales. “You know, you shouldn’t be out here all alone.”
“I know. I have a buddy down in the concession stand. Just needed a smoke.”
We stand in silence.
Okay… this is awkward.
“Shouldn’t you be patrolling, looking for bad guys or something?”
“I’d rather be here with you.”
“Um… I’m going to go to the little girl’s room.”
“I’ll walk you there.”
“No, thank you. I think I’ll be fine.”
“Okay, be careful. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Yeah, well, thanks again for the light.”
I jog through the rain to the back entrance of the school and turn when I get to the door, stubbing out my cigarette with my boot. He’s still standing there in the tunnel, the red embers of his lit cigarette like a firefly in the darkness.
Talk about a creepy cop!
I push open the door. The hallway is empty. My heels click and echo on the tiled floor as I walk into the ladies’ room.
It’s dark. I flip a switch. The fluorescent lights flicker on with a buzz. I look in the mirror, at my crazed hair, and sigh at the mess. The door suddenly slams open. I turn, ready to kick the creep in the balls with
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