way.”
Caro’s lip-twitching became more pronounced. If she wasn’t careful, it might morph into a smile.
Behind Jay, Vanessa gave a strangled-sounding gargle, and took advantage of Jay’s apparent inattention to grab a handful of her hair.
“Cat-fight!” someone yelled.
The kids milling around in the corridor found a common purpose. They pushed and shoved, trying to get closer so they didn’t miss out on the promised entertainment.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Vanessa?” Caro squawked, and then turned to elbow someone who’d jostled her. “Hey! Back off, jerk-face!”
Vanessa yanked harder on her handful of Jay’s hair and in response, Jay allowed her back to arch until she had an excellent view of the stained grey ceiling tiles. Having her hair pulled didn’t bother her. She could have resisted and left Vanessa with a hank of her hair as a trophy. She would have had a bald patch on her scalp but the missing hair would soon re-grow. What bothered Jay right now was that her current position restricted the scope of her vision.
It was time to rectify the situation—without loss of hair. She arched backward in a gymnastics-style bridge, hands reaching for the floor.
The unexpectedness of her actions startled Vanessa into a shocked shriek, and she released Jay’s hair to scramble backward.
Jay’s hands contacted with the floor. She kicked up to balance on her hands, and resisted the instinctive desire to lash out at Vanessa with her feet. The girl was not a true threat and there was no need to disable her. For five seconds Jay remained upside down, balanced on her hands, her body arrow-straight with feet in the air and toes pointed, giving those nearby the opportunity to get clear before she bent her elbows, abruptly straightened them and pushed off with her hands to bounce upright.
“Shee-it!” someone said. “Nice moves.”
Before Vanessa could react to this new development, Jay snaked out her hand and grasped Vanessa’s wrist. She pulled the girl toward her until they were face to face. “What is your issue with me, Vanessa? I’ve done nothing to you. I’ve told Caro I have no interest in Shawn. There was no reason for you to attack me again. I am inclined to conclude you are either—” she sought the correct slang term “— high , or that you have feelings for Tyler and you are jealous that he helped me.”
Vanessa’s heavily made-up cheeks flushed with uneven blotches that crawled down her neck. “Me, high? That’s rich!” Her gaze slid sideways. When she met Caro’s raised eyebrows, she flinched and ducked her head, and then tried to pull from Jay’s grasp.
Jay held on to Vanessa’s wrist, ignoring her pathetic struggles. She gazed at the students who’d gathered, clearly expecting more entertainment. After selecting what seemed to be the most appropriate response, she twisted her face into a sneer. “Go away. There’s nothing more to see here.”
Staring students suddenly found more interesting things to concern themselves with. Excellent. Practicing her facial expressions in the mirror had achieved the desired results.
When they were no longer the center of attention, and the noise level in the hallway had resumed its usual boisterous levels, Caro confronted Jay. “Look. I’m really sorry about this. It wasn’t supposed to get physical. I just wanted to warn you off Shawn.”
The tight strain in Caro’s voice was congruent with her overly wide, worried eyes. Jay calibrated Caro’s non-verbal physical responses and concluded she meant every word.
“Your apology is accepted,” Jay said. Her gaze cut to Vanessa. “I’m still waiting for yours.”
“Sorry,” Vanessa muttered, tugging on her wrist to try to free herself from Jay’s grip, and sounding anything but apologetic.
For some reason that Jay couldn’t define, Vanessa’s rudeness irritated her as much as
Caro’s lip-twitching became more pronounced. If she wasn’t careful, it might morph into a smile.
Behind Jay, Vanessa gave a strangled-sounding gargle, and took advantage of Jay’s apparent inattention to grab a handful of her hair.
“Cat-fight!” someone yelled.
The kids milling around in the corridor found a common purpose. They pushed and shoved, trying to get closer so they didn’t miss out on the promised entertainment.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Vanessa?” Caro squawked, and then turned to elbow someone who’d jostled her. “Hey! Back off, jerk-face!”
Vanessa yanked harder on her handful of Jay’s hair and in response, Jay allowed her back to arch until she had an excellent view of the stained grey ceiling tiles. Having her hair pulled didn’t bother her. She could have resisted and left Vanessa with a hank of her hair as a trophy. She would have had a bald patch on her scalp but the missing hair would soon re-grow. What bothered Jay right now was that her current position restricted the scope of her vision.
It was time to rectify the situation—without loss of hair. She arched backward in a gymnastics-style bridge, hands reaching for the floor.
The unexpectedness of her actions startled Vanessa into a shocked shriek, and she released Jay’s hair to scramble backward.
Jay’s hands contacted with the floor. She kicked up to balance on her hands, and resisted the instinctive desire to lash out at Vanessa with her feet. The girl was not a true threat and there was no need to disable her. For five seconds Jay remained upside down, balanced on her hands, her body arrow-straight with feet in the air and toes pointed, giving those nearby the opportunity to get clear before she bent her elbows, abruptly straightened them and pushed off with her hands to bounce upright.
“Shee-it!” someone said. “Nice moves.”
Before Vanessa could react to this new development, Jay snaked out her hand and grasped Vanessa’s wrist. She pulled the girl toward her until they were face to face. “What is your issue with me, Vanessa? I’ve done nothing to you. I’ve told Caro I have no interest in Shawn. There was no reason for you to attack me again. I am inclined to conclude you are either—” she sought the correct slang term “— high , or that you have feelings for Tyler and you are jealous that he helped me.”
Vanessa’s heavily made-up cheeks flushed with uneven blotches that crawled down her neck. “Me, high? That’s rich!” Her gaze slid sideways. When she met Caro’s raised eyebrows, she flinched and ducked her head, and then tried to pull from Jay’s grasp.
Jay held on to Vanessa’s wrist, ignoring her pathetic struggles. She gazed at the students who’d gathered, clearly expecting more entertainment. After selecting what seemed to be the most appropriate response, she twisted her face into a sneer. “Go away. There’s nothing more to see here.”
Staring students suddenly found more interesting things to concern themselves with. Excellent. Practicing her facial expressions in the mirror had achieved the desired results.
When they were no longer the center of attention, and the noise level in the hallway had resumed its usual boisterous levels, Caro confronted Jay. “Look. I’m really sorry about this. It wasn’t supposed to get physical. I just wanted to warn you off Shawn.”
The tight strain in Caro’s voice was congruent with her overly wide, worried eyes. Jay calibrated Caro’s non-verbal physical responses and concluded she meant every word.
“Your apology is accepted,” Jay said. Her gaze cut to Vanessa. “I’m still waiting for yours.”
“Sorry,” Vanessa muttered, tugging on her wrist to try to free herself from Jay’s grip, and sounding anything but apologetic.
For some reason that Jay couldn’t define, Vanessa’s rudeness irritated her as much as
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