The Art of Life (85 page)

               
We
walk and all the girls we pass turn their heads and look at Josh.
 
No matter what he says, I know it’s boosting
his ego.
 
We find a place on the lawn and
sit down.
 
Well I sit
down,
Josh lies down on his back propped up by his elbows.
 
“So, I have decided I do not miss high
school.
 
I kind of miss having girls
around all the time.
 
So
many to flirt with, with so little time.”

               
“You
guys are ridiculous,” I say, opening my salad.
 
“I wonder how you get into a room without banging your heads together
because they are so big.”

               
Josh
just roars with laughter.
 
“I am going to
keep my perverted mouth shut on that one.”

               
“Yeah,
keep it to yourself.
 
Jeremy wouldn’t be
happy with you if you were being a bad influence on me.”

               
“Oh,
if I were going to be a bad influence, I would take you to the tattoo parlor
and get a tattoo with me tonight.
 
I am
getting more work done one my side,” Josh states.

               
Leaning
over, I say, “I
wanna
see.”

               
Josh
lifts up his shirt.
 
I see a dragon up
his entire side.
 
It’s halfway colored
in.
 
“Pretty cool, huh?

               
“Totally,
tattoos are bad ass.
 
I want some tulips
when I get one.
 
Whenever that will be,”
I say, taking a bite of my salad.

               
“What’s
stopping you?” Josh asks.

               
Scoffing,
I reply, “I know nothing about that stuff.
 
I also have no money.”

               
“Is
that the only thing that is stopping you?” Josh inquires with a grin.

               
“Pretty
much,” I answer.
 
“Why?”

               
A
devilish smirk passes over Josh’s face.
 
“If I pay for it, will you get your tattoo this afternoon when I get
mine?”

               
My
jaw drops.
 
“Are you kidding?”

               
“Not
at all,” Josh says excitedly.
 
“Come on,
do it, don’t be a chicken.
 
I am the one
picking you up from school today anyway.
 
We can do it and it can stay between us.
 
Come on Isabelle, you know you want to.”

               
Taking
a deep breath, I think about it.
 
“Alright, I will do it.
 
Can it be
my own drawing?”

               
“Totally,”
Josh says.
 
“Draw something up, the size
you want it, and then you have to think about where you want it.”

               
“Somewhere
concealable, maybe my hip right here, right under my waistline.”

               
Josh’s
eyebrow goes up.
 
“You are going to have
to pull your pants down a little bit for that.”

               
I
think about it for a minute.
 
“I have
cute underwear on, so that’s fine.
 
Let’s
do this.
 
Oh!
 
I am so excited!”

               
“Awesome!”
 
Josh laughs.
 
“Just don’t let Jeremy see,
ooorrrr
does he
see that area on you?”

               
Blushing
really bad, I say, “No, he doesn’t see that area.”

               
“Good,
then we are all set.
 
I will call the
tattoo parlor when I leave.
 
Now, finish
eating,” Josh urges.

               
When
I finish, I give Josh a hug and kiss on the cheek.
 
He waves and walks away.
 
I walk back into the school to go to my locker.
 
I find Eric standing there.
 
“Hey,” I say.

               
“Hi,”
he says, but with a look of concern.
 
“Is
everything alright?”

               
“Yeah,”
I answer, slightly perplexed.
 
“Why?”

               
“Jack
told me about Saturday night, and I wanted to make sure you were okay.
 
Jack said it looked like Jeremy was going to
kill the guy.”

               
My
eyes get big and I quietly exclaim, “Oh! No!
 
It was a good thing!
 
That was
Howard, that
was the guy who assaulted me.”

               
“They
caught him?
 
That is great!”

               
I
nod and smile.
 
“Yeah,” I whisper.
 
“It should finally be over.
 
I feel a lot better.”

               
“Isabelle!”
I hear yelled beside us.
 
I turn to see
Jack.
 
“Is everything alright?”

               
“Yeah,”
I reply, looking at Eric out of the corner of my eye.

               
Jack
just looks floored.
 
“Jeremy seemed like
he was going to shove that guy through the wall.”

               
“Yes,
obviously someone has anger issues,” I hear yet another person say.
 
I turn to see Sonya.
 
She smirks.
 
“He’s a little barbaric, don’t you think,
or
was he drunk?”

               
“You
don’t know what you are talking about,” Eric interjects, stepping in.
 
“Just leave it be guys.”

               
Sonya
rolls her eyes.
 
“She has you wrapped
around her finger now, too?”

               
“What?”
Eric snaps, looking slightly confused.
 
“No, Sonya, you have no idea what you are talking about.”

               
“Yeah,”
I add on.
 
“You just need to keep your
mouth shut this time.
 
Jeremy was not
drunk nor is he BARBARIC.”

               
She
crosses her arms and looks at me condescendingly.
 
“I knew he would have issues.
 
Everyone thought he was so perfect.
 
Better watch out Isabelle, sometimes guys can
turn on girls.”

               
“You
stupid….” I yell, jumping at her.

               
Eric
grabs a hold of me and says, “Isabelle, you don’t need to do this.”

               
The
hallway has now died down and everyone is staring at me.
 
Sonya laughs, “What, are you taking after
Jeremy now?
 
Do you both have anger
issues, is that what attracts you to each other?”

               
“You
want to know what happened!?
 
Huh!?”
I scream.
 
“You
want to know who that guy was!?”

               
“Isabelle,
you don’t have to do this,” Eric whispers.

               
Cocking
her eyebrow, Sonya snidely retorts, “Who was he Isabelle, someone else you
threw yourself at?”

               
“NO, YOU STUPID WITCH!
 
He was the guy who assaulted me!” I yell at the top of my lungs.
 
Sonya shuts up pretty quickly.
 
Twisting I get out of Eric’s grip.
 
I walk up into Sonya’s face.
 
“Yeah Sonya, let me give you some real ammo,
let’s air my dirty laundry out for everyone to hear.
 
Is everyone listening?” I shout.
 
“Because if I don’t tell you, Sonya will,
because that is the way she is.
 
A few
weeks ago, I was home, in my room, doing my homework.
 
When my alcoholic mother’s boyfriend walked
in, and threw me down on my bed.
 
Yeah
Sonya, on my bed!
 
Are you following
this!?
 
He tried to rape me, but my mom
came in and stopped it.
 
But you want
even MORE ammo for your arsenal against me?
 
My stupid drunk mother blamed me!

               
Yeah,
she said the same thing you did, that I threw myself at him.
 
So, is that what you think?
 
Huh?
 
I
want to be assaulted on my own bed, in my room, in my house!?
 
You talk crap about Jeremy, but do you know
what he has done for me?
 
He has taken me
in, given me a real home.
 
He cares for
me like no one has before.
 
I am sorry
that you have grown up with the picture perfect life, but I haven’t!
 
So, you want to make fun of me a little more
for it!?
 
Go right ahead.
 
Here is all my baggage out for the world to
see!”

I take in one deep breath
and then growl, “I am tired of you picking on me.
 
You made fun of those scarves I wore, but do
you know what, I had to wear them!
 
I had
to cover up the bruising that jerk left behind when he choked me.
 
YES, I said CHOKED me.
 
I nearly blacked out.
 
I didn’t want anyone to see, so I covered it
up. I didn’t want anyone to know, but obviously I had to tell the whole world
to protect my friend!
 
Jeremy is the most
loving, kind person I know, and I will not tolerate you bad mouthing him!
 
You would be so lucky to have a guy like him
in your life, but that’s the problem isn’t it, SONYA?
 
You like Jeremy and you are jealous, which drives
you to pick on me even more.
 
So, GO
AHEAD, pick on me, but I have Jeremy and you don’t.
 
So KISS MY ASS!”

Suddenly, the whole hallway
bursts forth in applause.
 
It doesn’t
faze me.
 
I stare Sonya dead in the eyes
and don’t flinch.
 
I can’t quite place
the look on her face.
 
It’s like anger
and embarrassment rolled into one, with a dash of tears on the side.
 
She shakes her head, and says, “You are so
dramatic.”

               
Jack
steps forward and says, “Do you not know when to shut up?
 
Are you really that stupid?”

               
“I
never,” Sonya says, obviously flustered.

               
“Listen
to me, Sonya,” I snarl in anger.
 
“You
can pick on me all you want.
 
I am used
to it, but so help me God, if I find out you start picking on someone else, I
will ruin your life.
 
Do you understand
me?”

               
Her
jaw drops.
 
“Are you threatening me?”

               
“Nope,
just warning, threatening will come later,” I retort.

               
Sonya
huffs and turns around to walk away.
 
It
takes me a few seconds and then I finally breathe.
 
I turn around to face my locker.
 
Eric wraps his arms around me and stands
there.
 
Jack comes up on the other side
and says, “Are you alright?”

               
“I
think I am going to hurl,” I whisper.

               
“Maybe
you should get out of here,” Eric replies.
 
“I can take you somewhere.”

               
I
shake my head, “No, I need to see today through.
 
If I don’t, this all will not have mattered.
 
I need to stand my ground with her.”

               
“I
am sorry,” Jack mumbles.
 
“I am sorry you
had to go through that.”

               
Turning
to look at him, I reply, “Thanks.”

               
Suddenly,
the bell rings.
 
“We need to get to
class,” Eric says.
 
“Unless
you want to leave.”

               
“Nope,”
I say.
 
“I am fine, better than fine
actually.”