"I can't believe how badly that ended." Jenny said.
Tae-Hyun looked at her, "Do those kinds of things happen often here?"
Jenny shook her head, "Not usually with them, but there have been more than enough fights."
Tae-Hyun shuddered and Jenny looked at him.
"I don't think this is the right place for me." Tae-Hyun said, "Kathy was right. I am weak."
"No, no, Tae-Hyun..." Jenny said. She stopped walking and said gently, "Don't listen to Kathy. She's just mad about... Things."
Tae-Hyun furrowed his brow, "Things?"
Jenny nodded and said, "Yeah. Stephanie, the captain of the cheerleading squad, has been giving her a really rough time lately about talking about Leo too much."
Tae-Hyun almost laughed, "Really?"
Jenny nodded again, "Yeah, I think she really likes him."
Tae-Hyun smiled, "Oh, that's sweet."
"Yeah, it was." Jenny sighed, "Until tonight. I can't believe she managed to get almost everyone into a tangle. She's not usually like that."
Tae-Hyun nodded, "Yeah, I used to know a girl like that."
"Really?" Jenny asked.
"Yep." Tae-Hyun said, looking up at the moon, "Her name was Han-Eul. She lived in my apartment building. When my cousin and I were fourteen, she Han-Eul said my cousin stole her boyfriend."
Jenny laughed and Tae-Hyun said, "Then she pushed my cousin into the street."
Jenny looked at him, wide-eyed.
"Oh my gosh, was she okay?" Jenny said, putting her hand over her mouth.
Tae-Hyun nodded, "Yes, she just broke her leg.... And she had a broken rib... And had to have stitches."
Jenny furrowed her brow.
Neither of them spoke for a long time.
Tae-Hyun looked at Jenny and said, "I'm glad Kathy is not always like that."
Jenny laughed, "Me too. Cheerleading would be awful!"
Tae-Hyun laughed with her.
Jenny sighed, "Well, I should call my mom and tell her I want to go home."
Tae-Hyun nodded and said, "Will you hang out with us tomorrow?"
Jenny pursed her lips for a while, and then she smiled.
"Sure, I can do that." She said, smiling.
Tae-Hyun grinned, "Cool... But, you might want to bring a shield and sword."
Jenny laughed and said, "I'll see you later."
"See you later." Tae-Hyun said, waving.
I walked with Chris to the car. I had my arm around him and he was crying. Ah, just like old times.
I was thinking about how much Mom would freak out when she saw us. We were covered in garbage, our hair was messed up, I had a bloody lip, and Chris' nose was still bleeding from when Leo hit him.
We were a complete mess, but not just physically. I couldn't stop thinking about Chris and Leo fighting, Alice and Kathy fighting, Kathy and I fighting...
It was crazy, a bunch of friends fighting over stupid things. I don't know what got into Kathy. I wonder if she was mad about something else and she was taking out her anger on us... Or maybe she was really mad at Leo, Chris, Tae-Hyun, Alice, and I...
Chris cried onto my shoulder and I patted him gently.
"It's okay, Chris." I said softly, stroking his hair.
Mom was standing by the car when she noticed us. Her eyes bulged and her jaw dropped.
"Brace yourself." I whispered to my brother.
Mom covered her mouth with one hand and said, "Kids, what happened?"
"Long story," I said, sighing and looking at Chris, "We can tell you in the car."
So, we all got in the car and Chris and I explained the whole day to Mom on the way home.
Mom shook her head and said, "That's really too bad."
"Yeah..." I said.
"I'm gonna kill Leo." Chris said.
"Chris!" Mom scolded him.
"I hate him so much." Chris said, his eyes red with tears, "He's a stupid, selfish, inconsiderate, insensitive jerk."
"Geez, Chris. He's not that bad." I said.
"He hates me anyway." Chris said, putting his forehead against the window.
"No, he doesn't, Chris." I said, "He's your friend."
"No." Chris said, "That asshole is not my friend."
Mom put her foot on the gas and the car screeched to a stop.
"What did you just say, Chris?" She exclaimed.
"Please, Mom." I said cautiously, "Can the washing-mouth-out-with-soap wait until tomorrow. I have a headache from when Kathy pulled my hair out of my scalp and I really don't need Chris' screaming."
"I am going to kill Leonard Guillermo." Chris said, still looking out the window.
"Who calls Leo 'Leonard'?" I said.
"He is not my friend. He's a jerk and I want him out of my life!" Chris said.
"Chris," I said, "No grudges in this family."
"You hate Geoffry." Chris said without looking at me.
There was a short silence and I said, "Well, no unnecessary grudges."
"What did he ever do to you?" Chris asked.
More silence.
"Why are you talking about him?" I said, "He wasn't even there tonight...."
Then I added quietly, "But if he was, I would've kicked his butt."
Chris hit me upside the head and I said, "Mom! Did you see that?"
"Will you two at least try to be mature?" Mom said, sounding annoyed.
Chris and I glared at each other, then looked out our windows.
Well, I guess the best thing we could do was brace ourselves for tomorrow and hope for the best. The best being that no one tries to kill anyone else.
Yeah, watch that happen.
Tae-Hyun looked at Jenny and said, "I'm glad Kathy is not always like that."
Jenny laughed, "Me too. Cheerleading would be awful!"
Tae-Hyun laughed with her.
Jenny sighed, "Well, I should call my mom and tell her I want to go home."
Tae-Hyun nodded and said, "Will you hang out with us tomorrow?"
Jenny pursed her lips for a while, and then she smiled.
"Sure, I can do that." She said, smiling.
Tae-Hyun grinned, "Cool... But, you might want to bring a shield and sword."
Jenny laughed and said, "I'll see you later."
"See you later." Tae-Hyun said, waving.
I walked with Chris to the car. I had my arm around him and he was crying. Ah, just like old times.
I was thinking about how much Mom would freak out when she saw us. We were covered in garbage, our hair was messed up, I had a bloody lip, and Chris' nose was still bleeding from when Leo hit him.
We were a complete mess, but not just physically. I couldn't stop thinking about Chris and Leo fighting, Alice and Kathy fighting, Kathy and I fighting...
It was crazy, a bunch of friends fighting over stupid things. I don't know what got into Kathy. I wonder if she was mad about something else and she was taking out her anger on us... Or maybe she was really mad at Leo, Chris, Tae-Hyun, Alice, and I...
Chris cried onto my shoulder and I patted him gently.
"It's okay, Chris." I said softly, stroking his hair.
Mom was standing by the car when she noticed us. Her eyes bulged and her jaw dropped.
"Brace yourself." I whispered to my brother.
Mom covered her mouth with one hand and said, "Kids, what happened?"
"Long story," I said, sighing and looking at Chris, "We can tell you in the car."
So, we all got in the car and Chris and I explained the whole day to Mom on the way home.
Mom shook her head and said, "That's really too bad."
"Yeah..." I said.
"I'm gonna kill Leo." Chris said.
"Chris!" Mom scolded him.
"I hate him so much." Chris said, his eyes red with tears, "He's a stupid, selfish, inconsiderate, insensitive jerk."
"Geez, Chris. He's not that bad." I said.
"He hates me anyway." Chris said, putting his forehead against the window.
"No, he doesn't, Chris." I said, "He's your friend."
"No." Chris said, "That asshole is not my friend."
Mom put her foot on the gas and the car screeched to a stop.
"What did you just say, Chris?" She exclaimed.
"Please, Mom." I said cautiously, "Can the washing-mouth-out-with-soap wait until tomorrow. I have a headache from when Kathy pulled my hair out of my scalp and I really don't need Chris' screaming."
"I am going to kill Leonard Guillermo." Chris said, still looking out the window.
"Who calls Leo 'Leonard'?" I said.
"He is not my friend. He's a jerk and I want him out of my life!" Chris said.
"Chris," I said, "No grudges in this family."
"You hate Geoffry." Chris said without looking at me.
There was a short silence and I said, "Well, no unnecessary grudges."
"What did he ever do to you?" Chris asked.
More silence.
"Why are you talking about him?" I said, "He wasn't even there tonight...."
Then I added quietly, "But if he was, I would've kicked his butt."
Chris hit me upside the head and I said, "Mom! Did you see that?"
"Will you two at least try to be mature?" Mom said, sounding annoyed.
Chris and I glared at each other, then looked out our windows.
Well, I guess the best thing we could do was brace ourselves for tomorrow and hope for the best. The best being that no one tries to kill anyone else.
Yeah, watch that happen.
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