21 Chapter XX
Police Officer: What happened to Selena?
Me: She found her sound again.
Police Officer: How?
Me: She gambled with the man who was varying degrees of perfection.
***
It was the 65th day of being on the periphery of the group, close to it but not truly a part of it. Sunny wondered if probation would ever end, because the Kitties and their 'emergencies' were annoying, like a cat that constantly bumps into your lap while you try to watch TV.
Selena greeted Sunny with the same bland disinterest she had exhibited on the first day of school. Except oddly was, she showed the same unwelcoming sternness to the other Kitties who weren't knockoff like Sunny. There was no way to tell from the outside what was happening on the inside.
In Sunny's mind, it meant Selena was unhappy, that she was keeping her unhappiness bottled inside. But no. The girl gripped her phone, worshipping an image of a boy on the screen. Sunny scratched her nose to hide her mouth and snuck a peek at Selena who had the sleepy yet disturbingly penetrating ease of a Rembrandt self-portrait. She stared at the screen perfectly still, as if she had lost track of time waiting for the ding of her phone. Sunny found herself drawn towards her, but at the same time also afraid of her. She hated what he could not understand.
"Wanna hang?" Sunny asked. Selena didn't hear her. "Hellooo. Selena." Sunny waved her hand in front of her.
"Nah," she said. "Busy." Selena pressed the heart-eyed emoji a couple of times before smiling, pressing send.
"Who's the lucky guy?" Sunny asked. Selena was enlightened.
"Nobody."
For many nights, Selena skipped the Kitty meeting. Sunny wondered what kind of man could take care of Selena's loneliness. Sunny's heart suddenly felt hungry; she couldn't help but feel jealous.
***
Sunny thought of Josh who hadn't been thought of for a very long time. The boy suddenly seemed so weak, like a shadow of a man who tried to do nice things. Out of friendly obligation, she decided to reach out. His shoulder was soft; he was peaceful; she liked the attention. Her fingers spelled out a greeting. She sent it. Then, she sent the same message to Cole. He snapped back instantly. Send nudes, it read. Sunny dropped her phone, repelled by the sight of such vulgar words. When she picked it up, an incoming call came from Selena.
"Selena?"
"Listen, I need some cash."
"What's wrong?" Silence at the end of the phone.
"Nothing, I just need some money. The alcohol did me dirty last night and now I'm hungover as hell. I don't remember shit." Sunny had a feeling she was going to hear a lot of bad words.
"What? Where did you go?"
"Fuck. My brother took me to a party and I met up with him in the woods."
"Who? What?"
"Ugh. We made out and I was drunk."
"Why do you need money?"
"It's so fucking messy. So messy."
"What are you talking about."
"I don't know what he did to me, okay?" Sunny was quiet on the other end of the phone, stunned at the complexity of the situation.
"Just give me the money, I need to take care of this bullshit."
"Okay, okay. How much do you need?" Sunny said to the dusty speakers on her phone.
"Two hundred." Sunny gulped.
"I mean Selena, I would if I could, but I can't," said Sunny. "I don't have that kind of money."
"What do you mean you got no money? I've seen your house, bitch." Selena scoffed. Paused. "You might not, but your parents sure as hell do."
"That's their money, it has nothing to do with me."
"It has got everything to do with you. Just help me out, okay Sunny? Just this once."
"What are you suggesting, that I steal it?"
"It's not stealing if the money is family money, right? I mean think about it. Your mom gives you lunch money every month, you're just taking next month's a bit earlier. Not a crime to be early."
"I guess not…" Sunny dared not to talk back.
"Yeah exactly, so just take it and give it to me. It's not rocket science, fuck head." Sunny knew this was a bad idea, but was entitled to make the bad decision.
"Tomorrow," Selena said, firmly. Sunny swallowed hard as the call ended. Everything she did was an effort to appease Selena so she wouldn't whip her ass. She was afraid of those invisible wires that would set her off and lead to a full-on slap-the-shit-out-of-her kind of fight. She agreed.
***
A rough day in Mrs. Lennie's classroom. Out of nowhere, she threw her hands in the air. "God! Please just shut up and turn your heads to the whiteboard." Three kids who had fallen dead asleep twitched their eyes, wiped away their drool, and sat up straight. Just now, Sunny realized that Devon was staring at her from across the room with slim eyes. Sunny stared back. She won the staring contest and Devon snorted.
"It's disrespectful," said Mrs. Lennie. A boy laughed and Mrs. Lennie explodes. "That's it. Term essay on respect for those around you. 1000 words. On my desk tomorrow." The entire room buzzed with noises of complaints. Great. That meant Sunny needed to write two thousand words a night.
***
"What a bitch," Selena said as they walked down the halls. "Who gives essays on Mondays?"
"You complain like you're the one who's going to write it," said Sunny.
"Oh shut up. This just proves how much I care for you and your poor little feelings." The bell rang and Sunny handed her the money. Selena didn't say thanks or smile, just left to go to class.
***
Sunny peeked her head into Lyssa's office.
I don't get it," Sunny said. "Could you help me with this question?" Lyssa was throttled by paperwork— checks, leases, payments, bills. She needed the nicest managers, the prettiest furniture, the hottest pizza.
"Math?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, uh sure—" Just then, Lyssa's phone rang, the buzz shifting it into a dance. Lyssa turned over the phone, eyes frustrated. "Just a sec Sunny, I uh have to.. get this." She swiped the green icon and put the phone next to her ear. Turned her head to the window, smothered in anxieties.
Sunny waited. She wondered where Hiram was. She took out her phone and swiped through her Instagram feed for the sixth time today.
And waited. She even sent some Snapchats to Cole.
At some point, paused.
"Yeah, I agree Camryn…. uh… just give me a second." She muffled the phone to her chest. "This is important. Maybe, we can do it tomorrow or something?"
"But it's due tomorrow," Sunny replied. Lyssa looked at the phone and then back at her, and the phone again. She curled the edges of her lips downward and start talking to the device.
Sunny walked out of their office understanding what the 'busi' in business meant. She grunted that this sucked, and feeling a considerable amount of pity for herself, decided that it was time to do something useful.
Stealing was more convenient than ever before. Sunny knew that the money was kept in a small black drawer by the laundry room placed in an even smaller white envelope that carried all sorts of important things— keys, tickets, coins. One big envelope in the back of all the other ones was filled to the brim with cash. So much cash. And to make things even easier, all were all in one-hundred-dollar bills. Surely, the two old fellows wouldn't notice if she slipped a bill out here and there. She took two for Selena and another one for her. Then escaped into her room, crimeless.
* * *
In class, Selena was distracted. The once tough rock had broken out of her shell into an innocent young child. She believed in his notes of encouragement and praise and decorated her heart with his enriched soul. She was falling for him deeply, the same way a five-year-old fell for Santa Claus chimney magic. It was cute when Selena texted under the desk even when the teachers caught her and told her to stop.
The Kitties made looks around the classroom. The teacher suspected something. But nobody expected this.
The bell sang its seabird song and Selena grabbed her bag and sprang to the front door where a dark knight stood leaning against the doorframe. Sunny was shocked. The man had far exceeded the image she had formulated in her head. The Kitties too began to whisper oooh's and aaah's. This was exotic property, dangerously out of any high schoolers league. He was albino, moved with a heaving heavy grace. Selena swooped under his muscular arms, and he held her firmly. He greeted the core group of girls exclusively and when he announced his long-anticipated name, his voice wreaked of alcohol. He was so hot it was violating.
"I'm Brad. Selena's boyfriend."
