Betty paused, trying to digest the words. Sonja pushed the rest of the school stuff into Meris’ hands and turned her away from Betty, just in case she had to defend themselves.

Meris let her guide her away, tears still in her eyes.

Behind them, Betty’s heels rapped against the fake marble ground and Sonja turned to face her. Rage had colored the perfectly blond’s face, but Sonja’s mind focused more on the slap coming. At the last moment, she backed away from it and Betty’s palm missed her by inches. The backhand almost caught her as Betty tried again, but Sonja slipped back another few inches to avoid it.

Betty yelled, “Listen you bitch! I want you and the slut to fuck off-”

A new voice interrupted the blond, “Betty Goldstone!”

It was deep and masculine and the voice attached to the principal of the school. Betty’s rage disappeared in an instance, but the flush remained as she spun around.

“Principal Skinner! I’m sorry, I didn’t-”

“I saw what you did, Miss Goldstone and I would like you to explain it in my office.”

Betty resisted, but the principal pointed down the hall, toward the dreaded offices. She finally started down the hall.

The principal glared back at Sonja who looked down at the ground, the rage still brimming in her heart. “And you, Miss Bremus. I neither want to see you in anything that resembles a fight nor feeling up another girl in these halls or you will find yourself with a suspension.”

“Yes, sir.”

He took one step closer, still glaring at her.

She kept her eyes averted, knowing she danced on the razor blade of a detention.

“Consider this your one and only warning.”

His deep, rumbling voice filled the hall. Then he was gone, his almost expensive shoes rapping against the ground moments before the bell rang out. Sonja waited a moment, then turned back to Meris who had disappeared in the near-fight.

Concerned, she ran back to the locker. Checking hers, she found her books. Reaching over, she spun the combination to Meris’ and peered inside. The books were neatly on the bottom and Meris’ jacket was gone.

Sonja felt a spring of rage at Betty course through her veins. Her fingers tightened into fists as she stared at Meris’ locker.

“I hope my dreams come true.”

Her words came on a cold breeze. Without pausing, she slammed that locker shut and grabbed her keys from hers. Slamming the second door shut, she stormed out of the school and threw herself into her car. Meris wasn’t there, but Sonja barely saw through the anger as she drove out of the school’s parking lot, toward Meris’ home.

She caught up with her lover about six blocks away. Letting the engine rumble, she pulled to the side and thumbed down the window. “Meris?”

Tears dripped down the girl’s face as she barely gave Sonja a glance. “Leave me alone!”

“Meris? Please... please talk to me.”

Meris shook her head violently, “No!”

Sonja felt tears forming in her eyes, “Meris? Please, just talk to me.”

Shaking her head again, Meris looked away from her, “No, your slut is going home now.”

From the car, Sonja called out again, “Meris?” No answer came. Instead, Meris cut into someone’s drive toward the backyard, a shortcut that they took themselves. Tears on her eyelashes, Sonja stopped the car to watch her friend disappear between curtains of green.

Behind her, a car pulled out and wailed on its horn.

Sonja flicked off the driver and put the car back into gear, turning away from her crying lover. Instead, she threw her car back into the roar, flooring it well above the speeding limit as she raced away, the tears dripping from her eyes.

Her BMW stopped at Jemmlar Meats. Locking the door, she stormed into the front room and disappeared into the back.

Meris’ father looked up at her, his hands blood and his apron full of gore. “You are about three hours early.”

His voice filled the room with the seriousness of a man who worked for a living.

Sonja looked up, the anger and tears raging in her eyes for a moment. Without answering, she stepped past him and stormed to the bathroom, to change into her work outfit.

Rick called out as her fingers touched the door. “Is Meris okay?”

Sonja paused at the door, taking a deep breath before answering. “She went home.”

No answer came and she opened the door, staring into the dingy room.

Stepping inside, she closed the door, but Rick’s voice interrupted her. “Are you okay?”

Sonja had to pause again, fighting back the tears and rage, “Yes. Someone tried to hurt Meris.”

Silence flooded the killing floor as Rick covered the distance in a few seconds, a scowl boiling across his face. “What happened?”

Sonja looked up, still fighting her emotions, “Someone threatened us at the school. Claimed we were... lesbian lovers.”

Rick blinked. “But aren't you?"

Shocked, Sonja stared up at him as he looked back at her seriously, his face not even cracking in a grin or disgust. He stared at her for a moment, his eyes scanning her face.

“Well, you are.”

She sputtered, “Uh... how... why... when?”

A faint smile cracked his face, “You aren’t as secretive as you think you are, girl. But, I see it from two views. One, you are the best friend that girl as ever had. And two, you care for her as much as any boy. Not to mention, with you, I don’t worry about some baby showing up and then my baby making the same mistake I made.”

Still lost, Sonja couldn’t help staring up at him helplessly, confused, “I... I...”

Rick’s face hardened, returning to the prior conversation, “What happen to this... person who hurt my girl?”

Still stunned, she just answered, “Got caught by the principal and dragged to his office.”

He grunted, “Better than nothing.” He wiped his hands on his apron, “I better head home, can you finish up for me?”

Sonja bobbed her head.

He grunted again and let her close the bathroom door.

When she finished dressing, he was gone.

End of chapter 17