Blurring the Lines of Wrong & Right

Blurring the Lines of Wrong & Right
Part Five

Adrienne climbed out of Martina’s car, tugging the miniskirt that had risen dangerously up her thighs back down, ignoring the low catcalls from two senior boys and a sophomore football player.

“Damn.” Mike said, cigarette lighter stopping halfway to his cigarette. Billie followed his friend’s gaze, coughing on the drag he had just taken. “Is she wearing underwear?” Mike asked Mark, the friend to his right, in an undertone.

Billie stomped on Mike’s foot, then his cigarette as he stormed through the crowd of students. He grabbed his sister by the elbow, dragging her around the building and all but shoving her against the brick wall. “What the fuck are you tryin’ to pull here, Adrienne? Where the fuck did you even get that?”

She glared at him, crossing her arms. “I don’t know what you’re carrying on about. My ass is covered, ain’t it?”

“Barely!” Billie shot back. “Are you doing this just to fucking piss me off?”

“Contrary to popular belief, the world doesn’t revolve around you, Billie Joe. Now, I’ve got to go find Aiden Wyce before class and buy some shit, all right?”

Billie grabbed her arm when she tried to move, holding her against the wall. “You know I don’t like it when you do that.” he said in an undertone.

“No. You don’t like when I do it without you. You don’t mind when we’re smoking together or with Mike all that fucking much.” she said, fighting tears. Why did arguing with her younger brother make her feel like she was two feet shorter and three years younger?

“Yeah, well look what happens when I turn my back for five fucking minutes. You come walking up to the school in that looking like some god damned sl—“

“Don’t call me a slut!” Adrienne said. “I’m not! Lots of girls wear stuff like this.”

“Lots of girls aren’t my sister.”

Adrienne tried to pull away from him, not wanting Billie to see her cry. “Let me go.” She struggled against his grip. “You’re hurting me, Billie. Let me go!”

He dropped his arm to his side, turning and leaning against the wall as she ran off, pulling a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and lighting one. They look at you when you’re dressed like that, Adie. I don’t want anyone lookin’ at you but me.

He didn’t see Adrienne run into the school crying, mascara running down her cheeks. He didn’t see Mike’s suspicious eyes. He didn’t see anything but his own jealousy and the smoke from the end of his Marlboro cancer stick.

* * *

Mike took Advanced Trig third hour. So did Adrienne. And they sat next to each other due to the fact that two of the smarter cheerleaders and a dozen Ivy League hopefuls made up the rest of the class.

The girl sank into her desk, now dressed in the jeans and tee shirt she had skipped first period to go home and change into. Her eyes were still bloodshot and she reeked of the cheap perfume she had used to cover up the scent of the pot she had smoked.

Mike leaned across the space between their desks. “You didn’t have to change, you know. Billie Joe’s just being a dick.” Adrienne gave him a small smile. “You looked good in it.” Mike added. She blushed and he chuckled inwardly.

Mr. Price, their ninety year old teacher with a permanent frog in his throat, coughed. “Divide into groups and compare answers on yesterday’s homework assignment.”

Adrienne looked at Mike, shrugging. “I didn’t do it.”

“Neither did I.”

“Yeah, well what’s your excuse?” she asked.

“I was getting laid.”

“I’m sure Price is going to appreciate your honesty.”

Mike grinned. “Jealous?”

“Hardly. Who was the poor girl?”

Mike kicked her under his desk and she smiled. “So what’s your excuse then?”

“Got stoned and then got in a fight with Billie ‘bout it.”

“When don’t you get in a fight with him?”

“When Mom tells us to shut up and sends us to separate ends of the fucking planet.” she said, twisting her hair around her finger and staring at it, giving her a cross-eyed look.

“He was pretty pissed about the skirt, wasn’t he?”

Adrienne shrugged. “It’s a brother thing, I guess. Wouldn’t you get pissed at Myla?”

Mike shrugged back and they just sort of looked at each other for a minute, turning their attention to the front of the room when Mr. Price cleared his throat again.

* * *

Billie wasn’t faring much better in his English class. He’d already gotten detention for flicking pieces of paper at the girl sitting in front of him and flunked their quiz over a play by Shakespeare he hadn’t read.

He wasn’t feeling guilty for yelling at his sister, but he was feeling guilty for losing his temper so quickly and grabbing her arm. He’d been doing that a lot lately, flipping out really quickly. It was part of the reason Adrienne was going out with her friends so much he was sure. And he couldn’t blame her.

He face planted into his notebook much to the amusement of the rest of the class and the annoyance of his teacher.

* * *

“Seriously, dude,” Alex Bright – who matched his surname in no way – said, “sometimes you act like she’s more your girlfriend than your sister. But, I mean, it’s not like I can blame ya. If she were my sister . . .” He let out a low whistle and Billie gave him a death glare. “Chill out, man. I was just kiddin’.”

“Whatever.” Billie shook his head and stood up.

“Where are you going?” Mike asked.

“Smoke.” Billie said without looking at him.

* * *

“My cousin Dwight got this shit for real cheap.” Ashley said. “His friend has a business or something, like at the college. He sells at parties and shit, too. So, you in?”

Tina and Martina agreed within seconds, but Adrienne drummed her fingers on the table. “I-I don’t think I can. I mean, Billie’d fucking murder me.”

“Forget about Billie.” Tina said. “I mean he’s a year younger than you and he sells pot. It’s not like he’s going to tell your parents.”

Adrienne bit her bottom lip. “We’re not going to be driving on it or anything, are we?”

“Nah. My parents are out of town for the rest of the week, remember?”

Adrienne looked up just in time to see Billie give her a glance before he disappeared outside. “I can’t.” she mumbled before she left the table to walk to the girls’ restroom. She felt like she was going to be sick.

---TBC---

That weird accent thing I give them kinda-sorta? Is it fucked up?