Set up 2 Fall
Introduction:
There were a lot of loose ends. There still are
She couldn’t help it, and now everyone was looking at her. Mr. Petrovsky broke off mid word at her cry of alarm and hurried over to her.
“Is everything- Oh dear.” he said, spotting the blood on her pants. “I see. Well, let’s get you to the nurse.” he said.
“Class, I’ll be back in a few moments, and I expect you to behave while I’m gone. Carla has an emergency, and I need to take her to the nurse. I’m sure everything is just fine.”
He helped her up, and she knew everyone could see the spreading red stain on her pants and she was mortified with embarrassment.
At the nurse’s office, it was quickly determined that there was no emergency at all, so the man went back to his class, somewhat grateful to be out of the situation.
Nurse Brody gave the girl some pads and other supplies to get herself cleaned up, then called her mother and explained what happened, and that Carla needed a change of clothes.
Carla’s mother explained that she was at work, and it was impossible for her to leave, even for an emergency like this. Could someone from the school see her home?
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible. However, we could find her other clothing to use for the day.” Nurse Brody offered. A pair of gray sweatpants were found, but she was still bleeding, and her underwear was ruined. She couldn’t wear the new pants without ruining those as well, and there was nothing to attach the pads to without panties.
“I have a solution.” the woman said, digging some of her own tampons out of her purse. “This goes inside you, and it’s far less messy.”
The only problem with that solution was Carla’s hymen blocking entrance for the tampon.
Nurse Brody pulled a latex glove on her hand and had Carla open her legs, then reached in and pushed her index finger through and opened her up.
Carla squealed in pain and grabbed the woman’s arm, but it passed quickly enough and she hardly shed a tear over it at all.
“See? Now it goes in just fine.” said the nurse, inserting the tampon. “You can wash up one more time, put those pants on, and I think you’ll be right as rain and ready for the rest of your classes today.”
“I can’t face everybody in class!” Carla said, anguished. “I’d die of embarrassment! Can’t I just stay in the Library today, until it’s time to go home? Please?”
“I don’t see why not.” Nurse Brody smiled. “Normally, you’d be excused from classes to go home, but you can spend the day in the Library, if you like. I’ll write you a note, and inform the office.”
“Thank you.” Carla said gratefully, and went straight to the Library after cleaning up one last time. She got to be alone there all the way until half way through lunch.
She was getting hungry, but she didn’t want to face anyone more than she wanted to get something to eat, so she just stayed put.
Andy Wackerman brought her a tray from the cafeteria ten minutes after the bell, and old Mrs. Connelly, the librarian, allowed him to bring it to Carla’s table, having been informed of the girl’s plight.
He sat with her so she wouldn’t have to eat alone, and she was grateful for the company, even though she didn’t know him very well.
“Aren’t you afraid of me?” she asked, after all the small talk had been exhausted. “You know, because I’m bleeding?”
Andy shrugged. “I have an older sister who’s in college this year.” he said. “She showed me all that stuff girls have to go through. I’m not scared of a little blood.”
“Thanks, Andy.” she said, leaning forward. “”It means a lot to know that I have one friend.”
“Is that all I am? A friend?” he asked. “I was hoping for more.”
“I only just met you five minutes ago!” she protested. “How are you supposed to be more than a friend already?”
“Because I haven’t kissed you yet.” he grinned. “I’d like to take care of that right now, if you don’t mind.”
“You want to kiss me?” she asked, a little breathlessly.
“More than anything.” he told her. “You’re the prettiest girl in this whole school. Would you let me do that? Would you let me kiss you?”
“Not in the Library.” she said, blushing. She glanced down at her lap, then back up at him. “I don’t feel very pretty right now, either.”
“I know something else my sister told me, too.” he said confidentially. “She told me that when she was bleeding, the most frustrating thing about the whole ordeal was that she was horny the whole time, and no man would want to touch her when she was dirty like that.”
“Yes!” Carla blurted, then blushed. “I probably shouldn’t have told you that.”
“I can keep a secret.” he told her. “Me and my sister have loads of secrets.”
She looked at him queerly and laughed. “After the kinds of conversations you told me you had with her, I bet you two DO have a load of secrets.”
“Our secrets are just about things we said.” he told her. “Our secrets are about things we did.”
“You did things with your sister?” she whispered. “What kinds of things?”
“Secret things.” he said confidentially. “We did things when she was bleeding.” he told her, licking his lips suggestively.
Carla looked both horrified and intrigued at the same time. “That’s… Whoa.” she said softly. Andy grinned at her, and she blanched. “You want to do that to me?” she gasped.
“If you would let me.” he said, hope lighting up his face.
“Andy, I- No, we can’t do that!” she said, closing her mouth. “That’s disgusting!”
“No, it’s not, honest!” he said, looking over his shoulder for the elderly Librarian. The coast remained clear, as she was still in her office, eating her own lunch. “Emily loves it, and she gets me to do it every time, now! She says it helps it end quicker, too.”
She looked at him askance. “Are you sure?” She had a very skeptical expression in her eyes, but ready to hear more bullshit. If that’s what it was. The horny part of what he’d told her was completely true, and he only could have gotten that information from a female, and one that he was quite close to.
“I promise, I didn’t bring you lunch and become you friend just to lie to you. I promise that I’m only trying to help, and that I will never betray you.” he said, looking deep into her eyes. “Does that help?”
“You really want to do… that, with me?” she asked. “Me?”
“I wasn’t kidding when I said I think you’re the prettiest girl in school.” he told her. “I really meant that.” He leaned over the table and kissed her softly on the lips.
Miss Connelly DID see that, and she came bustling right over. “All right you two, that will be quite enough of that!” she said sharply. “Miss Easterling, I had quite expect better of you!”
“Yes Miss Connelly.” Carla said, abashed.
“And you, young man! You will take these trays back to the cafeteria immediately, and I expect to see proper behavior from you at all times in this Library, do I make myself clear?” she demanded.
Andy got up and collected the trays, then looked at Miss Connelly. “Sorry, Miss Connelly. I promise it will never happen in your Library again. This is not the appropriate place, and I apologize to you as well, Carla.”
“Hmmmph.” Miss Connelly snorted at the boy’s back as he left, then her face softened as she looked at Carla. “I know of your emergency, young lady, and your need to remain her for the day, but I will not have untoward behavior from anyone in here, is that understood?”
“Yes, Miss Connelly.” Carla replied.
“I also saw you kiss him back.” she said. Carla started to protest, but the Librarian held up her hand and smiled.
“Don’t you dare deny it; I know what I saw. And I must say, I approve. He’s a very nice young man, and you could do far worse for yourself than Andrew Wackerman.” she told the girl. “All you girls seem to be hot after Bradley Johnson, but he hasn’t a brain in his head, really, no matter how good his family connections are.”
“Yes, Miss Connelly.” Carla said, a slow smile creeping onto her face. “He was very nice to me.”
Miss Connelly got a faraway, dreamy look in her eye for a moment, remembering, then blinked and looked at Carla again.
“I knew a nice boy, once, but I didn’t marry him, and that was the biggest mistake of my life.” she said. “Don’t go for the flashy assholes, not matter how much the other girls tell you to want them. You pick a man who will love you and make you happy.”
Carla gaped at the cuss word coming out of the prim and proper old lady’s mouth, but he use of it really drove home the importance of the advice she’d just been given.
The rest of the afternoon passed uneventfully for Carla, and her mother was there right after school to pick her up. They stopped by a store and bought some supplies, then went home.
In the house, a few minutes after they were settled in, the phone rang. Carla’s mother picked it up.
“Hello?” She listened a moment. “No, Mr. Easterling passed away a few years ago. May I ask who is calling?” Another long pause.
“Oh, I see.” she said, finally, looking at Carla. “Yes, I suppose that would be fine. I leave it up to her to say yes, or no, of course.”
Another pause. “Yes, well, thank you, young man, and I look forward to Friday, if she accepts… Yes, I will… Good bye.”
She hung up the phone and smiled at Carla. “It seems you have a new friend.” she said. “He just called to ask your father permission to ask you to dinner on Friday.”
“Andy Wackerman?” she asked, and her mother nodded. “He brought me lunch in the Library today.”
“Well, he would like to buy you dinner on Friday.” she smiled. “Do you like this boy? He obviously likes you.”
“Yes, Mother he’s nice.” she replied, then faltered. “Miss Connelly told me told that I should go for the nice guy, instead of the flashy… assholes.”
“Did she?” her mother said. “In just those words?” Carla nodded.
“Well, it’s good advice.” she said. “Not the language I’d expect from her, but entirely accurate. You father was a nice guy, and I don’t regret a minute of our time together. I would choose him again if I had to do it all over again, even knowing that he’s dead and Mr. William Jackson is very much alive.”
“What? You almost married Mr. Jackson? Bradley’s father?” Carla gaped.
“No, he was never going to marry me, and he told me so right after he finished. That didn’t stop him from doing things with me, though.” she said bitterly.
“Did Daddy know?” Carla asked quietly.
Her mother looked at her and began crying. “He knew, but he didn’t care.” she said. “He loved me, and when you came, he loved you too.” She went over and hogged the girl, who was also crying. “Oh, baby, I didn’t want you to ever find out. Your Daddy loved you with his whole heart, and the fact that you weren’t his didn’t matter to him at all.”
“I know that.” Carla sniffled. “Every time he told me he loved me, he also told me how lucky he was to be in my life. I didn’t know what he meant until now.”
* *
The next day at school, Andy was absent, but Bradley Johnson came up to her in the hallway at her locker.
“Hey there, Carla, welcome to womanhood.” he said, standing uncomfortably close. She tried to shy away from him, but he put his hand up behind her. “Hey, don’t be shy. I know it’s the first time I’ve paid attention to you, but you were a little kid before. I always liked you; I just knew I had to wait.”
“Leave me alone, please.” she said, ducking under his arm and stepping away. She still had an armload of books to put away, but he was standing in front of her locker. “Please step aside?”
“Carla, come on.” he said. “How about we go out on Friday? I’ll pick you up in my car, and we can go out.”
“Out where?” she asked, then realized her mistake when he grinned at her.
“It’s a surprise.” he smiled. “I’ll see you at your house after school on Friday, then.”
“No, I didn’t say I’d go out with you!” she protested.
“Sure you did.” he grinned. “See you then.” He sauntered away, down the hall.
All that day, she tried to get close enough to him to say that she had other plans, but other people would seem to cut her off before she could say anything, or he turned away without seeming to see or hear her. Always some reason, but she didn’t get a chance to tell him ‘no’ all day.
The next day was Wednesday, and again Andy was absent, and then, to her great relief, Bradly stood up at lunchtime and announced that Beth Winslow was his new girlfriend, and if any incriminating photos of her appeared anywhere in the school, there would be hell to pay.
On Monday, Carla hadn’t seen it, but an obscene picture of Jeca Rondhealey went around the school, ruining her, and Bradley had had to publicly break up with her over it. He was making sure that the same thing didn’t happen to his new girl.
Thursday, Andy came back to school, and found Carla at her locker. She seemed quite relieved to see him, as if she had been dreading someone else, but he dismissed it and hugged her back.
“Well, good morning.” he smiled, letting her go.
“Gosh, I’m sorry Andy.” she blushed. “Good morning.”
“Well, “ he smiled, “That greeting makes what I’m about to ask a whole bunch easier.”
“Yes.” she said immediately, smiling wider.”
“You didn’t even hear what I was going to ask yet.” he grinned. “I could say anything right now, and you’d be at my mercy.”
“Name it.” she said. “I place myself at your mercy.” She smiled at him, a twinkle in her eye. “I just hope you’re not TOO much of a gentleman.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not.” he grinned back at her. “Your hundred dollar allowance on this date now includes a motel room.”
He saw the look on her face and laughed. “Are you shocked? I was only joking.”
“You can spend the hundred dollars on whatever you want.” she said, smiling. “I told you already, I’m at your mercy. If you bring me to a motel room, I’ll obey your every command, just as I promised.”
Right at that moment, Brad came striding up. “Hey, Carla, we’re still on for tomorrow night, right?” he said, brutally ignoring Andy.
“Actually, I just accepted a date with Andy for Friday night.” she told him, loud enough for everyone standing around to hear.
“No, you accepted a date with me on Friday, on Monday.” he told her. “You’re going out with me. We had the prior engagement.”
“You just announced to the whole school yesterday that Beth is your girlfriend now.” Carla retorted. ‘”That means we couldn’t possibly go out, now.”
“Beth and I broke up this morning.” Brad smiled unkindly. “Yeah, turns out she was the one responsible for that photo of Jeca.”
“It doesn’t matter at all.” Andy said, stepping over to Carla and taking her arm. “Carla is going out with me on Friday. We have it all arranged, don’t we?” He looked at Carla.
“Tough shit, change your plans.” Brad said, then threw a punch that hit Andy right in the cheek. The smaller boy went sprawling, but he got up right away.
Before Andy had a chance to do anything, Mr. Richardson, the gym teacher and football coach came striding forward and stood between Brad and Andy.
“Bradley Johnson, in my office, right away.” He said quietly, then looked at Andy. “Are you all right, son? That was a pretty good hit you took.”
“Yes sir, I’m fine.” Andy said, looking daggers at Brad. “I might have to press charges, though. This isn’t the first time this has happened.”
“Charges?” Mr. Richardson said, sounding surprised. “No, this is a school matter, and we’ll handle it internally.”
“Mr. Richardson, I know my rights, sir, and yours as well. I feel I need to say this, however. If this matter is not handled to my satisfaction, I will be going to higher authorities. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, Mr. Wackerman, perfectly clear.” he said, then added grimly, “Your threat is absolutely understood.”
“Are you really going to let him talk to you like that?” Brad said to the teacher. Mr. Richardson stood a few inches taller than Brad and used it to his advantage.
“Look here, you stupid asshole, you didn’t smack this kid around in a locker room all to yourself; this time you punched a fellow student in the face, in front of fifty witnesses, including a teacher! In any other reality where your father doesn’t own this town, you’d be going to jail in about an hour. And rightfully so, I might add!” he snarled. “So get your ass in my office and keep your retarded mouth shut!”
Bradley stalked off toward the gym, and Mr. Richardson put his arm about Andy’s shoulders and steered him toward the principals office.
“So, Andy, what’s it going to take to resolve this to your satisfaction?” he asked. Andy threw the man’s arm off him and turned to look him in the eye.
“In any other reality when Brad doesn’t go to jail for assault, he at least would be suspended form all athletic teams for the rest of the academic year.” Andy said. Mr. Anderson gaped at him.
“Out of the question!: he said. “Brad has college football scouts coming here this fall to watch him play. If they don’t see him play; he doesn’t get put on the teams. If he’s not playing college ball, his career is over! You can’t take away his career over one punch!”
“If it was just the one punch, I would agree, sir.” Andy said. “But he beat me up pretty badly in the locker room just two days ago, and I’m not inclined to let this go as easily.”
“Surely you can’t prove that.” Mr. Richardson said.
“No sir, I can’t. But I also don’t need to.” he said. “Once I say it on the stand, the jury will believe me, even if I can’t prove it.”
“On the stand…” Mr. Richardson said flatly. “I hardly think it will go that far.”
“Oh, I don’t, either.” Andy grinned. “Because you’re going to give me what I want.”
“What do you want?” he asked, guardedly.
“I want Jeca Rondhealey and Beth Winslow re-instated on Monday. I don’t care how you explain it, but I want both those girls back in classes.”
“That can be arranged.” Mr. Richardson said tersely. “What else?”
“Bradley needs to leave me alone for the rest of my high school career.” Andy said. “He cannot talk to me, approach me any any way, and he CERTAINLY may not assault me again. If he cannot abide by these rules, I will see him expelled, and any college chances he might have had will be gone forever. Clear?”
“As a crystal.” Mr. Richardson said, then stood up and held out his hand to shake. Andy looked at it and left for his last class of the day.
