“No. I cannot get off the court. You are so unbelievably rude it’s mind-blowing. I mean, were you raised in a barn?” I know this is an odd comment, but, as usual, I’m not on my game with these people.
“No, Max wasn’t, but a barn is better than a trailer. Or do you people call them double-wides these days?” Charlie says.
Charlie is referring to the fact that I live in Logan Heights, not exactly the posh part of town. It’s twenty miles outside of La Jolla, but more like worlds away. My family’s shabby little rental house could be shoehorned into Charlie’s guest bathroom. I’m guessing, of course, since I’ve never seen any part of his house and never will.
Charlie’s comment sends me into the stratosphere. I go from angry to apoplectic in a split second, losing my pride, my dignity, and all sense of decorum in the process. Sure, I’ve got a temper and it flares up at inopportune times, resulting in verbal fireworks, but I’ve never gone completely postal. Until now. Maybe it’s graduation jitters or anxiety about my speech. Whatever it is, my fury has come to a rolling boil and just bubbled over onto the court. I can’t control my urge to pummel Charlie. I haul off and kick him in the shin. I swear I can hear Will gasp from outside the court. Charlie grabs his leg and yelps in pain. What a drama queen. It wasn’t that hard, was it? I am embarrassed by my slide into violence, but at least I’ve got their attention.
“What the hell?” Charlie says.
“What is your problem, Kylie?” Max adds.
“You are my problem, Max.”
A few other students have wandered over and are watching the show. I’m turning bright red. But I’m not putting my tail between my legs and backing away now. I’ve already gone too far; might as well go all the way. Right is might. I think. I hope.
“Actually, now is a perfect time for us to talk,” I say, whipping out my notebook. I poise my pen above the page. “You’re here. I’m here. What could be better?”
Max and Will gape at me like I’m some kind of creature from a horror movie.
“So, what’s your favorite book?” I ask Max.
“Kylie, let’s do this later. I’ll be done in half an hour.” He sounds almost conciliatory.
“Screw you, Max. You’re such an asshole. You’ve wasted enough of my time today. We’re doing it now.”
Jesus. Who says this kind of stuff in real life? Me, apparently. I’m not filtering. I’ve gone completely off the edge. I just wish I could have waited until after I delivered my valedictorian speech. I’m going to be standing at the podium, the laughingstock of Freiburg. Will anyone even want to listen to a speech I’ve labored over for months? Too late to worry about that now.
Max’s expression switches from placating to pissed. “You know what, Kylie, screw you. The deal is off. You’re on your own because you’re the only idiot who cares about doing the assignment. I was trying to be nice, but fuck it. And I’m in the middle of a game. So get the hell off the court.”
At this point, Max whips the ball at the wall, missing my head by only a few inches. He’s a very good player, so I have to assume that was on purpose. I’ve lost the battle and the war. I skulk off the court. I’m still livid, but my anger is now mixed with the sour taste of humiliation. I keep my head down and hurry toward the exit, ignoring the peanut gallery.
Will catches up with me outside. He loops his arm through mine. “You had me at ‘Screw you, Max.’ You were brilliant!”
I don’t say anything. I’m too busy beating myself up. Why can’t I just let go for once and kick Murphy’s stupid assignment to the curb? Will can tell I’m in the middle of round five of one of my self-boxing matches. He’s been ringside many times before.
“His ass isn’t what it used to be. Freshman year, it was tight and sweet. He’s getting soft. Doesn’t bode well for middle age,” Will says, trying to cheer me up.
“You know that’s not true.”
“I know. He’s got an amazing ass, not to mention his six-pack abs and those guns—”
“Is this supposed to help?”
“Sorry. Sorry.”
“I’m getting worse. That was ridiculous.”
“They deserved it. No one else stands up to them.”
“I hate this place.”
“Me too. But you’re gonna kill at NYU.”
I love Will for trying to prop me up. But I worry I’ll be just the same at NYU, or anywhere else I go, for that matter. What if it’s not Freiburg? What if it’s me? What if I just don’t fit in anywhere, like my brother, Jake? Don’t get me wrong: Freiburg sucks and has, rightly, been an endless source of blame for most of my social shortcomings. There’s very little here for me besides Will. But I can’t help wondering if, at a certain point, it’s partly my fault.
“Yeah. Whatever…” I say to Will, my insecurity creeping across my skin like a bad rash.
“Stop it. Do not let these people make you feel less than extraordinary. You are one amazing human. Don’t forget it,” Will insists.
“I don’t know. It’s just, I can’t believe I lost it like that. It was totally mortifying.”
“It was inspiring. You’re my hero.” Will pulls me into a hug. “Wanna go to Pinkberry? My treat.”
“Can’t. Gotta watch Jake,” I say, unhitching myself from Will and heading toward the street.
“‘Loser,’” Will calls to me.
“‘Blow me.’”
“‘Call me later?’” Will finishes the line from Cruel Intentions. He waves and disappears into the quad.
I need to get home. I’m already running late. But before I get on the bus, I’ve got to pee. So I hustle my way to the arts center. Everybody has their favorite bathroom at school, and this one is mine. It hasn’t been modernized like the rest of Freiburg. It’s shabby and creaky, with deep sinks and rusty metal doors on the stalls. And no one’s ever there. It’s a great place to hide away from the world, unlike Freiburg’s other bathrooms, most of which have been commandeered by various social groups. The bathroom in the basement, beneath the cafeteria, is where all the smokers go because, not surprisingly, the smell of institutional food overwhelms the smell of smoke, and no one ever gets caught. The bathroom in the main hall, near the lockers, is controlled by Lily and company. They freeze people out with old-school mean-girl tactics—staring, giggling, and whispering—which are somehow always in vogue and ever effective. I avoid that bathroom like the plague.
I am sitting on the toilet, peeing, when I hear someone enter.
“What, Mom? This is, like, the tenth time you’ve called in the past hour.”
It’s Lily. I’m surprised to find her here.
“No. I can’t come home right now. We’re all going to Stokes’s and then out for dinner. We can talk later. Or tomorrow.”
I don’t know what to do. Lily clearly doesn’t know I’m here. But the longer I stay, the more awkward it gets. I don’t want to appear like I’m eavesdropping, but any way you slice it, it’s not going to be good when I suddenly appear. The sooner I can get out of here, the better. I have no interest in Wentworth family drama.
“What’s the big secret? Why can’t you just tell me now?” Lily barks into the phone.
I flush and exit the stall. Lily glares at me. I keep my head down and pretend I haven’t heard a thing.
“I’ve gotta go. I’ll call you back,” Lily says, hangs up, and turns her high beams on me. Ugh. I’m not in the mood. I’m worn out from my earlier outburst.
We stare at each other for a beat, neither of us pleased to see each other, both for different reasons. Underneath Lily’s fierce bluster, I sense fear and embarrassment. It’s weird. So not Lily.
“What the fuck, Kylie?” she says, as if she owns the whole damn place.
“Sorry, I…” And my voice trails off. I’m thrown by the whole strange scenario. What I should say is, “What the fuck, Lily?” I mean, she’s the one yelling at her mother in the bathroom. Not me. But as usual, I’m on the defensive.