‘Wakey, wakey.’
The words echoed as her hands were smacked away from under her head. Jaz flung her eyes open.
‘I don’t know why Taylor even bothers to be friends with you. I guess he feels compelled to help out the less fortunate, always taking in feral animals. I’m surprised he hasn’t caught some mangy disease yet.’
Jaz didn’t bother to move, even though the bell had gone and kids were filing out of the room. ‘Why Minka, back on bitch duty already?’
Minka stood over Jaz, obviously enjoying the domineering position. Her cronies stood either side of her, but back half a foot so everyone knew who was top dog.
Not to be intimidated, Jaz rose slowly, almost on her tippy toes so she could tower over them all. ‘Does it worry you that Anna and I are still Taylor’s friends after all these years?’ Jaz asked. She swung her bag up on her back and made sure it hit Minka, forcing her to step back so she could get past. Jaz could see the safety of the corridor. The next class was already coming into the room.
‘That’s all you’ll ever be to him. He has better taste, he doesn’t do butch,’ snarled Minka as she stuck out her foot.
Jaz tripped and felt the classroom move as she saw the floor coming closer. Swiftly she kicked out her other leg, planted it heavily, and managed to right her body before she sprawled all over the carpet like a pancake that had missed the pan. Minka had stepped up her game, being more bitchy than normal. Then Jaz realised…the school ball was coming up. Was Minka feeling threatened?
Jaz could see Anna outside the door and quickly joined her.
‘Hey you!’ said Anna. ‘You look flushed, are you okay?’
Jaz had a smart arse comment about Minka ready to leave her lips but it was swallowed as bony shoulders bumped into her back, pushing her through the door like a bulldozer. Anna rolled her eyes in their familiar way that said she’d already guessed. ‘Minka.’
Minka’s cronies didn’t move off, instead they started an onslaught of criticism about Jaz and Anna’s appearance.
‘Those freckles are hideous, Anna. Ever heard of make-up?’
‘Commando boots! This is St Christian’s, not the army.’
‘She’s obviously the guy in the relationship.’
Minka stayed lurking in the classroom, listening to each slanderous word she’d probably coached them on.
‘So when are you two going to come out of the closet?’ asked Crony One with the long, red pitchfork nails.
‘I heard they are coming out at the ball and wearing matching outfits of black plastic and whips,’ laughed Crony Two, aka Angelica, whose push-up bra was either really, really good or Daddy had recently paid for a boob job.
‘Yeah, didn’t you know, we got them from your mum’s collection she uses for her special clients.’ Hmm, maybe that was a low blow, thought Jaz. But it was common knowledge that Angelica’s mother had once been an escort girl before finding her rich husband. But hey, they had started this slinging match. Jaz hated to let them get the last word. Sometimes they needed to be dealt their own crap and see how they liked it.
Angelica’s face began to glow a deep pink and Jaz almost expected steam to emanate from her ears. She’d hit her target, full on bullseye.
‘Well you’re just a piece of shit…that…that…no one likes you or even wants you here…you’re…you’re scum!’ Her big breasts shook with her fury.
Jaz saw Minka take a black high-heeled step forward, as if sensing her girls losing control, but just as quickly she paused, before retreating behind the door.
‘Hey Angelica, aren’t you late for class?’ came Taylor’s voice from over Jaz’s shoulder.
Instantly the cronies shrank back and pasted on sickly sweet smiles.
‘Oh, hi Taylor. Yeah we were just going.’
‘See you later, Taylor,’ they sang with the innocence of a dove. Yeah right! More like crows that pick out your eyes, camouflaged in white paint!
‘Thanks, Tay,’ said Anna with a big sigh of relief.
‘Don’t let them worry you. They’re just threatened by your brains.’ Taylor threw his arm around Anna and gave her a squeeze.
‘Are my freckles that bad?’ she asked, covering her nose with her hand.
‘No, she was just being a cow. Take no notice,’ Jaz reassured her.
‘You only have a few freckles, Anna, and they are so cute.’ Taylor pulled her hand away as Anna blushed. ‘So would you girls be interested in coming to the range with me this arvo?’ Taylor smiled at Jaz, and she felt like melting to the floor. ‘Come on guys, it’s been ages since you both came with me.’