Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 117820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 589(@200wpm)___ 471(@250wpm)___ 393(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 589(@200wpm)___ 471(@250wpm)___ 393(@300wpm)
“Go on, Immy,” Ren jests, grinning from ear to ear. “Show him your panties.”
Mallick circles us all on his bike, doing wheelies and popping bubbles with a piece of blue gum in his mouth.
“What is it with you and her panties?” Poppy argues, helping me up again. “Go buy your own.”
The boys laugh like she’s stupid and I don’t get it. Poppy doesn’t either.
When I stand, Ren comes forward and grabs a handful of my long grey skirt. “I’ll show you her panties,” he declares and yanks my skirt so hard the top button pops loose and it slips down my thighs.
I scream and grab at it, tears burning my eyes at the humiliation I feel. Poppy helps me pull it up but we both fall to the ground when Kane tackles Ren and they land in a heap on the floor.
“What the fuck man?” Ren cries, as shocked as we are.
Kane’s fist spikes before hitting Ren in the jaw. Why are they fighting? Aren’t they friends? I’d never hit Poppy like that. They roll over and Ren gets a hit in too, I see blood. I don’t know whose blood. I don’t care whose blood, so long as they are hurting each other and not me.
“Come on,” Poppy hisses and we run again but I struggle to hold my skirt up. I’m a mess.
We don’t talk, we don’t try to explain it to each other, we just run and run until we can’t anymore.
“Mee-maw is going to kill me,” I whisper, looking at the state of myself. “What do I tell her?”
“That you were playing on my bike and fell off?” Poppy suggests. “We can’t tell her about Kane because he might tell her where we were. He knows we’re not allowed past the grocery store.”
I press my lips together. I never tell Mee-maw about Kane anyway because she just tells me it’s my fault and I shouldn’t look at him and maybe he wouldn’t bother me. She says I must be doing something to get his attention but I’m really not.
We rush home despite the pain radiating through my leg. I mostly hop which hurts my other leg but I can get through it. Pain doesn’t bother me. I’d rather feel the pain of my leg than be locked in my bedroom and grounded for two weeks.
Poppy leaves me at the end of her street because we figured if we showed up without her bike my mee-maw would ask how I fell off it if it wasn’t with us which would lead to more lying. Truthfully, I’m hoping she’s busy so I can sneak up to my room, get rid of my skirt and pretend like I don’t know where it is. Maybe she’ll think it was stolen from the clothesline in the yard. It wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened. This will be the first time I’ve lied about it though. Not that it’ll be my first lie, I can’t say I’m the most honest person but Mee-maw gets so mad about so many things.
I jump the low fence lining the back yard, she’s less likely to be in the kitchen at this time so I slip in through the back door and leave my scuffed shoes by the refrigerator. My breath sounds so loud in my ears as I creep through, sock clad feet on the black and white tiled floor.
“Imogen, is that you?” Mee-maw shouts, sounding cheery and saccharine as per usual.
I run-hop to the bathroom as quickly as my injured leg will carry me and slam the door shut louder than I anticipated. Her feet follow me, I hear them getting closer and I start scrubbing the mud from my hands and arms.
“Imogen?” she calls through the door and raps her knuckles against it.
I can’t breathe right, my chest feels tight, like a fist has reached down my throat and is gripping my airway.
“I’m just using the toilet, Mee-maw,” I lie, teeth chattering.
There’s silence for a moment and then the door opens regardless, revealing the barren toilet and me standing wide-eyed at the sink with suds up to my arms. I grip the soap bar too tightly and it slips out of my hand and lands in the basin.
“I fell off Poppy’s bike,” I explain in a rush as her blank, steely gaze takes me in.
“Your skirt,” she breathes. “Your brand new, beautiful—” Her hands go to the broken top button and her face becomes red and angry. Her entire body trembles and her voice gets deep and hoarse. “What have you been doing?”
The way she asks me sounds demonic and I gulp audibly.
“N… nothing, Mee-maw. Honest. I f…fell off Poppy’s bike and hurt my knee.”
She grabs my hair and twists me, revealing my dirt covered back.
“WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING?”
“NOTHING!” I implore. “Honest, Mee-maw. We were just playing!”