Chapter 3
SIX YEARS LATER
“I fucking hate that bitch,” Dandy says, peering over the top of his glasses at Rebecca Bloom, who cuddles up to her quarterback boyfriend, Bobby Harris, in a red leather booth. “Rumor has it she’s seeing some older guy behind Bobby’s back.”
“Is that true?” I ask, surprised that the power couple is anything but perfect.
“Probably not,” Dandy says with a shrug. “But who can resist a juicy small-town scandal?”
I top the chocolate sundae I made with whipped cream and sprinkles, then hand it to the young girl, who excitedly smiles. Her mom nods in gratitude at me. Must be nice to be that easily pleased.
It’s a slow night at The Hurricane, the ice creamery where both Dandy and I work.
Like everything in this town, this clichéd shop is in desperate need of a revamp.
The building is shaped like a pink soft-serve cone with sprinkles, which serve as lights on top.
The locals think it’s iconic and has that small-town appeal, but I hate this place.
And people like Rebecca make living and working here even worse.
Dandy sips the vanilla milkshake he made for himself while glaring at the group of kids in the booth. We’re all in eleventh grade together, but Dandy and I are outsiders, and they wouldn’t be caught dead talking to us.
Which is fine because Dandy and I have no interest in talking to them.
The day Rebecca Bloom made a fool of me in front of the entire school was, ironically, the best day of my life because it was the day I met Dandy.
We’ve been inseparable ever since.
He’s my safe place, just as he once referred to his tree house, our sanctuary for years. I feel more at home in that tree house than I do at my uncle and aunt’s.
If it wasn’t for Dandy, I would hate to think where I would be.
He has saved me in more ways than one, which is why we’re never far from each other. It made sense when my uncle forced me to get a job that Dandy also worked with me. I don’t have a car, so Dandy drives me home after my shifts, even if he’s not working.
I take any shift I can because I need the money to get the hell out of this town.
This is only a stopover.
I refuse to accept that this small-minded town will be my future.
Dreams come here to die.
And I won’t let that happen to me.
My parents’ deaths still affect me. But each day, their memories fade, and new ones are made, ones without them in them. I wonder if one day…I’ll just forget.
“Earth to Hallie,” Dandy playfully mocks, snapping his fingers in front of my face.
Instantly, I snap to the present, aware that I daydream often. I am not unfeeling. I am just numb to everything. Losing my parents at such a young age and going to live with an abusive uncle does that.
I learned early on that it was better that way. It’s easier to switch off your emotions instead of feeling pain, and pain I’ve felt from the loss of my parents to living with my aunt and uncle.
Thoughts of my uncle have me flicking the elastic band around my wrist, a trick Dandy told me about. It replaces the crescent moons I’ve left scarred into my palms over the years.
Dandy knows bits and pieces. He’s the only one who does. But does he know that my uncle still punishes me when he thinks I’ve sinned?
No, he doesn’t.
No one does.
Aunt Justina simply turns a blind eye and carries on with her knitting, believing that making blankets for the homeless will make everything okay.
This is why I work double shifts. I need to get out of here.
The longer I stay, the more I feel myself slipping away.
“Hello, does anyone work here?” yells Robin, one of Rebecca’s best friends. Their groupie, Rachel, is nowhere to be seen. She’s the quieter one of the three. Although still cruel, she seems to be the “nicer” one of the group.
I say that because when alone in the bathroom with her one time, she asked if I had a spare tampon. I gave it to her without thought. I could have been a bitch just like she has been to me for years. But I wasn’t like those girls.
She thanked me and told me it was Rebecca who posted “naked” photos of me around school. I suspected as much. The football team had a gangbang with a girl and took a photo to commemorate the joyous occasion. Rebecca got a hold of it and cut off the girl’s head, only to replace it with mine.
The caption said, “For a good time, call me,” with my number listed.
I didn’t even blink when I saw it because I was so used to this shit. It was just another reason to hate Rebecca.
Dandy and I look at one another. We know what must be done.
“Rock, paper, scissors,” we both say, and when Dandy makes scissors and I play paper, I groan.
“Good luck.” He playfully chuckles, sipping his shake in victory.
I grab the notepad and pen from the counter and walk to the booth. Four of them sit there, and the moment I arrive, it’s apparent five is a crowd.
“What can I get you?” I ask, pen poised, ready to take their orders.
Think of every quarterback and cheerleader stereotype, and that’s exactly what these four look like.
Bobby is big and brawny with short blond hair and wears a varsity jacket.
His best friend Gunn isn’t as big as Bobby, but with a matching jacket, there’s no mistaking they are on the football team.
Robin’s auburn hair isn’t from a bottle. It’s all natural, according to her, which I’ve heard her recite one too many times. She has green eyes and freckles. She’s lovely to look at. Too bad her personality doesn’t match.
And then there’s Rebecca.
On the outside, Rebecca is the most beautiful girl I’ve seen. She’s the girl next door. Her family name carries prestige, as her ancestors are among the founding families of Hollow Banks.
This fact has her acting as if she owns this town and that we should be thankful she and her family “allow” us to live here.
Rebecca’s blue eyes sparkle. She’s the perfect monster. One would never suspect her of being cruel and calculating. But she hides behind her looks to lure in her prey.
Her cheerleader outfit is a second skin, leaving nothing to the imagination. Her blonde hair is pulled back into a high ponytail, secured with a gold-and-blue ribbon.
Her cheeks are full, and her lips are the perfect pout.
Rebecca and I couldn’t be further apart in looks.
My hair is dark brown with a bit of a wave, and most days, I pull it into a messy bun or ponytail. People often compliment my deep brown eyes, though I’m not interested in appearances.
My clothing choices aren’t trendy. I wear what’s comfortable and cheap. They’re usually bought at the local thrift store.
I’m not into what most sixteen-year-old girls are interested in. I don’t care about going to parties. Or popularity. I did once upon a time, and it ended with me meeting Dandy. So I don’t need anyone but him.
We’re two misfits who fit together.
The world exists, but sometimes it feels like we’re not a part of it.
And I am okay with that.
Rebecca doesn’t make it a secret that she’s staring at my outfit in distaste. I’m wearing frayed denim shorts and a baby-pink work T-shirt.
I remember when I wore pink around Rebecca, and she humiliated me for wanting to be her friend.
The triple thReats are the typical mean girls, and I mean that in every literal sense. Mean Girls is their favorite movie, unbeknownst to me at the time, and I am certain Rebecca’s dream is to be like Regina George.
Even their rule of wearing pink on certain days was a scene plucked straight out of the movie. They seemed to have missed the memo that the mean girls are not the good guys. They’re meant to demonstrate what not to be.
Not a blueprint for bitches in the making.
“We want two sundaes to share,” says Robin.
I look at her with a stiff upper lip because there are twenty sundaes on the menu.
“Do you need to write that down?” she says, laughing at my expense with her friends.
I don’t react because that’s what they want.
“No,” I reply apathetically. “But I’m not a mind reader.”
Robin looks at me, confused.
So I clarify. “What sundae do you want to order? In case you missed the big colorful pictures over there”—I point over my shoulder—“there are lots to choose from.”
Dandy covers his laughter with a cough as he cleans down the booth across from us, clearly eavesdropping.
Robin narrows her eyes, angered that I would dare talk back to her. But I simply stand staring at her like the waste of space that she is.
“We’ll have the Coco Loco and Bananarama,” Gunn, Robin’s boyfriend, says when Robin remains silent.
“Coco Loco and Bananarama. That’s all?” I place the notebook into my back pocket and thread the pen through my bun.
It’s an easy order, so I don’t need to write it down.
Bobby nods, but I notice him looking at Dandy.
I wonder what that’s about.
“Extra fudge and whipped cream,” Robin demands, eyes narrowed. “And don’t forget the cherry on top.”
I turn around and go behind the counter to make their order.
From the corner of my eye, I see Robin whispering behind her hand to Rebecca, who smirks. They’re planning something.
That something is revealed when Robin accidentally on purpose sweeps her hand across the table, spilling her chocolate shake all over the floor.
“Oops,” she has the gall to say, looking at Dandy smugly. “Better get on your hands and knees to clean that up. But that won’t be a problem…you’re used to being on your knees.”
Gunn crudely uses his hand to mimic a blow job.
Dandy is openly gay. He hasn’t let the small-minded bigots of this town silence his voice. Another reason he’s ostracized. He stands up for what he believes in, and that goes against everything this town stands for.
I admire his courage, and I stand proud beside him.
Dandy pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose, something he does when he’s angry. Dandy isn’t confrontational, however. He is more the “suffer in silence” type.
He goes into the back room and returns a moment later with a mop and bucket.