CHAPTER 17:
Tucker’s new Allies
'Wow, did you get a look at Tucker Pyles's face?'
'I hear Will Ullman did that to him at the domain on Saturday.'
'Good job.'
'But he didn't have a thick lip after that fight though.'
'No, apparently John Dover did that to him this morning.'
Holly had absolutely no sympathy for Tucker. It seemed that many people throughout the school were doing their best to make his life a misery now and his aura of fear he once had was gone.
'Everyone wants a go at him now,' Jacqui told her. 'Now that everyone realises he's all hot air, there are a lot of people looking to get payback.'
'Good job,' Holly replied. 'He deserves it, for all the bullying he's done. I heard that Desmond Maisey punched him one the other day.'
'And Joe Walsh snapped all his pens!'
The two laughed.
‘Fat, useless coward!’ Jacqui sneered at Tucker at lunch time one day. ‘Why don’t you just go on a diet?’
‘Ubb off!’ Tucker grumbled, but not in his usual forceful manner.
‘What will you do if we don’t?’ egged Holly. ‘Squash us?’
‘You just watch it, Ubbhead!’
‘Oooooh, we’re scared,’ Jacqui said.
‘So you should be!’
‘I was more scared the last time I watched a Scooby Doo cartoon.’
‘I should think so,’ Tucker said, as if a Scooby Doo cartoon was something to be scared of.
‘What a dork!’ Jacqui said loudly as Tucker passed by. She turned to Holly with a smirk. ‘I’m just glad someone finally put that creep in his place. It’s just a pity it had to be Ullman. He’s as big a butthead as Pyles is.’
They stopped in at their lockers. Jacqui paused to pull out a small bottle of something. When Holly took a closer look she realised it was a bottle of Scotch. Jacqui opened it up and took a swig.
‘Are you crazy, Jacqs?’ Holly gasped. ‘Here at school?’
‘Hey, it’s only a swig. Want some?’
‘No way! Not after I nearly drowned myself at the beach thanks to drinking that vodka and orange of yours. Gosh, Jacqui, drinking that other stuff is one thing, but straight Scotch? What the hell is going on with you?’
‘Nothing’s going on with me! Geeze, Holly, lighten up. We’re not little kids anymore.’
‘But we’re still under age.’
Jacqui delivered her an evil glare. ‘Holly, I said quit it! I’d expect this crap from Chelsea, but not from you.’ She took another swig and then shoved the bottle back into her bag. ‘I just need one every now and then to get through some of the boring lectures we have to deal with. Don’t make me have to go through lectures in my bloody lunch hour as well!’
Holly decided to say nothing more, but her mind ticked over. If her friend was going to continue to consume alcohol, she couldn’t just stand by and do nothing about it, but what could she do? The last thing she wanted to do was anger Jacqui, but she couldn’t call herself a friend if she let her continue with her destructive behaviour. There was also the possibility that her drinking could cause trouble for everyone else too.
They began to make their way to one of the classroom blocks and met up with Chelsea on the way. Jacqui lightened up immediately. ‘I can’t wait for the dance next Friday. Are you going to be there Chelsea?’
‘I wouldn’t miss it.’
‘I suppose you’ll be hoping for a few dances with Sheep, huh?’
Chelsea gave an embarrassed smile. ‘I think he’s losing interest.’
‘Well who’s silly fault is that? If you weren’t so uptight sexually, maybe you’d get somewhere. You need to just loosen up and go with the flow.’
‘Look, I really like him, but I don’t want to be with him if it’s just sex.’
‘Maybe if you just gave it to him, then it could develop into something more.’
Holly really wanted to argue that fact, but was reluctant to get in another argument with her. ‘I don’t know if that’s the right way to find a guy who – you know - really cares about you.’
‘Oh puleeeeease,’ Jacqui growled. ‘Who cares about serious relationships at our age? It’s all about just having fun, right?’
‘Yeah,’ Holly said. ‘But being with someone for the first time is supposed to be special. You don’t just – you know - give it away to the first guy who comes along. Especially if it’s some guy who’s not really interested in you for you.’
‘And you don’t think Sheep is genuine?’
‘I don’t know,’ Holly said. ‘If he really cared about Chelsea, he’d consider her feelings and he wouldn’t just be – you know - trying to rush her into having sex.’
‘You’re sounding very old fashioned.’
‘Hey, I can’t stand guys who are just after one thing. I’ll tell them to rack off right away. If I’m gonna be with a guy, he’s gotta respect me. It should be the same for Chelsea too. She shouldn’t compromise her principles just to score the attention of Rog Shepherd.’
‘Well there’s a simple solution and it’s one I use all the time,’ Jacqui said. ‘And that’s to make them want me so much that they’ll bow and scrape and do anything I want. You make them respect you.’
‘And how do you do that?’
‘By making yourself so desirable that you have the power over them.’
Chelsea spoke up, ‘That’s all very well for you, Jacqui, but you are desirable. I’m not as hot as you or Holly.’
Jacqui paused for a moment and then replied, ‘I’ve got an idea. A plan to make you into something that all the guys will bow and scrape over. We’ll do you up. Before the dance, we’ll all meet up… say at Laura’s place. That’s closest to here. We'll do your hair and make up for you.’
‘I guess so.’
‘We’ll have you looking so amazing, it won’t be just Sheep that goes “wow”, all the guys will. How about that?’
Chelsea’s face lit up. ‘That would be great!’
‘Do you have contact lenses?’
She flinched. ‘Yes… but I don’t like to wear them. The thought of putting them into my eyes freaks me out.’
‘Have you ever worn them at all?’
‘Once or twice.’
‘Were they uncomfortable?’
‘No. It’s just that…’ She shuddered. ‘I hate putting them in. It’s hard to explain, but just thinking about putting them in makes me flinch.’
Holly imagined Chelsea without her glasses. She was sure she’d look great, because she had the most beautiful sapphire blue eyes. It had always seemed a shame to distort them with glasses. ‘I think Jacqs is right. You’d look amazing with a makeover and if you got rid of those dorky glasses and wore your contacts, it would – you know - be a huge improvement.’
‘You’ve just got to do it, Chelsea,’ Jacqui said. ‘If you really want power over guys like Sheep, it’s the only way. Otherwise, you’re just gonna be another girl who guys might want to get it on with but never take it any further. So come on. Do you want that or not?’
She winced. ‘Sure, I do.’
‘Then lose the glasses.’
‘I don’t know.’ Chelsea fidgeted with her hair.
‘What’s the big deal?’ Jacqui raised her eyebrow. ‘Once the contacts are on you can just forget about them.’
Chelsea sighed and turned her eyes to the ground. ‘We’ll see.’
They didn't have much to do during their lunch break so wandered around the grounds in the sun. They decided to stroll around the sports fields, to the back where they had skipped class the previous week. A groan met their ears and they found one of their class mates, leaning against one of the trees, his face battered and bloodied.
'Wal!' Holly rushed towards him and crouched down at his side. 'What the hell happened?'
Chelsea and Jacqui joined her, their eyes wide.
Wal groaned and wiped blood from his nose. 'Bloody Tucker Pyles.'
'What?
Tucker did this to you?' Holly stared incredulously.
'No! Not him. His two pals.'
Holly stared at her friends in disbelief. 'You don't mean Colin Hewes and Joe Ashby?'
'Yeah.'
'Oh no! Don't tell me they're teaming up with him!'
Wal winced. 'Seems that way. I didn't stand a chance against those two. Not on my own. Pyles is saying that he's going to teach everyone a lesson now.'
'But why would Joe and Colin team up with that loser?' Jacqui stared. 'It doesn't make sense.'
Holly examined Wal's wounds. 'We should get you to sick bay.'
'Hell no!' Wal sat up straight. 'I don't need no sick bay.'
'But you're bleeding.'
'It'll stop. I'll clean myself up. You guys go. I'll be ok.'
'Typical macho BS.'
Jacqui snorted. 'Well if that's what he wants, I say we just leave him to bleed.’
'We can't just leave him,' Chelsea argued.
'Fine, well you stay here with Mr Macho Moron, I'm going.' She began to walk away. Chelsea hesitated, but then followed. Holly stood where she was for a few more seconds then glanced back down at Wal. 'Are you sure you'll be alright?'
'Yeah. Don't worry about me. Just watch that Tucker. I don't think he cares about who he hurts. He'll bully a girl just like he does a guy.'
On arrival back at the classroom blocks, more drama unfolded.
'Hey..!' a junior boy announced. 'Did you hear? Joe Ashby and Colin Hewes just beat up John Dover! Tucker was with them!'
'Oh shit,' Jacqui said. 'Looks like old Macho Moron wasn't joking.'
'Oh no…' Holly pointed over to one of the blocks. 'There he is there. And he's hassling Mav and Pete.'
Cautiously the three approached. Already a group of spectators assembled as Tucker stood opposite Mav and Pete, with his two new henchmen at his side.
'So all that crap about diets was your idea, was it, Maverick?' Tucker snarled. 'A conspiracy to try to make me look stupid.'
'Hey, Tucker, look, I was on a legitimate diet. I can't help it if people followed my lead.'
'Don't listen to him, Tucker,' Joe Ashby snarled. 'He's been encouraging people to do it, just to stop you from getting food.'
Tucker's eyes blazed. 'Listen up, Maverick!' He turned his head around and glared at all those around him. 'Everybody listen up! I'm the kingpin here at this school and whatever I say goes! If anybody wants to argue about that, then they're gonna have me to deal with!'
'You mean your two goons!' Someone called out from the group of spectators.
Tucker swung his head around and glared. 'Who said that? Someone want to say that to our faces?'
There was stoned silence. Nobody dared say a word.
Tucker smirked. 'Good! Because I'm dead serious! And if you want to see how serious I am just go look for Will Ullman. Because he's lying bleeding half dead at the back of the playing fields!' He turned his head to Holly. 'What are you staring at, bitch?'
Holly backed away, her eyes wide. 'Nothing!'
Tucker turned back to Mav. 'Listen up, Maverick. You better go tell all those ubbheads you put on a diet that they better change it! To a CHOCOLATE diet! Because I want all sorts of chocolate goodies coming in from this day on! Consider it my taxes. And if you dare try to make an idiot out of me again, I'll have Ash and Hew... I mean I'LL beat the crap out of you. Hear me?' He grabbed Mav by the shirt.
Holly couldn’t take the thought of him bullying Mav any longer. 'Leave him alone!’ She marched up towards him. ‘Get your hands off him, you big creep!'
Tucker spun around, his eyes protruding from his head. 'What did you call me?'
The anger and determination Holly had previously felt, quickly disappeared as fear enveloped her, especially when she saw the staunch look on the faces of his two henchmen.
Chelsea stepped forward to support her, but she appeared a lot calmer. 'She didn't mean it, Tucker. She just doesn't want you to hurt Rick that's all.'
'Ahhhh, ain't that sweet?' Tucker scoffed. 'Although why you'd care about this ubbhead is beyond me. Hey, if you want a real man to hang around with. I'm your man.'
Holly backed away.
Tucker laughed. 'That's right. Be afraid. Be very afraid! Because Tucker Pyles is back in control. So you go away and tell all your stuck up little friends that they better watch what they say and do. Cuz I'm gonna be around. And I'm gonna make everyone pay for messing with me over the last few days!'
CHAPTER 18:
New Kid on the Block