Fate is a funny thing. The next morning we went dirtbiking in one of the muddy fields by the house. I hadn’t gotten to have a talk with Avie or Carla, and I was feeling rather wretched. Some of the Herbert kids were driving the dirt bikes, and those of us who couldn’t drive them got to ride on the back.
As fate would have it, I got to ride on the back of Carla’s bike. Whoopee… As soon as I sat down on the bike, she zipped off at like top speed, without even giving me a chance to hold on to much of anything. Luckily for me, though, I grabbed the back of her seat and held on for dear life. She took a bunch of wild turns, ones that none of the other drivers were taking, and I knew she was trying to land me in the huge mud puddle in the middle of the field. I gave her a tough ride, though, and when I finally went flying off the vehicle, I made sure I was holding onto her jacket tight enough to take her with me. We landed with a huge splash in the nasty mire.
“You slut!” she screamed, regarding her thoroughly soaked clothes. Before I could get up and call her a bunch of names back, she leapt on me, and we were beating the crap out of each other.
She swung right for my face, but I rolled over just in the nick of time. Then she was on the bottom, which gave me a clear shot to wail on her. People (mostly parents) were screaming and running over to us, but by the time they reached us, both of us were bleeding, screaming, cursing, and covered with muck. Carla was on top of me when Mr. Herbert arrived to yank her off me. I had just knocked her a good one in the eye.
“Carla!” Mrs. Herbert was appalled at us.
Ike tried to hold me back, but I was so pissed that I just shook him off, splattering mud all over him. I stomped off in the direction of the house, leaving Carla struggling in her father’s arms behind me.
“Tay,” Heidi chased me, laughing, “That was so freaking cool!”
“What a bitch!” I swung around, spraying mud everywhere.
“You are such my hero!”
“Dude, it’s not funny,” I laughed.
“Then why are you laughing?” she giggled.
“Who do you think won?” I asked, peeping over Heidi’s shoulder at the large crowd that had gathered around muddy Carla.
“If I say she did, will there be a rematch?” she raised her eyebrow.
“Don’t encourage me, Heid, you’re supposed to be a good influence or something,” I swung a mud-soaked sleeve at her. “Anyway, I need to go shower.”
“You do that, champ,” she high-fived me.
Shaking my head, I entered the house, running carefully to avoid dripping all over the carpet. I felt pretty bad that the dirt biking had been ruined by Carla's and my little spat. It wasn’t really my fault, although I guess it kind if was since I hit her a bunch, too.
There came a knock on the bathroom door as I peeled off the sweatshirt I had been wearing that was soaked through with slop. “Yes?” I asked, re-buttoning a few of the buttons of my shirt I had been removing. I opened the door and Tay pushed his way in. He had a somewhat disappointed type look on his face.
“Tay,” I sighed, about to begin a long explanation. He didn’t give me the chance, though. He kind of, well, jumped me. I was so surprised by his tongue being thrust into my mouth that I almost fell backwards into the tub, but he steadied me. We then crashed into the wall, knocking the towels off the towel rack. His hands frantically pulled at the buttons to my shirt. I could barely breathe, and so I pushed him off. “Dude,” I tried to get my breath back.
“I’m sorry…”
I smirked, “The idea of two girls mud wrestling over you got you all hot and bothered?”
“Shut up,” he tugged at my waist, smiling.
“Look at you,” I smirked, pointing at his shirt, which was now covered in mud. “How are you gonna cover that up?”
There came a knock at the door, “Tayler?” Mrs. Hanson’s voice asked.
For a second I lost my breath because I wasn’t sure if she was addressing me or her son. “Yes?” I squeaked out.
“After you wash off, please come and see me in the living room,” her voice was soft.
“Okay,” I looked at Taylor questioningly. “What do you think she wants?” I whispered.
He shrugged, starting to play with the buttons of my shirt again.
“No, really,” I removed his hands, whispering, “Do you think she knows you’re in here? What if they want me to leave because of this,” I motioned to the mud all over myself.
“It’ll be okay, I’ll talk to her.”
“Not covered in my mud, you won’t,” I reminded him.
“Oh, right. Well then, I’ll change.”
“And how do you expect to get down the hall without being seen?”
“Like this,” he whispered, blowing me a kiss, opening the door, and then dashing down the hall. If his mother had still been out there, we would have been in large heaps of trouble.
I showered quickly, wondering how I was going to get myself out of this mess. I still hadn’t talked to Avie, either, and if they sent me home, I wouldn’t have a chance to. They’d probably not let me come over anymore. My mother would also be really upset because I ruined her friends’ vacation.
Towel-drying my hair, I descended the stairs slowly, praying that they’d go easy on me. I entered the living room and found Mrs. Herbert there with Mrs. Hanson. Carla was sitting between them on the couch. They all looked very grave and I braced myself for the end of the world as I knew it.
“Tayler,” Mrs. Herbert began, “Carla would like to say something to you.” Carla mumbled something barely audible. “I’m so sorry… The doctors said if she took her pills, it would all be fine,” Mrs. Herbert sighed. “I never thought she’d attack someone else’s child. She’ll be punished well for this one.”
I almost burst out laughing. Carla was staring icily at me. “It’s all right,” I said, my voice oozing with sympathy. “I know that I am invading Carla’s territory. I should have been more mindful of her feelings.” Anyone who knew me better would have told me I was being a fake bitch, but the mothers absorbed every word. “I really am to blame, too. I could have been much more sensitive. There’s no reason to punish her. Neither of us are fully innocent.” I then noticed Carla’s eye, and how it was somewhat purply and swollen.
“That’s very good of you,” Mrs. Herbert seemed truly grateful that I wasn’t going to press charges. I felt almost bad to be that fake to her…almost. Carla’s evil glare was worth it. At the end of the talk, both of the mothers had kissed me on the cheek, and I was dismissed to blow dry my hair.
I was on my way upstairs to tell Tay and Heidi of my victory when I was accosted by Carla herself. “Hi,” I smiled sweetly.
“Listen, you can lay off all that fake crap with me. You made me look like the evil one, and you’re just a little angel.”
“I did, didn’t I?” I smiled proudly.
“Well I’ll get you back on this one. My mom thinks I’m crazy, talking about the doctors and medicine and all that…”
“Whatever,” I started to walk away, unphased by her threat.
“I’ll get you good,” she smirked, “and you won’t come around here ever again.”
I raised an eyebrow at her, “What are you gonna do, burn down my barn?” I said in a fake southern accent. “Please, you don’t scare me.”
“You should be scared,” she informed me.
“Should I?” I snapped. “I just saved your ass in there. You were facing a major punishment, but I convinced them otherwise. You should be standing here thanking me, not threatening me.”
“But I’m not,” she growled.
“Well then that’s your problem. You remember that I tried to be nice to you,” I continued up the stairs.
“And you remember that I didn't.”
I rolled my eyes and bounced up the stairs into the room that I had slept in the previous night, where Heidi was waiting. “Why aren’t you still dirtbiking?” I asked.
“Far dirtier things have been going on up here,” she smiled, “so I heard that conversation on the stairs… she’s evil.”
“I know. And you know, I really did save her butt. I think her mom was going to really ground her for a long time. Now she’s not punished at all.”
“What do you think she’s going to do to get you back?”
“I dunno. Whatever it is, though, I’m sure I can handle it.”
“Just be careful,” Heidi warned, though her voice didn’t sound that serious as she pulled me back downstairs and outside to dirt bike.
