School wasn’t the same without Cindi.

  “She chooses her dead grandmother over us! Can you imagine?!” Macy complained sarcastically. Adam could tell it hid genuine disappointment.

  “Yeah, I’m gonna have to side with her on this one,” Adam said reluctantly.

  “Of course you would side with her. It means you get me all to yourself.”

  He didn’t argue. “Did she say when she’d be back?”

  “No!”

  “We could try to see Kim again?”

  “Maybe. It’s hard without a car, and that Jill chick was rude the last time.” Macy scrunched her face. “Kim is busy,” she mocked.

  “Well, I kind of was,” Kim’s voice said from behind her.

  Macy turned and let out a little scream. “Oh, thank God!” She squealed, hugging Kim close. “It’s so nice to hug someone who can’t get a boner!”

  “Boner?” Adam snorted, more amused by the word than offended.

  “It’s a perfectly good word!”

  “Like fifty years ago!” Adam shot back with a grin. “You wouldn’t even know it if you didn’t watch 80s movies!”

  They both looked at Kim.

  “I’m not weighing in on this one,” she said with a dismissive laugh.

  “Good to see you, Kim,” Adam said, happy to let the banter drop. “I gotta get to class.”

  Macy hugged him before he left. “See no ‘bonrer!’” he stated proudly.

  “Ya but thats disappointing when it's you.” He just sighed as he left.

  When he was out of sight, Macy looped her arm through Kim’s as they walked down the hall. “What brings you back?”

  “Bullinger.”

  “Ohhh…” Macy gave her a sly look.

  “He’s alright,” Kim said, brushing off the unspoken accusation. She had found the principal kind, if a little kinder to the girls than the boys. “Anyway, we picked some classes. Just a couple a day to keep me busy. I have to help clean the cafeteria in the afternoon.”

  Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

  “What were you so busy doing? Do you know how long the walk is to your house?”

  “My dad was supposed to come back again. He didn’t. Mom and I were at the airport—well, Mom was. I was in the car. My mom expects me to treat his words like scripture.” Her face twisted into a half-smirk. “And no, he didn’t come back. Again.”

  “That is some Grade A bullshit,” Macy said supportively. “My dad is awesome, if I’m honest. But he really doesn’t seem to know I’m a girl.”

  Kim laughed as Macy continued. “Yeah, so I don’t have a mom. Sad tale, whatever. But I need tampons. I’m almost sixteen years old! This man still blushes whenever I ask for them. And God forbid one of my brothers overhears. They either try to tease me—which of course they instantly regret, thank you very much—or they look at the ground when they see me for like a week.”

  “How many people live in your house?”

  “Um, five of us right now. My two older brothers are stationed somewhere top secret. They keep in touch though.”

  “I never knew you lost your mom.”

  “Look, I’m kid number seven. I think my dad just refused to believe Natural Family Planning wasn’t working! I would’ve thrown in the towel after two.”

  “Do you ever see her?”

  “The odd card at Christmas and maybe a call on my birthday.”

  Macy’s face lit up suddenly. “Oh, now there’s a gift!”

  She was looking down the hall at three boys—all meatheads from the wrestling team. They were taking turns pushing a Grade 9 kid.

  Macy charged forward. Ever the protector. “Wow, aren’t you guys awesome? You know, if you stayed off the steroids you might get actual grown-man penises, and you wouldn’t have to compensate by being such giant dicks.” A crowd started to gather to see the entertainment they knew Macy would provide.

  “Get lost, bitch,” the tall one said. Kim thought his name might be Chuck.

  “Tell you what, Lurch. Leave the freshman alone and I’ll let you, Fester, and Gomez here workshop that comeback.” Macy stood there unfazed, hands on hips, in front of the six-foot-something man.

  She didn’t see the hand coming toward her.

  Kim grabbed it.

  He was big, fat, and dumb. She couldn’t recall his name, but she’d seen him around. He looked at her with contempt at first. But whatever he saw in her eyes stopped him cold. Even Macy had gone silent. The kids who could started to move on, sensing the shift in the air.

  Kim felt something like power settle on her. “I don’t care about the nerd. But Macy is my friend.”

  Her voice was low. Almost guttural. He looked like he was trying to pull his hand back, but she couldn’t even register the resistance. To her, he felt as weak as a toddler.

  She let go and looked around. The hall was empty except for Macy, who looked terrified. The boy took the opportunity to run off.

  “Well, that was certainly different!” Macy breathed.

  “I’m sorry… Maybe this was a bad idea.” Kim started to walk away.

  Macy, the fear leaving her, grabbed her arm and looped it through hers again.

  “Oh no, we’re doing this,” she said, finding herself. “Come on, I’ll walk you to class.”

  “Mace, I don’t know…”

  “Kim, shit has changed here. It’s like everyone bad has gotten badder. Teachers do nothing about the bullying. Bullies who used to be clowns have become jerks, and the jerks have become monsters. Bullinger was always a little sus, but now he stares down my top every time he sees me.”

  “You don’t have to be everyone’s protector,” Kim offered.

  “Someone’s gotta do something.”