Somewhere between the newspaper office and Speedy's
Friday. July 2, 1982
A little after 12:00 PM
Tabby dried her eyes. She couldn't cry anymore. The adrenaline rush she'd been running on finally crashed and reality set in slowly. As she buried her face in her hands again, she felt something tangled in her hair and picked a French fry loose from a matted curl and flicked it across the parking lot.
What the hell was she going to do? Things had gone from worse to unbearable. Tabby was pretty sure that her father was already going to murder her, but this... there were no words to describe it. She was positive she'd managed to get herself fired, kicked off the cheerleading squad, sealed any hope of getting to continue to be in her band... would the Blackwell family even still be in Teal Cove by the end of the summer? Oh, what the hell was the point? Her existence here was over. The whole town would know everything by the end of the afternoon. So much for finally finding a group of friends and happiness. Suddenly, being tied up in a closet by a group of car thieves seemed like the least of her problems.
Tabby stood up. She was pretty sure her face was still red. Her eye began to throb. How bad would the damage be? Tabby rubbed her injury gingerly. It was definitely swollen and it hurt to open it. It was only just now beginning to set in that she'd been keeping it closed. Having realized that Marie's fist had given her a black eye, she looked down to see both of her skinned knees which also burned followed by the fact that her uniform was a mixture of soda, milkshake and condiment stains. Tabby didn't even bother to contemplate if her mascara was running or not.
She had been cowering behind the dumpster in the alleyway behind a business. Tabby wasn't sure where she was exactly, but knew how to get back to Speedy's, but there was no way she could go back there after what happened. The reality began to set in that she was going to have to figure out what to do next. She was too far from home to walk or skate back. Teal Cove didn't have a bus service. Maybe she could find a payphone and call someone? Perhaps Gary?
Shit! Tabby realized that her purse and shoes were back at the restaurant. All she had were her skates and her soiled work uniform. If things weren't bad enough, there was no way she could go in anywhere public. What the hell was she going to do? Tabby took a deep breath and let it out.
It was then she remembered she wasn't far from The Teal Cove Chronicle. Shelley had called in to work so she could focus on the story about that family who had been held hostage. That was the whole reason Tabby had even gone in today. It was supposed to be her day off.
Maybe Shelley was there. It was either find her, or flag down a total stranger. Tabby stayed behind the dumpster trying to calm herself. She wished she had a mirror so she would at least have some idea of how bad her face was. There was going to be no hiding it.
After she was sure it wasn't going to be obvious to anyone she'd been crying, Tabby skated off toward the direction of the office. She was careful to stick to alleyways and stay off the beaten path so she wouldn't run into anyone. The whole time, her mind raced. The events of the morning kept replaying in her head as she contemplated how she'd face Starla, her friends, her parents, Coach North, Riley, the entire town...
It took her much longer than it would have normally to get there, but she finally made it. Several minutes passed before she could muster up the courage to peek around the corner. There was the newspaper building. Tabby didn't see Shelley's Firebird. It took her a moment to remember why. After spending several more minutes to finally get up the nerve, she forced herself to skate toward the door.
Friday. July 2, 1982
A little after 12:00 PM
Tabby dried her eyes. She couldn't cry anymore. The adrenaline rush she'd been running on finally crashed and reality set in slowly. As she buried her face in her hands again, she felt something tangled in her hair and picked a French fry loose from a matted curl and flicked it across the parking lot.
What the hell was she going to do? Things had gone from worse to unbearable. Tabby was pretty sure that her father was already going to murder her, but this... there were no words to describe it. She was positive she'd managed to get herself fired, kicked off the cheerleading squad, sealed any hope of getting to continue to be in her band... would the Blackwell family even still be in Teal Cove by the end of the summer? Oh, what the hell was the point? Her existence here was over. The whole town would know everything by the end of the afternoon. So much for finally finding a group of friends and happiness. Suddenly, being tied up in a closet by a group of car thieves seemed like the least of her problems.
Tabby stood up. She was pretty sure her face was still red. Her eye began to throb. How bad would the damage be? Tabby rubbed her injury gingerly. It was definitely swollen and it hurt to open it. It was only just now beginning to set in that she'd been keeping it closed. Having realized that Marie's fist had given her a black eye, she looked down to see both of her skinned knees which also burned followed by the fact that her uniform was a mixture of soda, milkshake and condiment stains. Tabby didn't even bother to contemplate if her mascara was running or not.
She had been cowering behind the dumpster in the alleyway behind a business. Tabby wasn't sure where she was exactly, but knew how to get back to Speedy's, but there was no way she could go back there after what happened. The reality began to set in that she was going to have to figure out what to do next. She was too far from home to walk or skate back. Teal Cove didn't have a bus service. Maybe she could find a payphone and call someone? Perhaps Gary?
Shit! Tabby realized that her purse and shoes were back at the restaurant. All she had were her skates and her soiled work uniform. If things weren't bad enough, there was no way she could go in anywhere public. What the hell was she going to do? Tabby took a deep breath and let it out.
It was then she remembered she wasn't far from The Teal Cove Chronicle. Shelley had called in to work so she could focus on the story about that family who had been held hostage. That was the whole reason Tabby had even gone in today. It was supposed to be her day off.
Maybe Shelley was there. It was either find her, or flag down a total stranger. Tabby stayed behind the dumpster trying to calm herself. She wished she had a mirror so she would at least have some idea of how bad her face was. There was going to be no hiding it.
After she was sure it wasn't going to be obvious to anyone she'd been crying, Tabby skated off toward the direction of the office. She was careful to stick to alleyways and stay off the beaten path so she wouldn't run into anyone. The whole time, her mind raced. The events of the morning kept replaying in her head as she contemplated how she'd face Starla, her friends, her parents, Coach North, Riley, the entire town...
It took her much longer than it would have normally to get there, but she finally made it. Several minutes passed before she could muster up the courage to peek around the corner. There was the newspaper building. Tabby didn't see Shelley's Firebird. It took her a moment to remember why. After spending several more minutes to finally get up the nerve, she forced herself to skate toward the door.
When Shelley and Felicia were back in Felicia’s car and on the way to the Chronicle’s office, Shelley said, “Well, I think that went well! I was worried that they’d tell us to get lost as soon as we arrived, but they were quite welcoming. And I’m a little surprised that there were no other reporters there, but I’m glad; I don’t think we could have had such a good conversation if there had been other reporters there too. By the way, I hope you didn’t mind me introducing you as my friend.” Shelley didn’t know how Felicia had felt about that, but she hadn’t objected at the time, so Shelley hoped that meant Felicia was okay with it.
*tag Felicia*
“I think I’m going to ask Mike and Cindy about getting some business cards when we get back to the office. Thanks for pointing out that I should give the Falwells the number for our office. If you hadn’t said something, I might have just given them my own phone number, but the office phone number makes more sense.” It was true; Shelley had been about to write down the number for the phone at Gary’s house on the notebook page. It actually hadn’t occurred to her to write down the Chronicle’s number until Felicia spoke up, but when she did Shelley wrote down the number Felicia recited and labeled it “Chronicle”. Under that she added “Shelley” and wrote Gary’s phone number so that Falwells could reach her either at the office or at home, and then tore the notebook page out and handed it to Dr. Falwell. Shelley didn’t mention to Felicia that she’d added her own number. “I still need to memorize the office’s phone number. I have it written down in my notebook, but I really should commit it to memory.”
*tag Felicia*
A few minutes later, they had arrived in the parking lot at the Teal Cove Chronicle office. As Felicia was pulling the car into a parking spot, Shelley noticed someone skating towards the main entrance to the office. The skater, seeing the newly arriving car, seemed to be hit with a moment of indecisiveness. Shelley noticed the long red hair and the carhop uniform, and immediately recognized the skater. “That’s Tabby!” she exclaimed without further explanation for Felicia’s benefit. But what was Tabby doing here, of all places? Something was definitely wrong; even from this distance Shelley could see that Tabby looked disheveled, and her uniform appeared to be stained and dirty. Suddenly filled with concern, Shelley opened the door and hopped out of the car as soon as Felicia had put in “Park”, not even waiting for her to shut off the engine. “Tabby?” Shelley called out as she shut the car door. She hurried towards Tabby, jogging awkwardly in her high-heeled sandals as they made a noisy “click-clack-click-clack” sound on the pavement. “Tabby, what’s wrong? What’s happened?”
*tags*
*tag Felicia*
“I think I’m going to ask Mike and Cindy about getting some business cards when we get back to the office. Thanks for pointing out that I should give the Falwells the number for our office. If you hadn’t said something, I might have just given them my own phone number, but the office phone number makes more sense.” It was true; Shelley had been about to write down the number for the phone at Gary’s house on the notebook page. It actually hadn’t occurred to her to write down the Chronicle’s number until Felicia spoke up, but when she did Shelley wrote down the number Felicia recited and labeled it “Chronicle”. Under that she added “Shelley” and wrote Gary’s phone number so that Falwells could reach her either at the office or at home, and then tore the notebook page out and handed it to Dr. Falwell. Shelley didn’t mention to Felicia that she’d added her own number. “I still need to memorize the office’s phone number. I have it written down in my notebook, but I really should commit it to memory.”
*tag Felicia*
A few minutes later, they had arrived in the parking lot at the Teal Cove Chronicle office. As Felicia was pulling the car into a parking spot, Shelley noticed someone skating towards the main entrance to the office. The skater, seeing the newly arriving car, seemed to be hit with a moment of indecisiveness. Shelley noticed the long red hair and the carhop uniform, and immediately recognized the skater. “That’s Tabby!” she exclaimed without further explanation for Felicia’s benefit. But what was Tabby doing here, of all places? Something was definitely wrong; even from this distance Shelley could see that Tabby looked disheveled, and her uniform appeared to be stained and dirty. Suddenly filled with concern, Shelley opened the door and hopped out of the car as soon as Felicia had put in “Park”, not even waiting for her to shut off the engine. “Tabby?” Shelley called out as she shut the car door. She hurried towards Tabby, jogging awkwardly in her high-heeled sandals as they made a noisy “click-clack-click-clack” sound on the pavement. “Tabby, what’s wrong? What’s happened?”
*tags*
When Shelley and Felicia were back in Felicia’s car and on the way to the Chronicle’s office, Shelley said, “Well, I think that went well! I was worried that they’d tell us to get lost as soon as we arrived, but they were quite welcoming. And I’m a little surprised that there were no other reporters there, but I’m glad; I don’t think we could have had such a good conversation if there had been other reporters there too. By the way, I hope you didn’t mind me introducing you as my friend.” Shelley didn’t know how Felicia had felt about that, but she hadn’t objected at the time, so Shelley hoped that meant Felicia was okay with it.
Felicia nodded when Shelley commented on how smoothly the interview went. She had to admit, she was half expecting the family to not want to talk to them or ask them to leave. Their cooperation had been a pleasant surprised. The second part caught Felicia off guard. "Yeah, sure," Felicia replied. Putting her feelings about Miss Higgins aside, it would have been better to introduce her as a colleague, not so much because their personal relationship was in question, but rather it was more professional sounding. She debated a moment about correcting her, but decided against it. While she still didn't fully trust Miss Higgins, she was beginning to wonder if maybe she wasn't the scam artist she believed her to be. For now, she'd give her the benefit of the doubt. This was a good chance to find out more about the mysterious girl from Pennsylvania.
“I think I’m going to ask Mike and Cindy about getting some business cards when we get back to the office. Thanks for pointing out that I should give the Falwells the number for our office. If you hadn’t said something, I might have just given them my own phone number, but the office phone number makes more sense.”
Felicia nodded again. "They have an answering machine and that way Mike or someone else can follow up if we are unavailable," Felicia explained. "He ordered me some. I'm sure he'll order some for you as well if you ask."
It was true; Shelley had been about to write down the number for the phone at Gary’s house on the notebook page. It actually hadn’t occurred to her to write down the Chronicle’s number until Felicia spoke up, but when she did Shelley wrote down the number Felicia recited and labeled it “Chronicle”. Under that she added “Shelley” and wrote Gary’s phone number so that Falwells could reach her either at the office or at home, and then tore the notebook page out and handed it to Dr. Falwell. Shelley didn’t mention to Felicia that she’d added her own number. “I still need to memorize the office’s phone number. I have it written down in my notebook, but I really should commit it to memory.”
"Yeah, probably a good idea," Felicia agreed. "Keep it written down and with you just in case in the meantime." Right now, Felicia's focus was getting back to the office as fast as possible so she could get to work on the story. Despite the notes and recording, it was always easier to write when things were fresh on her mind.
Felicia nodded when Shelley commented on how smoothly the interview went. She had to admit, she was half expecting the family to not want to talk to them or ask them to leave. Their cooperation had been a pleasant surprised. The second part caught Felicia off guard. "Yeah, sure," Felicia replied. Putting her feelings about Miss Higgins aside, it would have been better to introduce her as a colleague, not so much because their personal relationship was in question, but rather it was more professional sounding. She debated a moment about correcting her, but decided against it. While she still didn't fully trust Miss Higgins, she was beginning to wonder if maybe she wasn't the scam artist she believed her to be. For now, she'd give her the benefit of the doubt. This was a good chance to find out more about the mysterious girl from Pennsylvania.
“I think I’m going to ask Mike and Cindy about getting some business cards when we get back to the office. Thanks for pointing out that I should give the Falwells the number for our office. If you hadn’t said something, I might have just given them my own phone number, but the office phone number makes more sense.”
Felicia nodded again. "They have an answering machine and that way Mike or someone else can follow up if we are unavailable," Felicia explained. "He ordered me some. I'm sure he'll order some for you as well if you ask."
It was true; Shelley had been about to write down the number for the phone at Gary’s house on the notebook page. It actually hadn’t occurred to her to write down the Chronicle’s number until Felicia spoke up, but when she did Shelley wrote down the number Felicia recited and labeled it “Chronicle”. Under that she added “Shelley” and wrote Gary’s phone number so that Falwells could reach her either at the office or at home, and then tore the notebook page out and handed it to Dr. Falwell. Shelley didn’t mention to Felicia that she’d added her own number. “I still need to memorize the office’s phone number. I have it written down in my notebook, but I really should commit it to memory.”
"Yeah, probably a good idea," Felicia agreed. "Keep it written down and with you just in case in the meantime." Right now, Felicia's focus was getting back to the office as fast as possible so she could get to work on the story. Despite the notes and recording, it was always easier to write when things were fresh on her mind.
Tabby finally found the courage to skate across the parking lot toward the door. She had calmed down enough to come out of hiding. At this point, she was no longer crying and hoped her face wasn’t red. However, her eye was beginning to swell shut. Since she had bolted from Speedy’s, she had not been able to put any ice on it. Her knees were beginning to burn, too.
About halfway toward the Chronicle’s front door, a car pulled up. Tabby intentionally didn’t look toward it. She heard the slam of a car door followed by a familiar voice.
“Tabby?” Shelley called out as she shut the car door. She hurried towards Tabby, jogging awkwardly in her high-heeled sandals as they made a noisy “click-clack-click-clack” sound on the pavement. “Tabby, what’s wrong? What’s happened?”
Instinctively, Tabby turned to face Shelley. As she did, the first thing Shelley noticed was her work uniform was covered in numerous stains, all of which had turned dark making it hard to tell what they were. The next thing was the girl’s knees were covered in scabby, dried blood but the most obvious and concerning feature was one of her eyes was surrounded by a huge bruise and had swollen shut. The injury resembled the one Shelley had received when she’d been hit by one of their captors on the farm.
Tabby took a deep breath. She was fresh out of tears but still filled with fear as well as a touch of rage. Where would she begin her story? She was still processing everything that had happened earlier.
“Marie Evans,” she blurted out. “That’s what happened. I’m pretty sure my life is over now. Not that I wasn’t completely fucked before after the whole farm situation. I don’t know what I’m going to do…”
Felicia was watching from inside her car. She couldn’t hear what was being said and wanted to. Would Miss Higgins share everything with her? It might come off as uncaring if she didn’t go over there. Clearly, Miss Blackwell had been in some sort of altercation. Still, Felicia wondered if she should give the pair some space for a moment or two before approaching.
About halfway toward the Chronicle’s front door, a car pulled up. Tabby intentionally didn’t look toward it. She heard the slam of a car door followed by a familiar voice.
“Tabby?” Shelley called out as she shut the car door. She hurried towards Tabby, jogging awkwardly in her high-heeled sandals as they made a noisy “click-clack-click-clack” sound on the pavement. “Tabby, what’s wrong? What’s happened?”
Instinctively, Tabby turned to face Shelley. As she did, the first thing Shelley noticed was her work uniform was covered in numerous stains, all of which had turned dark making it hard to tell what they were. The next thing was the girl’s knees were covered in scabby, dried blood but the most obvious and concerning feature was one of her eyes was surrounded by a huge bruise and had swollen shut. The injury resembled the one Shelley had received when she’d been hit by one of their captors on the farm.
Tabby took a deep breath. She was fresh out of tears but still filled with fear as well as a touch of rage. Where would she begin her story? She was still processing everything that had happened earlier.
“Marie Evans,” she blurted out. “That’s what happened. I’m pretty sure my life is over now. Not that I wasn’t completely fucked before after the whole farm situation. I don’t know what I’m going to do…”
Felicia was watching from inside her car. She couldn’t hear what was being said and wanted to. Would Miss Higgins share everything with her? It might come off as uncaring if she didn’t go over there. Clearly, Miss Blackwell had been in some sort of altercation. Still, Felicia wondered if she should give the pair some space for a moment or two before approaching.
“Tabby?” Shelley called out as she shut the car door. She hurried towards Tabby, jogging awkwardly in her high-heeled sandals as they made a noisy “click-clack-click-clack” sound on the pavement. “Tabby, what’s wrong? What’s happened?”
“Marie Evans,” Tabby blurted out. “That’s what happened. I’m pretty sure my life is over now. Not that I wasn’t completely fucked before after the whole farm situation. I don’t know what I’m going to do…”
“Marie?” said Shelley, a dumbfounded look on her face. Shelley didn’t know Marie very well, but she had thought of the cheerleader captain as the type to hurt people with words and manipulation, rather than physically attacking them. But now that she could see Tabby up close, it was clear that she had been in some kind of physical altercation. Shelley noted Tabby’s stained uniform, bloodied knees, and swollen eye, and then quickly glanced around to the left and right, as if making sure Marie wasn’t somewhere here in the parking lot preparing to make more trouble. She didn’t see anyone nearby except for Felicia, who was still sitting in her car for some reason. She briefly wondered if Felicia was going to cause problems over this; she was pretty sure her coworker was a friend of Marie’s.
Hoping to comfort her friend, Shelley put her arms around Tabby and held her close in what she hoped was a reassuring embrace. It occurred to her that she was probably staining her own dress by doing so, but that didn’t matter; stains could be removed, and Tabby was what was important. “It’s going to be okay; we’ll figure something out,” Shelley whispered to her. “Come on, let’s go inside and get you fixed up. I imagine they have a first aid kit or something in the office that we can use.” She relinquished the embrace and took Tabby’s hand to lead her to the Chronicle’s front door. She wanted to get Tabby into the safety of the office as quickly as possible. She was anxious to learn more about what had happened, but it could wait until they had treated Tabby’s wounds.
*tags*
“Marie Evans,” Tabby blurted out. “That’s what happened. I’m pretty sure my life is over now. Not that I wasn’t completely fucked before after the whole farm situation. I don’t know what I’m going to do…”
“Marie?” said Shelley, a dumbfounded look on her face. Shelley didn’t know Marie very well, but she had thought of the cheerleader captain as the type to hurt people with words and manipulation, rather than physically attacking them. But now that she could see Tabby up close, it was clear that she had been in some kind of physical altercation. Shelley noted Tabby’s stained uniform, bloodied knees, and swollen eye, and then quickly glanced around to the left and right, as if making sure Marie wasn’t somewhere here in the parking lot preparing to make more trouble. She didn’t see anyone nearby except for Felicia, who was still sitting in her car for some reason. She briefly wondered if Felicia was going to cause problems over this; she was pretty sure her coworker was a friend of Marie’s.
Hoping to comfort her friend, Shelley put her arms around Tabby and held her close in what she hoped was a reassuring embrace. It occurred to her that she was probably staining her own dress by doing so, but that didn’t matter; stains could be removed, and Tabby was what was important. “It’s going to be okay; we’ll figure something out,” Shelley whispered to her. “Come on, let’s go inside and get you fixed up. I imagine they have a first aid kit or something in the office that we can use.” She relinquished the embrace and took Tabby’s hand to lead her to the Chronicle’s front door. She wanted to get Tabby into the safety of the office as quickly as possible. She was anxious to learn more about what had happened, but it could wait until they had treated Tabby’s wounds.
*tags*
Felicia turned into the parking lot and pulled into the spot closest to the front door. None of the other parking places were occupied. Miss Higgins suddenly noticed someone making their way toward the office front door. It looked like they had come from behind the next building over, which was odd given that was where the dumpsters were and generally only delivery people or employees would come from.
“That’s Tabby!” she exclaimed without further explanation for Felicia’s benefit.
"Huh," Felicia asked. She barely had time to process what was going on.
Shelley opened the door and hopped out of the car as soon as Felicia had put it in “Park”, not even waiting for her to shut off the engine. Miss Higgins hurried over to a red haired girl. Felicia realized she was one of the first years on the cheer squad. Starla Baxter's little, Blackwell. It appeared she was wearing her skates and in her uniform from the hamburger place she worked at. The same one where Miss Higgin's also worked. Dumbfounded, Felicia sat in a trance and watched the exchange for a moment.
“Tabby?” Shelley called out as she shut the car door. She hurried towards Tabby, jogging awkwardly in her high-heeled sandals as they made a noisy “click-clack-click-clack” sound on the pavement. “Tabby, what’s wrong? What’s happened?”
At that point, the pair were too far for Felicia to hear what was going on with the window rolled up and the engine running. They exchanged words and Shelley hugged the younger girl. Clearly, something had happened.
Snapping out of her trance, Felicia shut the engine off and got out of her car. She gazed at the pair across the parking lot as they came closer. Felicia wasn't quite sure what to say or do as Miss Higgins lead the younger girl toward the office. It was then she noticed her appearance. Bloody knees, black eye and filthy.
"Girl, what on Earth happened," Felicia involuntarily blurted out wide-eyed.
“That’s Tabby!” she exclaimed without further explanation for Felicia’s benefit.
"Huh," Felicia asked. She barely had time to process what was going on.
Shelley opened the door and hopped out of the car as soon as Felicia had put it in “Park”, not even waiting for her to shut off the engine. Miss Higgins hurried over to a red haired girl. Felicia realized she was one of the first years on the cheer squad. Starla Baxter's little, Blackwell. It appeared she was wearing her skates and in her uniform from the hamburger place she worked at. The same one where Miss Higgin's also worked. Dumbfounded, Felicia sat in a trance and watched the exchange for a moment.
“Tabby?” Shelley called out as she shut the car door. She hurried towards Tabby, jogging awkwardly in her high-heeled sandals as they made a noisy “click-clack-click-clack” sound on the pavement. “Tabby, what’s wrong? What’s happened?”
At that point, the pair were too far for Felicia to hear what was going on with the window rolled up and the engine running. They exchanged words and Shelley hugged the younger girl. Clearly, something had happened.
Snapping out of her trance, Felicia shut the engine off and got out of her car. She gazed at the pair across the parking lot as they came closer. Felicia wasn't quite sure what to say or do as Miss Higgins lead the younger girl toward the office. It was then she noticed her appearance. Bloody knees, black eye and filthy.
"Girl, what on Earth happened," Felicia involuntarily blurted out wide-eyed.
Tabby was all out of tears and had cried herself out. At this point she was just numb. There was so much she wanted to tell Shelley as she embraced her.
Then, Felicia Jackson chimed in. Shelley had apparently gotten a ride with her. They probably had been working on a story together. She and Marie were friends since Felicia had just graduated from TC High and was on the cheer squad herself.
Tabby didn't answer the other girl as she was lead inside the office.
A few minutes later, Shelley was inside the tiny bathroom in the back with Tabby helping clean her bloody knees. Tabby was holding an icepack to her swollen eye. Slowly, Tabby recounted her morning and how Marie and her friends had spotted her and began harassing her.
Tabby went to explain how the older girl had escalated things and deliberately knocked her over with the car door sending the food flying. At that point, Tabby snapped and the next thing she knew she had apparently attacked Marie, then someone grabbed her from behind. Marie took the opportunity to retaliate and managed to punch Tabby in the eye knocking her head into the face of the person who had pulled her off Marie.
Unfortunately, that person had been Coach North.
"So," Tabby concluded, "I just bolted. I'm dead. Coach North will take Marie's side. The truth doesn't matter whether she saw the whole thing unfold or not. I'm probably off the team before we ever start cheer camp, not that I wouldn't quit at this point anyway. The entire town saw everything. I don't know what I'm gonna do! Riley is going to fire me and that's the final nail in my coffin. If my dad wasn't going to kill me over the entire incident with the car thieves and getting abducted, things are pretty much hopeless now."
(tag Shelley)
She sighed. "Meanwhile, the band is supposed to practice as soon as Starla and I got off, work" Tabby added. "We are supposed to play the Fourth of July event tomorrow night. What am I gonna tell her and the guys? Shit! I wonder what happened with Starla at work..."
(tag Shelley)
Then, Felicia Jackson chimed in. Shelley had apparently gotten a ride with her. They probably had been working on a story together. She and Marie were friends since Felicia had just graduated from TC High and was on the cheer squad herself.
Tabby didn't answer the other girl as she was lead inside the office.
A few minutes later, Shelley was inside the tiny bathroom in the back with Tabby helping clean her bloody knees. Tabby was holding an icepack to her swollen eye. Slowly, Tabby recounted her morning and how Marie and her friends had spotted her and began harassing her.
Tabby went to explain how the older girl had escalated things and deliberately knocked her over with the car door sending the food flying. At that point, Tabby snapped and the next thing she knew she had apparently attacked Marie, then someone grabbed her from behind. Marie took the opportunity to retaliate and managed to punch Tabby in the eye knocking her head into the face of the person who had pulled her off Marie.
Unfortunately, that person had been Coach North.
"So," Tabby concluded, "I just bolted. I'm dead. Coach North will take Marie's side. The truth doesn't matter whether she saw the whole thing unfold or not. I'm probably off the team before we ever start cheer camp, not that I wouldn't quit at this point anyway. The entire town saw everything. I don't know what I'm gonna do! Riley is going to fire me and that's the final nail in my coffin. If my dad wasn't going to kill me over the entire incident with the car thieves and getting abducted, things are pretty much hopeless now."
(tag Shelley)
She sighed. "Meanwhile, the band is supposed to practice as soon as Starla and I got off, work" Tabby added. "We are supposed to play the Fourth of July event tomorrow night. What am I gonna tell her and the guys? Shit! I wonder what happened with Starla at work..."
(tag Shelley)
"Girl, what on Earth happened?"
When she heard the question, Shelley turned her head to see that Felicia was out of her car and had come to see what was going on. She paused for a moment to give Tabby a chance to answer Felicia, but when Tabby stayed silent, Shelley told Felicia, “We can talk about it later, but first I want to take care of her wounds. Do you know if Mike and Cindy have a first aid kit inside?”
A few minutes later, Shelley was inside the tiny bathroom in the back with Tabby helping clean her bloody knees. Tabby was holding an icepack to her swollen eye while Shelley knelt on the hard floor in front of Tabby so she could apply some Neosporin to Tabby’s skinned knees now that they had been sufficiently cleaned. While Shelley worked, she listened carefully to Tabby’s recounting of her altercation with Marie. Shelley sympathized with Tabby when she heard about how the cheerleaders had tried to cause her problems with their changing and ridiculously complicated orders; she could absolutely imagine that group of stuck-up bitches acting like that. As reprehensible as it was, that kind of behavior alone probably wasn’t enough to justify a physical retaliation in Shelley’s opinion, but Marie intentionally hitting Tabby with the card door was another matter. Still, Shelley worried that Speedy’s management might not see Tabby’s retaliation as justified. She couldn’t think about it for too long, though, because Tabby was now telling her about Coach North’s attempted intervention. Shelley managed to slip in a “Coach North? You mean Karen North?” Tabby gave a quick confirmation and then continued with the rest of her story.
"So," Tabby concluded, "I just bolted. I'm dead. Coach North will take Marie's side. The truth doesn't matter whether she saw the whole thing unfold or not. I'm probably off the team before we ever start cheer camp, not that I wouldn't quit at this point anyway. The entire town saw everything. I don't know what I'm gonna do! Riley is going to fire me and that's the final nail in my coffin. If my dad wasn't going to kill me over the entire incident with the car thieves and getting abducted, things are pretty much hopeless now."
Shelley was still trying to figure out how Coach North had ended up being part of this story. Had she come there with the cheerleaders? Shelley didn’t think Tabby had said anything about the coach being in the car with the cheerleaders. She pushed those thoughts away and shifted her attention to thinking about how to respond to Tabby. She wanted to say that Coach North wouldn’t take Marie’s side and that Riley wouldn’t fire her, especially if so many people had seen what had happened, but…she couldn’t. Shelley still thought Marie had been behind Karen firing her as an aerobics instructor. And Shelley didn’t think Riley would want to fire Tabby, but he may have to; businesses tended to take a dim view of their employees striking customers, even when it was provoked. Over the last few weeks, Shelley was quickly learning that actions had consequences, and those consequences weren’t always deserved or fair. And as to how Tabby’s father would react to all of this, well, Shelley had no idea. Still, she wanted to give Tabby some encouragement.
“Look, I know things seem pretty dark right now, but things have a way of working out. We all have hard times we have to go through now and then, but we struggle through it, and when we come out on the other side, we’re a better and stronger person for it. It’s not fun to go through this stuff, but it is temporary. I don’t know what Coach North is gonna do, or Riley, or your dad, but I know you, and I believe in you. You’ll get through this, and I’ll do whatever I can to help you.” She finished her work on Tabby’s knees by putting a big Band-Aid on each wound, and then rose to her feet. It felt good to stand; her own knees had been getting pretty sore kneeling on that hard floor while she worked on Tabby’s.
She sighed. "Meanwhile, the band is supposed to practice as soon as Starla and I got off work" Tabby added. "We are supposed to play the Fourth of July event tomorrow night. What am I gonna tell her and the guys? Shit! I wonder what happened with Starla at work..."
“I’m sure your band mates will understand,” said Shelley. “I mean, Starla saw it all and knows what you were going through, right? She’s probably had to work extra hard today, with both you and me being out.” She paused for a moment and looked in the mirror, inspecting herself for any condiment stains that might have transferred from Tabby during their embrace. Finding a couple, she moistened a paper towel and started dabbing at the stains, trying to clean them off as best she could. “There…that’s a little better; not too bad,” she said, and then added, “Ugh, looks like I put a run in my hose; must have done that when I was kneeling on the floor. Oh well.”
After checking herself one more time in the mirror, she said, “I tell you what; give me a little time to get things squared away with Felicia and the story we’re working on, and then I’ll give Gary a call and ask him to come and pick us up. We can go over to Speedy’s, get your shoes and any clothes you might have there, and check with Riley to find out where things stand. Or, if you want, you can stay in the van and I’ll get your stuff and talk to Riley. How does that sound?”
*tags*
When she heard the question, Shelley turned her head to see that Felicia was out of her car and had come to see what was going on. She paused for a moment to give Tabby a chance to answer Felicia, but when Tabby stayed silent, Shelley told Felicia, “We can talk about it later, but first I want to take care of her wounds. Do you know if Mike and Cindy have a first aid kit inside?”
A few minutes later, Shelley was inside the tiny bathroom in the back with Tabby helping clean her bloody knees. Tabby was holding an icepack to her swollen eye while Shelley knelt on the hard floor in front of Tabby so she could apply some Neosporin to Tabby’s skinned knees now that they had been sufficiently cleaned. While Shelley worked, she listened carefully to Tabby’s recounting of her altercation with Marie. Shelley sympathized with Tabby when she heard about how the cheerleaders had tried to cause her problems with their changing and ridiculously complicated orders; she could absolutely imagine that group of stuck-up bitches acting like that. As reprehensible as it was, that kind of behavior alone probably wasn’t enough to justify a physical retaliation in Shelley’s opinion, but Marie intentionally hitting Tabby with the card door was another matter. Still, Shelley worried that Speedy’s management might not see Tabby’s retaliation as justified. She couldn’t think about it for too long, though, because Tabby was now telling her about Coach North’s attempted intervention. Shelley managed to slip in a “Coach North? You mean Karen North?” Tabby gave a quick confirmation and then continued with the rest of her story.
"So," Tabby concluded, "I just bolted. I'm dead. Coach North will take Marie's side. The truth doesn't matter whether she saw the whole thing unfold or not. I'm probably off the team before we ever start cheer camp, not that I wouldn't quit at this point anyway. The entire town saw everything. I don't know what I'm gonna do! Riley is going to fire me and that's the final nail in my coffin. If my dad wasn't going to kill me over the entire incident with the car thieves and getting abducted, things are pretty much hopeless now."
Shelley was still trying to figure out how Coach North had ended up being part of this story. Had she come there with the cheerleaders? Shelley didn’t think Tabby had said anything about the coach being in the car with the cheerleaders. She pushed those thoughts away and shifted her attention to thinking about how to respond to Tabby. She wanted to say that Coach North wouldn’t take Marie’s side and that Riley wouldn’t fire her, especially if so many people had seen what had happened, but…she couldn’t. Shelley still thought Marie had been behind Karen firing her as an aerobics instructor. And Shelley didn’t think Riley would want to fire Tabby, but he may have to; businesses tended to take a dim view of their employees striking customers, even when it was provoked. Over the last few weeks, Shelley was quickly learning that actions had consequences, and those consequences weren’t always deserved or fair. And as to how Tabby’s father would react to all of this, well, Shelley had no idea. Still, she wanted to give Tabby some encouragement.
“Look, I know things seem pretty dark right now, but things have a way of working out. We all have hard times we have to go through now and then, but we struggle through it, and when we come out on the other side, we’re a better and stronger person for it. It’s not fun to go through this stuff, but it is temporary. I don’t know what Coach North is gonna do, or Riley, or your dad, but I know you, and I believe in you. You’ll get through this, and I’ll do whatever I can to help you.” She finished her work on Tabby’s knees by putting a big Band-Aid on each wound, and then rose to her feet. It felt good to stand; her own knees had been getting pretty sore kneeling on that hard floor while she worked on Tabby’s.
She sighed. "Meanwhile, the band is supposed to practice as soon as Starla and I got off work" Tabby added. "We are supposed to play the Fourth of July event tomorrow night. What am I gonna tell her and the guys? Shit! I wonder what happened with Starla at work..."
“I’m sure your band mates will understand,” said Shelley. “I mean, Starla saw it all and knows what you were going through, right? She’s probably had to work extra hard today, with both you and me being out.” She paused for a moment and looked in the mirror, inspecting herself for any condiment stains that might have transferred from Tabby during their embrace. Finding a couple, she moistened a paper towel and started dabbing at the stains, trying to clean them off as best she could. “There…that’s a little better; not too bad,” she said, and then added, “Ugh, looks like I put a run in my hose; must have done that when I was kneeling on the floor. Oh well.”
After checking herself one more time in the mirror, she said, “I tell you what; give me a little time to get things squared away with Felicia and the story we’re working on, and then I’ll give Gary a call and ask him to come and pick us up. We can go over to Speedy’s, get your shoes and any clothes you might have there, and check with Riley to find out where things stand. Or, if you want, you can stay in the van and I’ll get your stuff and talk to Riley. How does that sound?”
*tags*
“I’m sure your band mates will understand,” said Shelley. “I mean, Starla saw it all and knows what you were going through, right? She’s probably had to work extra hard today, with both you and me being out.” She paused for a moment and looked in the mirror, inspecting herself for any condiment stains that might have transferred from Tabby during their embrace. Finding a couple, she moistened a paper towel and started dabbing at the stains, trying to clean them off as best she could. “There…that’s a little better; not too bad,” she said, and then added, “Ugh, looks like I put a run in my hose; must have done that when I was kneeling on the floor. Oh well.”
"Yeah," Tabby muttered glumly. That was true. Not only had she brought hell down on herself, but she had made Starla's day harder. She knew that she wouldn't blame Tabby, but still, it seemed like her curse followed those she cared about right down to Shelley's hose. That wouldn't be a big deal except Tabby knew Shelley didn't have many clothes or much money.
After checking herself one more time in the mirror, she said, “I tell you what; give me a little time to get things squared away with Felicia and the story we’re working on, and then I’ll give Gary a call and ask him to come and pick us up. We can go over to Speedy’s, get your shoes and any clothes you might have there, and check with Riley to find out where things stand. Or, if you want, you can stay in the van and I’ll get your stuff and talk to Riley. How does that sound?”
Tabby nodded. "Thanks," she managed. Her mind was racing. She peeked out the door when Shelley left the bathroom to go talk to Felicia. After all, Shelley had a job to do and in addition to everything else, having to take care of her was cutting into her time here. Double damn it. There was a clock on the wall, It wasn't quite 12:30 yet. That gave Tabby a little time to pull her shit together and think of a plan and what she was going to say to the band, her parents, Riley if she was forced to... well everyone.
She let out a defeated sigh.
"Yeah," Tabby muttered glumly. That was true. Not only had she brought hell down on herself, but she had made Starla's day harder. She knew that she wouldn't blame Tabby, but still, it seemed like her curse followed those she cared about right down to Shelley's hose. That wouldn't be a big deal except Tabby knew Shelley didn't have many clothes or much money.
After checking herself one more time in the mirror, she said, “I tell you what; give me a little time to get things squared away with Felicia and the story we’re working on, and then I’ll give Gary a call and ask him to come and pick us up. We can go over to Speedy’s, get your shoes and any clothes you might have there, and check with Riley to find out where things stand. Or, if you want, you can stay in the van and I’ll get your stuff and talk to Riley. How does that sound?”
Tabby nodded. "Thanks," she managed. Her mind was racing. She peeked out the door when Shelley left the bathroom to go talk to Felicia. After all, Shelley had a job to do and in addition to everything else, having to take care of her was cutting into her time here. Double damn it. There was a clock on the wall, It wasn't quite 12:30 yet. That gave Tabby a little time to pull her shit together and think of a plan and what she was going to say to the band, her parents, Riley if she was forced to... well everyone.
She let out a defeated sigh.
When Miss Higgins finally emerged, Felicia looked up. She was working on a Xerox PC with a monochrome green monitor. She had been typing up her notes and listening to exserts from the cassette tape on her recorder.
"She okay," Felicia asked, glancing over her shoulder. Strangely, Felicia actually did feel some concern for the girl. She was a bit surprised that she wasn't annoyed at Shelley for disappearing into the bathroom to help clean her injuries. After all, she wasn't contributing to what she was supposed to be here for. But yet... that didn't seem to matter. Miss Higgins had taken the lead on the interview both times. Felicia suddenly felt like she needed to pull her own weight a little more. Working on the draft for the story seemed like a good way to prove that she'd contributed, too.
*tag Shelley*
"Look, I uh, got this if you need to take her somewhere," Felicia offered, momentarily forgetting that Miss Higgins had no car.
*tag Shelley*
"She okay," Felicia asked, glancing over her shoulder. Strangely, Felicia actually did feel some concern for the girl. She was a bit surprised that she wasn't annoyed at Shelley for disappearing into the bathroom to help clean her injuries. After all, she wasn't contributing to what she was supposed to be here for. But yet... that didn't seem to matter. Miss Higgins had taken the lead on the interview both times. Felicia suddenly felt like she needed to pull her own weight a little more. Working on the draft for the story seemed like a good way to prove that she'd contributed, too.
*tag Shelley*
"Look, I uh, got this if you need to take her somewhere," Felicia offered, momentarily forgetting that Miss Higgins had no car.
*tag Shelley*
When Shelley emerged from the bathroom, she was second-guessing herself over a couple of comments she’d made during the conversation with Tabby. She got the feeling that she’d made Tabby feel guilty when she mentioned that Starla had probably had to work extra hard, and then her making a fuss over the state of her own clothing had probably made it worse. It hadn’t been Shelley’s intention to lay a guilt trip on Tabby, but now it was done.
"She okay?" Felicia asked, glancing over her shoulder.
Shelley was glad that Felicia was showing at least a little concern for Tabby. “Yeah, I think she’ll be fine physically. Her injuries are pretty minor. I think she’s mostly just scared about being in trouble with her boss and her parents, and a little depressed. From what I gather, she had some customers that were giving her a hard time, and one of them opened a car door into her and knocked her down while she was trying to give them their food. She lost her temper, a little scuffle ensued, and then she panicked and ran away, and ended up here. Poor girl; she’s had such a rough time the last few days.” Shelley intentionally didn’t mention that Marie and some of the other cheerleaders had been the difficult customers.
"Look, I uh, got this if you need to take her somewhere," Felicia offered, momentarily forgetting that Miss Higgins had no car.
Shelley gave Felicia a warm smile and said, “Thanks, I really appreciate that. I’ll get Tabby over to Speedy’s so she can pick up her stuff and find out if she still has a job there, and then I’ll see she gets home safely.” It occurred to Shelley that she needed to pick up her own paycheck while she was at Speedy’s, and that Riley might even ask her to come in to work this afternoon, depending on how shorthanded he was.
Shelley went to the front desk and gave Gary a call. “Hi Gary! Do you think you could come and pick me up at the Chronicle, and give me a ride over to Speedy’s so I can get my paycheck? And, uh…Tabby will be joining us as well. She’s here at the Chronicle with me; seems she got into a little altercation at Speedy’s, and it’s unclear to me whether she’s still employed there. Don’t worry; other than a few bumps and bruises, she’s okay. She’s just feeling a little depressed and scared right now.”
*tags*
"She okay?" Felicia asked, glancing over her shoulder.
Shelley was glad that Felicia was showing at least a little concern for Tabby. “Yeah, I think she’ll be fine physically. Her injuries are pretty minor. I think she’s mostly just scared about being in trouble with her boss and her parents, and a little depressed. From what I gather, she had some customers that were giving her a hard time, and one of them opened a car door into her and knocked her down while she was trying to give them their food. She lost her temper, a little scuffle ensued, and then she panicked and ran away, and ended up here. Poor girl; she’s had such a rough time the last few days.” Shelley intentionally didn’t mention that Marie and some of the other cheerleaders had been the difficult customers.
"Look, I uh, got this if you need to take her somewhere," Felicia offered, momentarily forgetting that Miss Higgins had no car.
Shelley gave Felicia a warm smile and said, “Thanks, I really appreciate that. I’ll get Tabby over to Speedy’s so she can pick up her stuff and find out if she still has a job there, and then I’ll see she gets home safely.” It occurred to Shelley that she needed to pick up her own paycheck while she was at Speedy’s, and that Riley might even ask her to come in to work this afternoon, depending on how shorthanded he was.
Shelley went to the front desk and gave Gary a call. “Hi Gary! Do you think you could come and pick me up at the Chronicle, and give me a ride over to Speedy’s so I can get my paycheck? And, uh…Tabby will be joining us as well. She’s here at the Chronicle with me; seems she got into a little altercation at Speedy’s, and it’s unclear to me whether she’s still employed there. Don’t worry; other than a few bumps and bruises, she’s okay. She’s just feeling a little depressed and scared right now.”
*tags*
Felicia just nodded. On one hand, she did feel like this was helping her contribute her fair share to the story. On the other hand, she couldn't mentally help but note that Miss Higgins owed her a favor should something ever come up.
She was still curious about what had transpired at Speedy's and a part of her wanted to listen in and see if she could catch the details. She'd missed most of what had been said in the parking lot and the bathroom door was shut and across the room from where Felicia had been working.
That being said, Felicia was also pretty sure they were intentionally keeping their voices down so no one would overhear anything. Not that anyone else was around at the moment. Mike was back in the development room working on some photos and Cindy must be out meeting with clients about advertising since no one was manning the front desk while Felicia was out in the field with Miss Higgins.
She was still curious about what had transpired at Speedy's and a part of her wanted to listen in and see if she could catch the details. She'd missed most of what had been said in the parking lot and the bathroom door was shut and across the room from where Felicia had been working.
That being said, Felicia was also pretty sure they were intentionally keeping their voices down so no one would overhear anything. Not that anyone else was around at the moment. Mike was back in the development room working on some photos and Cindy must be out meeting with clients about advertising since no one was manning the front desk while Felicia was out in the field with Miss Higgins.
Shelley went to the front desk and gave Gary a call. "Hello?," Gary said as soon as he picked up.
"Hi Gary," was all Shelley managed before she heard noise in the background.
"God damn it, hang on," Gary grumbled, irritably. Shelley caught the faint noise of the train horn. As usual, Burlington Northern seemed to somehow know they were on the phone. Once again, a freight train had been meticulously timed to come passed the house at the exact moment Gary picked up the receiver.
Since the track crossed the road just a few houses down, it usually took a moment before the engineer stopped blaring the horn as the locomotives rumbled through the crossing along with the loud hum of the generators. It took about 30 seconds before the engines were far enough down the track before being able to continue. The clickety-clack of the freight cars after that were at a reasonable enough level the conversation could then resume.
"Sorry about that," Gary apologized. "You know how the phone and the train are on the same circuit. GTE and BN have a conspiracy, I tell you! Anyway, what's up?"
“Hi Gary! Do you think you could come and pick me up at the Chronicle, and give me a ride over to Speedy’s so I can get my paycheck? And, uh…Tabby will be joining us as well. She’s here at the Chronicle with me; seems she got into a little altercation at Speedy’s, and it’s unclear to me whether she’s still employed there. Don’t worry; other than a few bumps and bruises, she’s okay. She’s just feeling a little depressed and scared right now.”
"Wait. What? An altercation? Like a fist fight? That doesn't sound like Tabs! What in the world happened," Gary asked. That news had completely caught him off guard. The poor girl had certainly had a week.
*Tag*
"Hi Gary," was all Shelley managed before she heard noise in the background.
"God damn it, hang on," Gary grumbled, irritably. Shelley caught the faint noise of the train horn. As usual, Burlington Northern seemed to somehow know they were on the phone. Once again, a freight train had been meticulously timed to come passed the house at the exact moment Gary picked up the receiver.
Since the track crossed the road just a few houses down, it usually took a moment before the engineer stopped blaring the horn as the locomotives rumbled through the crossing along with the loud hum of the generators. It took about 30 seconds before the engines were far enough down the track before being able to continue. The clickety-clack of the freight cars after that were at a reasonable enough level the conversation could then resume.
"Sorry about that," Gary apologized. "You know how the phone and the train are on the same circuit. GTE and BN have a conspiracy, I tell you! Anyway, what's up?"
“Hi Gary! Do you think you could come and pick me up at the Chronicle, and give me a ride over to Speedy’s so I can get my paycheck? And, uh…Tabby will be joining us as well. She’s here at the Chronicle with me; seems she got into a little altercation at Speedy’s, and it’s unclear to me whether she’s still employed there. Don’t worry; other than a few bumps and bruises, she’s okay. She’s just feeling a little depressed and scared right now.”
"Wait. What? An altercation? Like a fist fight? That doesn't sound like Tabs! What in the world happened," Gary asked. That news had completely caught him off guard. The poor girl had certainly had a week.
*Tag*
Tabby peaked out the door and saw Shelley talking to Felicia. She got the gist of most of what was said and then went to the front to call Gary to come get them. Starla wasn't off until 2 PM. That was when she was also supposed to clock out and the next shift came on duty. There was about an hour and a half until then.
She debated if she should hide out in the bathroom until Shelley came back. She really didn't want to talk to Felicia. Just then, Shelley and Felicia's boss came out of a room with a red light bulb above the door. The light went out when he exited and he seemed to be coming her way.
Tabby realized this was probably the only bathroom in the building given the office was fairly small and he needed to use the restroom 'or take a 'whiz' or 'a leak' as Trevor liked to announce when he had to use the bathroom. She rolled her eyes at the thought and then stepped from the restroom.
Mike Wolfe had been unaware of her presence until then. "Oh hi," Mike said when he spotted her.
"Hi," Tabby replied robotically. She bit her lower lip and fidgeted with one of her curls. It was then he noticed her swollen face and probably bandaged knees. Tabby hoped it was okay that Shelley had used the first aid kit on her.
"Everything okay," he asked quickly.
"Yeah, thanks," Tabby responded. She forced her hand down. "Sorry, little mishap at work, but uh, nothing serious."
"Anything I can do," Mike asked.
"Uh, actually, do you have a piece of paper, maybe a few and a pen I could borrow," Tabby asked before she even really processed what she was asking and why.
"Yeah, sure thing," Mike answered. He walked over to a desk. We have tons of supplies, paper, pens, paperclips, envelopes, help yourself to whatever you need."
"Thanks, I really appreciate it," She said quickly stepping out of the way so Mike could enter the restroom. He closed the door. Tabby wandered over to where he pointed. She counted out 5 sheets of paper and took a pen. It had the paper's name and phone number on it. One sheet for each ought to do it, she thought as she was forming her plan in her head.
Mike had told her to take whatever she needed, so on a whim, she also grabbed 5 envelops to go with the sheets of paper. She made no attempt to hide them and grouped everything together. Felicia was busy typing away on the computer.
"Get what you needed," Mike asked as he exited the restroom.
"Yes sir, thanks," She replied.
Mike nodded to her and didn't inquire any further and went back into the developing room. The red light went back on indicating it was in use. Tabby would wait for Shelley to come back before she did anything else. Another idea came to her as she waited. Maybe she could spend the night at Starla's. She'd ask once she could speak to her alone.
She debated if she should hide out in the bathroom until Shelley came back. She really didn't want to talk to Felicia. Just then, Shelley and Felicia's boss came out of a room with a red light bulb above the door. The light went out when he exited and he seemed to be coming her way.
Tabby realized this was probably the only bathroom in the building given the office was fairly small and he needed to use the restroom 'or take a 'whiz' or 'a leak' as Trevor liked to announce when he had to use the bathroom. She rolled her eyes at the thought and then stepped from the restroom.
Mike Wolfe had been unaware of her presence until then. "Oh hi," Mike said when he spotted her.
"Hi," Tabby replied robotically. She bit her lower lip and fidgeted with one of her curls. It was then he noticed her swollen face and probably bandaged knees. Tabby hoped it was okay that Shelley had used the first aid kit on her.
"Everything okay," he asked quickly.
"Yeah, thanks," Tabby responded. She forced her hand down. "Sorry, little mishap at work, but uh, nothing serious."
"Anything I can do," Mike asked.
"Uh, actually, do you have a piece of paper, maybe a few and a pen I could borrow," Tabby asked before she even really processed what she was asking and why.
"Yeah, sure thing," Mike answered. He walked over to a desk. We have tons of supplies, paper, pens, paperclips, envelopes, help yourself to whatever you need."
"Thanks, I really appreciate it," She said quickly stepping out of the way so Mike could enter the restroom. He closed the door. Tabby wandered over to where he pointed. She counted out 5 sheets of paper and took a pen. It had the paper's name and phone number on it. One sheet for each ought to do it, she thought as she was forming her plan in her head.
Mike had told her to take whatever she needed, so on a whim, she also grabbed 5 envelops to go with the sheets of paper. She made no attempt to hide them and grouped everything together. Felicia was busy typing away on the computer.
"Get what you needed," Mike asked as he exited the restroom.
"Yes sir, thanks," She replied.
Mike nodded to her and didn't inquire any further and went back into the developing room. The red light went back on indicating it was in use. Tabby would wait for Shelley to come back before she did anything else. Another idea came to her as she waited. Maybe she could spend the night at Starla's. She'd ask once she could speak to her alone.
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