on the map//spencer 'spider' white

17

Since Harper has been staying at Amerie's I meet the two of them to walk to school together.

"Term two, baby!" Amerie shouts. She turns to Harper. "By the way, I got your back-to-school present."

"Oh, yeah, is it a dad?" Harper remarks.

"From now on, I am officially your bodyguard," Amerie tells her. "I go wherever you go. You can't even chuck a shit without me being there. I am gonna be the best goddamn mate you've ever seen!" Amerie reaches into her bag. "But also... this."

I realize she's holding a little squirt gun.

Harper laughs. "What is that?"

Amerie shrugs. "Pepper spray."

"Did you make this yourself?" Harper asks.

"Yeah, I found a recipe on the Internet," Amerie explains. She pulls two more squirt guns out of her bag. "Made on for Rhiannon and made myself one too. Bam! I have one mission from now on, protect you at all costs."

Harper holds the squirt gun up to Amerie's forehead. "You're scaring me. This is kind of cool."

"Does it make you feel like a powerful bitch?" Amerie asks.

"Kind of," Harper admits.

"'Cause guess what we are," Amerie says.

"What?" I ask.

"Powerful bitches!" Amerie shouts.

I laugh. "Let's go. We're gonna miss the train."

It's not that long of a train ride. We walk down the platform a block away from school. Amerie is ragging on me about my car.

"It's not my fault my car decided it no longer wanted to work," I tell her.

"It's just that I go so used to you driving us last term," Amerie tells me.

I laugh. "Me too. But it shouldn't be more than a week until it's fixed. Then we're back to riding in style."

I realize Harper stopped walking.

"Harper?" I ask.

"You okay, Harps?" Amerie asks. Harper turns back towards us. "Oi! Let's go."

Darren and Quinni are waiting for the three of us out front of the school.

"I am roped and gagged!" Darren remarks. I smile as they pull me into a hug. "How are we back already?" I smile as Quinni hugs me. "I am hungry for an education. I'm starving for it."

"Yeah, you bloody need one," Amerie remarks.

"Can we walk three and two?" Quinni asks. "Is that annoying?"

"It's all good," Darren tells her.

I fall in with Darren and Amerie.

"Rat slut!" some girl shouts at Harper.

"You put Ca$h in jail!"

"Ah, say more, I dare ya!" Amerie shouts.

A car pulls past us into the car park. It's Malakai and Missy.

"Mmm! Thirst incoming," Darren teases.

"Shut up," Amerie tells them. "I told you I'm not going there. My priority is Harper this term."

"I give you one week," Darren states.

I laugh. "I give you three days."

"No, I'm serious, okay?" Amerie insists. "Boys are what messed up our friendship."