The Trouble with Kissing Connor

Chapter 28 (Sadie)

I watched as Connor disappeared. I wanted to chase after him, but he was too fast and my legs felt heavy and weighed down. My chest was rising and falling as if I'd just run a marathon. I didn't know what to do, so I just stared at the empty horizon, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

There was crunch of a twig. My sister—Or so called sister. How did we share the same DNA? I'd almost forgotten she was still there, and my shock and grief over losing Connor suddenly turned to anger. She had just destroyed everything. Not entirely true, my lies had laid the groundwork. But still, there was no forgiving her for this, ever...

"Are you happy now?" I asked moving towards her. "Do you fucking know what you've done?"

McKenzie looked at me blankly. Was she even capable of remorse?

"Do you?!" I screamed this time. I didn't care where we were or who could hear us. "Well?" I asked again.

And then, a slow smile broke out across her face. Her eyes flashed with an acknowledgment and then, pure evil. "Yes, Sadie. I do know what I did. I know exactly what I did."

And that was it, that smile, that was all it took to tip me over the edge as an emotional avalanche slammed into me. All the anger, the pent up frustration, and the dashed hopes after ten years of pining for Connor. And all that rage at Mckenzie after all the fights and her bitchy comments. It all came crashing down on me.

I don't know how it happened really, but before I knew it, I was on her and then we were both on the floor. Rolling, and grabbing and pulling and shrieking at the top of my lungs, but also, crying. Crying not only for what had just happened, but for everything; the years of taunting and downright bitchiness.

"I hate you!" I wailed. "I hate you!"

I felt my hair being yanked back as she grabbed at me. I grabbed back at whatever I could get my hands on and I heard a rip. It might have been a shirt, who knows? We became a writhing mess of hair and arms and I no longer knew where I ended, and McKenzie began.

"What's going on here?" I heard a voice behind us but I didn't stop. Not until I felt two big arms wrap around me and we were forcibly pulled apart. Through my hair and tears I saw Mr. Jenkins pulling a kicking McKenzie away. I looked down at the hands around my waist; they belonged to Mr. Crab.

A crowd had gathered around us and I wondered how long they'd been watching? I'd lost all sense of time and sanity.

"I'm going to get you." I screamed back at my twin as I tried to break free of the teacher's grip. But he was too strong. My arms and legs thrashed and kicked, as we were dragged into the empty club house.

"There's nothing to see here!" Mr. Jenkins shouted at the japing, smirking crowd before slamming the door closed. Once inside, Mckenzie and I came face to face with the two teachers.

"What's going on?" Mr. Crab barked at us while wiping a dollop of sweat off his forehead. It appeared that keeping us apart had been a serious workout.

I folded my arms and said nothing. McKenzie too.

"What's going on, you two?" he barked louder this time looking from McKenzie to me and back again.

Mr. Jenkins stepped forward now. Usually he intimidated me, but not that day. My seething rage drowned out any other emotion I was experiencing.

"If you do not tell us what is going on," he said. "You are both getting suspended for a week." He folded his arms now, obviously trying to look more intimidating.

I turned toward McKenzie and glared at her. She turned toward me and glared back. Without blinking or responding to our teachers, we both folded our arms and stood our ground.