Joel rolled out of bed and stumbled over his pants from the night before. He fell on Benji's bed, waking him.
"sorry dude."
Benji just groaned and threw the blankets off.
Joel went down the stairs to the bathroom. He got in the shower and started to sing little things. He came out of the bathroom wearing a towel, his hair dripping.
Benji bumped into Joel on his way into the bathroom.
"Sorry."
"S'ok."
Joel went to their room and searched his droor for boxers.
Benji turned on the water then turned to the mirror. There was pink lipstick on his cheek. He shrugged and took off his shirt followed by the bondage pants he was still wearing from last night. He jumped in the shower, "Hot!" He exclaimed.
Joel chuckled on his way to the kitchen. He sat next to his sister Sarah. "Good morning Joel." She said in a very chipper voice.
"Mornin'." He replied.
Their mom sat down at the table with the paper. "Joel, can you take Sarah to school? I have an important interview today."
"Sure Mom." He nodded.
Benji came into the kitchen, poked his sister and sat down to eat his breakfast.
Sarah looked at the clock. "We're gonna be late because you two are lazy."
"Well, Miss I know everything. Maybe Benj and I should tie you to the hood of the car."
"Joel..." His mom cautioned.
"It sounds like fun." Sarah excitedly said.
Benji stood, grabbed his bag off the chair and headed for the car. Joel and Sarah were right behind him. Joel grabbed his shoes and tried to put them on as he walked out the door. Sarah just pointed and laughed as he dropped his bag.
"Ha ha ha. Benj where is the rope?"
~
Pixley got out of bed and walked down the hall to the kitchen. She sat at the table and rubbed her head. Her mom looked at her. "When did you get home?"
She looked at her mom. "Elevenish." She saw her reflection in the stove window. Her eye liner was streaked from the corner of her eye to her ear and from the other eye to her chin. She wiped at it violently, but only made her cheek red and sore. "I had fun. The twins have some talent. As do the rest of the band."
"Hurry up and eat, I'm gonna drive you to school."
"I thought dad worked today."
"No, he's in bed with a hang over." She sighed.
"Mom, I don't really feel like eating. I'll get something at school." Pixley stood from the table and went to the bathroom to wash her face. "And Mom. I think I'll just walk to school. I have a massive headache."
"Why do you have a headache?"
"Well, also a concussion, but I fell last night and hit my head. Just like at the skating rink. So I'll just walk."
"I don't want you to walk that far."
"Then tell dad to give me back my skate board." Pixley said, her face covered with soap.
"It's in the closet. Top shelf." Her mom smiled.
Pixley smiled and washed the soap off her face. "OK, I have to get to school. Lova ya Mom." She started for the door.
"Pixley... You might want to change your clothes."
Pixley looked at what she was weraing. She nodded. She was still wearing what she wore the night before. She went to her room to change. She came out of her room wearing baggy blue jeans and a black fish net shirt over a black tank top. "Bye Mom." She said, grabbing her skate board.
Pixley was about a block away from her house when Benji and Joel pulled up next to her.
"Pix, want a ride?" Joel leaned out the window.
Pixley smiled and walked towards the car. "You guys are great."
Benji parked the car and Joel helped Pixley out of the car. "Ya know what's weird?"
"What? You?" Pixley smiled, poking Joel.
"No, that we've never really spoken until yesterday, and yet I feel as if I've known you all my life."
"Yeah, really weird." Benji said, with a hint of sarcasm.
"I guess head injuries bring peeps together." Pixley laughed.
Joel nodded.
Everyone stared at them as they walked into biology class together, talking.
They sat in their usual places in the back. The blonde girl whom sat in front of Joel turned to him. "Uh, Joel, like, why are you talking with that freak?" She pointed to Pixley.
"She's not a freak." Joel said.
"Like, yes she is."
Pixley sighed. "Look, Jessica. I don't appreciate being called a freak."
"But you are a freak." Jessica said with a smug smile. She turned back to Joel. "I don't even know why I bothered going out with you. But I'm glad I dumped you. Now you can go out with Shitty."
"That doesn't even rhyme with her name." Benji said.
"Like, why should I care if it, like, rhymes or not?"
"Cause maybe you'd sound more intellegent?" Pixley said, standing from her chair. She started towards the door.
"Oh, poor little freak. I think I hurt her feelings."
Benji wanted to slap the blonde, but he held his hand, but not his tongue. "LOOK! You little slut bag! You spend your life putting people like Pixley down because it makes you feel more important. I don't know why my brother even wanted to go out with you in the first place. But don't you see that she's a beautiful girl?" He pointed to Pixley, she was almost out the door, but stopped to listen to what Benji was saying. "She's more beautiful than you'll ever be. When you're all alone and miserable she'll be with people who love her. They won't love her becasue she's beautiful, but because she's a hell of a lot nicer than you." He pointed to himself. "And I'll be one of those people."
Jessica stood, looked Benji in the eye and slapped him across the face. "How dare you say that?" Pixley was mad now. She marched over to Jessica and tapped her on the shoulder. "What?" Pixley glared at Jessica, pulled back her fist and punched her in the nose. Jessica fell into Benji's arms. He looked at her and dropped her to the floor. "I think you broke my nose you bitch."
Pixley looked at Benji's cheek. "A little red and some of Heather's Amber Rose lipstick, but you'll be OK."
Mr Schmit came in the class room to see the twins and Pixley standing around a fallen Jessica. "What is going on here?!" The class was silent. "Benjiman Madden, Joel Madden and Pixley McKenzie, to the principals office now. Jessica Zeiler, to the nurses office."
Pixley and the twins left the class room and sat in front of the principals office. "I wonder if we'll get suspended." Joel said.
"I hope that bitch gets some punishment for this." Benji pointed to his cheek. There was a perfect hand print across his left cheek.
Pixley was sitting between the twins. "She'll prolly get special attention. Do you remember last semester when she was gone?" The twins nodded. "She was in the nut house."
"Really?" They asked.
Pixley nodded. "Yeah, so we'll get in trouble. Most likely suspended. I got suspended for punching Judy last year in bio. But she hit me first, did anything happen to her? Noooo."
Mr K stepped out of his office. "Will you three please come in here?" They stood and went into the office. "I understand that Miss Zeiner called Miss McKenzie a freak and a bitch. Is that right?"
"Yes Sir, it is." Joel said.
"Then you punched her?" He looked at Pixley.
"No, Benji defended me, she slapped him. You can still see the print on his cheek." She pointed to Benji. "I got upset and then I punched her."
"I see."
"Mr K, Jessica sits in front of me and she just started calling Pixley a freak. This isn't the first time Jessica has verbally attacked Pixley, and she has also physically attacked her."
"When was that?"
"Last semester." Benji said.
~
After a torturous meeting with Mr K, Joel, Benji and Pixley got a weeks detention as did Jessica.
"Well, at least we weren't suspended." Joel smiled.