User blog:SodaCat/Muse Chapter 5: Happy Birthday to You!

OKAY HERES THIS I'LL EDIT THE STORY PAGE AND ADD LINKS TO THE OTHER CHAPTERS LATER MY HEAD HURTS SO MUCH RN GOODNIGHT ILL READ STUFF ETC TOMORROW

The football field seemed to vibrate with the heartbeat of the nameless tune that was currently blasting out of the six-foot tall speakers.

October 31st, 2006—Halloween night, and also, coincidentally, Jesse Tyler’s 18th birthday.

He’d just been grinding with one of the girls from Bullworth High when Jesse decided he wanted a drink, or ten. It was his birthday, after all.

The football field had been decked out specifically for this event—the football team never hesitated to go all out for the celebration of one of their own’s birthdays.

Speakers taller than even Juri towered over the crowd, which was made up of the entire football team, of course, the cheerleaders, a couple kids from the lower grades, and a whole lot of kids from the public school. Bullworth had a serious lack of ladies, so the public school did a real nice job of providing the fun when needed. Even a couple nerds wandered around the party—after all, they’d need something funny to do to entertain everyone. Beating up a couple losers was good enough.

He looked at the girl pressing herself against him, studying her for a moment. Her dull blonde hair the color of a used, old broom looked like it needed some serious washing, and in his personal opinion, a run would do her a world of good. That Playboy playmate costume she was wearing looked about three sizes too small on her, and just begging to be put out of its misery as it spilled her body out of the leg and arm holes.

Alright, maybe the girls at the academy were scarce, but at least they weren’t sub-par like Blondie over here.

“I’m gonna go and get myself a drink, darlin’,” Jesse purred into her ear, minding his matters. Sure, she was about as appealing as week old road kill, but he wasn’t about to be the one to let her know.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“I’ll be here, baby,” Blondie replied, giving him a smirk and a quick kiss on the cheek before melting into the crowd, most likely in search of another boy to grind on.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Boy, was he glad he didn’t go to Bullworth High.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">He swaggered his way over to the snack table, which was decorated in a rainbow of foods. An assortment of chips, candies, and even his favorite beer—Lone Star. Jesse plucked a beer can off the table and turned to face the field, where the majority of the party was centered.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">The mixture of Bullworth Academy kids and Bullworth High kids had been a real nice turnout. Ted and Casey had taken charge of the guest list, and they’d been good enough pals to make sure to invite mainly ladies from the public school to assure that Jesse could have his pick of who his birthday hook-up would be. They’d even gone all out with the liquor—the whole football team would probably still be drunk by next week, and it was only Tuesday.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Within moments, Jesse was crowded by his usual posse—Ted, Casey, and of course, Mandy on Ted’s arm.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“You looooovin’ your party, dude?” Ted slurred, so painfully, obviously drunk. He set one hand on the snack table to steady himself, knocking over a couple cans and party cups, his other arm around Mandy’s shoulder. He made no effort to hide the fact that he was trying to grope her breasts, making her clearly uncomfortable. She kept trying to shrug his arm off of her, but she wasn’t saying anything about it.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Jesse nodded, popping open his beer can with his teeth, and taking a long gulp. “You can bet your hat. Thanks, y’all, I really appreciate this,” he said, grinning at Ted.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Hope you like that beer, man,” Casey added, his own arm curled around some ugly chick from the high school, “we had to drive all the way to Blue Skies to find it, and we had to pay some construction worker to get it for us.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">He’d pushed his devil mask off of his face, and was giving Jesse a smug look, obviously proud of having ‘scored’ tonight. Hell, Jesse thought that even Casey had to be pretty drunk to think he was gonna get any sort of points from a chick like that. He’d be getting a kick outta this for months.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">He chuckled, just as Christy Martin swung by and draped her arms around Jesse’s neck, pushing past Ted and Casey and giving Jesse a long, long kiss.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Meet me by the girl’s locker room at eleven for part two of your gift, kay?” she purred, icing him with a sweet, girlish smile and paying no mind to Ted, Casey, or Mandy.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Jesse grinned back at her, setting his hands on her narrow hips and feeling her up. She was wearing some stupid little mouse costume, and he absolutely adored it on her. Maybe it was just the alcohol racing ‘round in his system, but she looked ten times hotter than usual.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“You got it, babe,” he mumbled, winking at her and circling his hands around to her backside before giving her another quick kiss. Earlier, Christy had been in charge of keeping him… busy while the guys set up for the party. Part one of his gift had been real nice, and even in the comfort of his own dorm room. He really couldn’t wait to see what part two was. Maybe he’d finally get laid.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">A boy can only dream, right?

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Christy parted from him and strut off to join the party to grind on some loser from the public school, but Jesse found he didn’t really give a shit. He had Texas beer, and would be getting some sort of sexual favor in about twenty minutes. He just about had it made right now.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“I can’t believe you take advantage of her like that,” Mandy snorted, finally managing to push Ted’s arm off her and crossing her arms like she was all disappointed and such.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Priss.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Jesse took a long sip from his beer, eyes scanning up and down Mandy’s body. She wasn’t wearing some sort of sexy little costume like Christy, but instead sported a more sensible bee costume, topped with a crown on her head.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Oh man, she was a ‘Queen Bee’.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Man, she sure must’ve racked her brain cookin’ up that one!

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif""> “Sweetheart, I ain’t takin’ advantage of nothin’. That girl’s fixin’ t’ spend some time with me, and I’m jus’ givin’ ‘er what she wants. Right, y’all?”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Casey had been nipping and kissing at Butterface’s neck, and broke apart just as Jesse spoke up. He looked real dazed and confused, like he wasn’t sure where the hell he was, but offered a hearty ‘yeah man’, just in case. Ted, still irritated at having been rejected by Mandy, agreed as well.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Ugh, whatever,” Mandy sneered, holding up her hand to Jesse’s face like she was better than him, “I’m gonna go find the sodas.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">The three of them watched her as she strut off in the direction of the clubhouse, her nose pointed into the air and ignoring everyone she walked past, the football field lights reflecting delicately off of her costume.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Take a walk,” Casey commanded his date, giving her a slight nudge towards the field. She shrugged, uninterested, and disappeared into the crowd of teens dancing and grinding on the field.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Mandy’s so tight, she squeaks when she walks,” Jesse commented, laughing and clinking his beer with Casey’s.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Ted nodded, sticking the hand that wasn’t holding him up into his letterman jacket and looking off into the crowd. “I’m just waiting for her to hold out, then I’ll find mysel’ a new girl. Maybe one of the public school ones, or that new chick, Monroe.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Casey shook his head, a slightly disappointed look gracing his features, glancing over at Jesse. “We tried with that one, she’s all about the grease monkeys. I don’t think I’ve seen her away from that Romano kid since she got here.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Damn,” Ted sighed, “whatever, I’ll just pick from the public school.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Jesse eyed him for a moment, unsure of what to say. Ted was a real jerk to Mandy. Sure, maybe he was a real jerk to Mandy, too, but it wasn’t like he was Mandy’s boyfriend. He was forced to deal with her in photography—Ted just dealt with her by choice. Just sticking around to do her wasn’t a good excuse either.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">His thoughts were interrupted by the unmistakably annoying voice of Ivan Alexander, some loser eighth grader who swore they were friends. “Hey, Jesse? Uh, sir?”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Jesse took in a deep breath, a bit irritated. This kid really thought it was a good idea to distract him right in the middle of his eighteenth birthday party?

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">He turned to face the dork, crossing his arms and looking like the big, intimidating linebacker he was.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Listen, son, I got a hook-up in 15 minutes, and if I’m late to that ‘cause of you, I swear I’ll—”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Ivan interrupted him, waving his hands a little and shaking his head. Jesse might’ve smacked him, had he not delivered the news he was just about to.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Some of those dropout kids crashed the party, and I saw them go into the clubhouse. I just, uh, thought you should know…”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Jesse immediately snapped around to look at Casey, exchanging a worried look with him.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Mandy’s in there,” he said automatically, glancing over at Ted, who was just opening a can of bear, uninterested. Jesse raised his eyebrows at him, waiting for Ted to give the command that they ambush the clubhouse and save Mandy right away. Instead, he caught the eye of a cheerleader from the public school, and strolled off in her direction.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Ass.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Dismissed, Alexander,” Jesse scolded, pushing his hair back and leaving his can of beer on the snack table. He turned to Casey, nodding over to the clubhouse. “Come on, we’re goin’.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Casey eyed Jesse for a moment, instantly recognizing the fury on his face. He’d seen this face only a couple of times before, and he knew instantly that this couldn’t end well.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">They crashed into the clubhouse less than a minute later.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Come on baby, just have a drink, loosen u—What the hell?!”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Mandy stood by the bed in the clubhouse, her face calm and collected, but Jesse could see the fear in her eyes even from where he stood. Two of those dropout kids—one with a goatee, the other with some dirty, white wifebeater—had cornered her. He could smell a mixture of weed and something strong—vodka, maybe—coming off of them.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“It’s just two schoolboys,” the taller one said, rolling his eyes and turning back to Mandy.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Get outta here!” Casey commanded, stepping up to the dropout, puffing up his chest to look bigger. “This is our turf.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Why?” Wifebeater asked, inching closer to Casey, “You gonna make us?”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Yeah, we’re gonna make you!” Jesse roared, his hands balling up into fists. Did they really think they could just barge in and bother Mandy on Jock turf?

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Wifebeater laughed, turning to face Jesse. “Look at this, Gurney,” he called, grinning wildly, “this kid’s gonna beat us up. What’s the matter, pretty boy? We mess with your girl?”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">He backtracked so that he was standing right by Mandy, and spanked her right on the rear end.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">And that’s when everything went black for Jesse.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">What did he do? What did he do? He didn’t know what he’d done but his knuckles were soaked in blood. The clubhouse. He was in the clubhouse sitting on the bed and it was dark and there was sports equipment everywhere. A couple condom containers. There was his spare jersey over there on the floor, and maybe Bo’s. Oh god what had happened?

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Jesse’s head snapped up at the sound of the clubhouse door slamming after the two dropout kids who’d just barely scrambled out moments before. Okay, so he didn’t kill anyone. But still his knuckles were all bloody and… man, they hurt. They hurt a real lot. Maybe it was his blood.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">He started rocking back and forth on the mattress. Rocking was good. Rocking calmed him down. Just like when momma used to rock him and sing him to sleep. Just had to rock… rock… rock… faster, now… imagine taking a ride on his horse, Catolo, around the farm…

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Jess. Jess, look at me.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“They touched her—”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“No, Jess, just look at me.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Jesse obeyed, looking up at Casey and studying him. He looked real tired, and he had pretty dark circles under his blue eyes, but he still looked pretty smart right now. Maybe he was right, maybe Jesse should focus on Casey, at least for a little bit. He looked like he knew what he was doing right about now.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Casey took both of Jesse’s hands in his own, pressing them together. “Alright, Jess, let’s pray.” he mumbled, bowing his head. “Our father, who art in Heaven—come on, Jess, say it with me.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Jesse nodded frantically, squeezing his eyes shut and bowing his head to the Lord. “O-Our father… wh-who art in Heaven…”'' ''

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif""> He snuck a glance up at Mandy, who was standing off by the door limply, staring at Jesse like he’d just up and grown three heads. “H-Hallowed be thy name…”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Casey noted Jesse was trailing off, instantly detecting that he was distracted. Jesse was usually real good about sticking to prayer, but Casey knew that if there was something distracting, Jesse wouldn’t be able to focus. He looked over at Mandy and nodded towards the door.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“He’d be better if you…”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Yeah,” Mandy replied, ducking out the door, her eyes never leaving Jesse. Her face was coated in a layer of a mixture of what was sure to be horror and confusion.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Jesse sighed and bowed his head again, continuing his ode to the Lord.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman","serif"">Man, and to think he didn’t even get laid.