I have finished cleaning my room. The arrangement with my motherthatif my room is clean, I get to go out tonight. It is my two-year anniversary datingScott,and I am allowed to stay outtwohours past my curfew, plus it’s the biggest football party of the year. My phone rings, my friend Karen is talking so fast Ican’tkeep up with what she is saying.
“Slow down, talk slowly “I say.
“Girl, I just saw your bestie at the arcade, and she was making out with a guy in the photo booth,” said Karen.
“Really, withwhom? Do you know who it is?” I ask.
“Yes,girl,I know who it is,” said Karen.
“Well, who is it?” I ask.
“Scott, girlit was Scott.I could not believe what I was seeing, but it was definitely Scott and Susan.I saw them but theydidn’tsee me.” Said Karen.
“My Scott?” I ask.Tears immediately slide down my cheeks.
“Yes girl, I am so sorry” says Karen.
“Come pick me up and take me to the arcade right now” I throw myphone andit hits my bedroom door.
My mother knocks on my bedroom door and opens it.
“What’s going on, is everything ok?”Mymotherasks me.
I am shaking and I cannot seem to catch my breath; I sit down on my pillowtop bed and manage to tell her that Scott is cheating on me with Susan. My mother walks over to me and hugs me tight, I ask for a few minutes alone. My mother walks out of myroom andclosesthe door. I lay down on my bed as memories of my two years dating Scott and 15 years of friendship with Susan race through my mind. My pillow is drenched from my tears. My phone rang.
“Girl, I know that you’re a hot mess right now, but we need to make aplan,” says Karen.
“No Karen, you are supposed to be on your way to pick me up and drive me to the arcade”.
“Girl, we need to do this right, and the right way is to expose them for the crappy people theyare in public, and the party tonight is the biggest public event this year.” Says Karen.
“Okay, I amlistening“. Karen and I talk andcome up withthe perfect plan to expose both Susan and Scott as cheaters and liars. If our plan works out, I will be able to slap the crap out of Scott in front of all his friends. The thought of slapping him makes me smile.
My mother knocks on my door and opens it.
“Baby I know you are upset but I need a favor” my mom said.
“What is the favor?” I asked.
“I need you to go to the laundry mat and wash and dry the couch covers, I will pick you up on my way home from grocery shopping” says my mom.
I know that if I refuse my mother this favor, she will not allow me to go to the party tonight. I will not be able to carry out my plan. I agree to go to the laundry mat. My mother drops me off at the front door, I grab the laundry basket and walk through the front door.
I throw the covers into the machine and push the start button. As I am walking to the empty seat by the window, the drumming of all the washingmachinesecho through the small brick building. Suddenly the urge to burst out singing an Ozzy Osbourne song enters my mind, but the scowl on the oldman'sface sitting in front of me changes my mind. His scowl matches my mood. I sat down and made a phone call.
“Are we on?” asks Karen.
“Oh, we are definitely on” I say.
I am watching the spinning dryer and daydreaming of my plan, lost in thought of sweet revenge I do not notice that the front door has just flown open. Someone is calling my name I recognize the voice of Susan. I stand up as Susan reaches me. Standing in front ofme,Susan seems a bit distraught.
“Why did I just run into Karen at the arcade, and she pushed me and said I was a bitch?” Susan asks.
“I have no idea, why are you a bitch?” I speak.
“What does that mean?” Susan asks.
I told Susan to go outside with me so we could talk without yelling over the dryers. She follows me outside. Susan is standing in front of me with her arms crossed.
“Ok, so why did Karen call me a bitch?” asked Susan.
“Why don’t you ask Karen yourself” I say.
“I did ask her, she told me to come ask you” says Susan.
“She did? what else did she say?” I ask.
“Not much, she pushed me called me a bitch and told me to come here and ask you why she did it”.
I start to look around the parkinglot;I do not see Scott or Karen.
“Where’s Scott?” I ask.
“How am I supposed to know where your boyfriend is?” asks Susan.
Susan is staring at me looking confused. I begin to doubt what Karen has told me. Karen has always been a little jealous of Susan, maybe she is just trying to start the drama. Then I spotted it, a big nasty purple black hickey on Susan’s neck.
“What the hell is that?” I asked.
Susan instantly covers the hickey with her hand.
“Oh, about this” says Susan.
Rage overtakes me and I punch Susan hard in her face, she falls and I jump on top of her.
An hour later my mother picks me up from the police station, not the laundry mat. I have a ticket and summons to appear in court for the assault of Susan. My mother drives me back to the laundry mat to retrieve the couch covers from the dryer. I walk into the laundry mats front door and the old man with a scowl greets me , he smiles at me and hands me the couch covers clean and nicely folded. I thank him and return to my mother's car. As I sat in her car, my mother gently grabbed my hand.
“Karen called me when she went to the arcade and only found Susan not Scott, he had already left.”said my mother.
“But why, why would she call you” I ask.
My mother smiles at me.
“Because she needed help coming up with another plan” says my mother.
As we drive towards our house, I can’t help but notice the smirk on my mother’s face
“We will talk over dinner about a plan for Scott, I never liked that boy.”
