Chapter 6
I probably didn't read through this as many times as I should have so sorry if there's like a bunch of stuff wrong. LOL.
"So where did you go yesterday?" Alison sat down at the table, prying open the small carton of milk.
Delphine looked up from the odd mixture of shredded turkey and gravy over mashed potatoes that she had been poking at with one of her carrot sticks. "Hmmm? Sorry?" She was finding it hard to concentrate on anything today. Her mind kept returning to the day before.
Reaching for one of her own carrot sticks, Alison shrugged, looking at her through her bangs. "Yesterday. You said you had some sort of errand to run and never came back. You weren't in English class." Looking around, she leaned closer. "I had to lie to Mr. Wagner and told him you had gotten surprised with your… monthly friend."
Delphine winced at that. It was strange, not feeling the obligation she once felt as a child to attend classes. "Sorry, I… my arm was killing me so I decided to take a sick day." What were the consequences really? Miniscule punishments like groundings or detention? None of it really seemed to be even remotely threatening. Her own future was more of a real danger than any lecture could be and she was set on changing it. She was set on changing as much as she could, including Cosima's fate.
"A sick day?" Alison's brows furrowed but she didn't say anything beyond that.
It's not that Delphine wanted to lie to her friends, but she doubted they would understand. Hell, she didn't even understand. She wasn't even sure what she wanted anymore. She'd made sure that Paul was out of the picture, but how was she going to save the brunette? They hardly knew each other. How could she change the future of the quirky teen?
Thinking back on the previous afternoon, she remembered eating way too much pizza thanks to smoking way too much of Cosima's weed, listening to the brunette play her guitar as they completely forgot about math. She couldn't even remember the last time she had so much fun, not worrying about what Paul would find acceptable or not, not worrying about being too out of control when cameras were everywhere.
"What are you planning to do after high school?" Delphine had asked, a pleasant haze having settled over her mind and body as she hugged her knees to her chest.
"Mmm… UC: Berkeley major in biology." Cosima answered without thinking, her fingers brushing over the strings of the guitar.
Delphine smiled but she felt a pain in her heart, knowing that was where Cosima had met her untimely demise. "No rock future or whatever?"
Cosima chuckled, shaking her head as she began plucking at the strings in a lazy melody.
"Do you actually know how to play anything on that or is it just for looks?"
Raising an eyebrow, Cosima shifted her fingers, the melody switching to one of more purpose, soft and slow. It was a simple pattern of low to high then low again, 6 notes repeated.
Delphine was about to say something until Cosima opened her mouth and began to sing.
Think I'm going for a walk now
I feel a little unsteady
I don't want nobody to follow me
'Cept maybe you
Cosima winked at the blonde at the words, smirking when a blush crossed her cheeks.
I can make you happy you know
If you weren't already
I could do a lot of things
And I do
Gaining a bit of confidence, Cosima's playing got a little louder as she plucked at the strings with more intent.
Tell you the truth I prefer the worst of you
Too bad you had to have a better half
She's not really my type
But you two are forever
I hate to say it, but you're perfect together
So Fuck you
And your untouchable face
Fuck you
For existing in the first place
Delphine rose an eyebrow in surprise. She'd never heard the song before, but there was an intense look on the brunette's face as she continued to sing.
Who am I?
That I should be vying for your touch
And who am I?
I bet you can't even tell me that much.
As if suddenly remembering she wasn't alone, Cosima looked up from her strumming, a crooked grin spreading across her face as she let the strumming die off, not intending on finishing the song.
"Cosima… that is not a real song…" Delphine had to laugh, trying to lighten the mood.
"It totally is!" Cosima defended with her own giggle. "Welcome to the world of lesbian angst folk music. Ani Difranco is fucking brilliant."
Delphine shook her head, picking up what had to be her fourth slice of pizza. "Why can't you play something more mainstream?"
"Mainstream?"
Nodding, Delphine wiped a bit of pizza sauce from the corner of her mouth as she chewed. "I mean… you could have just made that up."
"What? And you think mainstream will convince you? You mean like Britney Spears?" Cosima gave her a distasteful look. "Dude, that shit will rot your brain… all boy group group dance sequences or rolling around in the sand talking about being stuck in a bottle and needing some dude to rub one out to save me? Damsel in distress shit?"
Delphine laughed, unable to dispute it. Taking a sip of water, she watched the brunette over the rim of the glass, noticing the glimmer in dark hazel eyes that had nothing to do with the weed they had smoked.
"Del!" Krystal called out in excitement as she plopped down on the seat beside Alison, scaring Delphine and knocking into Alison's tray.
Alison's eyes narrowed as she pulled her lunch away from the blonde's elbows, dabbing at the small splash of milk that had spilt in the girl's excitement.
"You're coming to the game tonight, right?" The bubbly blonde shook her chocolate milk vigorously.
The game. Ugh, she had forgotten about that part of high school. The thought of going to a game was less than appealing to Delphine and she bit her bottom lip, trying to find an excuse not to go. "I don't know… the painkillers really wipe me out…"
"But you have to come!" Krystal's eyes got impossibly wide, taking on the most troubled look. "I mean… I know you're not cheering or whatever… and you and Paul are… whatever… but you're still part of the squad."
Delphine almost shied away from the sudden onslaught, the guilt starting to settle in her gut. Going to a football game was the last thing she wanted to do… well… second to causing her friend's eyes to fill with tears. She couldn't let her personal friendships dissolve because she was pissed at Paul. "Ok… maybe for a little while." After all, even though she lost touch with Krystal, Alison had remained a good friend.
"Yes!" Krystal cheered gleefully with a fist pump.
Delphine gave her a weak smile, returning her attention to the barely eaten meal in front of her. She had a vague memory of what football games had been like in high school, spending the night cheering the team on in their mediocre skill before heading to a random student's house for the after party. Alcohol. Drugs. Sex… all the things she thought she needed as a teenager were less than tempting now. Things were different - she was different. She wasn't the quarterback's girlfriend anymore. She wasn't a cheerleader anymore. She was just… Delphine.
A chorus of laughter caught her attention and she looked up to see the table of football players laughing, looking in the direction of a table on the edge of the cafeteria against a wall. To her surprise, she had missed Cosima coming in, sitting at a table with Scott, an irritated look on her face as she brushed off a stray carrot stick before she pointed a few things out on something Scott was working at. Her confusion at the situation lasted for just bare seconds before she saw movement, Paul half standing before launching a carton of milk across the large room. With precise aim and skill, the carton crashed against the wall beside the table, breaking open and spraying both Cosima and Scott with milk.
Delphine felt a rage within her rise as she stood. She didn't remember moving, only that the next thing she knew, she was surrounded by surprised players, her cast pressed against the back of Paul's neck with his face pressed against the table as her other hand had his throwing arm twisted behind his back. She wasn't a violent person, but she'd taken more than a few self-defense classes in her life and her much younger body was stronger than she was used to. She found herself seeing red, adrenaline more than likely the only reason she felt no pain in the broken limb.
"What the fuck?!" Paul struggled against her, surprised to find her grip impossible to break.
"Leave… them… alone." Her voice was dripping with anger as she pressed against him.
"Delphine, are you insane?" Alison was suddenly at her shoulder.
"Let me the fuck go!"
"Non." Delphine twisted his arm a little more as she leaned down to whisper in his ear. "I know everything about you, Paul Dierden. I know how you pay someone to do your assignments for you. I know that you act because you are not smart enough to do anything else." Her voice was quiet venom as she felt him stop fighting. "I know how you cry every single time you get rejected for a part and I even know how you sleep with a light on because you're afraid your father will come back from wherever he disappeared to." Seeing he was no longer struggling, she leaned a little closer. "Leave Cosima and Scott the fuck alone or I will tell everyoneabout how you sleep with multiple girls to overcompensate for the fact that nothing makes you come faster than taking it up the ass."
"Delphine."
The worried tone in the now familiar voice pulled Delphine out of her anger. It was like a calming wave she didn't expect and she released Paul's arm, taking a step back to stand beside Cosima, seeing the concern in dark hazel eyes. She gave the brunette a small smile before turning back to Paul who looked at them with a pure hatred as he rose an arm to wipe away a trickle of blood from his nose. She hadn't even realize she'd done that.
"What the hell is going on here?" A teacher showed up, late as always, making assumptions about the scene in front of him. His eyes finally fell on the dreadlocked girl, his eyes narrowing. "Causing trouble again, Niehaus?" He accused, looking at the brunette.
"What?" Delphine stepped between the teacher and the student. "Mr. Leekie...Cosima didn't do a damn thing."
The man bristled at the defiance. "Watch your language, Cormier."
"I will not. You can't just show up after taking your sweet ass time to get here and assume she had anything to do with this when she was the victim here."
"Delphine!" Alison gave her an appalled look.
"That's it! I want both of you in detention after school!"
"WHAT?" Delphine's eyes flared. "How dare you…"
"Hey hey!" Cosima moved between Delphine and the older man. "After school… detention… got it…" Looking behind her, she found light hazel eyes narrowed in the teacher's direction. "Come on Delphine." She bodily pushed the blonde backwards, ignoring the smirk on Paul's face. "Let's get out of here."
"Carpet Munchers."
Delphine froze, turning to give the player who'd mumbled the words under his breath a death glare.
"Come on, Captain." Cosima's hand moved to Delphine's arm, pulling her away from the table.
The pain in her arm didn't return until she was slinging her bag over her shoulder as they left the cafeteria. "Merde." She winced, pulling her arm to her chest as she walked swiftly away from the building.
"Holy shit, Delphine. Are we going to talk about what just happened in there?" Cosima walked beside her, trying to keep up with the fast pace.
Delphine shook her head. She didn't have an explanation. She'd never done anything like that and she couldn't even come up with a reason for why she had reacted that way. First punching Paul and now this? Was she going insane? Was this part of the time travel issue as well? Was she losing her mind? Maybe she hadn't really come back in time. Maybe it was the start of a schizophrenic break. She was losing it.
"Delphine, stop." When they were in the shade of the bleachers, Cosima grabbed the blonde's arm, pulling her to a halt. "What is going on with you?"
"I don't know!" Delphine screamed in response, shaking her head. "I… don't… know."
"Hey… hey." Cosima stepped up to her, not exactly sure what to do.
Delphine wiped angrily at her eyes, clearing away the tears that suddenly surfaced. "I'm sorry… I should have done that…"
"Come on, Delphine." Cosima put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "That was… pretty amazing." She tried to get the blonde to smile. "Like real life superhero type shit. I can totally be your damsel in distress like every day if you promise to swoop in and save me." When she saw the corners of Delphine's mouth begin to turn up, she nudged her gently before singing, "I'm a genie in bottle baby… gotta rub me the right way honey..."
She was rewarded with a surprised laugh from Delphine, who shook her head. "You are ridiculous."
"Ridiculously awesome."
The smirk on the brunette's face sent a calming wave through Delphine and she released a shuddered breath. "I don't know what's going on with me." She leaned back against a crossbar, pulling her bag around and began digging through it, finding her cigarettes.
"I don't know either, but I also don't know if it's a bad thing." Reaching into her own bag, Cosima pulled her glasses case out, a rolled joint waiting for her. "You know, if you keep defending me, people are going to think you're like me."
Delphine rose an eyebrow. "You mean a smart ass with mediocre guitar skills?" She joked.
Cosima narrowed her eyes. "What the hell do you mean mediocre?" She couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her lips as she lit her joint. "You know what I mean."
"I know what you mean." Delphine confirmed, blowing out a cloud of smoke. "I don't care what other's think, Cosima." She bit her bottom lip, looking down. "Besides, I don't consider it a bad thing." There was a silence that descended between them, neither really knowing what to say.
"You're totally bonkers." Cosima finally settled on, holding out the joint in offering.
Delphine accepted it, taking a long pull from it before handing it back. Her chest felt heavy as she held the smoke in, allowing her body to absorb the drug before finally exhaling with a small cough. "Completely bonkers." She agreed.