A Wicked Choice by Calinda B Read Free Book Online Page A

me, and I stumbled backwards.
    “What are you doing? Get away from me.”  She had backed me into a corner and there was no escape.
    “I won’t hurt you. I’m here to help you.” Her voice became diffuse and seemed to come from every direction.
    “I don’t need your help.”
    “Yes. You do. And you will, more and more.”
    God, she sounded like she was going to be my sponsor or something. I didn’t need a sponsor. And I sure didn’t need her. My teeth were starting to chatter, I was so frightened. I felt my knees start to give way, and I slid to the floor. “Please, please, don’t hurt me,” I whispered, eyes closed, mouth dry with fear.
    “Hurting you is the last thing on my mind. You and I, we’ve got work to do,” she stated in firm, decisive tones. With that, she turned and waltzed gracefully out the door.
    As she exited the room, Jill stuck her head around the door.  “Everything alright in here?” she called in her chirpy, sing-song voice.
    “Fine…  Just fine...”  I picked myself up off the floor and brushed the dust bunnies off my rear. 
    “Who was that?” Jill asked.
    “Oh, just a new student…she had some questions about the routine.”
    “I see. Shouldn’t you be heading for room 12?”
    “On my way!”  I brushed past her and ran towards the ladies room. Kate and Sue were marching down the hall, heading right for me, arm-in-arm.
    “What’s the matter, Che-e-e-e-rio?” Kate stretched my name out like bubble gum. She laughed a short yap of a laugh, like the bark of a Chihuahua. Kate was stick-skinny and dressed like something out of a magazine, all low-rise jeans and high-heeled boots. Her mascaraed eyes and kohl eyeliner gave her the distinct look of a raccoon.
    “Thank you for covering for us for the FUN-raiser,” Sue quipped with her Southern drawl, intentionally forgetting to say the “d.” The phrase was iced with politeness like a frosted cake. “We sure appreciate it.” She looked out of the corner of her gray eyes, which reminded me of a trout’s eyes, giving Kate a conspiratorial glance. “We just can’t possibly make it.” Sue, slightly curvier than her slender friend, Kate, had been born in Georgia.  She still retained the slight Georgia inflection when it suited her. And, like Kate, Sue dressed for the runway, all Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Glamour clad.
    “Can’t talk right now….gotta get to class.” I slipped inside the bathroom door.
    “The classroom’s THAT way.” They both laughed, pointing down the hall.
    I closed the stall door behind me and flipped open my phone. I gathered myself together as best I could and punched the buttons of my best friend’s phone number. “Z, it’s me. I just had the strangest thing happen.”
    “Sorry, love, I can’t talk right now.” Z sounded breathless and stressed. “Boss-man will be in the room any second now. You can tell me all about it when I see you tonight. Gotta go... bye.”
    I heard the phone click, and the line went dead. I left the stall and skulked over to the sink.  Splashing water over my face with shaky hands, I tried to regain my composure. This day was getting truly weird. I did not know how I was going to make it to the evening. Standing there for as long as I could, I was grateful that no-one else entered. Then, taking a deep breath, I left the bathroom and trotted to my next class. Thank the stars that I could lose myself in movement.

Chapter 4
    After dinner that night, a to-go meal from Whole Foods that I picked at and pushed around the plate, I prepared to go out dancing with Z. Since this was a “sacred outing” to us, we always poured through our closets for just the right apparel. Dressing up was a way to shield myself with a costume. I could hide behind my outfit and pretend to be someone else.
    My choice for the night was black spandex leggings with a short, red, form-fitting dress with asymmetrical sleeves – one draped down to the elbow, the other a spaghetti strap.