Fragments of Jenna's Story, Part 2
Abby
Full name: Abigail
Becomes Jenna's best friend. About the same age as Jenna.
Abby is an in-your-face Christian. You know, the kind that wears T-shirts like "PRAY is a four-letter word in school" and assembles at See You at the Pole. You'd think that she is a strong Christian from a strong family.
Actually, her parents are divorced. Her father was a pastor who had an affair with a counselee. After the divorce, her mother moved to this town to try to start over and to find work. Because they are poor, her mother is sending her to the public school "until they can afford a Christian school". This will never happen, of course.
I figure that Abby gets sucked into the lifestyle as she gets older. She wears the stylish clothes, just like everyone else. She tries to be popular, just like everyone else. She sleeps with her boyfriend, just like everyone else. However, she is really one of Jesus' own, and she will eventually come to her senses. But, I think that Abby is the best influence in Jenna's life. At least for a while.
“You’re new here, aren’t you?”
Abby looked up from her food. “Yep. First day. I just moved here from Pennsylvania last week. I’m Abby. What’s your name?”
The other girl smiled. “My name is Tamara. Mind if I have a seat?” Without waiting for permission, Tamara sat down opposite Abby. “Christian, huh?” She nodded at Abby’s T-shirt. “’In the public schools, P-R-A-Y is a four-letter word.’ Cute.”
Abby shrugged. “I just want the same treatment as they give anyone else.” She looked across the cafeteria at the teacher breaking up the food fight that had just started. “Uh, is that normal?”
Tamara laughed. “Sure it is. Be glad that a teacher’s breaking it up. Sometimes the police step in. Now that’s not funny.”
“The police?” Abby was surprised.
“Sure. They have an office here in the school. Just learn to be in a different hallway when they patrol through, and everything will be fine. It’s stupid anyways. Like they think they’re actually preventing crime. It’s more like we’re prisoners and they’re the guards. So, anyways, surviving your first taste of Memorial High cafeteria food?”
Abby took another bite. “I suppose.”
“I never eat here if I can help it. One time, a roach crawled out of my mashed potatoes.”
Abby eyed her food and then pushed the tray aside. “Suddenly, I’m not hungry.”
Tamara laughed again. “I didn’t think so. Come on, I’ll introduce you to some of my friends.”
As they stood up, the bell rang. “Shit. Out of time,” Tamara said. “I’ll talk to you later.” She hurried off before Abby could say a word.
As she gathered her books, Abby saw another girl sitting at the next table. Her head was in her hands, and she looked like she was crying. Abby approached her quietly. “Are you okay?”
The girl bolted upright. “I’m fine,” she muttered, wiping her eyes with her hands. She was obviously not fine. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying, and one of them was black and blue. Another bruise was livid on her cheek.
“Oh!” Abby gasped. “What happened to you?”
“Nothing. I walked into a wall, that’s all.”
“You walked into a wall?” Abby was not sure what to make of this.
“Yes. I walked into a wall. Please leave me alone.”
Abby was not about to be put off that easily. “Are you sure? Do you need a tissue or something?”
“I told you, I’m fine. Now go away.”
“Look, if you’re having a problem, I’d love to help…”
The girl snapped. “You have no idea about my problems. Now get the fuck away from me!”
Abby was dumbfounded. The girl continued. “What do you think that you can tell me? I’ve never seen you before. You’re not even from this school, are you? Oh, a Christian. You’re just going to march over here and tell me how Jesus can fix my problems, aren’t you?” She was on her feet now, getting in Abby’s face. “Aren’t you? You think that you can just say a couple magic words and it’ll all be better, huh? Well, I don’t. So, for the last time. Get. The Fuck. Away. From Me.”
Abby stepped back, cowed by those blazing eyes. “I’m…I’m sorry,” she said. “Sorry.” She fumbled about, unsure of what to do.
The bell rang again. One of the cafeteria workers called, “You’d better hurry, or you’ll be late.” Abby turned to look at the clock, and when she looked back, the other girl was already leaving the room. “Who was that girl?” she asked the cafeteria worker.
“How should I know?” he replied. “Better get going.”
As she turned to leave, something on the floor caught her eye. It was a spiral-bound notebook, sitting by the seat where the girl had been sitting. Abby picked it up and opened it. Inside, the girl had written her name. Jenna.
No time to look at it now. Abby tucked the notebook under her arm. Maybe she would be able to give it back to Jenna, if she saw her again.
Full name: Abigail
Becomes Jenna's best friend. About the same age as Jenna.
Abby is an in-your-face Christian. You know, the kind that wears T-shirts like "PRAY is a four-letter word in school" and assembles at See You at the Pole. You'd think that she is a strong Christian from a strong family.
Actually, her parents are divorced. Her father was a pastor who had an affair with a counselee. After the divorce, her mother moved to this town to try to start over and to find work. Because they are poor, her mother is sending her to the public school "until they can afford a Christian school". This will never happen, of course.
I figure that Abby gets sucked into the lifestyle as she gets older. She wears the stylish clothes, just like everyone else. She tries to be popular, just like everyone else. She sleeps with her boyfriend, just like everyone else. However, she is really one of Jesus' own, and she will eventually come to her senses. But, I think that Abby is the best influence in Jenna's life. At least for a while.
“You’re new here, aren’t you?”
Abby looked up from her food. “Yep. First day. I just moved here from Pennsylvania last week. I’m Abby. What’s your name?”
The other girl smiled. “My name is Tamara. Mind if I have a seat?” Without waiting for permission, Tamara sat down opposite Abby. “Christian, huh?” She nodded at Abby’s T-shirt. “’In the public schools, P-R-A-Y is a four-letter word.’ Cute.”
Abby shrugged. “I just want the same treatment as they give anyone else.” She looked across the cafeteria at the teacher breaking up the food fight that had just started. “Uh, is that normal?”
Tamara laughed. “Sure it is. Be glad that a teacher’s breaking it up. Sometimes the police step in. Now that’s not funny.”
“The police?” Abby was surprised.
“Sure. They have an office here in the school. Just learn to be in a different hallway when they patrol through, and everything will be fine. It’s stupid anyways. Like they think they’re actually preventing crime. It’s more like we’re prisoners and they’re the guards. So, anyways, surviving your first taste of Memorial High cafeteria food?”
Abby took another bite. “I suppose.”
“I never eat here if I can help it. One time, a roach crawled out of my mashed potatoes.”
Abby eyed her food and then pushed the tray aside. “Suddenly, I’m not hungry.”
Tamara laughed again. “I didn’t think so. Come on, I’ll introduce you to some of my friends.”
As they stood up, the bell rang. “Shit. Out of time,” Tamara said. “I’ll talk to you later.” She hurried off before Abby could say a word.
As she gathered her books, Abby saw another girl sitting at the next table. Her head was in her hands, and she looked like she was crying. Abby approached her quietly. “Are you okay?”
The girl bolted upright. “I’m fine,” she muttered, wiping her eyes with her hands. She was obviously not fine. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying, and one of them was black and blue. Another bruise was livid on her cheek.
“Oh!” Abby gasped. “What happened to you?”
“Nothing. I walked into a wall, that’s all.”
“You walked into a wall?” Abby was not sure what to make of this.
“Yes. I walked into a wall. Please leave me alone.”
Abby was not about to be put off that easily. “Are you sure? Do you need a tissue or something?”
“I told you, I’m fine. Now go away.”
“Look, if you’re having a problem, I’d love to help…”
The girl snapped. “You have no idea about my problems. Now get the fuck away from me!”
Abby was dumbfounded. The girl continued. “What do you think that you can tell me? I’ve never seen you before. You’re not even from this school, are you? Oh, a Christian. You’re just going to march over here and tell me how Jesus can fix my problems, aren’t you?” She was on her feet now, getting in Abby’s face. “Aren’t you? You think that you can just say a couple magic words and it’ll all be better, huh? Well, I don’t. So, for the last time. Get. The Fuck. Away. From Me.”
Abby stepped back, cowed by those blazing eyes. “I’m…I’m sorry,” she said. “Sorry.” She fumbled about, unsure of what to do.
The bell rang again. One of the cafeteria workers called, “You’d better hurry, or you’ll be late.” Abby turned to look at the clock, and when she looked back, the other girl was already leaving the room. “Who was that girl?” she asked the cafeteria worker.
“How should I know?” he replied. “Better get going.”
As she turned to leave, something on the floor caught her eye. It was a spiral-bound notebook, sitting by the seat where the girl had been sitting. Abby picked it up and opened it. Inside, the girl had written her name. Jenna.
No time to look at it now. Abby tucked the notebook under her arm. Maybe she would be able to give it back to Jenna, if she saw her again.
posted by Seth Ben-Ezra at 9:14 PM
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