The sun shone in the window of the classroom. Angie dropped her English book on her desk and sat down noisily. Mr. Thornton stopped writing sentences on the blackboard and turned around to look.
'Feeling frustrated today, Angie?' he asked, kindly.
Every time Angie saw Mr. Thornton lately, he disturbed her. He turned her on and that bothered her. He was too good-looking to be just a high school English teacher. And he wasn't that much older than she — fresh out of collage.
'It's too good a day to stay inside,' she replied grumpily.
'The afternoon will soon be over,' he said soothingly. He turned back to the blackboard and began writing again.
Angie hunched over her desk, resting her head on her hands. She stared at his right arm moving up and down as it wrote. He had nice long arms, Mr. Thornton. She wondered how they'd feel wrapped around her neck. They'd be strong and sure, she just knew. And the smell of lime aftershave lotion would be strong. Her eyes crossed a little as she sat lost in her daydream.
A poke in her ribs awakened her rudely. 'Hey, Ange. Why are you staring at Mr. Thornton so funny?' Keith asked nosily.
Angie's face burned bright red. 'I wasn't even looking at him,' she said haughtily. 'I was just looking straight ahead.'
'I saw ya!' Keith looked at her slyly out of the corners of his eyes. 'You were too.'
'Oh, leave me alone,' Angie said shortly.
'Don't get uptight,' Keith said appeasingly. 'I didn't mean anything by it.'
'You're the one who made something of it,' Angie retorted.
Keith tried to appease her. 'It's too nice outdoors to stay inside.'
'Yeah,' Angie agreed. 'Same way I feel.'
The tardy bell rang. The late students clattered in, banging books on their desks, banging their bodies against everything. A short, heavy-set boy banged his body against Angie's desk purposely, gave her a knowing look, and sat down in the seat across the aisle from her.
Angie knew who he was — Sonny Van Dozen — but she only knew him by sight. His father was a mechanic or something so he'd never been invited to the same she'd been. She gave him a dirty look and haughtily turned her head away.
Sonny kept looking at her all during the class. Angie tried to ignore him. To concentrate on Mr. Thornton who was talking away. He was so handsome. She wished she had been old enough to go to collage with him. He had such lovely eyes with long curly brown eyelashes. And those lips! When he smiled he made her melt inside. She sighed and stared at him hungrily, not hearing a word he said.
Suddenly she heard a soft noise and felt a sharp sting on the side of her head. 'OW!' she said loudly, clapping a hand over the spot. She looked around to see what had hit her. A big spitwad lay in the aisle. When she looked up, her eyes met Sonny's. He grinned familiarly at her.
'Bastard!' she whispered. She stuck her tongue out at him and made a dirty sign with her fingers at him.
Mr. Thornton eyed her sternly. 'Miss Marlowe, how do you spell aggravate?'
Angie straightened up guiltily. She looked at him anxiously, not wanting to make a mistake. 'A-g-r-a-v-a-t- e?'
Mr. Thornton's look was disapproving. His manner said plainer than words, 'You've not been listening.' His glance surveyed the class. 'Ellen?'
'A-g-g-r-a-v-a-t-e, aggravate!' Ellen said smugly, giving Angie a triumphant look.
'Thank you, Ellen,' Mr. Thornton said, smiling at her.
Humiliation filled Angie's soul. She looked down at her desk and bit her lips to choke off the rising sob. How could Mr. Thornton treat her so cruelly? Smiling at that slob, Ellen. A heavy depression settled on her.
Somehow Angie managed to get through the rest of her classes. The clock freed her of school at three o'clock and she was happy to leave. She looked forward to closing herself in her room with only Salome for company. They would listen to rock-n-roll records and not think about the terrible time she'd had in her English class.
She walked along briskly, not paying attention to anybody around her. The running feet she heard behind her, she ignored. But when they caught up to her and her arm was grabbed, she looked around surprised, Sonny Van Dozen? What did he want with her?
He grinned at her in an insulting manner. 'You sure walk fast for a girl,' he said cheerily. 'I was afraid I wouldn't catch up with ya.'
Angie recoiled from his familiarity. It made her heart feel cold. Everything about him repelled her — his short stocky body, his pale freckled skin, those clowning grinning teeth. I wish you hadn't caught up with me, she thought. Out loud she said, 'What do you want?'
Sonny was taken aback by her directness. He didn't have an answer. He turned red and started giggling uncontrollably.
Angie looked at him disgusted. 'Well?' she said impatiently.
'Duhh,' Sonny tried to think of something to say.
'My mother expects me to go right home,' Angie said. 'Go home and think of what you wanted to ask me. You can ask me at school tomorrow.'
She turned and hurried away.
Sonny stared at her open-mouthed. She sure was a fast thinker! He licked his lips. He knew what he wanted from her all right. He just didn't know how to tell her. He trotted off after her, following a short distance behind. How was he going to work it?
Angie heard his steps following after her. She speeded up her pace, he speeded up. She slowed her pace, he slowed his. Damn him! She war, nearing a small park that was only a block from her house. Quickly she looked around to see if anyone, else was near. No one was. She felt frightened.
She stopped and faced Sonny. 'You leave me alone,' she shouted.
Sonny had seen her looking around. He had seen there wasn't a soul in the park besides them also. The inane grin reappeared on his moonface. He walked faster towards her.
Terrified, Angie dropped her books and started running. If only someone would come walking in the park! But no one did. She began to pant, partly from her exertions and partly from her fears. She heard Sonny's running steps get louder behind her. Desperately she tried to speed up. The running feet got closer and closer. She was beginning to wheeze. Her sides ached but she kept running. A strong hand gripped her arm. She cried out and struggled to free herself. Two hands imprisoned her arms in a vise-like grip.
'You are a fast one, ain't ya?' Sonny sneered.
'Oh, please! Let me go,' Angie begged. 'What do you want with me?'
'I've heard about you,' Sonny sneered. 'A real pussy swinger they say.'
Shock immobilized her. The boys. They'd been talking. How could they? After all she'd done for them!
'They're lies. All lies,' Angie screamed. 'I've never done anything. Really I haven't.'
'Not from what I heard,' Sonny said jovially. 'And I aim to get me a piece of what you bee throwin' around too!'
He started pushing Angie off the path toward some bushes.
Angie refused to pick up her feet. She held her legs stiff so he couldn't make her walk.
'No, no,' she wailed piteously.
Roughly Sonny dragged her behind the bushes. He pushed her down on her knees in front of him.
'You can't, you can't,' Angie kept repeating.
Holding her tightly with one hand, he used the other to unzip his fly and to pull his still flaccid penis out. It hung outside his pants like an obscene banana. Stealthily, he looked around to be sure no one was coming.
Angie was quick to notice. 'A policeman goes by here every hour. He should be here any minute.'
'You're just trying to scare me,' he said. He pinched her arm cruelly in his grasp. All the same, he worried. Maybe she was telling the truth. She lived near here; he didn't. He didn't know this park because it was too far from his home. He hesitated.
Angie made a move to get up. Why didn't someone come to save her?
