Mother of Darkwaters: Book one of the Vessel series (17 page)

   Sometimes it may seem Tamara, herself, has become a bully. But Jason doesn't believe this to be the case. For he has seen her let girls off of Submissive's Row before a school year has ended. In addition, he has seen her freely step up to help other weaker kids who are not part of the social order of things within the high school. This includes a boy who was getting picked on by an upperclassman. All she had to do was to tell the older boy to back off. And he did.

   But for one reason or another, Jason has noticed a serious change occurring within his girlfriend – specifically in the area of her attitude. Ever since Tamara went on vacation with her other three friends last summer, she has been more distant towards him. Sure, they are still physically involved. But he believes their emotional connection is lessened somehow even though it's nothing he can quite put his finger on.

   And then there is this deal with the new girl driving the brown truck. She doesn't really fit into Tamara's normal criterion for a Tamara's Submissive. According to his girlfriend,
'She pissed off Rebecca'
, is now a good enough reason; whereas before, Tamara abhorred this kind of thing.

   Jason watches his girlfriend gather around Jennifer's blue-metallic BMW with her other friends. She spots him, smiles, and waves. The boy waves back and blows her a kiss. She pretends to catch it and drops it inside of her shirt – just another one of those things which have changed about her. She used to catch his kiss and lovingly place it over her heart. But now she drops the pretend smooches between her breasts like she's stashing money or something.

   “Hey bro, we gotta go. Coach will have us running suicides if we're late again,” Marcus warns. Jason nods, but lingers in solemn contemplation. His best friend knows him well enough to understand the situation. Marcus patiently waits for Jason to sort it out.

   “Let's go,” Jason Deveraux coldly states.

   The two senior basketball all-state forwards head to their Tuesday early-morning team meeting.

   “Is that him?”, Tamara question her bff Jennifer.

   Jennifer looks over to the geek's table inside of the school's lunchroom. Caroline and Rebecca both sit across from Tamara and Jennifer. They, too, turn to look at the boy who has their only way into Mr. Donovan's office.

   Jennifer devilishly grins, “Yeppers. That's him.”

   Caroline blurts out a laugh and quickly covers her mouth with her right hand. She turns to face Tamara who sits diagonally to her right.

   “He's so...geeky,” Caroline reiterates the obvious. She laughs again failing to cover her mouth this time.

   “Oh, you think this is funny. Do you shrimp?”, Tamara teasingly pokes back. She is pleased to see Caroline having a good time for once. She has had a rough go of it lately. And Tamara, Jennifer, and Rebecca have all been beside themselves with how to help her.

   “Well if you're not careful, I'll be sure to see if he has any available friends for your virgin ass,” Tamara jokes.

   Rebecca joins in the fun, “I'm pretty sure she'll still be a virgin if it's put there; although, it might be hard for her to sit down.”

   Caroline lowers her jaw, “You two are
horrible
.”

   “It's what you get for being the 'Last Virgin Shrimp',” the tall Jennifer teases.

   “You, too?”, Caroline faints shock in Jennifer's direction.

   The four girls exchange laughs. They pause long enough for Tamara to make another self-explanatory observation of: “
Gawd. Hasn't the boy ever heard of contact lenses?
,” and then their laughs continue. Their roar of hysterical laughter begins drawing eyes from nearby onlookers.

   Tamara notices the geek, David Snow, glance over at their table. Her eyes widen as she looks into Caroline's green beauties. With her left index finger over her lips, Tamara giggles.

   “Shh... He's looking over here,” Tamara informs.

   Caroline's outburst of laughter is the final straw. She holds nothing back. The four girls laugh while tears begin falling from their eyes. Caroline holds her belly. It is sore from when she was sick yesterday and is screaming with muscle pain. She catches her breath and holds up her right hand like a traffic cop.

   “S-stop, p-please. I can't take anymore,” Caroline begs. She notices Tamara looking over her left shoulder, “No don't. Don't look at him.”

   Rebecca snorts with her increasing volume of laughter. The laugh she always tries to keep hidden, causes her friends to dip even deeper into their dizzying joyful escapade.

   “P-please make it stop,” Caroline begs again.

   Jennifer pleas, “It hurts so freakin' bad.”

   Rebecca has both of her hands over her face, “Nothing is this funny.”

   Jennifer throws her head back and lets loose as Rebecca's muffled words are followed up by her little piggy snorts.

   “H-how do we stop it?”, Tamara's laughs are now accompanied by her own pain.

   “I-I don't know,” Rebecca cries within her laughter.

   “We're going to die laughing,” Caroline resets the fuse of uncontrollable laughter.

   A stranger's voice interrupts amongst the painful laughter, “When did you want to see me?”

   Tamara looks through watery eyes to her left. She, immediately, regains control of her laughter. Her brown eyes harden with contentment – the effects of the bonding spell left broken.

   “That'll do it,” Tamara's disgusted tone immediately causes the other three to cease their unexplainable laughing.

   The four members of the S.V.C. glare at the girl dressed in a pair of poor people's jeans and some off brand of a black sweatshirt. The new student who interrupted their fun stares at the floor. She nervously drops a note in front of Tamara, but is careful to only look at the tabletop. She steps back and continues her stare directed at the brown and white checkered clay tiling that makes up the lunchroom floor.

   “What's this?”, Tamara picks up the note.

   “It is for you,” the girl answers with a quiet voice.

   Caroline, Rebecca, and Jennifer eagerly await the latest information as their friend opens the folded note and reads silently. Tamara's eyes move along each written line. The paper's words leave her speechless. She isn't quite sure what to make of them. The other girls notice her deep state of thought about the subject matter while she folds the note back up and holds it out to the nervous girl.

   “Are you sure?”, Tamara finally inquires as the new girl takes the note from her hand.

   The black-haired girl nods. Her eyes never leave the view of the tiled floor.

   “It's fine by me,” Tamara calmly states.

   The girl turns and walks out of the lunchroom. As soon as she is out of earshot range, Rebecca addresses Tamara.

   “What was that all about? What did it say?”

   Tamara shakes her head, “The girl has a death wish and I'm going to give it to her.”

   “You mean, murder?”, Jennifer questions.

   Tamara looks at Jennifer like her bff has just lost fifty IQ points.

   “No, duffus. Not murder. Geezus,” Tamara retorts.

   “Oh,” Jennifer answers back, Well, that's good.”

   “You think?”, Rebecca pokes fun at Jennifer.

   “What did it say?”, Caroline corners Tamara.

   Tamara stands up to settle the massive inquisition, “Nothing. I'm going to teach her a lesson for making threats against Rebecca in class.”

   The other girls realize any more prying would be futile. They all stand to join their friend in leaving the lunchroom. Jennifer glances over at David Snow on her way out and grins. The boy smiles back his thanks.

   The rest of their day is rather mundane and ordinary. The girls practice their cheers after school and Caroline learns the new moves she missed out on yesterday. They take showers, change into their fresh clothing, and say their good-byes. Jennifer leaves first, followed by Caroline and Rebecca. Soon as Rebecca's Mustang drives out of view, Tamara picks up her smartphone and brings up the name skank. She auto-dials the number she committed to memory before handing the note back.

   “Hello?”, the new girl's voice nervously answers.

   “Look bitch. If you're up to something, I'll make you pay,” Tamara threatens. She hears her phone beep and looks. The girl opens up the received text of directions.

   “On my way,” Tamara signals she has indeed received the girl's text. She ends the call and begins her drive.

  
Damn. Where is this bitch got me going?

   Tamara makes the final turn onto the dirt road from the county road's pavement. She slowly drives her vette down the winding road. A small house appears through the tree line. She scrutinizes the area carefully. There is nothing here except the rusty truck. No cops. No family waiting to exact their revenge. No nothing, just a rundown little farm house and a rusty truck. She decides it is safe to stop and parks her car in behind the brown Chevy.

   The senior pulls out her ring box and ritualistically places each ring on its respective finger. Climbing out of her car, Tamara shuts the door while keeping her eyes on the house. The fighter walks up the four creaky stairs leading to the porch. A note is posted on the screen door. It reads:
Please come in, Tamara.

   The girl reaches behind her waistband to double-check her stun gun just in case. She pulls back the screen door and steps into the open entryway. A stereo is playing Rob Zombie's Demenoid Phenomenon. She follows the music down the mini hall and turns left.

   “Geezus. You
are
crazy,” Tamara declares as she enters the living room. The new girl stands completely nude in front of a high-end stereo system.

   “I don't want you to get into any trouble,” the girl explains herself with genuine concern in her voice.

   Tamara arches her left eyebrow, “Why are you naked? Sorry, but I'm totally into boys.”

   The girl smiles, “Oh. Me, too. I just didn't want any blood on my clothes.”

   “You do know it will be your blood, right?” Tamara's eyes scans the room for any potential weapons. Other than the radio behind the girl in front of her and some clothes folded up against the wall to her right, the room is void of anything else. It is completely empty.

   The new girl points to the stereo. She speaks nervously, “Kinda sets the tone, don't you think?”

   “Don't worry, I won't break your radio,” Tamara promises while pulling her stun gun out, “But this chatting has to stop sooner or later.” The cheerleader notices fearful eyes on her stun gun.

   “I'm not using this,” Tamara informs, “It was for
my
safety. Not your punishment.” She places the defense weapon upon the floor and kicks it into the hallway behind her. She then holds up her hands.

   “But these gorgeous rings
are
for you,” Tamara notifies.

   The girl nods. “Please don't break any of my teeth,” she pleas.

   “I'm going to fatten that big lip of yours. But I won't break your teeth,” Tamara confirms. She cocks her head to the left slightly, “This is the first time I've carried on a conversation with one of my enemies. It's pretty weird. I'm not sure if I like it.”

   The nude girl looks into Tamara's brown eyes. She is so much smaller than the towering girl before her, but she decides it is time to move things forward.

   She replaces her anxiety with a look of sadness, “I know what he did to you.”

   Tamara steps forward with both fists clinched to each side, “Who?”

   The smaller girl nervously inhales deeply. Her breath escapes her as Tamara takes another step forward.

   “Who?”, Tamara demands.

   “The man who dressed up like a woman when you were in the eighth grade. The man who hurt you,” the girl responds.

   Tamara stops moving, “H-how do you know that? No one knows that.”

   The girl speaks tenderly, “I know a lot of things, Tamara.”

   The cheerleader raises her tone, “Answer my question, bitch! How do you know about that?!”

   The naked girl holds out her arms to offer herself to the enraged Tamara, “I want you to make me your last Submissive. My body is yours to do with as you please. This is why I have asked you here.” She runs her hands down her body, “And I know why you agreed to this.”  

   Tamara steps forward, “Why?”

   The girl puts both of her hands behind her back, “Because Tamara, you want to hear me beg. You want to see me bleed. You want to make me cry. But most of all, you want these things without any interference. You need this, Tamara. You need to know there is no one who can stop you. The parking lot at school is your crutch.”

   Tamara stops walking, “You're freakin' crazy, you bitch.” She glares at the silent girl before her. “I'll let you go if you tell me how you know,” Tamara promises through gritted teeth.

   The girl grins, “That conversation we will have when I am ready. Right now, you need this moment.” Her words become filled with more nerves as she continues, “And I'll have to try and survive it. No more questions, Tamara. Do what you came to do.”

   The cheerleader stares into the crazy girl's eyes. She can feel her growing fear which is completely normal. But what isn't normal is the excitement that Tamara can feel coming from her. The cheerleader is having serious trouble in understanding it.

   “Do I need to get dressed so you can fight?”, the crazy girl taunts, “Because I'm really getting tired of staring at you. Or maybe if I was a man dressed up as a girl...”

   “Oomph!”, the taunter doubles over as Tamara lunges forwards with a solid left punch into her stomach.

   “Hard to talk when you can't breathe,” Tamara lifts the girl's face and winks.

   The breathless girl defiantly puckers her lips and makes a smooching sound.

   “Oh no you didn't,” Tamara hits the girl in her chest with her right hand. The jagged stones rip through her flesh. Her victim cries out as she is knocked backwards. Tamara grabs her before she lands against the stereo.