Portrait of a Girl Running by J. B. Chicoine

Author:J. B. Chicoine [Chicoine, J. B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Straw Hill Publishing
Published: 2013-10-04T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

Midterm exams absorbed the second week of January. On the day that regularly scheduled classes resumed, Leila checked the short-term forecast. Wind, rain, and plummeting temperatures. She drove to school instead of running.

Eighty-one percent earned her a passing grade in trigonometry, officially ending her tutoring with Kyle. After homeroom, she proceeded to home economics where she hoped to learn how to really cook—perhaps even something as fancy as quiche. Other than that, her schedule remained the same, except for the last class of the day; her semester-long reprieve from gym under Ms. Thorpe had expired.

In the gymnasium, Miss Weiss—now the eighth-period instructor—stood at the head of the class in front of the office windows; Ms. Thorpe disappeared behind lowering shades. A half-circle of sitting girls fanned out on newly polished floors, as Miss Weiss paced in front of them. Leila inched her way behind a heavier girl and stared at strands of greasy hair rather than put herself in Weiss’ line of sight.

“Rape!” Weiss said and paused. “Over sixty-seven thousand cases of rape and attempted rape in the United States in the past year. Six, right here in Millville. How many of you could fend off a rapist?”

Leila’s fellow classmates sat forward with rapt attention. She knew the scare tactics and the drill—all of that had made an impression on her as a fourteen-year-old girl in a room full of militant feminists, but now it bored Leila. Just the same, it would be a good review. At least she wouldn’t have to bat around a tennis ball with Maryanne, though she had spied her up front. Leila leaned back upon her arms, scooting further out of sight. Then, Coach Brigham entered from the back alcove and took center stage. The Assailant?

Oh God!

Leila sat up and hugged her knees, staving off stomach pangs that rolled with the memory of how Ian had humiliated her and sent her off. She stared at the floor, fidgeting with the chopstick at the back of her head.

Miss Weiss recited the technique. “Jab, stomp, gouge, and groin.”

The heavy girl shifted her weight to one side, exposing Leila. She snatched a view of her instructor. Ian’s arms wrapped around the woman in a half-hearted ‘attack.’ Leila gazed off at the bleachers.

“Sanders!”

Leila’s attention shot forward.

Miss Weiss glared. “Is this class too dull for you?”

“Not at all, ma’am.” Her back straightened.

“You think because you wiggled your way out of Ms. Thorpe’s class, that you don’t have to learn self-defense? Or perhaps you think you already know everything about this subject.”

If the class was silent before, it now stifled even a cough or a breath.

“No ma’am, not at all.” Her next words strained in her throat, squeaking out, “I believe it’s extremely important.”

“Then perhaps you would like to be our first volunteer.”

Leila’s heart pounded as if she had run a mile. She flashed a look at Ian. His shoulders drew back, his chest expanding with a deep breath. Tension twitched at his brow. Blood congealed in Leila’s veins.

Weiss stared her down.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.