“Sure,” I said. “I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about you.” I smiled. “Ever since that day after exams, I’ve thought about you a lot.” I took a step towards her, maintaining eye contact. “I’ve even had some really nice fantasies about you.”
“Oh, really?” Brandi was starting to look a little upset, a little uncomfortable, but she managed to retain the smug tone. “What are you, a dyke now too? An ugly dyke?”
“Oh, no. Not those kind of fantasies.” I grinned and she swallowed. I felt a rush of joy realizing that I was scaring her. “Very, very different ones. You bitch.”
“You’re crazy,” she fumbled, breaking our eye contact and rolling her eyes. She tried to paste the smirk back on her face.
I took another step towards her, still grinning. “What’s wrong, Brandi?” I said. “Don’t you want to know what I think about? Don’t you want to know what goes through my ugly head?” I was really enjoying this. Her growing discomfort made my heartbeat pick up. I almost felt giddy. “I dare you to push me. I dare you to touch me again,” I pressed. “Try it. Just fucking try it. Like you did before.”
At this, she attempted to rally. Smirk gone, her face turning red, she returned my gaze. “Maybe I will.”
I felt like I was dancing, like my body was buzzing. “Then do it, you stupid bitch,” I laughed. My face was starting to hurt, but I couldn’t stop smiling. I reached my hands out to her as if I was inviting her to hug me. “I’m here right now, Brandi. I want you to,” I said.
“You’re fucking crazy and this isn’t worth my time,” she said, beginning to turn towards the door. Immediately I darted at her and grabbed her blonde ponytail in my hand. She cried out in shock. I yanked her head back and put my mouth close to her ear.
“Don’t fuck with me again,” I hissed. “Because I will kill you. Get it? I’m not kidding. I will cut your throat.”
“Leave me alone,” she howled, and I jerked her hair, silencing her.
“No. You leave me alone. I don’t bother you, do I? I never have. So give me the same respect. Because I will cut your throat, Brandi. I’m sick of you. And watching you die would make me very happy.” I was full of shit, of course, but I relished in feeling her body trembling with fear, in the stench of her sweat beginning to show beneath the coconut perfume. “I’ll cut your head off and wrap it in a sheet,” I said, resisting a very strong urge to lick her earlobe. I imagined how horrified she would be if I did that, out of nowhere.
Brandi twisted and pulled herself away from me, and I let her go. She whirled to face me, one hand rubbing her sore head, cheeks scarlet, a light sheen of sweat glinting on her forehead.
“You’re psycho,” she stumbled, trying to collect herself. I was pleased to see no trace of smirk or sarcasm in her tone, and absently nodded in agreement, continuing to smile at her.
“Keep away from me,” she said. “From now on. Just leave me alone.”
“That was never a problem,” I said. “You’re the one who leaves me alone from now on.”
She couldn’t disagree, so there was no reply as she left. I turned back to the mirror to examine my reflection, and I wondered two things. Would Brandi tell on me? I hadn’t had a run-in with Ms. Coates since the poetry incident, and I didn’t exactly relish the idea of getting called to her office. I was pretty confident I’d be able to talk my way out of any trouble, but if she called my parents, they’d get all freaked out, and I didn’t want anything to interfere with band practice.