Free Anywhere But Here by JL Paul

alone.”
    “And if I don’t?” I a sked, though I had no intention of encouraging him at all.
    “You’ll pay,” she said, anger glittering in her eyes.
    That was the worst thing she could have said for I was suddenly determined to continue my burgeoning friendship with Ian Finley.  “Is that a threat?” I asked feigning innocence.
    “I didn’t stutter,” she said and with a flick to her hair, she bounded away to join her wide-eyed friends.
    I rolled my eyes and started on my math problems, fury racing through my veins.
    ***
    Fin turned up at my locker constantly on Wednesday and it sent Gina into a fuming rage.  Oh, she’d played it off perfectly when Fin was around, but whenever I had the misfortune of running into her in the halls alone, she spit nails at me.  I didn’t much care – she could do nothing that would hurt me worse than the personal hell I’d gone through for the past five months.
    Thursday morning, when I opened my locker, I got a little taste of Gina’s anger. The books and papers that I hadn’t taken home with me the day before were dripping with a sticky substance that smelled suspiciously like maple syrup.
    At first I’d wondered if she’d somehow obtained my locker combination but after inspecting the door, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that she’d shot the stuff through the slatted vents.
    Sighing my resignation, I began digging the sticky books out of my locker and piling them on the floor.  I wasn’t sure exactly how to clean up the mess without involving Admin, but I couldn’t carry the books around with me all day.
    “What the hell?” Damon asked as he loped over to me.  “Damn, did you leave a bottle of syrup in there or something?”
    “Nope,” I said succinctly as I frowned at my sticky hands.  “Just a little gift from my new friend, Gina.”
    “Damn,” Damon muttered, opening a book with the toe of his shoe.  “That spiteful little...”
    “Yeah, well, she’s not too happy that Fin and I mended our differences.”
    He snorted.  “She’s been in love with Fin for ages – everyone knows,” he said, garnering my attention.  “He’s never really showed much interest in anyone or anything except hockey.  That is, unt il you came here.  All the chicks that have been crushing on him don’t much care for you, either.”
    “Wonderful,” I groaned, hands on hips as I surveyed the mess.  “Now what?”
    “I’ll go track down the janitor and get some cleaning stuff,” Damon offered.  “See if there’s anything in there that isn’t covered in goo.”
    I nodded and salvaged a couple of folders.  Luckily, I’d taken all my assignments that were due today home with me the night before.
    “What happened, Rena?” Fin asked as he crept toward me, Grant in tow.
    “One of your admirers isn’t too happy that you’re paying me some attention,” I said with a false smile.  “Nice, huh?  I’m honored.”
    He ran his hands through his hair as he gaped at the mess.  “Damn, Rena.  I’m sorry.”
    “It’s not your fault, Fin,” I said with an exasperated sigh.  “I’m just sort of at a loss how to fix this.”
    I glanced at him, ready to offer a genuine smile, but it faltered as I caught sight of the manic glint in his eyes.  “I’ll fix this, don’t worry,” he said, his jaw set.
    I placed a hand on his chest.  “Um, no, don’t.  Don’t get involved.”
    “He’s already involved,” Grant said and I shot him a warning glare.
    “I’ll deal with Gina,” Fin said, his eyes sweeping the hall as if she’d suddenly appear.
    “No,” I said firmly.  “I’ll deal with her.  Leave her to me.”
    “Here,” Damon said as he returned, his arms loaded with a spray bottle filled with some sort of blue liquid and a roll of paper towels.  “Let’s get these books cleaned up.”
    “Thanks,” I said as the warning bell rang.  “You guys go – I got this.  No need for everyone to be late.”  I realized