A story I wrote a couple years ago. The gang girls were all eighteen but happened to be at a football game that a couple women I know attended. This was their story, though, as usual, I embellished it a bit.
Jody Simpson stood in front of the full-length mirror of her bedroom closet, studying the contours of the blue denim on her svelte hip. She ran her fingers along the seam of the tight fabric, turned and gazed at her firm buttocks.
She had just purchased the dark blue Levi’s (with the double-lined yellow pocket design), after losing five pounds over the summer, and planned to wear them later to the high school football game . . . and then out to one or more of the Columbus nightclubs. She was meeting her best friend Teri Morgan at the ticket booth at 7 p.m.
Jody and Teri had been cheerleaders at the school ten years ago and planned to attend the first game of the season for old time’s sake. Teri had just arrived from Atlanta where she worked as a news journalist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Jody was the marketing director for a local art gallery, where she had sold several of her paintings in the past year.
Jody and Teri had been best friends since the first grade. And they always did everything together growing up, whether they played with their dolls, performed in dance recitals or attended school dances and proms. Both were exceptionally attractive and slim, though the blonde Teri was a couple inches taller. Jody’s most distinguishing traits were her frizzy light brown hair and azure blue eyes.
Jody turned and admired how the jeans looked from her other side. She performed a couple provocative poses in the mirror, pursing her lips for emphasis, and stroked her fingertips across her shapely posterior.
The jeans looked sexy on her and fit perfectly. She slipped on a studded black belt, pink sleeveless blouse and boots and headed for the bathroom to apply the finishing touches of eyeliner and makeup.
Jody hadn’t seen Teri in nearly a year. She was staying at the Sheraton at Capital Square near downtown Columbus. Jody planned to have Teri follow her after the game and park her rental at her apartment. The two would then hit some local night clubs and have an intimate slumber party, catching up on each other’s love lives.
Jody’s cell rang.
“Hello.”
“Hey there, girlfriend,” said Teri. “You ready for a big night on the town?”
“Yeah, I can’t wait,” said Jody. “I wonder how many people will recognize us at the game.”
“Who knows? It’s been ten years. Can you believe it?”
“No, I can’t, but I haven’t changed a bit,” said Jill. “Kidding. I’m just really excited that I lost five pounds this summer, and two sizes in my jeans; I now weigh one-hundred-eight, just like when I graduated from high school.”
“That’s great. And I’m sure you’re as hot as ever.”
“You, too,” said Jody. They both laughed.
“I’ll see you at the game,” said Teri.
“Great.”
The game was being played at McHale Central, the high school from which Jody and Teri graduated in 2005. Jody could still remember the fight song and the endless rants of, “Go Lions.” Cheerleading had been a blast and the old squad occasionally got together for drinks. But it just wasn’t the same without Teri in town, which is why she was so excited for her weekend visit.
Jody walked out the door of her apartment at six-thirty, checking the lock before leaving. She lived on the first floor of the unit and was always concerned about theft, not that she lived in a bad area. She just had numerous valuables, including several computers, tablets, art collections and jewelry inside, and didn’t want them stolen.
Jody noticed her jeans were a bit stiff as she made her way down the apartment steps. Of course, they were new and jeans always felt stiff off the rack. But they cut into her upper thighs, which felt a little uncomfortable, and hugged her hips like a glove. She was still proud of herself for losing the weight and wanted to show off her new slimmer figure. Who knew? Maybe she’d see one of the guys from her graduating class at the game and strike up a new romance.
“Hey, Jody,” some guy said, just before she got in her car. He wore a red sleeveless shirt. His blonde hair cascaded to his muscular deltoids.
“Hi, Jim.” She had met Jim at the pool this summer. The two had gone on a couple dates. Jim was an architect who had helped design one of the new office buildings downtown.
“Any plans this weekend?”
“Yeah, I’m meeting a friend from out of town.” Jody was standing by the open car door of her red BMW, her left elbow propped against the top of the window. Jim stood on the sidewalk, ten feet away, his T-shirt soaked with sweat.
“I’ve been jogging,” he said, as he pulled his shirt up and wiped sweat from his nose. Jody goggled at his six-pack abs.
“That’s always good,” she said. Silence ensued for several seconds.
“Well, it was good seeing you. Maybe we can get together sometime.”
“I’d like that,” said Jody. She smiled, plopped inside her car and started the engine.
She could’ve kicked herself for that last comment, as that would encourage the guy even more. She liked Jim but he seemed a bit possessive during the short time she’d known him. And she really wasn’t all that attracted to him.
Jody hadn’t had a boyfriend in more than six months. Her last boyfriend, Joel, had cheated on her after two years of dating. Jody had since gone out with several other men besides Jim, but hadn’t met anyone she really liked. Maybe she’d try Match or eHarmony after Teri went back to Atlanta. She’d heard some good things about those dating sites. Several friends had met their husbands on them.
The high school was only six miles away. As Jody approached the school, slowing to a crawl in her bimmer, she saw it teeming with teens. Families would be arriving soon. A cop walked in front of her car and halted traffic as a mob of people crossed the street. The game was against Pickerington Central, one of their chief rivals. The Lions versus the Tigers. What a matchup. A real catfight.
After the crowd passed, the cop signaled her forward. Jody pulled into the school driveway and made her way to the far parking lot. She drove up and down several aisles before settling for a spot near the center. She grabbed her purse, locked her door and starting walking toward the ticket office.
The air was pleasant and warm with a slight breeze. Jody kept a sweater in the car in case it got cooler later on. August evenings in Ohio were notorious for scorching you during the day and cooling off like fall at night.
Throngs of people walked along the wide sidewalk leading to the ticket booth. A couple young boys ran past her—one of whom launched a water balloon. Instead of hitting another boy, the balloon splashed against the sidewalk behind a group of girls. Jody heard one girl say, “Children must play,” as she looked back briefly, then focused again on her iPhone screen.
As Jody neared the ticket booth, she saw Teri standing to the left of it. She wore jeans and a white blouse, with the sleeves rolled up at the elbows. Teri waved with a big smile. She sported a bronze tan. The two hugged after Jody meandered around a group of girls, who had stopped walking to stare at one girl’s phone screen.
“How are you?” said Jody. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“I’m great. I just finished a big news story I’d been writing, so it’s a huge relief to get a weekend free.”
“That’s great,” said Jody. “I’ll get the tickets. My treat.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“But I want to,” said Jody. “Call it a homecoming gift from me.”
“Okay, I’ll get the drinks and snacks.”
“It’s a deal.”
Jody stood in line at the ticket booth, which ran several rows long. Beyond the ticket booth, a medley of boisterous chatter emanated from the bleachers. Ten minutes later, she paid the twenty dollars for both tickets and made her way back to Teri.
“Where do you want to sit?” said Jody.
“How ‘bout midfield if it’s still available.”
“Perfect.”
The two walked toward the bleachers. A group of high school boys motioned them on, smiling as the two walked through the gate. Jody didn’t even want to think what the boys had on their minds as they followed them in. Maybe the tight jeans weren’t all that appropriate at a high school football game. She’d worn them more for the nightclubs they were going to after the game.
Jody and Teri climbed the bleacher steps and sat down near the back railing at midfield. Across the field, the bleachers for Pickerington Central were starting to fill up.
Several people looked over at Teri and Jody but didn’t say anything. Jody knew some people would recognize her before the end of the night. One man just smiled at her before his kid stumbled at his feet. The child, who looked about five, pouted for several seconds but didn’t cry.
It was eight o’clock and the game was getting ready to start. The Lions emerged onto the track around the field as a deafening round of cheers erupted. Jody and Teri clapped. The percussions soon joined the ruckus and the band started playing the fight song.
Pickerington scored a touchdown during the first minute of the game. A kid named Nicky Schultz took the kickoff and ran seventy yards downfield. Two plays later, the quarterback connected with the tight end on a pass, making it 7 to 0 visitors.
Let’s get a Coke or something,” said Teri, as the first quarter ended. “And then we can walk around a bit.” Jody and Teri stood and walked out to the concession stand. Teri purchased two Diet Cokes.
“Seems like old times,” said Teri, except we’re walking around the field instead of jumping up and down on it.” She sipped on her beverage through the straw.
Jody laughed. “I don’t know if I could perform many of those moves today.”
“Oh, you could,” said Teri. “I can just picture you performing the splits in those snug Levi’s.”
“And splitting the ass out of them,” Jody quipped.
The two walked around the field a couple times, enjoying the balmy air and crowd. On the visitor’s side, the cheerleaders commenced a cheer which enlivened their fans. Just as Jody and Teri rounded the far end of the track, they saw a Pickerington player make a spectacular catch near the five yard-line. Their team scored on a draw play and went up 21 to nothing. So much for the intense rivalry. Her team was getting its butt kicked.
Just before halftime, the two women walked to the girl’s restroom at the back of the school. It was the only restroom open to female patrons. They waited in line for five minutes to use the facilities, then met each other just outside the door.
On the way back toward the action, a group of girls standing on the grass near the walkway started staring at them, making a few off-handed comments. They all chuckled and started chatting amongst themselves. At first, Jody didn’t hear what they said but was sure it wasn’t complimentary. The girls watched the women walk past as they headed toward the football track. Jody noticed that most of the girls were dressed in punk attire.
The heaviest of the group had dark purple hair. She was about eighteen and wore stretch pants and black boots, with dark makeup around her eyes. Jody heard the girl mutter “slut” under her breath, but she just kept walking. The comment was probably directed at her because her jeans were tighter than Teri’s.
“I can’t get over how kids dress today,” said Teri. She had also noticed the quintet.
“I don’t see too many people dressed like that,” said Jody. “They looked a little ominous—like they were from a gang or something.”
“Well, let’s stay away from them. The last thing I need tonight is to get into it with some girl gang members.” Jody chuckled.
“I don’t think we’d last too long against those girls,” said Jody. “Did you see the one girl?” Jody spread her arms wide and puffed her cheeks out. “She had to be at least six-three, too.”
“Yeah, a tall porker,” said Teri.
Jody and Teri laughed about the girl, though Jody usually didn’t make fun of people. But the girl had called her a slut, as if trying to initiate a fight. She was just glad Teri was there and hoped to have a blast this weekend. They were going to a party in Upper Arlington tomorrow night with some friends.
The women circled the field a half dozen times as the game progressed. The twilight skies soon gave way to darkness. As they made the turn on the track toward the home crowd, several guys and women said “hi” to them, recognizing them from the old days. One woman had graduated with Teri and her. She was with her husband and two kids.
Five minutes before the game ended—with the Lions now down 42 to 7—the crowd started thinning out. Only a smattering of people now walked the track.
Jody and Teri were walking along the track near the scoreboard—fifty feet from the nearest person in front of them. It was then that Jody sensed someone was following them. Jody didn’t look behind her and didn’t mention anything to Teri. But just as they made the turn along the far track, a tall girl emerged from the grass and stepped in front of them. She glared at Jody.
“I know who you are, biker bitch, and you’re not welcome around here.”
“What are you talking about?” said Jody. “I’m not a biker bitch. I used to be a cheerleader at this school.”
The girl nodded and rolled her eyes. A couple other girls approached from the grass. They had been hiding behind the bleachers, Jody surmised. A minute later, the fat girl who Jody had seen earlier waddled up and stood to her left.
“Look, you girls are mistaken. We’re just out her having fun, like you.”
“Jody,” said Teri.
“I know what you’re up to,” the tall girl said. “You’ve been selling drugs around here for years. It’s gonna end tonight.”
“Like I said, we’re not biker chicks,” said Jody.
"You've got a f*ckin Harley bandana on your head and a choker around your scrawny neck, you stupid c*nt."
"Oh. I just put that on. I used to date a biker."
"You're a lying sack of sh*t, too, biker c*nt!"
She tried to step around the tall girl but the girl stepped out and blocked her path.
“Hey, I’ve had just about enough of this,” said Jody.
“Jody.” Jody waved her friend off as she glowered at the tall girl. The girl was at least six-feet tall—eight inches taller than her. But Jody didn’t back down.
“Jody!”
“What?” she said, more than a little exasperated. When she looked over at Teri, she saw that one of the punksters held her by the left shoulder. In the other hand, the girl clutched a four-inch switchblade which she had pointed at Teri’s lower back.
“Let’s take a walk,” the tall girl said. Jody leaned to her left and craned her neck around the girl to see if anyone was looking. They weren’t. She thought about shouting to someone, but no one was within a hundred feet. A lot of the attendees were now heading for the exit, now that the game was in the bag for the visitors. Seconds later, the fat punk girl grabbed Jody’s bare deltoid and shoved her toward the grass.
“Hey,” said Jody. “What the hell are you doing?”
“You’ll find out soon enough,” the girl said; her voice was deeper than the other girl’s.
Most of the now six girls were taller than Jody and Teri, as they huddled around the women and hid them from view. They were obviously experts at this type of clandestine activity and didn’t want to draw any attention.
The six girls and two women walked onto the grass and then descended a steep hill. Four other girls stayed behind—perhaps to keep an eye out for cops. They were the same girls who’d been talking to the heavyset girl by the restroom.
Five minutes later, they entered the woods along a narrow dirt path. Teri moaned as the girl who held her tightened her grip on her shoulder.
“What do you want from us?” said Teri.
“That’s for me to know and you to find out.” Teri tried to turn around but the girl shoved her shoulder. She then stuck the knife up to her throat. “Come on, bitch, just move it. You had this coming.”
“Had what coming?” Jody yelled over at her.
“This . . . slut,” said the fat girl, as she punched Jody in the lower back. The sound of fist hitting flesh echoed through the woods as Jody arched her back and emitted a painful, “Uhhhhhh.”
When she turned to defend herself, still feeling as if her kidney had been shoved through her abdomen, the fat punkster backhanded her across the mouth and knocked her onto the dirt path.
“Leave her alone,” cried Teri.
Jody was now her on stomach; blood trickled down the side of her mouth and dripped to the ground. She dabbed at her lip with her fingers to staunch the bleeding.
Jody pushed herself up to a seated position, her knees cocked and boot heels on the dirt.
“If you’re smart, you’ll stay down, you little cxnt,” the fat girl said. Jody could barely make the girl out as the shadowy blob towered above her. The other girls looked at the big girl, then down at Jody.
“Yeah, stay down,” said another girl. “It’s payback time.”
“I don’t know who you think we are,” said Jody, “but we’re certainly not biker bitches.”
“You’re slimy drug dealers,” the tall thin girl said. “We’ve had two girls die from the drugs your bikers sold them.”
Jody tried to stand. The fat girl palmed her forehead and shoved her back down. Jody went flying backwards, somersaulted and nearly hit the trunk of a tree. She landed on a small hillock of mud with her back arched and legs splayed in front of her.
“I told you to stay down, skinny bitch,” the big girl said, “because I won’t hesitate to knock your head off.” Jody just lay there with her mouth gaped, shocked by the hatred and rudeness of the girl.
“Get her cell phone,” the tall thin girl said.
“Where?” said the fat girl.”
“Right front jeans pocket.”
The mammoth, who probably weighed at least two-eighty, waddled toward Jody. She bent down and reached for Jody’s phone. Jody slapped her arm.
“Oh, so you wanna play rough, bitch? You got it.” She kicked Jody in the thigh. Jody pushed herself off the dirt mound and tried to stand. Before she could get to her feet, the girl grabbed a tuft of her hair and pulled her up. Jody screamed as the girl shoved her against the trunk of an oak tree. The girl then grabbed the cell in her right Levi’s pocket, dropped it on one of the large roots of the tree and smashed it with her shoe.
“You didn’t have to do that,” said Jody.
“Yeah, I did,” the girl said. “I don’t want anyone to know about this.”
“About what?” said Jody, who was leaning against the tree, still aching from the kidney punch. The girl was tremendously strong and might’ve cracked one of her ribs. Her back hurt that much. Jody studied the large shadowy figure as a full moon hovered above her head between the tree branches. The girl stood with her fists clenched. Jody’s heart pounded. Sweat poured from her brow.
“About what we’re gonna do to you and your friend here. It'll be the last time you sell any drugs, I can tell you that."
"I didn't sell any drugs."
"F*ck you, skinny c*nt."
"I'm not a c*nt."
"You are if I say you are, c*nt."
Jody felt a surge of anxiety rise from her abdomen to her heart. She knew the girls planned to hurt or even kill them without even posing another question. And having never been in a fight, Jody felt like a patsy standing there before the big girl, who knew she could break her in half with her bare hands.
“Let’s do this,” the tall thin girl said. The fat girl nodded.
“My pleasure.”
Jody shot both arms out as the fat girl approached her. “Please, just let us go. We’re not drug dealers. Please.”
The girl smirked as she grabbed both of Jody’s arms. Jody tried to pull herself free but couldn’t. The girl jerked her forward and rammed her knee into her stomach.
“Uhhhhhhh!” Jody’s body went limp. She cupped her hand against her gut and aspirated as she fell forward against the girl. The fat teen bear-hugged her, hoisted her up and slammed her knee into Jody’s crotch as she yanked her back down.
“Ouch,” one of the smaller girls said, as Jody’s eyes rolled upwards. The girl leaned in and taunted Jody. “Cxnt shot. Bet that hurt, slut. You're gonna learn your lesson not to sell drugs around this school the hard way after we're finished with you.” The other girls laughed.
"Yeah," shouted another girl. "A little pub pounding through those tight little Levi's of yours, skinny bitch. Bet you're even shaved down there."
Jody’s jaw slackened as she fell forward on her stomach—arms outstretched. Her chin hit the dirt, knocking her into a daze.
“Please leave her alone,” said Teri. “We’re not biker women.”
The heavy girl flipped Jody on her back with a quick sweep of her boot.
“You’ll only make it worse resisting me,” said the girl. “I can keep this up all night.”
Only half conscious, Jody felt the girl cup the back of her neck and pull her to a seated position. "Come on, skinny bitch. It's almost over." The girl chuckled.
Jody gazed ahead through slitted eyes, dreading the girl’s next move. But she didn’t have the strength or energy to deploy and defensive measures. Seconds later, the girl punched her in the face and knocked her back to the ground. The back of Jody’s head hit the dirt and rattled her teeth.
Jody just lay there spread-eagled, not knowing whether the huge girl would pummel her some more or crush her to death. It didn’t matter because she and Teri couldn’t do anything about it. Six against two was unfair. And the fat girl easily counted as two girls. The last thing Jody felt was the warm blood flowing from both nostrils and across her cheeks before she passed out.
Cussssshhhh!
“Uhhhhhhh!”
Cussssshhhh!
“Uhhhhhhh! Oh, God.
Jody opened her eyes and saw nothing but blackness for several seconds, until her eyes adjusted to night. She was lying on the grass near a body of water. Trails of car lights shimmered above and in the distance, as they coursed along the road above. She believed she was lying on the banks of the Scioto River. She’d seen it on the news several times. Her face ached, she couldn’t breathe out of her blood-clotted nose and she felt nauseous.
To be continued . . .
