“Tell her I’ll be right out,” she said to Carrie. She wasn’t looking forward to another confrontation, but her curiosity got the better of her. Besides, not even Deanna was crazy enough to try anything right outside the store.
Megan approached with caution. Deanna came alone, but that didn’t mean there weren’t others near by. As she watched Deanna, Carrie watched her.
“Go back inside,” she said.
“Why?” Carrie objected. “I wanna see this.”
“Better do what your sister says,” Deanna said with a confident sneer. Carrie glumly retreated and Megan continued her approach.
“If you try anything,” she warned. “I’ll scream. And don’t forget, I still have the pictures.”
Deanna removed her sunglasses and glared at her. There was an array of scratches upon her face.
“What do you want?” Megan asked.
Deanna spat upon the ground. Her saliva was tainted with blood. “Satisfaction,” she said. “Is what I want.”
“Satisfaction?”
“See these?” she asked, indicating her bruises. “My friends gave me these. I gave them ’bout the same, but that ain’t the point. I told ’em that you had some shit on me. We were gonna mess you up. Real good.”
Megan’s skin began to crawl. She looked back towards the pharmacy. Carrie was watching and a small crowd had gathered by the windows.
“S…s…so?” she stammered. “What happened?”
“They thought it was funny,” Deanna explained. “That I’m this pissed off. A real fucking riot. Well I don’t like being laughed at. So we tangled. And here I am.”
“Why?” Megan asked.
“I told you. I want satisfaction. The first time, me and Lena double-teamed you. You never had a fucking chance. And then you and you’re fucking goon squad got me back. Fair ’nuff. But what I wanna know, is between you and me, who’s got it and who doesn’t.”
“Deanna, I don’t understand…”
“Dumbass, I want you to fight me. A fair fight. No outside help. No weapons. I KNOW I can kick your bitch ass. I just wanna be able to prove it.”
“You’re crazy,” Megan remarked.
“Fight me!”
“No.”
“I’ll give you first punch. You win…you’ll never see me again.”
“I’m NOT going to fight you,” Megan insisted. “But if you don’t leave, I WILL call the cops.”
“I demand satisfaction, goddamnit! Fucking fight me already.”
Megan was so sure that she would be hit that she winced in anticipation and turned her head away. Deanna did in fact throw a punch, but when she saw that Megan made no effort to block it, she drew back her fist. A small crowd had begun to gather around them. Most were adults who looked on with distaste and concern, but a few were kids who eagerly chanted for blood. Megan began to retreat back into the store.
“Goddamn you!” Deanna shouted after her. “You’re a bad person, Megan. A horrible human being.”
Megan froze in her tracks. Some of the people in the crowd gave her suspicious looks as Deanna continued to denounce her.
“You take my goddamn dignity from me and you won’t even let me win it back. You’re bad, Megan. You’re worse than me. I’ll fucking see you in hell!”
“That girl,” declared one onlooker. “Is nuts.”
“Did she hit you, dear?” asked another.
Megan shook her head. She felt dizzy as she reentered the pharmacy. Her senses were a pinball machine gone full tilt. Uncertainty and guilt grabbed at her like champion tug-of-war ropesmen. Her head swam and her stomach sank. She could only imagine how she must have looked.
There seemed to be a half-dozen voices calling her name. Josh and Carrie’s were most prominent among them. She remembered being asked if she was OK and she remembered replying that yes, she was.
“I’ll call the police,” Josh offered. “Have that madwoman picked up.”
“Don’t bother,” said Natalie. “She’s long gone.”
Ironically, the only one who saw any good coming out of the aftermath was Vern. “It wasn’t pretty,” he commented. “But it attracted attention. Look at all the customers!”
Megan asked for, and was granted, the remainder of the day off. She and Carrie left together and went to lunch.
“Are you sure you’re OK?” Carrie asked.
“Yes,” Megan answered. “Fine. Couldn’t be better.”
“Meg….”
“Do me a favor and don’t dwell on it, OK?”
Carrie nodded and they ate in silence. Megan was not surprised to find that she didn’t have much of an appetite.
“Umm….Meg,” Carrie whispered discretely. “I have to um….”