Story: Northridge High School Feud (part 1)

Northridge High School Feud (part 1)
By Tcheser

There were two separate but distinct factions at Northridge High School. There were those who were popular and those who were not. There were of course many other distinctions and classifications, cliques and groups, but in the end everyone could be broken down as to belonging to either the popular group or not. The Popular ran the school. They were the beautiful people of Northridge. They were the jocks, the hot chicks and the rich kids predominantly. Nothing was done or happened with out their permission. That permission was also only given if you were one of them or did what they said to get on their good side. It was good, very good, to be one of the popular kids.

It was of course less desirable to be one of the unpopular kids. This faction was made up of everyone not of the first group. The wallflowers, the shrinking violets, the nerds, the geeks, the spazzs, the welfare cases, the burnouts, the junkies, the artists, the intellectuals, the beatniks, the individualists and everyone else who wasn’t of the social elite that ran the school. Sure they were of greater number but their level of organization and social structure was nowhere as developed as that of the minority that ran things. All they hoped to do was to make it through high school and not get picked on or humiliated too often. That was the state of affairs for everyone at Northridge high.

That is until March of the most recent school year. That was when things changed dramatically for three students at Northridge high. The first two were known as Carol Jervis and Jane Jones. Both were average students in the 11th grade currently. Carol was into science and particularly astronomy while Jane was into history, art, the school paper and mysticism. They were what one would call un-noteworthy or plain if one were rude. Carol had lank red hair and bad acne and Jane had short frizzy dishwater brown hair and thick glasses. Neither had what one would call a well developed body and they frequently were teased by the other girls because of this. Obviously they were not of the popular faction.

Amber Lane however was. She was head cheerleader, Vice President of the Celebratory committee, and Snow Princess three years running. She was an honor roll student although she never did any homework. She drove a new fire red Mazda Miata convertible and dated Brad Wells the school baseball team’s star pitcher. And as if that were not enough she was also very attractive. She had a killer body, beautiful skin and curves in all the right places, long thick naturally blonde hair, and a face she had been offered modeling gigs for. Obviously she was of the popular faction and universally despised by those beneath her. Her attitude was on par with her inflated ego and sense of self worth. She treated everyone not of her social standing like dirt beneath her feet. Most of them wished she would get hers one day, but no one really thought she ever would. She was seemingly untouchable.

That is until the day after one of the biggest football games of the year. On this day the 11th grade trigonometry teacher, Mr. Willis, found his car. It had been missing for several days and was finally found at the bottom of a ravine obscured by brush and trees. Investigators determined that someone had rammed his car, most likely intentionally and pushed it out of the parking lot and down into the deep ravine. The culprit they further determined had been driving a red car indicated by the red paint left on Mr. Willis’s car and would have damage to the front bumper and possibly fenders. Reviewing logs of who was at the school at the time the car disappeared which was after school the police came up with a list of suspects. Many were quickly tossed out as not having cars or having cars that weren’t red. The remaining received special visits in which their cars were inspected. Among them was Carol Jervis. Despite not being particularly wealthy or even middle class she had managed to afford an old beat up Chrysler. It wasn’t much but her uncle who was a whiz with motors had managed to bring it back to life for her. It they found was the right color and had damage to the front end.

To Carol’s horror and that of her family and her best friend Jane the police then proceeded to charge her with reckless destruction of private property and malicious mayhem. The motive they decided was either drugs or wanton cruelty. Her parents were able to scrape together enough money for a lawyer and Carol was released from custody after just a day, but she was suspended from school until she issued an apology to Mr. Willis AND paid for the damages to his car. The first she refused to do on principal, the second she couldn’t afford to do. She already worked part time at a nearby diner to help the family and even full time the damage came to more then she would make by the end of the year. She was crushed as this would just about destroy her academic record and any chance of a scholarship to college which was the only way she was going to get to go.

Jane did her best to comfort her friend, but it was difficult. Carol maintained that she was innocent and that only made things harder for her. Resolute in her quest to help her best friend Jane launched her own investigation. She found out little at first, but then she recalled a marker she could call in. So she made contact with the young detective in the local police force she had met while working on the paper last year. He had liked the young girl and really respected her integrity when they first met and they had been exchanging friendly emails ever since. He agreed at once to find out what he could and she was glad he did.

He found out after a little nosing around and calling in a favor of his own that there had been another prime suspect in the case, one with a better motive, better means and unfortunately better connections. The police had been none too subtly told to look elsewhere when pressure from the suspect’s father was applied. Jane nearly turned beat red with anger when she learned who the culprit most likely was. It was none other then Amber Lane. Immediately Jane embarked on a plan to clear her friends name and make Amber wish she was never born.

When Amber saw Jane walking towards her the next Monday before school she had no idea what the little “nobody” could want. She sized up the girls somewhat Goth black skirt, tights and ankh with her incongruous purple cardigan and couldn’t help but smirk. Jane on the other hand had to try hard to not attack the perky little perfect princess in her sexy belly baring top which stretched lovingly against her healthy breasts, pink trimmed white track pants and fashionable sneakers. She had to know if Amber was guilty before she did anything.


“Hi, Amber” she greeted the most popular girl in the school.

“Uh, hello” Amber replied not knowing Jane’s name despite the fact they had been going to the same schools for 12 years.

“My name is Jane, Amber. We need to talk” Jane explained with as much gumption as she could muster. Amber looked for a reason to walk off or someone to save her but Jane had ambushed her near her car in the parking lot and no one else was even within earshot.

“Alright… Jane. Let’s talk, what’s up?” Amber replied with mock friendliness.

“I know it was you who smashed Mr. Willis’s car” Jane came out and said what she suspected. Amber’s look of shock was horrible and totally unbelievable. Despite her years at high school politicking she turned bright red.

“What…what are you talking about? The police said it was…” Amber tried to dissuade Jane. Jane however was having none of it.

“Cram it, Amber. Carol is my best friend and I know you did it. I know you hated Mr. Willis because he wouldn’t let you float by this year and gave you the grades you deserved. Particularly that D- on his last test that’s going to keep you off honor roll this semester.” Amber’s face turned pale and her features angry as Jane went on “And I know you had $2800 of emergency last minute after hours' repairs done to your Miata’s front end at Northridge Auto Service the night after the accident.”

“Whatever” Amber smirked dismissively “even if that’s true, you can’t prove a thing and if you spread those lies my Daddy will eat yours for breakfast” Amber finally spat, grabbed her purse and began to walk off. However Jane wasn’t finished. She grabbed Amber by her elbow and pulled her back for a moment.

“Amber, I probably can’t prove it, but you’ve just convinced me you did it after all.” Jane said with conviction as she stared into Amber’s dazzling blue eyes though her own thick glasses.

“So?” amber asked dismissively.

“So, I want you to tell the truth and take the blame for the whole thing. If you don’t I’ll make your life so miserable you’ll wish you were dead” Jane threatened the taller, more physically fit and financially secure girl.

“Go ahead and try it you bitch!” Amber taunted and broke free. “What are you going to do? Throw your training bra at me?” She added mockingly as she walked away.

“No” Jane called after her. “But I will take something from you, something dear to you, each and every day until you come clean”

Amber couldn’t believe Jane was still trying to threaten her. Some people just didn’t know their place she mused. She gave her the finger as she walked away.

“Obviously it won’t be your class” Jane said to herself. Then as soon as Amber was out of sight she got out her spell book. It was a large cumbersome leather bound tome the old lady who ran the local herb shop had given her. “But something you’ll miss even more should do it” she added as she flipped through the books pages to find just the spell she needed. When she did she opened her other hand and looked down at the hair band she had taken out of Amber’s bag when she was close to her. It was the perfect focus for the spell and with it she began to invoke her spell of just retribution and sorrowful repentance.

Amber’s day seemed to go just about as per usual after her strange encounter with Jane. Her early classes went smoothly. All the teachers fell in line not expecting too much from her and letting errors slide as long as she sat in the front row and crossed her legs frequently and looked at them with her coquettish eyes. Her friends and the in crowd all flocked around her and begged for her approval as always. Lunch was a fine affair as she ate in the special senior lunch area as a frequent guest of her boyfriend Brad. She had just about forgotten about the confrontation. Then came cheer practice.

As usual she and the other girls were in the locker room changing. Being the most popular Amber had the locker closest to the shower room. There she and some of her friends chatted as they changed about boys and the spring dance and so on. It was all the same drivel so Amber didn’t need to pay too much attention and that was how she managed to notice something odd. Maybe it was the fluorescent lights in the locker-room or something, but looking down at her uncovered legs in just her panties she could swear that she looked much less tan then she had before. She had always tanned well and between summers by the pool and bi-monthly tanning salon trips she always maintained a solid light bronze base. Now she seemed to look much less golden.

One of her friends, Tammy, a real good looking fiery redhead asked her what was wrong. She had noticed Amber go quiet for a moment and stare at her legs. Amber suddenly embarrassed and not wanting anyone to detect that anything was wrong told her she was just thinking about Brad. Tammy laughed and made a joke about “understanding that feeling” and the affair was derailed. Amber hurried and pulled on her tights and shorts and went to practice.

Later at home she closeted herself in her bathroom. She didn’t want to be disturbed by her parents or her little brother while she looked herself over. She was sure what she had seen at school must have been a trick of the light. Being quite vain though she had to be sure. Turning on the overhead incandescent light and stepping in front of her full length mirror she was shocked to find she had not been mistaken. If anything she had yet to see how bad it really was. For now she was not only not tan, she was if anything pale. Cursing her luck she tried a bronzer and vowed to take her vitamins and get more sleep. Brad called and asked if she wanted to hang out and “Study” or whatever. Her first impulse was to say she would of course, but then she remembered her suddenly pale complexion and told him she was a little under the weather. A bit let down he said he understood and they could get together Wednesday night as Tuesday was a game night for him. Amber gave him her signature smooch over the phone and then went to bed. A little extra beauty sleep couldn’t hurt.