The Cupid War by Timothy Carter

the porn magazines he’d flipped through. He’d hoped he might get there with Becky, but Susan’s invasion of his life had ruined those plans.
    Susan, he thought, reminding himself of what he was supposed to be doing. He could look at naked girls later. Right now, he had to find …
    â€œTrina!” he said, as she walked through the door wearing only a towel.
    Trina froze. Her eyes went wide. And her towel chose that moment to drop.
    â€œOops,” Fallon said.
    This was going to be awkward.

14
    F allon, you jerk!” Trina cried, covering herself with her arms while simultaneously reaching down for her towel. “Get out of here, you sicko!”
    â€œI’m so sorry!” Fallon slapped a hand over his eyes at last. “I was just … I mean, I didn’t know this was … ”
    â€œGet out!” Trina screamed, snatching up her towel and wrapping herself up in one swift motion. Then she turned and bolted from the shower room.
    â€œWhat’s her problem?” one of the girls asked, turning off her shower and reaching for a towel.
    â€œHaven’t you heard?” said another as she rinsed conditioner from her blond hair. “She sees dead people.”
    â€œYou mean like the kid in that movie?” asked a Japanese girl.
    â€œThat’s what she says,” said the blonde. “I say she’s a freak.”
    â€œOh, that’s original,” Fallon said. He knew he should leave, but he had to try and straighten things out. He had the distinct impression that Trina was not part of the in crowd. And he’d just made things worse.
    He crossed the shower room and entered the changing room, keeping his hand over his eyes and taking quick peeks to see where he was going. There were a few girls in the room in various states of undress, and Fallon tried very hard not to look at them.
    Trina was standing alone in the corner, already half dressed. Fallon approached slowly, trying to think of how to apologize.
    â€œGo away,” she said without turning, as she threw on her shirt.
    â€œI’m not looking,” Fallon said. “I’m really sorry. I was in there by accident, I swear.”
    â€œOh, bull!” Trina said, turning to face the sound of his voice. “You just ‘accidentally’ ended up in a room full of naked teenage girls?”
    â€œWho’s she talking to?” a girl asked.
    â€œKeep your voice down!” Fallon said. “The other girls think you’re nuts.”
    â€œThey … do not,” Trina said, suddenly aware of how many eyes were on her.
    â€œI was just … ” she said to them, then turned around awkwardly and sat down on a bench. The other girls stared a few moments longer, then went back to their hushed whispers.
    â€œFreak,” one whisperer said, just loud enough.
    â€œLook.” Fallon squatted next to the bench. “It was stupid of me to go in there. I wasn’t thinking.”
    Trina said nothing. Which, Fallon thought, was probably for the best. He stood up and turned to leave, and that was when he saw the seven girls from the showers standing there. They were still naked and carried their towels in their hands.
    â€œHey, Trina!” the blond one said, and all seven girls threw their towels over their heads like ghostly hoods.
    Trina made the mistake of looking. All seven girls shook their towels and went, “Oooooh!” like B-movie phantoms.
    Trina stood up, pushed her way through them and ran for the doorway. The girls laughed, and Fallon made a mental note to deny them love for as long as they lived.
    He chased after Trina, but he didn’t have to go far. A large gorilla in a tracksuit—the gym teacher, Fallon guessed—had stopped her at the changing room doors.
    â€œThis hair looks dry,” the gorilla said, grabbing a handful of Trina’s hair. “Did you shower?”
    â€œI don’t have time, Miss Labonski,” Trina