Rachel's Fragile Ego

The pair drove on in a heavy silence for five minutes, with Tanya not sure whether she should be the first one to break the ice, or what the possible repercussions would be for doing so. They were clearly heading out of town, and it was as they hit the freeway that Tanya's nervous curiosity finally got the better of her.

"Who are you? Where are we going? Why are we doing this?" Tanya asked, with a hint of pleading in her voice. The words tumbled out in a torrent, and she fiddled with her hands as she waited on answers, any kind of answers, no matter how scary and embarrassing they might turn out to be.

The woman simply turned to look at her briefly, an expression of thinly veiled contempt clearly visible on her pale, make-up-free features.

Tanya's driver let the silence reign for a few minutes more, accelerating as she merged into the freeway traffic, and tapping the steering wheel in a rhythmic, and highly irritating manner.

Tanya was almost about to burst in nervous anticipation when finally the woman broke her vigil.

"That store is my territory," the woman said, flatly, not bothering to tear her eyes away from the road ahead.

"Wh.. what?" Tanya said, in bewilderment.

"That store is my territory," the woman repeated, distaste dripping from her words.

Tanya just sat there with a look of total confusion, and the woman took the opportunity to continue.

"My name is Rachel. Those guys in the comic book store used to fawn all over me. Pay me attention. Make me feel desirable."

The car slowed down slightly, as Rachel turned to give Tanya a hard look.

"Then you showed up. Decided to show off your tits and ass," Rachel was practically spitting out the words as she sneered at her **** passenger. "Now all they do is talk about you, and I'm a distant second."

Rachel turned back to the road again, and the car shot forward as she slammed her foot on the accelerator.

"Well, I'm sick of women like you taking guys away from someone like me."

Tanya started to protest, proclaiming her innocence, trying to reassure Rachel that she had no desire, wish, or intentions of ever stealing any of those comic book geeks away from her.

Rachel waved away her protestations and gave a mirthless laugh.

"Well, it's a little late for that!" Rachel said, bitterly, "You're all they can talk about! I had to put up with this at the hands of bitches like you at high school, but there's no fucking way I'm putting up with it now!"

With that, she lapsed back into a brooding silence, and Tanya just stared out of the window on to the flowing traffic beyond, wondering just how they hell she managed to get herself into situations like this.