[ WP ] It 's Only a Name

`` It's not like he's a method actor Jia. He did n't get fat and stop taking care of his personal hygiene simply because you called him Gob,'' Amber Lynn was stuffing more pennies into the roll in front of her as she watched the young Asian woman stare into her phone. `` Chances are he looked like a Gob and that is why you called him one.'' 
 
 `` Well it just all snowballed from there A-Lynn. The jocks started claiming he was called Gob because Fenrick made him eat a booger in the locker room. Then I heard the band geeks claiming it was because he got a'little too excited' at the homecoming dance and left something stic... Oh God I do n't want to even think of it!'' 
 
 Amber Lynn slammed the completed roll of pennies on the table causing Jia to jump. She pushed the stack tight with her index finger, and then closed the top end. `` That's just more circumstantial evidence that he earned the name Gob long before you ever said it Jia.'' 
 
 `` I just ca n't believe he's still out there somewhere. How can they not have caught him yet?'' Jia absently bit on her $ 100 sparkling nails. 
 
 Amber Lynn pushed her finger down onto the penny at the bottom of the new roll, `` Well it's not like he can hide behind any of the trees around here. None of them are any more than a couple of feet wide.'' 
 
 The joke was lost on Jia. `` What if he's some sort of survivalist or something?'' she shuddered, `` What if he knows I am the one who gave him the name?'' 
 
 `` Well he just might thank you for it. Is n't he getting more attention than he ever had in his entire life? What are they calling him now,'The Gob?''' 
 
 `` That sounds like a horror movie.'' 
 
 `` I think it is... was. I'm not sure. Just Google it,'' Amber Lynn pushed more coins into the paper wrapper. 
 
 The notification alarm sounded on someone's phone. Then in short succession Jia and Amber Lynn's devices followed suit. 
 
 `` They caught him!'' one of the other cheerleaders counting raffle money in the room exclaimed. 
 
 Jia dropped her phone onto the table and her head followed shortly thereafter. She let out a long sigh and said something in Mandarin. 
 
 `` OMG Jia! He's at your freaking house girl!'' another cheerleader, eyes glued to her phone let out a whelp. 
 
 `` What? My house?'' 
 
 Jia rushed over to the adjacent table. Her mouth dropped as she watched the live feed streaming to the girl's phone. 
 
 `` Turn that up!'' Amber Lynn shouted. 
 
 `` Jake, I'm outside of the home of what an anonymous source says belongs to another Lakeland High School student. It's located here in the normally quiet neighborhood of Brentwood. 
 
 As you can see behind me the police have a rather large person pinned to the ground. We have n't been able to confirm whether he is the suspected Gob or not...'' 
 
 `` OMG Jia, what's that written on his chest?'' someone gasped. 
 
 `` He's got bigger tits than you do Lisa!'' 
 
 `` But they're not as hairy as yours Kimber!'' 
 
 `` Shush! I'm pulling it up on my tablet now. I think I can make it out,'' Amber Lynn zoomed in by expanding the space between her thumb and index finger, `` It says,'Jia Wong is a real... Gobstopper'' 
 
 `` What the hell is that supposed to mean?'' Jia sniffled. 
 
 Amber Lynn closed her eyes for a moment and then turned off the tabled, `` Jia, can I talk to you over there for a moment?'' 
 
 `` I need to call my mom!'' Jia blinked before noticing the urgency evident on her friend's face and replied, `` Sure A-Lynn.'' 
 
 The two women moved to a table at the corner of the room. Amber Lynn took a short breath, faced her friend, and put a hand on her shoulder. 
 
 `` He's given you a nickname.'' 
 
 `` A what? Gobstopper? What the hell is that even supposed to mean?'' 
 
 `` It's another name for a jawbreaker. Like Coke is another name for a soft drink.'' 
 
 `` So?'' 
 
 `` So, it does n't matter if it makes sense. It just matters that the whole school watched Gob get arrested with your name written on his chest. The rumors this will produce. I ca n't even begin to...'' 
 
 `` But they're not true!' Jia hissed over the whispers of her friend, `` At least they wo n't be. No one will believe them!'' 
 
 `` I do n't even know what the rumors are Jia and I already wonder if they're true. I mean, why would Gob go over to your house and write your name on his chest? That's just messed up. When something is messed up any hole in the story becomes a juicy piece of fiction! Look at 911.'' 
 
 `` Oh my God A-Lynn. I ca n't do this. I ca n't be Gob! I just ca n't! I'm the victim here!'' Jia cried. 
 
 A couple of girls were now giggling behind a laptop screen. 
 
 Amber Lynn turned from back to her friend, `` Your reputation is the victim.'' 
 
 

