Daffodil Sprouts🌼

Ch. 23 ' Angel Dangel.

"Did you just call me a dog?!"

Mal shifts back, leaving Bella and I staring at each other.

"You were barking," I say calmly. "And we both know quite well, the only creature that barks."

Bella advances sharply towards me but Sam's thick frame enters between us just in time. "Back off."

She says it with such annoyance and temperament, that I almost cannot believe it's Sam speaking. It works on Bella, and she seethes silently, her eyes clawing at me.

"I said Back off!" Sam repeats.

This is the second time I'm seeing this part of Sam, and I'm loving it! Though I would prefer to fight it out, my brain tells me that would be a bad idea. I barely escaped getting into trouble yesterday.

Bella's threatening gaze falls on Sam. She backs off right after, but turns back immediately to face us again. Her eyes fall on my chest as her lips part.

I look down at my chest and see the chain Jason gave me yesterday dangling on my shirt. How? I had worn the shirt over it. I quickly tuck it inside, under the three girls stares. Bella stares at my chest for a few more seconds, even though the chain is no longer there, then raises her eyes to meet mine. The anger in them is gone, replaced with something even more sinister. Hatred. For the first time since I've known Bella, I feel scared, of and for her.

"Oh please, it's just a chain," Sam says, sneering at Bella.

Bella eyes her and walks past us, towards the hallway doors.

Sam turns to me. "How much did it cost?"

My expression is blank when I say, "I don't know. Jason gave it to me."

Her eyes go round, and she looks behind me, to Bella who must have reached the doors by now. Then back to me. "Oh!" She laughs.

Mal joins us, forming a circle as she does and giggling like a child. "No wonder she was enraged, she must have recognized it."

"She hates you," Sam says, smiling like she has just complimented me.

I press my lips together, staring at the hallway doors Bella has disappeared behind. "I know."

---

Halfway through the second period, due to a bad feeling I can't suppress, I ask for permission to leave the class. The bad feeling began with the stare I got from Bella and has since grown. I want to shake it off, but can't. Somehow, dread has crawled into my chest, taken space there and has refused to leave.

"Are you okay?" Mal asks from behind me as I stand up.

Her eyes are scared, and I figure she must think I'm sick again. Or she's thinking the taunting words, murmurs and stares people are sending my way is getting to me. Surprisingly, that's the last thing on my mind. I knew this would be the result of the café incident, and I had braced my mind for it. There's nothing to be ashamed of; they fart too. Everyone does. I just got lucky.

I nod at her. Then smile at Sam when she squeezes my hand.

The restroom is dead with people, so I take my time. Slowly rinsing every part of my face, and splashing some water on my hair, hoping that cools my head or helps in some way. I pull off my hoodie and tie it around my waist, then rinse my face all over again. I feel weary, and it's infused sleeping pills in me. If only I could go somewhere I could rest . . . right! The sickbay. I could tell Stelly, or Amber, or whoever would be there I'm weak, which isn't a lie, anyway. I rinse my face one last time, bracing to go to the sickbay.