The Lies We Breathe

Part 5 - Tue, Aug 1: "Bitch, go home"

Needless to say, I didn't catch much sleep last night. With the sun rising outside my window, the day I dreaded had come. Mercilessly. Only my second day of school and I was already dreading the moment I'd be setting foot on its grounds.

Way to go, Hope.

As I drove up to the parking lot, I kept looking at my bruised knuckles. Proof that I had not dreamt all that had happened the day before.

I took a deep breath before getting out of the car. The school looked much more sinister to me than just the day before. I almost expected Blake or one of his friends to jump at me and shout "Surprise". I kept watching my back, waiting for them to make a move against me. All was the same. People stared at me and then largely ignored me.

I carefully opened my locker, expecting something nasty to jump out of it. But all was fine. And there was no sight of them. I knew they were not someone who would just let things be. It would be too much to ask. We also had bullies at my school. All bullies thought alike. Their favorite tools are - force and intimidation.

When the morning classes ended and I headed outside during lunch break, the air was knocked out of my lungs when I saw what their move was: they had plastered the entire announcement wall with my face and the words "Bitch, go home" written on it.

Everyone stared at me and laughed. I pressed my lips tight. They must be thinking very little of me if they believed that this would get to me.

Determined, I walked up to the wall and peeled all of the pages off. With that, I marched off to search for those shitheads.

I found them in the cafeteria. There were seating around the table and by the looks of it were having a good time. Blake, Frank, Josh, and Liam, all were there, and a few others also. Blake was the one facing the door and he saw me march up to them first. He stiffened at the sigh of me and that alerted others about my approach. All eyes were now on me.

I was so angry and that made me even braver and more reckless.

I threw the crumpled papers into Blake's face. He brushed them away as if it was nothing. His lips now drew into a hard line and the look he gave me was filled with coldness.

"If you have a problem with me, then come and face me like men. This, anyone can do," I told them pointing at the crumpled paper.

I heard whistles. Someone cheered, but I wasn't sure if for or against me. One glance was enough to see that they were the Rileys. Not that I cared for their support. To me, the Rileys were the same as the Shields.

"I told you we were going too easy on her..." I heard Frank say. I looked down at him, at his bruised eye. And then I kicked his chair so hard, he landed crushing on the floor. The drink Frank had held in his hand spilled all over Josh. A yellow stain began spreading over his white shirt.

"What the hell!" Josh was on his feet now too, giving me a most murderous look.

Liam, on the other hand, was barely containing his laughter. I would have loved to stand there and analyze what it all meant, but I had greater worries. Then Blake was now also slowly rising to his feet and his eyes glittered dangerously.

Frank was on his feet and ready to make a move at me, but Blake held him back.

"Just who do you think you are?" Blake asked me. The way he pronounced every single word, I found more threatening than anything else.

"And who do you think you are?" I demanded to know in return and took a step closer. "I'm warning you. Don't mess with me."

"You are warning me?" Blake asked sounding incredulous, also taking a step forward, only the table between us. "I am warning you. Pack up your things and go back to the can of worms you've crawled out of. Don't let me ever see you at this school again."