Living With These Five Boys

Chapter One

“Chesmyne! Chesmyne! Get the hell out of there and pay your rent! You’re already a month delayed on your payment!” Kaley, the landlady shouted outside her door.

Chesmyne, on the other hand, was dressed in her school uniform and not making any single noise while making her escape through the window.

“Phew! That was close!” she said after she made her escape. She put her hands in her pocket as she walked through to the gate.

“Looks like someone forgot to pay the rent.” Lance, her best friend said.

“You really like to rub it on my face, don’t you?” Chesmyne snapped back at him. “Actually, I didn’t forget to pay the rent. I told Kaley to just wait for the payment until I get to receive my salary from my part-time.” He chuckled, “You know that Kaley is such an impatient prick, Ches.” He said with a lopsided grin.

“Morning, guys…” Summer, Chesmyne’s other best friend grumbled.

“Oohh… Someone stayed up all night chatting to her boyfriend on Facebook.” He teased her. Summer gave him a death glare, “Lance, if you don’t shut up, I’m gonna kill ya.” She said. Chesmyne just laughed at the two of them.

“By the way, why in the world is Kaley whining outside your door?” Summer asked her. “Summer, you’ve been paying too much attention to your boyfriend.” Lance said to her.

“Probably because of the rent Summer.” Chesmyne replied sarcastically. “You know, Lance is right. You’ve been paying too much attention to your bf. Try to get off your eyes from him and take a look around your surroundings first.”

Summer just rolled her eyes, “Fine. Whatever.” She said.

Then, the 3 of them hopped on the bus to go to school.

Usual things at school, two periods of schoolwork, then recess, then another two periods of schoolwork, then lunch break. Chesmyne usually spends the last minute of her lunch break by being pushed into her locker and by being poured three glasses of mango juice by those three girls from the women’s volleyball team.

“Okay, I’m not letting this go.” Summer said and slammed her books onto Lance’s chest and tried to approach the three girls but Chesmyne threw her a ‘Don’t-do-it. I’m-fine’ glance. Lance pulled her back and gave back her books.

“What the hell Lance?! Why did you pull me back?” Summer said.

“Chesmyne already gave you a signal.” Lance whispered to her. “And I don’t think she wants us to be in this.”

Summer let out a desperate laugh and said, “This is absurd. I’m gonna fight for my friend.” Then she turned around and tapped the shoulder of the blonde girl named Abigail.

“Yes?” Abigail asked as she turned around, her arms crossed.

“Hey! Just in case you don’t know, that’s my best friend you’re abusing.” Summer told her and then she punched her in the face, making Abigail dizzy and knocked out. “Now… What? Still wanna abuse my friend?” The other two girls shook their heads immediately.

“Now… Outta my way girls!” she said, trying to sound like a mean girl and they stepped aside. Chesmyne got up.

“I have a spare shirt. Go and change in the toilet.” Summer said to Chesmyne.

**

“You know, I can’t understand why you don’t fight back on those girls!” Summer said exasperatedly. “You should’ve punched their faces a long time ago, you know.”

“Fighting back won’t do any good.” Chesmyne said.

“And what? Did letting them bully you everyday do any good?” Summer replied back to her as they went out of the toilet. Chesmyne bowed her head in silence.

“See what I mean?” Summer said.

“Summer… Do you think if my parents had survived the car accident…? Do you think my life would be different? I mean, I wouldn’t be the victim here, right?” Chesmyne said while looking at the picture of her parents in her locker.

“I wouldn’t get pushed inside my locker… I wouldn’t come back to my apartment every afternoon wet and sticky and I won’t fuckin’ cry myself to sleep!” she cried as she slammed her locker door shut and hugged Summer. She hugged her back too.