Pen Pal Project [Alex Gaskarth]

Chapter Nine

January 27th

I didn't want to face school, but I had to. I had to deal with the bitches. And I knew that I had to face the repurcussions of why I hit the perfect girl the other week.

I spent two hours in the head's office whilst he told me about how I needed to get over my issues with Casey and change my attitude towards other students.

It was infuriating that the little witch had gotten away with her schemes yet again because there was no evidence against her.

I was simply being a vindictive cow.

Lessons were quiet that day, and I was thankful. I had enough on my mind with the issues with my dad. I didn't need the school crap with it as well. So I simply dealt with what was given to me, resisting every sarcastic remark and reminding myself that I had to write a letter to Alex tonight.

I'd never left the classroom quick enough when the final bell rang.

I noticed that Jessica was following behind as I made my way to the home. Jake couldn't pick me up and I promised that I'd be fine. I had no patience to deal with the girl, so I simply slipped through the small hedge which broke out onto the canal.

I loved this time of year, when it was cold enough for the water to freeze and you could see your breath. We were yet to have snow, but I had high hopes.

Snow was something I thoroughly enjoyed. It created such a beautiful scenery; it was my personal heaven.

"Think you can get rid of me like you did Casey?" I groaned.

Ellie was sauntering towards me, her minions following behind, smug looks on their faces.

They were the last people that I wanted to deal with. Even in the cold weather, I could feel my heart rate speeding up as the blood began to boil once more, the fresh sting of her words settled in my mind.

"Why would I get rid of you? You've simply made my life such a walk in the park." I retorted sarcastically. I knew I shouldn't have said that, but I was past the point of caring. She needed to leave me be.

"It's not going to work sweetheart. You might have won that case against those two, but they are nothing compared to me."

"What, so they're a warm up act? How could you possibly beat them nearly killing me?!" I practically yelled, throwing my bag into the thorns. "They were just the start of what's yet to come, huh? I wonder what something worse could be? Oh, I know! Fucking killing me. You might think that you're such a big girl, but you're a coward who needs to learn when enough is enough. I've been through hell with those two, emotionally and physically. The best you'd be able to do to beat them is actually kill me and that'd get you kicked out and put in prison for the rest of your life. You're choice, sweetheart."

I spat the word out at her, my breathing short and sharp like I'd just done the hundred meters. I was angry and Ellie knew it.

"Sorry to hear that sweetheart. But I don't know how I could be blamed for something I didn't do. I mean, you slipped on a bit of ice and fell. There was nothing I could do." I felt my composure slip, completely confused by her words.

But I realised-too late-what her words meant.

Her fingers had wound themselves around my hair and she pulled me to the canals edge. And just as she let go, I could feel her heeled shoe kicking my back hard, causing my balance to disappear and I toppled forward into the ice cold water.

The shock of the cold attacked my lungs, causing the air to disappear. Already my head was hurting and I was struggling to move my feet. There was something which had trapped it and I was running out of air fast.