Nina

Chapter Four - Ashley

WARNING. STRONG OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE.

Usually, I know what Melissa's up to, but I didn't know she would take things this far.

During the day I didn't see Melissa switch. It seemed like she forgot about Nina. Not once did she mention it. It's as if yesterday's event didn't even happen. Everything was normal. She'd greet everyone in her bitchy 'I'm better than you' manner and cheat her way in class.

It was after my last lesson, maths, that I knew something was wrong. I usually met up with her outside my lockers. Today she didn't show up.

The commotion on the court was unusual. I got this sick feeling that something awful happened.

When I got there, pushing my way through the crowd, it was a pile of mess. The smell of rotten stench struck me first. Charlie stood on the sidelines, grinning. Nina, poor trembling Nina sat on the floor, hands over her head. Jordan had dumped the black bin bag all over her head. She sat there, crying, pleading and no one stepped in. No one stopped it. All watched in shock. Bullying had never gone this far. Yeah, we'd tease, probably push, but not this type of humiliation.

But that's nothing. It's Melissa that went too far. She found a football from a lower school boy and kept kicking into Nina's back. She had the cruelest expression of pure hatred, sadistic even.

I don't even know what more sickening; what Melissa was doing or the fact the crowd cheered?

That's it! I shove through the students and block Melissa. "What the fuck are you doing?"

Melissa does a double take because she didn't expect me to step in. If she'd told me what she was planning then I would have stopped her. "Get out of my way Ash. I'm just getting started."

She aims the ball high to crash on Nina's head. I, being a head taller, smack the ball to the side.

"No. that's enough. You made your point."

We've never really had a confrontation, except in PE. We just go at each other, all in the name of sportsmanship. But I wasn't prepared to fight. All I know is that three people ganging up on one girl is not fair.

Melissa stops fighting and just glares past me.

I take a quick glance back. Nina stands up in the filth, in a shaky control. Her dark eyes penetrate Jordan and her swift feet arrived next to him. Her hands, covered in banana peel and chewed chewing gum, clamp onto his forearms.

"In three days time," she began, her voice gravelly and not belonging to her, "when you least expect it. You, Jordan Green, will die a horrible death."

In that moment I see the discomfort in his eyes. He pops an eyebrow. "Are you threatening me?"

"That's it." Melissa nudges me away and slams the ball on top of Nina's head.

All goes silent. Nina wavers a bit. After a stumble, she crashes onto the concrete floor. TKO.

Teachers are fucking useless. They're there when you don't need them giving you detention slips but they seem to disappear when a defenceless girl is publically bullied.

Probably one teacher notices at the last minute. Mrs. Lang, the English Language teacher, who dresses more like a wacky Art teacher, shoves the students out of the way and tries to revive Nina. As more teachers appear, the crowd disappear like cockroaches, fleeing a death sentence. Only I remain because the trio who started this mess run away like cowards.

Mr. Jennings, the headmaster, scrunches up his enlarged nose and rubs his thinning grey hair when he sits behind his desk, peering down at Nina. She sits at the edge of the seat. She doesn't want to ruin the chair. Gosh, she's a mess. I stand just beside her. They want me to make a statement, want me to grass on the trio. But I can't. Social high school norm dictates never to be a snitch. It's un-cool.