I woke up the next morning to a pounding headache. No wonder, because my dad really got into it last night. I was tossing and turning until 2 AM so now I’m waking up late. I have 15 minutes to get to school, so I can’t do my make up to cover up this black eye and split lip. He really beat me down last night.
I quickly throw on a Green Day t-shirt and some ripped jeans with my black all-star converse. I brush my teeth in my hair quickly and grab a granola bar. I texted James last night to just have my car brought to my place when it’s all fixed and leave the keys under the mat. That’s just what he did. His dad’s a mechanic so he must have had him fix it for me last night.
I jump into my car and speed off to school. When I get there I think twice before getting out of my car. I grab a neon green pull over hoodie that I have in the back and slip it on, making sure to put the hood up and hide my face as much as possible.
That’s when I enter the school. Amelia and her crew decide that now’s a good time to pick on me. Lizzy, a blonde haired whore, trips me, but I catch myself, get up and continue walking. Amelia grabs my shoulder and turns me around to face her. Then she slams me into a locker. Hard. I slide down to the floor and tuck my knees to my chest. Where’s a teacher when you need them?
But before she walks away, she kicks me, and leaves her crew to the rest.
“Fat bitch.”
“Emo whore.”
“Goth slut.”
And so many more. That’s when James comes around.
“Get the hell away from her!” He screams, “What the hell has she ever done to you?!”
As he continues yelling, I get up and make a run for it. The girls have scattered and he catches up to me.
“Hey!” He yells for me, “Hey, wait up!”
I finally slow down.
“What the hell was that back there?” He asks, sounding infuriated.
“Just the usual.” I say simply.
“Just the usual? Hell no! Stop being such a wimp and suck it up! Stop letting them walk all over you!”
I look at him, tears in my eyes. “I- I’m not strong. I suck and everyone knows it, James.”
“I’m not gonna be there every fucking time they go down on you! Stop acting like a coward! Fight back!”
“I can’t do that. It’ll ruin my reputation. I really want to get into University Of Florida.”
“Ugh! It’s always about the grades with girls like you, isn’t it?”
I stop dead in my tracks. “I’m sorry I want to keep up a good reputation, unlike some people. Just go back with your “Bad Boy Crew” and leave me alone.” I don’t forget to put the air quotes around ‘Bad Boy Crew’.
“I’m just trying to help you here.”
“Since when do bad boys help people?”
“Fine! If you don’t want my help, then fuck off and continue being the weak bitch that everyone says you are. I’m starting to believe it too.”
That’s when I lost it. I ran for my locker crying. I stood there for a while. The boy who just saved me last night from that pervert, the boy who saw just a little of how my dad treats me, starts treating me just like they do, like the weak bitch I am.
At the end of the day, I’m at my locker, when someone comes up beside me and slams it shut. Well how rude. I turn to see who it is, and lo and behold, the great James Lockland!
