Slowly learning that life is okay (GirlxGirl) [COMPLETE]

Dina - You got blood on your face, your big disgrace

The cold made leaving the covers shitty and uncomfortable. All she wanted was to stay in bed, in the warmth, alone. Drift back to sleep, where there were no mothers, no school and no expectations.

Even later, when she was in school, all she could think about was getting home and actually feeling warm and comfortable.

Jesse was always there in between her classes, waving when they crossed each other on the corridors or walking together to her classes. They'd gone on a proper date and he'd kissed her before she went back home, just like on teenage movies.

Bonnie had seen it, not the kiss, but the way he was acting around her, and seemed unable to stop teasing him or pestering her about their relationship status.

Ellie and Cat seemed closer too, somehow. Cat was actually having lunch at the cafeteria with them most days, instead of holing up in the art classroom with Ms. Clark. She'd take her leather jacket off and slide her sweater up her forearms, showing her tattoos as if it wasn't below 0°C outside. Dina supposed the steam from the kitchen, together with all the kids inside and the hots she had for Ellie helped her maintain herself warm enough.

"Have you guys seen Ellie?" Cat asked, sitting beside Jesse. Her forehead had lines of worry, but they all shook their heads. It was weird, because Ellie was a fast walker and she was never really late for lunch.

And then their phones buzzed at the same time with a message from Emma on the group chat: 'i think ellie is gonna fight jordan'

They bolted for the door, and Dina had never been so happy for being in the track team. She couldn't feel the ground beneath her, she didn't even know where to go, but her mind and her heart screamed Ellie. She ran, following the noise of yelling and students chatting, hoping it would make it easier to find them.

And then she saw Jordan, his dark eyes bloodshot and his black hair under his dirty cap throwing a punch at Ellie. Ellie, who had half her back turned to him, because she was handing back a girl's books.

The punch hit her on the cheek, and she stumbled a bit, catching herself on the lockers. Were those the eyes that made the kids think she'd killed someone? Her face was scrunched up, full of wrath and disgust as she pulled her fist back and hit Jordan with it.

She hit him hard on the nose, and blood started to drip down his shirt. Ellie had her fists up, still standing in front of the girl, her eyes trained on him. Dina could see the fire in Jordan's eyes, but his friend had an arm around him, holding him down.

"Oh shit, Mr. Figgins's coming!" someone yelled, and faster than ants fleeing fire the students scattered, Jordan's friends pulling him away. He looked back at her, a promise in his eyes that it wasn't over yet.

The fight now apparently over, Dina let herself take in the girl behind Ellie. She had Asian features and a big scar across her cheek. Ellie was talking to her, but Dina could only see her profile as she gave the girl a nod and turned towards the cafeteria, towards them. Fight had left her body and now she only looked anxious and tired.

Ellie's eyes widened when their eyes met and she stopped. They locked eyes, and she could see fear in her eyes before her walls went up and it was only anger. She stood alone in the empty hallway, frozen to the ground.

Dina was the first to move, the first to reach Ellie and hug her.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice laced with worry as she backed away to look at Ellie's face. She looked up, away, licking her lips before answering.

"Jordan was bullying that girl, Yara. Being fucking racist and calling her 'scarface'," her voice was hard, her eyes still burning with anger. "So I very eloquently told him it was racist to call her 'ching chong', and that he shouldn't be jealous of her scar because I could give him one," she paused, hissing in pain when Dina touched her cheek, "I may also have said he should try to remove his head from his ass since he was saying so much shit."