“Where are you going, Jessie? Do you want to miss your welcome party?”
I didn’t like the sound of that. “My welcome party?”
“Yes.” He glanced at the students around us. “What do you say, guys? Do you want to throw a welcome party for Jessica?”
My heart raced wildly against my ribs; I knew a disaster was about to happen. The guy stepped aside, and reality distorted into something utterly ugly as students started pelting me with food.
Before I could even react, various foods hit me right in the face. I raised my arms to shield my head, but the rest of my body was completely exposed, and I flinched with pain each time I was hit. I was degraded into nothing.
I fell to my knees, my legs too weak to hold me up. I couldn’t believe this was happening to me. I couldn’t.
Each second brought more pain and humiliation, and my heart started to break into pieces. I burst into tears, hoping for this torture to end. This was unreal. It hurt. It hurt so much.
Why isn’t anyone stopping this?
Help…
They’re horrible.
Someone… Help me…
Please help me…
Pain exploded in my forehead when a carton of milk hit me and burst open, the milk drenching my whole face, but what hurt more was my heart. I was unable to make sense of this cruelty. It hurt so much.
I opened my mouth to plead for them to stop, but a tall, skinny girl stepped between me and the others to protect me. For a moment, I thought I was hallucinating. My chest tightened with both relief and fear for her.
“Stop this,” she yelled at the guy who’d started the whole thing.
His face showed a mixture of fury and surprise. “What the hell are you doing?”
“This is not okay! You’re hurting her! Don’t you see she is bleeding?!” She looked at me over her shoulder and met my gaze. I wondered if she could see just how frightened I felt—so frightened I hadn’t even realized I was bleeding.
“Step aside, bitch.”
“No.”
He got in her face. “You’re going to regret this.”
He yanked her by her hair and pushed her to the ground, ripping a few hairs out.
I can’t believe him! This jerk was more than vile.
He signaled to the others to throw food at us, but then the cafeteria doors flew open and the principal came in. Finally.
“What is going on here?” He reached us in a few quick strides. “Jesus Christ!”
The shock wore me down, and my shaking intensified. I wasn’t able to stop crying, aware of how freaky I must have been looking covered in all sorts of food and liquids.
He crouched next to me and placed his hand on my shoulder. “Are you okay?” he asked, but I couldn’t find the strength to form the words.
“She needs to see the nurse. She’s hurt,” the tall girl told him.
He frowned when he spotted something on my forehead, which I assumed was the wound from the sharp edge of the milk carton. He stood up. “Who is responsible for this?”
The silence that ensued was worse than anything. No one would stand up against these bullies? Unbelievable.
“Jones, to my office,” the principal said to the guy who had started the debacle.
Yes! There was some justice, after all.
He gave him a murderous glare. “Why me?”
“Don’t play innocent, Jones. This is not the first time something like this happened, and most of the time you are involved.”
“That’s not right, Mr. Anders. I just happened to be here trying to help these girls. Isn’t that right?” he asked the two guys next to him, and they nodded in response.
What the heck? They were horrible! They were bullies and despicable liars.
“Either way, to my office, Jones. Now. You too, Decker. I want you in my office now.”
“Okay,” the girl replied. “May I take Jessica to the nurse first?”
“You may, but be quick about it.” He faced the whole cafeteria. “Why are you still standing there? I want this mess cleaned up right away!”
I leaned against the girl as I rose up to my feet, feeling like my legs might give out on me at any moment. Everyone stared at me, and shame swallowed me whole. I didn’t want to return here ever again.
“Can you walk?” she asked as she put her arm around my shoulder for support. She was a true gem.
“Yes.”
“Okay then. Let’s see the nurse.”
I nodded, immensely grateful, before I looked one last time at the monster who had put me through this. His eyes were two pools of contempt and zero remorse as he stared at me. My stomach churned with revulsion. I’d never felt such a strong aversion toward someone, and I wished I’d never have to see him again.
Somehow, however, I sensed this was only the beginning and I was in for a long and terrible ride.
Present
End of February
Benjamin Franklin said nothing can be certain in this world but death and taxes.
He was wrong because now, as I sat right in front of my bully in U.S. history, I could easily add another thing to that list.
Nothing can be certain in this world but death, taxes, and Blake Jones’ torture.
Blake just had to sit right behind me in this class. He just had to.
I was hyperaware of his nearness every second of this dreadfully long class. Goose bumps broke out on my skin each time I sensed him move, and I could hardly bear it. I had to fight to keep my breathing even, hoping I didn’t look like a complete weirdo to my classmate, Marcus, who sat next to me.
That hope waned by the minute because Blake made sure to smear my image in front of him as much as possible. He jeered at me whenever Marcus leaned in to whisper something to me while our teacher scribbled on the blackboard, and I was losing my patience. My heart raced at the prospect of a fight with a guy who was
