𝑇𝐻𝑅𝐸𝐸 𝐷𝐸𝑀𝑂𝑁𝑆

x 11 x

x LAURA x

After school, Rhi, Polly, Donreneé, and I met up. I had to ride the bus like the others but Don didn't.

"Y'all wanna ride? My brother Michael drives me to school and from school and he never wants to go home right away. We usually just chill and smoke."

"I don't smoke," Rhi said, holding up their hands, "but I'll take a free ride when I can get it. What about you, Polly?" We all turned to Polly. In the back of my head, I was too embarrassed to accept the ride. What if they judged my house? Or Don's brother didn't want to drop someone off from Southwest? Or, even though my friends seemed nice, what if they talked about me after I left the car?

"Sure, I don't mind," Polly shrugged.

Everyone turned to look at me.

"I'm sure my place is too far out. I'd be outta the way," I shrug, looking down at my Converse. "It's fine," Donreneé said softly. I heard the sound of buses moving and my head snapped up. "My bus! I'm gonna be late! Nice meeting y'all! Gotta go!" I said awkwardly, not knowing anything else to say.

My friends waved me on as my book bag bounced against my back and I got to my bus before it started moving in the line up, in record time. The bus driver grunted as I got on and told me to learn better time management. "Yeen got time to talk wit yo little friends," she told me.

"Yes ma'am," I nodded, looking for a free seat.

I found an egg where I had sat this morning, colored the same school colors as Southwest. Red and white. Southwest Babybears. My face burned with embarrassment as I struggled to find somewhere to sit. There weren't any available seats that I could see up front, unless there were empty ones in the back.

I spotted Demon and her friends, but I knew that sitting back there would be like a racist sitting next to the Bible. Wait, was that even an accurate metaphor? "Find a seat, and put your butt in it," the bus driver grunted. The bus lurched forward as the buses of Northwest drove out the lot in single file to their destinations.

I stumbled my way down the aisle as people snorted and sighed as I fell into them. This all can't be real. Maybe being suspended out of the district wouldn't be so bad. My mother's worried expression filled my mind then, along my sister's innocent smile. No, I need to stay close to home. If not for me, then for the ones that I love.

"Laura, there's a seat next to me," Syn called out, an indescribable expression on her face. I hesitantly take up her offer, and she stands up so that I can move my way to the window seat. "Thanks," I mumble. I hope this isn't a set up and Syn and her friends just decided to be nice.

As soon as I sit down, the bus driver's eyes move off of me and a cloud of smoke erupts behind me. I glance back to see Dior behind me, glaring a hole into my head.

Yeah, I probably could have just scooped up the egg.

I put my backpack on my lap in front of me and put my head down, pulling out my phone to text Jessica about my horrible circumstances.

Suddenly my neck was being flung up and a knife was pressed against it, the cool blade on my skin.

I heard a chuckle and it was Demon. But my eyes moved up to see that it was Syn with the knife. Dior stood up in the seat behind me, amusement in her eyes as she pushed a cloud of smoke into my face. It smelled heavy and flavored. I wanted to cough so bad that my eyes burned but Syn held the knife to me.

"Come around Demon again, and," she pressed it harder against my throat. I shook from trying not to breathe. If I moved an inch, I was sure that the blade would cut into me. "Speed bumps!" the bus driver called out tiredly from the front.

Syn's eyes filled with delight, and Dior sat whatever she was smoking down to say, "I bet you won't do it, Syn. You've always been a pussy."

"Please," I whispered, not sure how much longer I could hold my breathe. I felt the first hitch of the bump we went over and just knew in my soul that the knife would cut me. With lightning speed, Syn pulled the knife back and hid it out of view as we went over the rest of the speed bump.

I choked on air, holding my throat and looking at the girls in fear. Demon turned away, apparently done with the little spectacle her two whores had put on.

"Pussy," Dior murmured over our seat, sitting back down and continuing her smoking. Syn looked pissed off by her statement, but she only pulled out her phone and started furiously texting someone.

I was too scared to pull out my own phone. What if they thought I was telling on them? Should I tell on them? Or would things get worse? Yeah, we had some bullies over at Southwest, but we didn't have fucking teenagers ruling over the school either.

Their influence went way past any word I could speak. There wouldn't even be a point in telling, I realized with a sinking fear.