School’s over, and I have yet to run into Brooke. I couldn't even manage to visit the washroom to get a proper look at myself. Every time I tried to duck into one of the school's many restrooms, Mia would practically drag me elsewhere. Everybody still looks at me like I’m a mutant freak. I don’t see how anything could’ve changed since I woke up this morning. Not so drastically that people are staring at me like I’ve sprouted a third eye.
Mia, being the strange being that she is, doesn’t seem to even notice that school is over. She doesn’t go to her locker to get a coat, though I’m sure it’s freezing out. She simply grabs my wrist and tows me to my locker, throwing all my homework, which, of course, she doesn’t seem to care to do herself, into my backpack and tossing it at me.
“My coat,” I say, reaching out to my locker. Before my hand can reach it, it slams closed. Though I’m sure it would’ve only taken a moment to open it again, Mia looks at me as if it’d be a waste of time to turn the dial again to go get it.
“You won’t need it,” she assures me.
“It’s snowing out,” I complain, imagining the frost biting at my arms and the complaints from Mum.
“And…? You’ll be fine, Sari. Trust me.”
By this time, she’s already led me out to the parking lot a promised to meet Mum by. Again, she knows way more than she should.
Before the car is in view, she whirls around, kisses me once on each cheek, and leaves without another word.
The minute she’s out of my sight, the questions ring up again. Luckily, before I have the chance to ponder them, Mum’s car zooms up next to me, sloshing the wet mush that’s melted with the tires wearing down on it, all over me. “Ugh,” I complain, but as Mia promised, I’m not cold.
There are a few disgruntled laughs behind me. I immediately, without thinking to deliberate my options, spin on my heel, cross my arms and plant my feet, staring at the loudest of the three, huddled together by a garbage can.
“How would you like it if I pushed you into that puddle, huh? Don’t think you’d be laughing then, would you?”
By the looks on their faces, I have a feeling I won’t need to threaten them again. But, just in case, I taunt, “Laugh again.”
Their pale faces stay just as horrified, not tearing from my face. I’m shocked my threatening demeanor has actually scared them, but hey, I can’t complain. I turn around and slosh through the muck, yanking the car door open and plopping myself down on the seat next to Mum.
The look on her face is horrified. Mystified, maybe, is a better word for it. Her lips are parted slightly in awe, her head cocked to the side a bit. Her eyes are startled, as if she’s never seen me before.
Of course, now is the time Mum has to go all ‘stop bullying’ on me. It’s not like I was bullying, really. I was practicing self defense. “Don’t strain yourself, Mum. They were bugging me. I just wanted to get them off my back.”
“What?” Mum asks, still looking at me with a bewildered expression. A car behind us lets out a long beep. She finally snaps out of it, pressing on the gas peddle and zooming out of the school perimeter.
“Don’t give me the whole bullying speech. Please, just please.”
“I wasn’t planning to,” she admits. She looks like she’s trying very hard to breathe.
YOU ARE READING
Angelic
RomanceWhen sixteen year old Sarionah Jackson moves to a new town, she's determined to hate it. Although the snow IS magical, she had to leave her best friends. Just as she's coming to terms with living in this new town, she realizes that she's no longer...
