Believe in Sherlock

Chapter 6

*******Flashback***************

****8th grade****

Margaret Jones walked down the hallways with her books clutched tightly in her arms. Her curly hair bounced as she made her way to her last class before lunch time.

People pointed at her and whispered, prompting their friends to giggle. Maggie didn't have any friends to turn to with her problems so she kept them to herself.

"Hey four-eyes!" Maggie heard a voice call from behind her.

She walked faster. Her classroom was in sight now. She pushed herself through the sea of students.

Maggie felt a hand grab onto her shoulder and spin her around. The girl was a few inches taller than Maggie and wasn't pretty at all. Her eyes were piggish and burned into young Maggie's.

"Where do you think you're going, MagPie?" She snorted.

"Leave me alone, Kathy" Maggie said weakly and stepped back a few steps.

"Why should I?" She asked.

Maggie couldn't help herself. She started blurting out her deductions.

"Because your father is going to beat you again tonight anyway. Picking on me won't help your mum's drinking problem either. The makeup isn't fooling anyone, we can all see your bruises. Your older sister isn't going to come to your rescue, she's too busy in college to even notice you. I can tell you haven't been eating, you're desperate to lose those last couple of pounds so you haven't eaten for at least two days. I can hear your stomach growling in Algebra class all too clearly." She rambled and enjoyed Kathy's surprised face.

"So you really shouldn't bother with me. You have enough problems with yourself." Maggie finished.

"You bitch!" Kathy screamed and slammed Maggie against the lockers as hard as she could. Kathy threw Maggie to the ground and punched her in the stomach.

Maggie coughed and struggled to catch her breath. Her ribs hurt and she knew that one was broken.

Maggie felt Kathy's hand go around her neck and she pressed Maggie up against the lockers. Maggie couldn't breath.

Maggie moved my eyes and saw a boy with curly black hair and sharp cheekbones turn the corner and see the small crowd that had formed around the two girls.

Maggie looked at him pleadingly and his mouth opened slightly in surprise.

Kathy's threats disappeared as Maggie looked at the boy. He dropped his books and ran forward.

As he got closer Maggie's vision started to blur.

She saw him jump onto Kathy's back and pull her away. Her grasp released and she shrieked in surprise as the boy pulled her back.

Maggie heard teachers shouting and one of the math teachers running down the hallway quickly.

The boy jumped off of Kathy and ran over to Maggie, who was slumped on the floor and leaning against the lockers.

Her lungs felt shriveled from oxygen deprivation. Maggie gasped and swallowed large amounts of air.

"Are you alright?" The boy asked her. His eyes looked into hers as if expecting to find the answer hidden in them.

Maggie just nodded and started crying.

He pulled her into a hug and let her cry into his shoulder.

Maggie heard teachers running over to Kathy who was still yelling at her and threatening her.

The boy let Maggie cry until the head of the school came and asked to speak with her.