Bully for You

bullies and bravery

"You're the real attention-whore, Ava," One person shouts yells, followed by laughter and startled gasps. 

"Excuse me," She snaps. The air grows thicker, more static. Shadow Super Cougar tenses in anticipation. "Did. You. Call. Me?" 

"What are you going to do if I say it again?" The same person shouts. The laughter rises in volume. Whoever is speaking must have some significant powers or else Ava would have shot him down by now.  "Throw me down the stairs?"

"I didn't throw her down the stairs. She tripped." 

"We all know - " His voice cuts off. 

The laughter in the hall starts to die down, one mouth closing after the other. Even Ava grows quiet. Her powers fade until I can breathe better again. And then - shuffling, the sound of footsteps racing away. Jill whispers my name, but then she leaves too. Doors slam shut, cutting off hushed whispers. What's going on? 

"You're back early," Ava Abernathy sounds pleased and relieved at the same time. There's only one person in school that would make her react like that... 

"So you were the source of all the commotion," Rome Abernathy, Ava's older brother and my second-least favorite person in the world, says. "I should have suspected." 

"Not me."

How could this get any worse? Though Rome makes no noise when coming down the stairs, I sense him clearly. His presence encompasses the room. My clothes press against my body. The carpet under my face shifts. The curtains flutter, the gems on the chandelier clink together - all subtle signs that he's coming near. 

Shadow Super Cougar retreats into the back of my head, silent. That's all it took? Why Rome?  

"Ah," Rome murmurs, probably having spotted me. "It seems that nothing has changed since my last time in these halls." 

"You've changed," Ava teases. "Looks like the internship gave you quite the workout. What have you been doing?"

"Travelling, mostly." 

Carefully, I open my eyes. A pair of polished shoes comes to a stop in front of me, black leather and hand-tailored. 

Clad in a black suit, Rome scans the empty foyer with a solemn expression. Something about him does seem different. His skin has a golden hue to it and the lines along his jaws have sharpened. The outline of suit fits him perfectly, outlining all the muscles he developed. Even the way he stands feels more confident. 

He smells the same though. Like mint leaves. 

Ava slides her arms around her brother's waist, giving him a brilliant smile. "I missed you so much. Will you be coming home again?" 

"I've been thinking about getting a place in the city." 

"So far away?" 

"I've been itching for some space," Rome finally looks down at me. I'm too tired to flinch. "So. What trouble have you gotten into?" 

I don't respond. My head is still dizzy from the fall and I don't trust myself to say anything stupid or embarrassing. Instead, Rome and I stare at each other with equal intensity. 

"Not going to say anything?" He asks quietly. 

"She fell," Ava says, glaring at me from behind Rome's back. A zap of electricity hits my feet - she's warning me not to say anything. "Tripped over her own feet." 

"All by herself?" 

"Of course." 

"I don't remember you being so clumsy, Winifred," Rome keeps his eyes locked on mine. The sound of my name from his mouth makes my heart skip a beat. "What happened to the elegant nature of cats? I thought they landed on their own feet no matter the height."