Tales from the Darkside (Currently Being Rewritten)

1

Shouldering my backpack and double checking that my hood was up, I climbed the steps to Hell. As usual everyone avoided my eyes not because of me but my bully. He threatened anyone who tried to even talk to me. I was alone in the world. Just how he liked me.
I made it to my locker but my hope that he was sick today was destroyed. Why would I think he was sick? He's never sick unless for some strange coincidence I was sick then he was as well.
"And where do you think you're going?" Liam whispers in my ear. Gripping my arms so tightly, I'm positive that he'll leave bruises, he spins me around so I'm now facing him.
"T-to class" I mumble looking down at the ground. I feel his hand on my chin, forcing me to look up at him and boy did he look pissed. Liam's already storm-grey eyes had darkened.
"Cora, where were you supposed to be this morning?" He asks as the realisation hits me. He told me to wait for him this morning. The fear creeped in, I'd disobeyed him. "I'm sorry...I had to go food shopping this morning and mum's stressed out by work and...and I'm sorry" I plead with him.
"Come to the canteen at lunch" Liam basically orders me "If you don't...." He leaves the threat hanging. Liam never has to voice a threat and it wasn't like I could disobey him even if I wanted to.
"I-I will" I reply nodding my head quickly as I watch him release me from his grip and disappear down the hall.

Liam wasn't in any of my classes before lunch on Mondays. Well, he technically was but he never showed up. I sat on my usual seat at the back away from everyone else. It's not like I wanted to have no friends, it was just that everyone was afraid of incurring Liam's wrath. So they avoided me. The only exception to Liam's unwritten rule were the 4 members of his little gang. All of my classes had at least one of them keeping an eye on me.
"Hi! I'm new!" A bubbly voice announced from beside me. Wait a minute. Someone was beside me? Sitting next to me? Had I died? "You're rather quiet you know that?" The voice said again "My name's Paige Turner. What's yours?"
"Cora" I mumbled quietly, still looking down at my desk. The whispers had started, spreading through the classroom like wildfire. Go away. Go away. Go away.
"The new girl better learn the rules quick"
"Liam is going to be pissed"
They were right. Liam would be angry that someone that wasn't either him or his "friends" was talking to me.
"You should sit somewhere else" I told Paige finally looking up to see a blonde haired girl with green eyes and pale pink rimmed glasses. She looked confused.
"Why?" Paige asked
Before I could say anything, one of the gang members came up to my desk. Ben had been Liam's best friend since they were two years old. Unlike Liam, Ben and his twin brother Sam picked on anyone they could. He looked Paige up and down, "Who the fuck are you?"
No one in the class speaks, not even Paige and I don't know whether or not it's because she's still confused that I don't want her to sit here or what. Ben's blue-green eyes snap to me and he grins. "You are in big trouble, missy." My eyes widen as his grin fades and his gaze is directed back to Paige, "Scram Four Eyes."
Paige shakes her head. "I'm sitting here"
What was she thinking? Why was this girl so stubborn? Ben stared at her and then back at me. Shaking his head, he plopped down in the seat right in front of me, so he could hear every single word I say and report it back to Liam. Along with the new girl who "befriended me"