The ups and downs of Phoenix Marshall

school

going through the motions again, meaning waking up for school, getting dressed and actually getting there. i'm late, surprise? no.

when i get to school i walk into first period and plop myself down in my chair. hoping to stay seated in it.

"did you know that phee fell through a window?" charlotte asks sophie.

"what?" she answers the question with another.

"the scars on his arm from falling through a window"

"they're not because of a fall or a window" sophie looks at her, a sad look in her eye.

"what are they from?"

"he hurts himself"

"w-what..?" charlotte chokes up, looking at me from the back of the class.

i'm completely oblivious, as i'm at the front. i can't see the sad look she's giving me, or the confusion she's drowning in.

"is it because of all the drama?" she asks.

"drama..?" Sophie looks at her completely lost.

"he said that people here don't really like him so.. that drama"

"we call it bullying, but if he wants to call it drama to help him cope, i get it" Sophie looks down at her desk.

"he gets bullied..?" charlotte asks, staring at the back of my head.

Sophie nods still looking down at her desk. "we've tried to stop it but it never stops"

when class is over i walk out of class and go to my locker to put my books away.

out of the corner of my eye i see Justin and his friends approaching. here we go.

"aw did you break your arm?" he says looking at the cast.

i shrug and shut my locker.

he looks at the name written on my cast. "charlotte? who's charlotte?" he laughs at me.

i shrug again.

talking of charlotte, she appears in my eyeline as she walks out of the classroom.

"she definitely isn't your girlfriend, is she? you couldn't get a girlfriend" he laughs as he pushes me.

"she isn't my girlfriend" i agree with him.

"of course she isn't you ugly dork" he laughs again.

"i'm well aware" i nod.

i see charlotte walking in mine and justins direction and she looks mad. i want to keep her out of this whole situation so i need to lead justin away, sadly enough i know how.

i lock eyes with justin and he really hates when i look him in the eyes, fuck knows why but i guess it doesn't float his boat. it sinks it.

i start running down the corridor with justin hot on my tail. when i stop running he catches me and grabs my collar, pushing me up against the wall.

even if i get beat up i will have kept charlotte out of justins reach.

"stop it!" i hear charlotte command from the end of the corridor.

never mind.

justin turns around and looks at her. "and why would i do that?" he laughs.

"because he doesn't deserve it" she crosses her arms.

"wait a minute.. are you charlotte?" he looks between the two of us.

she nods in a confused way.