Trapped

1

MAGDALENA
I look at the clock, tapping my foot rhythmically, and the calm within me fades. Finally, the last bell rings. I start packing my things, and the girls are once again looking at me with mockery. I roll my eyes and greet Katie, the girl in a wheelchair I hang out with. They make fun of her, and instead of mingling with them, I find myself fitting in with the outcasts. I live an hour’s walk from school, and it’s already dark. Maybe I should call my mom to pick me up, but that thought fades as soon as the cool wind hits me, bringing the scent of rain.

Like every other evening, I walk home with Leo and Nina. We even live close, almost every day we walk together, though sometimes we end up splitting up. We laugh and talk about nonsense the entire way home, while a bad feeling starts gnawing at my heart.

ALEKSANDAR

I watch her through the tinted windows of my Audi, leaning back in my seat, observing her from a distance. She walks alone, laughing, her silky brown hair blowing in the wind. No need for platinum strands, her hair is dark, natural, to her shoulders, and everything seems simple – yet perfect. Her eyes flash, those forest eyes that follow every movement around her. Headphones in her ears, her clothes fit her body just right, tight jeans that perfectly hug her hips and chest. No doubt about it – she's power, and she doesn't even know how close I am.

Three guys approach, the typical hooligans, and I can feel the tension rise as I know something’s about to happen. Without hesitation, I roll down the window just enough to hear them, but still close enough to let them get near. "Hey babe, give me your Ig," one of them says, trying to play it cool, and she turns to him, a smile on her face that promises nothing good. "No thanks, not interested," she replies, laughing, but only in her own way – cold and calm. The guy isn’t ready to back off. "What, not cute enough?" he presses, trying to shine, and she laughs even more.

"You're so cute, I’m dying for it," she answers, flipping them the middle finger, her whole attitude screaming don’t you dare.

"And what now? You think you're too cool for this?" the second guy chimes in.

She turns her back on them, her tight jeans shaping her body, and doesn’t miss a beat. "I have a boyfriend. Fuck off," she says coldly, almost mockingly, as she walks away from them. No one’s breaking her confidence.

Then the first guy steps in front of her, now with an even bigger grin. "Come on, it’s like football – he’s the goalie, I’m the striker. I can score multiple times." His hands tighten, trying to intimidate her, but she’s not the type to be scared.

"With you?" she laughs. "You don’t have anything to score with."

Still nothing. He backs off, confused, and she keeps walking, proudly, fully aware of the trail she’s left behind.