Caged Animals (A Story of Bullying)

*Chapter Two*

Again, thank you for reading. This story means a lot to me. It's a lot more serious than a lot of my stories, but I feel that I need to write it. Guys, thousands of teens get bullied every day. Hundreds commit suicide. Please, help those people. Don't be a bully.

EVERYONE IS PERFECT.

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*Chapter Two*

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Dirty blonde hair swooped across his forehead, just grazing his eyebrows. Hazel eyes brimming with cruelty sat atop the perfect nose. His soft pillow lips merged with his ruthlessness, curving into a smirk. William Carter: the most popular guy in school…and one of my worst bullies. He was placed at the top of my list, tied with Tatiana and Tyler.

            “What are you still doing on the ground?” he asked, stepping closer to me. “And why are you still staring at me? You’ll never get me in bed. You’re too ugly and slutty.” I turned my eyes away, concentrating on picking up my papers. I heard loud guffaws and giggles following William’s statements. I chewed the inside of my cheek, fighting the misty covering of new tears.

            The rest came in almost slow motion. William’s foot flew swiftly through the air, hitting me square in the stomach. The wind was knocked out of me, and I fell back, my arms and legs flailing for balance. The classroom snickered and chuckled, causing the stragglers in the hall to do the same. The tiles of the classroom floor dug into my still-bleeding back wound, causing a fresh flare of pain. My breath came out in a hiss.

            I struggled to catch my breath, trying to push myself up. I looked up at William’s looming figure, smiling wickedly down on his handiwork. “Look!” someone cried from the back of the room. “Her legs are spread!” A fresh round of laughter began as I fought my way to my knees and quickly grabbed my school supplies. I shakily stood and hurried to my seat in the back corner. Their endless taunts followed me all the way there, jeers normally revolving around my sex life.

            I sat down and quickly pulled out my homework, shaking out my hair to fall over my quivering expression. I inhaled deeply, waiting impatiently for Miss Porter to enter the room. I could hear people turning around in their chairs to stare at me, the exotic zoo animal. Couldn’t they at least have the decency to stare on the sly? But, of course, I wasn’t respected here, and never had been. It made sense to me that they wouldn’t think twice about visibly gawking at me.

            A note flew across the room, landing on my desk. Freak was written in huge block letters across the front. I knew that I shouldn’t open it, but I moved reluctantly to read it, my curiosity getting the better of me. I unfolded it and scanned its contents, chewing the inside of my cheek the entire time:

Dear Freak,

Your real name is EVENING???? God, that’s such a stupid name…just like you. Were your parents hippies or something? Are you a wannabe flower child? Cuz flower children are supposed to be happy and carefree and crap. You’re a depressed, cutting, ugly, slutty, bitch of a freak. How does that make sense? Oh, that’s right…it doesn’t.