Stars Can't Shine Without Darkness

16. You don't like me? Fuck you. Problem solved

[ Copyrighted to MrsSociopath© ]

Kris walked the halls of Kasper High with her head held up and her shoulders straight, danger, annoyance and a 100-watt temper radiated off her in waves. The students rushed to step out of her way just like they rushed to get out of Deacon and Craig’s, it was instinct, they knew what was good for them and staying in Kris's path was not too good for them if they wanted to be breathing by the end of the day. The girl looked like the pits of hell had forged her themselves. So different from the normal, slightly tomboy, slightly skater girl look she gave off when she first arrived in town.

The boy who had called her out as a stripper in her first lesson had somehow managed to spread the news around the entire school by second lesson. Whispers followed her like a shadow as she walked through the school along with comments like 'Slut', 'Whore', 'The janitors closet is that way hoe'. Not to mention the series of wolf whistles she had received. Even the teachers gave her slightly disgusted looks, tight-lipped smiles and wavered when taking in her class work. 

She couldn’t believe how judgmental and nosey the people of this town were and why it bothered them so much about what she did with her life. It was her life. She has to do whatever she wished to do with it, even if that meant running down the street naked, painted blue and singing ‘The Sound of Music’. However, right now, her revolved around herself and her dad. Kris loved her dad and would do anything to help him out, even if that meant getting a job in the worst possible place just to sneak her pay-day cash into her dads account so they could stay safe and far, far away from the Bitch. 

The lockers stretched on and on, lining the walls like a crowd of photographers at the red carpet, except the carpet was a blue and white tiled floor. Each locker was the same, about a metre in height and putrid green, some of them even had stickers and pictures stuck to them to make them more appealing. It did not work, not by a long shot. Kris did not see the point in decorating her locker but as she drew, closer to it realised that the decision was out of her hand. Spray painted in bright red capital letters and underlined three times was one word. 

“WHORE!!!” 

Kris saw it as clear as day and so did the masses of people around it. People were cackling and laughing together like a group of hyenas. They all found the incident rather amusing and Kris guessed it was someone amongst them who had done it. There was a sharp whisper of, ‘It’s her!’ suddenly everyone went quiet, and watched Kris like an owl would a mouse. A predator hunting its prey. Kris kept walking towards her vandalised locker and did her best not to make eye contact with anyone. 

Sauntering up to her locker like it was the most normal day in the world Kris started spinning the dial padlock on it until the metal door popped open. Humming the tune to Highway to Hell by AC/DC Kris reached in and pulled out her neck, she then threw about three books inside and slammed the door shut. Her hazel eyes locked onto the graffiti that stretched across her locker. She wanted to cry, to run, to hide, to demand who did this, to scream. She did nothing but stare. 

After a long awkward silence that filled the hallway the whispering started up again. The topic of conversation. Kristin Reeds. She knew of course that something like this would happen, the rumours, the whispers, the teasing but she never expected someone to just up and vandalise what everyone was thinking onto her locker. It was something immature, childish and aimed below the belt. 

“Are you really going to let them get away with that?” Grace asked as she leant against the locker with the word ‘WHORE!!!’ on it. Kris realised with a small smile that the girl was wearing her bright red dress with a little black fedora on her head. Something that Grace always used to wear when forced to go to church with Kris and her dad. It always amuse her the way the girl attempted t hide at the back only to be pulled into the front pew by Frank in return for a strawberry lollipop.