"Teresa POV"
As I opened the big class doors to start the the week, something was off. I had hoped that it was only the warmer weather that was the difference, but my hope soon dissolved when I noticed the taunting stares I got as I passed through the hallway. It wasn't just a few people, it seemed as if it was the whole school. Something about the way they glanced my way was terrifying. People pointed and laughed as I walked through. I could feel my pulse beating faster.
Everything turned into slow motion. I was no longer able to focus on what I had going on, I was more frighten at what was to come. Groups of girls passed me, sucking in a puff of air trying to make their cheeks as big as possible. I looked down at the floor. Was I in a bad dream? Please Lord tell me I was dreaming. Tell me that I would have extra fingers, tell me that everybody was floating and not walking, tell me that wasn't my reality. But still; no hope. I heard people's laugh all too good and their stares were even worse.
I walked up to my locker, stuffing my whole entire head in their as I pretended to do whatever, I didn't care what I did in that moment as long as I got away from the stares.
I took a deep breath in. This had to be my imagination, what could these people possibly be laughing at me for? I closed my eyes thinking of the time I had with Henry Yesterday at his family's farm. The baby goats, the picnic, the horse ride with Nathaniel.
It going to be okay. I hoped again, but right now, hope was hanging on by a piece of thread.
"Teresa!" I heard a very panic Lola voice beside me. One look at her face told me she knew what was happening with me, and it wasn't looking to pretty. I felt my pulse beat even quicker.
"What is it?" I quietly asked. Concerned wash over Lola's face, faster than any expression I have saw yet.
"We can't talk here." Was what Lola uttered before she pulled me into a bathroom. She taped up an 'Out of Order' sign on the bathroom door closing and locking it behind her.
It must have been really urgent, Lola had a thing about public restrooms, and this one wasn't so hot. The stalls were written on, saying excruciating comments about others, water puddles flooded the floor and the bathroom smell was nothing like I have smelled before.
Lola paced back and force, her brain contemplated on weather to tell me what the fuss was all about.
"Lola just tell me." I addressed, the anticipation was killing me. She took a deep breath. She drew out her phone typing in something in. Only another ten seconds and she spilled it to me.
"Hallie....she found this." Lola gave me her phone.
My heart dropped to the bottom of my toes. This, this was the life that I had tried to keep away, the life that I didn't and WON'T go back to. She had found and pulled up my 3rd grade yearbook picture. The ugly braids, the chubby cheeks, my green Justice shirt. I remembered this entire day all too well. My teeth and mouth were blue from the sucker I had had before the picture was taken. I shook my head. I tried burning every person's memory from me as a child. I know, why be embarrassed? We all have embarrassing moments, but mine was far worse. The scribbling underneath wrote, The real Teresa Glaser, #theuglyduckling.
My vision became blurry, not just from the tears that were now running down my cheeks, but the panic that ran it's course through my bloodstream. I took deep breaths, trying to not lose it all in the gross bathroom.
"Teresa, calm down." I could make out Lola's voice, but it was a bit muffled due to my ears not wanting to work correctly. I felt a tingling sensation in the back of my head. The deep breaths I were taking now were huffs of air.
How? Why? Why would Hallie do something so cruel. What have I ever done to her? People were probably making memes out of me. I would become that kid that frighten me in my dreams.
I pushed myself up against a wall, I slowly slid down curling up in a small ball. Breathing was difficult to accomplish, and even when I felt that I had the ability, it came with sharp rasps and loud weeps. I squeezed my eyes shut, wanting the floor to just swallow me whole. The pain overwhelmed me and I felt my lungs had gone tight.
"Teresa?!" I heard Lola faint voice shouting. I felt her hands grab my arms that hugged my legs tightly to my chest. I could feel me yelling, screaming even, but the sound wouldn't play in my ears. The one thing that I had fought so hard to leave came creeping up behind me.
Her arms slid off of me. I felt alone, I felt cold. I felt that no one could help me. My misery had now stained the minds of hundreds, thousands! Thinking of the problems that I faced in my future cut into my skin deeper and deeper. I needed to hear Trevor's voice. That was the only thing that would help.
"Lola's POV"
She balled up in the corner. I didn't know what to do. In this situation there wasn't much I could do. She started to weep, but she didn't look like she knew she was crying, almost as if her soul detached from her body. I walked up to her. Soon the weeping turned into screaming. I knelt down beside her. I had a feeling she had know clue what she was doing.
"Teresa?!" I tried yelling, maybe then she would snap out of it. She continued to scream even after I tried touching her arms so she knew that somebody was here for her. If she kept this up, the people outside will start having suspicion. I knew that I wasn't what she needed, she needed Trevor, I knew that that was her secret key to everything, but I also knew that he lived hours away, so that wouldn't work out.
Then the light of my brain turned on. I know Henry isn't Trevor, but they have been friends since second grade, maybe he could help. I rushed out of the bathroom and down the halls, searching for Henry.
"Lola have you seen-" Caleb came rushing up to me, but I soon interrupted him by still running passed. Right now the only thing I cared about was my best friend who was having a panic attack at this minute. I rushed though the halls, I looked into windows and everything, but nothing.
I'm so stupid! I thought to myself. The gym, of course that was where he was going to be. There was still ten minutes until school started, and every popular person went to the gym to hang. I looked through the large class. I looked through the mess of girls and boys, but soon I was able to make out Henry's famous hair and tall figure. Now, I would do anything for my friend, and if he didn't look my way in the next five seconds I will pry him by his teeth to follow me. But as if on cue, he looked my way through the window. I gestured for him to come out. He quietly snuck out without his friends noticing.
"Is it Teresa?" He guessed.
"correcto!" I grabbed his arm and paced to the the girl's restroom. I nodded my head. He took a deep breath.
"You better hurry up, you wouldn't want people seeing you with me." I glared at him. He looked down before rushing in as I stood guard for whoever tried to entered.
"Teresa's POV"
I had managed to calm myself, only a little bit though. I still felt dizzying and my breathing was still off.
"Teresa?" I heard a voice, though this time it wasn't Lola's, except it was Henry's. I looked up, my vision wasn't a hundred percent clear, but I could make him out.
"Henry I-" Henry interrupted me. He sat down beside me and held let me lay on his chest.
"It's okay." His warming voice spoke. He stroked my hair as I continued to cry on his chest. I wanted him to be Trevor, but Henry has known me for a while, having him here help times a million. Soon my off breathing turned into a simple one, my crying stop for the only reason as I possibly didn't have another tear left.
Henry shift positions for him to be face to face to me. "Are you okay?" Henry's asked, his hand held mine. I nodded my head.
"Teresa, don't let her get to." Henry said. I looked down at my hands.
"That girl that I knew in the third grade had a beautiful personality and smile better than any girl here." Henry assured me. When I looked up our heads were only inches away. We sat so close, too close for comfort.
"She is a villain if all she can do is think of how to hurt other people, other people who haven't done anything wrong."
Henry was so sweet. The fact that he was talking to me in school showed how much he cared. It went silent for a while. "Now I'm not leaving until I see that smile that I so dearly love." Henry gave me his cheeky smile. I was hard not to mimic his actions, any time he was in my presence it was hard not to smile.
"Cute. Now let's get out of the disgusting smelling bathroom." Henry got up. I chuckled. Henry helped me up as I left first and a few seconds he came out, but long enough for people not to think we were doing something in there. He went my opposite direction. "Teresa, let's get you to the nurse." Lola sympathetically smiled. I smiled back at her as we descended down the hallway.
***
The nurses office was cold. Sign hung on the wall talking of STD's and HIV's. Condoms were held in a small plastic bucket, as well as girl necessities. I sat on the itchy fabric bedside. I have been in here since this morning, the nurse wanted to make sure that I was hundred percent ready to go back to class or if I would have another panic attack. it was going on lunch time, and I was doing perfectly fine. Yes, thoughts of my morning horror scene flashed in front of my eyes, but I was still just fine.
With this much time on my hands, it was hard to not want to think about Trevor, about my past self. I couldn't stand my own brain. I sat up in my bed and leaned my head against the wall.
Muffled laughter could be heard from outside the door. I snapped my head back, seeing Hallie and her posse standing in the hallway in huddle laughing about something stupid. This morning I was sad about what had happened, but know I wanted nothing to do but go and slap the smirk off of her blonde, barbie face. I walked up to the nurses desk.
"Can I leave?" I asked anxiously. She looked up with me with a concerned face.
"Hun, are u sure you're okay?" Her southern accent was squeaky. her grandma classes were on the tip of her nose as she looked up at me.
"I'm positive." I sternly answered. She sighed as she gestured to the door. I thanked her before grabbing my bag and pacing out of the room.
Hallie. Her blonde high ponytail swung as her square face held a smile. I through my bag on the ground getting her attention. She held a hand on her hip.
"How dare you!" I shouted. She scoffed. She signaled her friends to leave.
"What's wrong Terry-tots, not happy?" She smirked. I shook my head, I could feel my blood boiling. I wouldn't be surprise if there was steam coming out of my ears.
"You don't get to just ruin my life because yours is hell!" I kept shouting. Her smirk went away.
"Not my fault your fat." She whipped her ponytail.
"That was my old self! I'm not that girl anymore! I'm better than that!" I could feel my voice breaking.
"Not so sure." Hallie went back to smiling, she look me up and down. She stepped closer to me. "I told you that I would make you high school years ugly, that was just the first part." She argued back, she folded her arms.
"Why? Why are you doing this?!"
"I told you already; you stole my boyfriend and then went after my spotlight, that's a big no-no."
"Are you kidding me? You ruined my life because of a boy who broke up with you because you cheated?" I shouted, people began to surround us.
"It was one time." I could see her jaw clench.
"It only takes one time to break a heart." I replied. She huffed.
"Don't worry, once the school sees you next secret, you're going to want to die." She smirked again. I didn't say anything, my eyes were too watery to say anything. the small crowd that had gather around started to oh as Hallie started to walk away, but I was not about to have her have the last word.
"You are a monster Hallie Boro." I spoke softly.
"Are we still doing this?" She gestured to me and her, looking out of the crowd as they laughed.
"You want me to tell you why Henry broke up with you? Because you are an arrogant, blonde-headed, bitch." I cursed. The crowd went wild. I wasn't doing it for their attention, I was doing it because it was what needed to be said. I could see Caleb and Lola out of my peripheral view.
"Henry, I-I bet, deserves way better. He deserves the world! And all you deserve is the crap off the bottom of my shoe." I pointed down.
"Teresa." Lola called out for me, she shook her head. "No, let me say this." I turned around to tell her.
I looked Hallie straight in the eyes to make sure she knew how I felt. "Do whatever Hallie. I can't stop you. I won't even try to stop you. But when daddy isn't capable of getting his princess everything she wants, than I'll I deal with you, I'll deal with you once you feel how I feel every. Single. Day at this school." I step closer in her face.
Her face was red with fury, she couldn't say anything else. I could feel the tears brimming to the surface and before I started to cry I left out of the circle that had been created and into the bathroom.
***
I knew my mom wasn't home, she told me this morning she wouldn't be home until late. That's alright though, my mother just wouldn't understand. I ran up the stairs eager to call Trevor and see him.
I sat by my big window as I Face-timed him. The phone only rang a few until I was melt with his face. My heart fell into it's right place, my shoulders relaxes, I felt like everything was just fine.
"Hey." I spoke. "Hi beautiful." He smiled.
"I have some new news." Trevor cheered. My smiled faded away. "Great, I-I just been having a really hard day and seeing your face really helps." I admitted.
"Awe." That was all he said, awe. Where was the sympathetic boyfriend I knew? I needed him right now.
"Can I tell you the news now?" Trevor seemed anxious. I felt my heart drop. I really don't care was what I wanted to shout in his face. I didn't care that my famous boyfriend would be going on tour with a bunch of other people, traveling across America, meeting his die-heart fans, girls that did everything and anything to kiss him, two shows a night! I just couldn't handle my anxiety that rushed through me.
"Sure." I spoke softly.
"Well, we finally have the dates of where were going first and our first stop is Texas in March!" Trevor boasted. My smile came back. At least I was happy to hear that.
"Great! Do you get to stop to Austin?"
"Yep, it's our first show." Trevor sparkly teeth shined.
"Yah! I can't wait to see you!"
His smile faded. "About that, I'm only here one day and I'm doing two shows, so I might not really get to talk to you that day, but I am trying to arrange an early flight to see you."
"Awesome!" I can't wait to see him in person.
I sighed. "It's so awesome to talk to you, I need to tell you about my day." I leaned my head against the window.
"Actually, I have to go, I'm supposed to be receiving a call here soon." Trevor shifted himself on his bed. My heart fell. I felt sad, but this is the umpteenth time he as used that excuse every time I need him.
"Trevor, I really need you right now. Can this call wait?" I felt little bit of anger rise.
"Sorry, it's about the tour. I have to take it." He addressed. I rolled my eyes.
"Teresa, don't be like this. I'm really busy with tour and now I'm going home schooled so I have a lot of work to do. I'm just busy Teresa. I know you don't understand, but I thought you were here for me?" Trevor complained. I could feel my blood boil. I'm not hear for him? I listen through his things ALL the time, he's the one that's not here for me.
"Whatever Trevor. I'm always here for you, you know that, but lately I've been feeling like you've been slaking that." I told him my true feelings, I could see that Trevor was getting frustrated.
"Teresa, I got to go." He looked down. I sighed.
"Sure." I said before hanging up on him. I threw my phone on my bed. Not even the person I valued most was here for me. I felt so alone.
AUTHORS NOTE_________________________________________________________________________________
Hey Guys!!!! Thanks for reading!!
So yeah, some intense stuff, how dare Hallie!! This was not my first time writing an argument between characters, but this is my first time really trying to give it my all, so comment down below if you thought it was good or not.
QOTC: "Arrogant is a kingdom without a crown."
Vote
Comment
FOLLOW!!!!!