New update :) !
I feel so sad for Tola :(
By the way, Talie is pronounced like Tah-ly, not Ta-ly :3
it's like how you would normally pronounce the end of “Natalie”
Oh and the pic to the right is oh Sarah (who you will be meeting shortly), that jerk!
Tola's p.o.v.
For the rest of the day, I felt miserable. I dragged myself from class to class, ignoring the questions about my sudden eye color change.
For team concepts, I showed up early to snatch up my gym clothes and change in the bathroom stalls to avoid Talie. I waited in the gym for Mr. Jacobson and the rest of the class. I looked up as the door opened and an angry Natalie stormed through the door with fire in her eyes.
Walking right up to me, she shot daggers at me through her eyes. I forced myself to wrinkle my nose at her, as if disgusted that she was near me.
Natalie's p.o.v.
I stormed into the gym, ignoring the few kids that were already there. The only one I saw was Tola, watching me with a stoic expression as I stomped over to her. As I stopped in front of her, she wrinkled her nose in disgust.
I gaped at her, flabbergasted. Letting all of my anger come forth, I shoved her. “What the hell is your problem!” I yelled at her. She continued to stare at me, expressionless.
It hurt so bad to see her look at me like that. How is it fair that I have to feel this way, when she can just stand there and look at me like I'm trash? What have I ever done to her to make her hate me so much? My heart ached in pain, which turned into anger as she continued to stare at me with distaste drawn on her face.
Drawing my hand back, I took a step closer to her. I was terrible at fighting, I'm sure she could have stopped my hand from hitting her if she wanted to... But instead, I only caught a look of sadness and regret right before I slapped her right across her perfect face, with all my pent up hurt. Everyone in the room gasped and started whispering.
I immediately regretted slapping her, remembering the bruises on her abdomen. But I forced myself to stand my ground, glaring at her. Since when was she such a bitch?
“You're a jerk, you know that? And I wasn't trying to kiss you earlier today, I felt bad for you and was trying to comfort you.” alright, that was a total lie, but I wasn't about to admit that. I myself was still confused about why I had wanted to kiss her.
I could practically feel everyone in the room turn against her. I had a lot of friends in this school, and I was very accepting. They knew that if I didn't like someone, I had to have a good reason. Tola looked like she was having an inner battle with herself. Finally, she looked back up at me. I caught a look of apology and sadness before she wiped her expression clean and slapped me back.
She made it look like she hit me hard, but really she hardly touched me. Shoving past me, she fled the room.
Tola's p.o.v.
I felt like dirt as I slapped her gorgeous face. But I had to do it. Everybody likes Natalie, and when I slapped her I knew that she along with everyone else would never try to befriend me. I didn't care about making enemies anymore. Enemies were easier to handle than friends.
I ran out of the room, running into Mr. Jacobson as I fled. I quickly clutched at my stomach, and screwed up my face so that I looked nauseous. “Mr. J, can I go t-to the n-nurse?” I asked, covering my mouth with my hand as if I was about to throw up.
Mr. Jacobson nodded with wide eyes and pointed to the nurse's office. I nodded my thanks before fleeing to the office.
Bursting through the doors, I ran to the nurse's bathroom, realizing that I actually did suddenly feel sick to my stomach. Leaning over the toilet, I threw up the water I drank earlier today. The rest was dry heaves, as my body tried to expel imaginary food. I hadn't eaten anytime recently, since I didn't have any money.
The nurse let me go home after that, and I gratefully left school. I knew I would get hell tomorrow for hitting Talie.
* * *
For the next couple days at school, I was treated like a leper. Which I was used to and okay with. I continued to maintain my fake I'm-better-than-you-don't-talk-to-me attitude.
I avoided Natalie as much as I could. For the past couple days, she hasn't been her usual bubbly self. She's been quieter, more subdued. It pained me to think that I was the reason for this.
As I left the locker room after team concepts and walked to my school locker, I felt someone shove me from behind. I stumbled but didn't fall, and swung around to face my attacker.
It was some slut and her friends from Dominic's group. I think she might even be Dominic's girlfriend. She was glaring at me through her heavily painted face. “We're getting tired of you.” She said simply. I arched an eyebrow at her.
“You're worthless at this school. Even that whore... Natalie?... who's a complete suck up to everyone doesn't like you. You're pathetic for claiming she tried to kiss you... who in their sane mind would want to even touch you?” she sneered.
I laughed at her. “Okay first of all Natalie is the one who made that public. And second of all, it's not nice to call your boyfriend insane.” I answered with a smirk.
Her face turned red from anger, and pushed me against my locker, her hands clenched around my upper arms. “Hm, struck a nerve.” I mumbled. Her hands clenched painfully tighter on my arms.
“Listen here you freak. No one wants you here, not even Natalie. You're a pathetic excuse for a human being, and a clueless idiot. Why don't you just go kill yourself.” she hissed.
I narrowed my eyes at her, refusing to let her words grab a hold on me. “And being a needy slut that hangs off of a guy that's obviously cheating on her isn't pathetic?” I asked with a chuckle. The slut's nose flared, and drawing back her fist punched me across the face.
I made no move to stop her as she continued to hit me. I just didn't care anymore. At this point I was on the ground, and a crowd was formed around us as she kicked and hit me. People made no move to stop her.
I was obviously well-hated at this school.
Lifting me up, she pinned me against a locker.
Natalie's p.o.v.
Hearing a fight, I raced down the hall to see what was going on. I watched in shock and horror as Sarah punched and kicked Tola on the ground. Tola didn't move to defend herself, she just laid there with a distant look in her eyes. Sarah picked her up and pinned her against a locker, drawing her hand back to claw at Tola's face.
Jumping between them, I tried to push Sarah off. Sarah glared at me angrily and slapped me.
Something seemed to come back alive in Tola when she saw me get hit. Grabbing me around the waist and tugging me to her side, her body angled to block me from Sarah.
I stood there in shock as Tola glared at Sarah with pure fury igniting her beautiful green eyes.
“Don't you ever, ever hit Natalie.” she whispered in a deadly tone of voice. After a couple beats of silence, Tola broke out of her angry trance. Leaning her hip to one side, Tola continued with a mockingly sweet smile on her lips. “If you do, I swear I will rip your arm off and shove it so far up your ass, you'll get those fake plastic nails of yours stuck in your teeth. 'Kay?” she said. Sarah stared at her with wide incredulous eyes.
The whole hall went quiet. Just then the bell signally the beginning of lunch decided to ring, and everyone started murmuring.
Plowing her way through the people, Tola left the crowd while everyone stared after her. I hastily followed her, calling for her to stop. Of course she ignored me, and broke into a run instead. She rounded a corner, and as I rounded it as well I saw a door quietly snap shut. Slowing to a walk, I approached the door.
Taking a deep breath, I slowly opened the door and stepped inside.
Tola was curled up in the corner of the room, her forehead pressed to her knees. As I got closer, I saw that her shoulders were trembling. I hesitantly lifted a hand, and touched her shoulder.
Tola sprang up from her sitting position, flinching away from my touch with wild out of focus eyes. “Stop, mom, please! They'll know!” she yelled at me in a panicky voice, touching a bruise on her face. My eyes widened as I realized the truth.
Her mom must be abusive. I bet that's where she got those bruises on Monday.
“Tola, it's me, Natalie.” I said gently. Tola's eyes slowly cleared up as she stared at me. Fear struck face.
“Fuck.” she muttered, running a shaking hand through her hair. “Tola, what's wrong?” I asked her softly. She glared at me.
“You weren't supposed to know.” she snapped. “No one was supposed to know the information I basically just handed to you on a silver platter! And just now in the hall... now you know I don't hate you, and now you're going to go to the police and tell them about my mom and we're going to have to move again to avoid trouble!” she practically screamed. Good thing we're in a sound-proof classroom that hasn't been used in years.
It all made sense now. Tola wasn't actually a homophobic raving bitch, she was just trying to make me hate her because we were getting too close. I couldn't help but tackle her in a hug. “I thought you hated me!” I exclaimed. “And I won't tell the police about your mom... yet.” I added quietly. She sighed and returned the hug gently before pulling away.
“By the way, I know you weren't trying to kiss me that day in the bathroom. I only said that to make you hate me.” she muttered. I was about to correct her, and tell her that I had been trying to kiss her, but I stopped myself. She didn't need to know that. Anyways, Tola's 100% straight.
:O :O Talie knows now! O.O
And they're both realizing their feelings for each other >:)
Time for operation break-down-the-walls-Tola's-built-around-her-heart
Whoa lots of hyphens o.O