Charlotte

OLIVIA JUNE.

As the morning light filtered through my curtains, I awoke feeling disoriented and unwell. The previous day had been a tumultuous one; I had meticulously cleaned the bathroom, where I encountered blood, and after tending to myself, I succumbed to sleep. Now, I found myself here, surprisingly numb to the pain from the razor blade.

I went about my usual routine, taking a shower before making my way to my locker. 

Upon arriving, I was met with the sight of Charlotte and Reuben, their expressions twisted into smirks as if they had just spotted a wild animal. Students in the hallway hurled insults my way—thin-ass, sick bitch, ugly—yet, I had trained myself to ignore them, keeping my gaze downcast.

As I rifled through my locker for books for my first class, I noticed Reuben, Charlotte, Vincent, and Ryker passing nearby. Charlotte paused, leaning in to whisper in my ear. “Hoe of the school.” It was a taunt I had heard before.

Under my breath, I retorted. “Like you’re not one.”

Charlotte had a penchant for the darker aspects of Reuben's personality but had inexplicably fallen for Vincent, the one in their group who had never once bullied me.

One fateful day, while I was late to class, I passed an empty classroom and heard muffled sounds. Curiosity got the better of me, prompting me to peek inside, only to witness Charlotte with Vincent, their intimate encounter punctuated by her promise to break up with Reuben as soon as they were done with me.

I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself, realizing that Charlotte was the true hypocrite here, which explained her need to project that label onto me.

As I turned to head to my next class, I was abruptly halted when someone grabbed my shoulder and spun me around. It was Charlotte, her expression furious, likely having overheard my comment.

She stepped closer, her voice dripping with venom. “Did I hear you right? Come again.”

I shot back. “It’s funny coming from the mouth that’s sleeping with Vincent.” Her eyes widened in shock, clearly taken aback by my audacity before she attempted to regain her composure.

By now, a crowd of students had gathered around us.

With a dark chuckle, she pressed. “What did you just say?”

“You heard me loud and clear, slut.” I replied with newfound confidence.

The students exchanged incredulous glances, some murmuring among themselves.

I began to walk away, but in a swift motion, she seized my hair, yanked me backward, and slammed my face against the locker. The crowd erupted in cheers for her as I grunted in pain.

Dropping the books I had been holding, I turned to confront Charlotte. She stood there, arms crossed, smirking at me while the students laughed at my expense.

Blood trickled down the side of my face, and tears began to well up in my eyes.

Yet all I could see was the blood, and with it, a surge of rage welled up inside me—an unexpected power I had never tapped into before.

“Looks like someone wants to cry.” she taunted.

No! At that moment, I was beyond simply upset; I was furious. Goodbye to the shaken Olivia June.

“I'M DONE!” I bellowed, charging at her and landing a solid punch to her face.

A fight erupted between us as students cheered, chanting.

*“Charlotte will win!”*

*“Charlotte, kick her ass!”*

*“Poor Olivia!”*

She attempted to grab my hair again, but I shoved my shoulder into her chest, forcing her backward, where Reuben and Vincent caught her.

I smirked at her as her expression darkened with anger.

With a sudden burst of energy, she lunged at me, her full force pushing me back slightly. Sensing my momentary weakness, she clawed at my face with her fake nails.

I stumbled back, pain searing across my face. When I touched it, blood stained my hand, and the students collectively gasped. “Oh shit.”

She stomped her foot in triumph, hands on her hips, wearing a devilish smirk as if she believed she had bested me.

But not today. My blood boiled, and I had reached my limit.

Clenching my fists, I struck her—a left hook to her nose followed by a right to her left eye, wiping the smug smile off her face.

She staggered back, but Vincent caught her once more. I glanced at Reuben, who looked alarmed by the scene unfolding before him.

Charlotte was now crying, and the students cheered for me, surprised by my retaliation. “What the hell?”

Before Charlotte could recover, a voice rang out from the hallway. Panic swept through me as I recognized it—the unmistakable tone of Principal Denzel.

He stormed towards us, shouting. “All students, go to class except for you two!” His finger pointed directly at Charlotte and me.

As the other students hastily dispersed, Charlotte and I followed him to his office.

Blood dripped from my clothes and pooled on the floor as we entered. The principal’s expression morphed from anger to disbelief at the sight, prompting him to summon the nurse.

I could hardly lie when I said he was furious; he was livid, his face flushed.

When the nurse arrived and assessed Charlotte's injuries, she swiftly determined that Charlotte’s nose was broken. My heart secretly leaped at the news.

Principal Denzel called Charlotte's parents as the nurse tended to her.

Forty minutes later, her mother burst into the office, berating the principal before whisking Charlotte away to the hospital.

In that moment, I wished my own mother were there for me too.

The nurse instructed me to lie down on the principal’s couch while she examined my wounds. She noted scratches on my face and a bump on my head. Tears streamed down my cheeks as the pain began to settle in.

Using alcohol pads, she started cleaning my wounds. The sting was excruciating. She noticed my discomfort and encouraged me to stay still, assuring me she was almost finished.

Once she completed her work and bandaged my head, she looked at me with concern. She was familiar with my visits to her office due to the pain inflicted by the razor blade. She had told me she wouldn’t assist me unless I was honest, and I had confided in her. I had begged her not to inform the principal, fearing the repercussions for Jessica’s little sister.

With a gentle voice, she whispered. “You need to stand up to these bullies, Olivia. Enough is enough.” After finishing her work, she informed the principal that she was done and left.

I asked the principal if I could use the restroom before we began our discussion, and he nodded, still visibly upset.

I hurried to the nurse’s office, where she permitted me to use her restroom. After two minutes, I emerged, nodding at her reminder to tell the truth.

As I approached the principal’s office, I spotted Reuben, Vincent, and Ryker exiting. I could only assume they were concocting more lies to shield themselves from the trouble we had just faced. Their smug expressions deepened as they caught sight of me.

I rolled my eyes at them, steeling myself for whatever would come next.