A new life

                       Isobel POV

I dawdle down the hallway, my hands clutching my backpack in my armhole all sweaty and slippery as I try to block off their jeers and ignore their glares.

I know, that the decision to live a quiet life until I graduate from this school, has ended yesterday. Yeah, I expect this, but I never knew it'd be this worst.

Is it not funny how people think? When I was the one who was abused yesterday, I'm the one paying for whatever happened yesterday.

I sigh, stopping before my locker. It still surprises me that the students haven't started throwing things at me. That's their specialization anyway.

Opening my locker, something tricky splashed on my face, wetting me entirely from my head down to my chest.

I gasp, and the students in the hallway erupt in laughter.

Now I get it. Why didn't laugh when I was walking, they probably have something in stock for me.

Blinking back my tears, I wipe the stain off my face to see clearly.

Ink; black and blue.

I know this is my new life, this life I didn't choose for myself, yet, there's no way to get out of it.

My eyes burn in tears, lump forms in my throat. I want to cry.

"Oh, look at you," Cassie said beside me. One hand leans against the locker, and the other firmly perch on her hips. "Why do you have to get on Javier's bad side, huh?"

As if I'd want anything to do with their idol.

I sniff, looking anywhere but at Cassie. I might have lived a quiet life, but I know better than to talk back at Cassie when she's speaking.

She's worse than the devil. No! She's the devil herself. I've seen how brutal she can be when she sets her mind to it. Countless times, I have witnessed her thrashing innocent people as though they weigh nothing.

God! Javier is enough to deal with, I don't want to add Cassie to my list.

"Of course," Jessica pulls my hair, "you look awfully stupid to mess with him."

But I didn't. I never did anything to him. God knows I'd rather kill myself than step on Javier's smallest toe.

I sniff. Jessica's hold on my hair tightens, pulling it as though she wants them out of its scalp.

"You're...you're hurting me," I mutter.

"That's the point," another of Cassie's entourage says, Quinn. "Nobody messes with Javier and goes scot-free.

Yeah! I know that. Only if they know that I never messed with Javier, but it's he, who mess with my quiet life.

My tears roll freely down my face, my heart palpitating in fear.

Quinn removes my glasses, turning them in her hand with a large scowl on her face.

"Why?" She sneers. "Why can't you just stay off our path and enjoy yourself in your stupid nerdy glasses?"

"I bet she wants some recognition too" Cassie chuckles. She leans forward, her lips just an inch from my ear. She whispers. "Don't mess with me, I am not nice."

"Come on, let's go."

With a hard thrust, Quinn returns my glasses, earning a short muffle sniff from me. The three of them all leave, almost bouncing me off my feet with their shoulders.

I don't want to accept it, but it's a bad reality that this is my new life.

I can't stand up for myself, and I hate myself for that.

Wiping off my tear, I make my way to the gymnasium room to get my sportswear before I go to the bathroom.

I meet Katrina there, all covered in blue and black ink, her messy hair now messier in a black and blue stain.

She stands, facing the mirror, fist clenched tightly beside her.

I'd never seen her this angry and ready to kill before. Her eyes glint angrily, almost sparkling red light.

"Rina," I call, walking up to her.

Katrina turns to me, her eyes size me up, from head to toe, then a frown latches on her face.

"Ah, I'm going to kill Cassie."

"No, you can't." I let a faint smile graze my lips, stepping beside her to turn on the faucet. "Just don't get yourself into more trouble because of me."

"Nonsense!" Katrina spits, "I don't care what Javier is thinking, I swear, if he messes with you again, I'll kill him."

Somehow, it feels really good to hear Katrina swear all because of me, but getting her into trouble once again is selfish of me.

Sighing, I turn to grab her arm, my hand sliding up to her elbow and I give it a little squeeze.

"I'm sorry, Rina," I say, "all these won't happen if only I could stand up for myself."

"Stand up for yourself?" Katrina scowls. She grabs my hand in hers, squeezing it tightly, her eyes level with mine, almost boring a hole into them. "You don't know Javier as much as I do, Isobel. You can never stand up to him. No! You're simply no match for him."

Though that hurts and I want to defend myself, I realized there's nothing I can say. After all, Katrina speaks nothing but the truth. Who am I compared to Javier Mendez? He's influential, his father owns the school, and he's everyone's role model. And I'd be dead even before I think of taking him up in a fight.

"Go on, let's this stupid cloth out and wash the ink off," Katrina mutters. "I'll kill Cassie."

****

For the tenth time, I adjust my trousers, making sure that my top cover my small ass properly.

I do not always wear my sportswear, and whenever I wear it, I do my best to avoid where there are too many people.

But today, I'd not only wear it, but I am also wearing it to class.

My palms are sweaty as I clamp them beside me. My heart beating so loudly it hurts.

Katrina is not with me, she's said that she needs to be somewhere.

Now I regret ever not following her and coming here alone.

What was I thinking? That I'd be able to walk inside the class with everyone present? And the teacher is already.

My eyes burn in tears, I want to cry right now and I'm not sure I'd be able to stop myself.

I hate this. My life and everything about me entirely is a mess.

Stopping before the classroom door, I breathe in and out, momentarily closing and opening my eyes before I pull the door open.

A sigh

Relief.

The teacher is not in, but then again, maybe it'd have been better if a teacher is inside.

"Here you come,"

I freeze on my spot, my stomach churning uncomfortable, and I can feel myself sweating already.

Fear lick every corner of my body on hearing the familiar voice.

It's not high, nor cold, but his voice has a way of making me curl in fear ever since the incident in the class days ago.

Javier moves closer to him, a large scowl on his face as he stops before me.

"Being waiting for you, new prey."

New prey? What's that? No. He didn't mean it with his new prey things, does he?

I took a step back, looking anywhere but at him. His smell, a mixture of fresh dry wood and the smell of new parchment wafts through my nose.

"C'mon," Javier s snorts. "It's not fun if you're not looking."

Without warning, his fist closes around my neck, slamming my back against the hard wall.

I wince in pain, tears sliding down my face, but if that calms Javier, he didn't show it.

His face contorts in anger, and his hold on my neck tightens.

"Weak!" He spats. "Pathetic."

Grabbing his arm, I try to release his hold on me, but who am I kidding? I could as well try to lift a rock with a finger.

"Ja... Javier." I splutter.

No one is coming to my rescue. I know, I'm just one unfortunate girl who happens to offend the wrong person.

I'm going to die. Only if I could...

"This is what you get for messing with my life" Javier hisses, his voice so low, but loud enough for only me to hear. "For trying to ruin my life."

Yeah. That's what I get for what I know nothing about. I am bound to live a life I don't want. An entirely new life I'm never gonna fit in.