School

Chloe

I pursed my lips, quickly inserting my earbuds and turning on my music to drown out the world around me. I avoided eye contact with everyone and headed towards the empty seats in the back of the bus.

Unbeknownst to me, a boy stuck his foot out, causing me to trip and collide with it. I let out a shriek as I fell forward, hitting my head on the seat and collapsing onto the ground. My head throbbed, and the sound of laughter filled the air.

Even the nerds, who usually stayed out of such situations, didn't offer any help. I didn't blame them; it wasn't their mess to get involved in.

Sighing, I picked myself up and sat down, leaning my head back. As I looked at my reflection on the screen of my old phone, I noticed a purple mark forming from the impact on my head.

Instead of reacting, I stayed silent, enduring their taunts and trying my best not to cry. That's all I ever seemed to do-cry, cry, and cry until there were no tears left.

But the sobs remained, a constant reminder that my pain wasn't over. Even then, I preferred to cry silently. Almost every night, I would lay in the tub and cry myself to sleep. Sometimes I wouldn't sleep at all.

There were very few people who truly understood what I was going through. And those who claimed to understand were usually just liars. I shook myself out of my negative thoughts as the bus arrived at the school. I waited for everyone to exit before making my way inside.

"Need help standing, Fatty?" One of them taunted me, but I bit back a frown. I acted as though their words didn't affect me and managed to muster a small smile. Once the bus emptied, I hurriedly walked inside. Or at least, I tried to. Someone shoved me to the ground, causing my head to hit the hard surface once again.

"Where are you going, Fatty?" they jeered.

"To class," I replied, not giving them the satisfaction of seeing how much their words hurt.

"Look at her, she looks just like a pig."

"So does your mother," I retorted mentally, unable to say these words verbally.

"She should just crawl back into the hole she came out of."

"That would be painful," I muttered under my breath.

I lay on the floor motionless, staring up at the sky. It was a beautiful day outside, but inside my mind, it was anything but.

They continued their torment until the warning bell rang. Even after they left, I remained on the ground, my body consumed by agonizing pain. The medication I had taken earlier was still affecting me, making me feel slightly drowsy.

Finally, I managed to get up and head inside, making my way to my locker. The hallway was now empty, and for that, I was grateful.

Walking with a slight limp due to the two falls, my head pounding, I leaned against my locker before attempting to move again.

But as I started falling, expecting to hit the ground, someone caught me. I furrowed my eyebrows and opened my eyes to see a guy, whom I recognized as Blowjob Guy, looking at me.

"You're a clumsy little fuck, aren't you?" he asked, chuckling before helping me regain my balance.

"Thanks," I said, fiddling with my fingers.

It was too late to go to class at this point, and I didn't want to endure the taunts and snickers that would follow every joke they made.

"Not going to class?" he asked, and I shook my head, looking up at him.

His neatly swept black hair and dark green eyes caught my attention. His lips were full and almost red, and when he spoke, his pearly whites gleamed.

"Come on," he said, signaling for me to follow him. Reluctantly, I did. But if he tried anything, I was ready to bolt as fast as my chubby, jelly legs could carry me.

I laughed at my own silly thoughts before realizing he was leading me to the emergency exit at the back of the school.

My teeth sank into my bottom lip as I clenched my fists tightly, digging my nails into my palms.

He swung the door open, revealing a scene filled with music, the strong scent of marijuana, cigarettes, and alcohol wafting through the air. A large group of students stood outside, skipping class to drink and smoke.

All of them were standing except for one. He wore a black hoodie with a small red broken heart on it, black jeans, and red sneakers. A black cap covered his head, and his twists framed his face perfectly, reaching just past his chin.

Tattoos adorned his neck and hand. Every time I saw his face, I couldn't help but feel captivated.

A few girls lingered around him as he leaned back, a cigarette perched between his lips. He closed his eyes momentarily, taking a long drag before exhaling.

When he opened his eyes, the sunlight reflected in them, making his gray eyes almost appear white. Then his gaze locked with mine, his eyes traveling down my body before returning to my face.

Something on my head caught his attention, and he looked to his left, saying something to someone. He raised his hand and signaled me over without even looking in my direction.

"He's calling you." Blowjob Guy informed me, and I sighed before making my way through the crowd of people.

As they glanced at me, oddly, I didn't feel judged. They didn't look at me because of my figure; they looked at me because I didn't belong to their group. I approached Hayden, and he nodded towards someone who quickly grabbed another chair and placed it next to him.

He gestured for me to sit, and I obliged, ignoring the hateful glare from one of the girls who hung around him. He extinguished his cigarette by squeezing it between his bare fingers before dropping it to the ground.

Then he looked at me, and I was immediately captivated by his presence.

He was undeniably attractive.

"What happened to your head?" he asked, his gaze fixated on my forehead. Suddenly, the marks I had obtained came rushing back to my mind.

"I fell," I shrugged, leaning back and letting out a light sigh.

Everyone started crowding around us, forming a storytelling circle.

"I remember when Slim and I first met. I tried selling him snow without realizing he was the one I bought it from," a guy chuckled, prompting everyone to join in laughter.

However, I didn't understand. He sells snow? Why would anyone buy snow?

"Are you coming to the party tonight?" a girl with red hair asked, her eyes locked on mine. I pursed my lips, feeling shy and unsure.

"What party?" I asked meekly, and another girl cooed.

"She's so cute," she commented, and a few others nodded, causing my cheeks to turn crimson.

"It's a welcome back party for Slim," the redhead explained, smiling at him. He leaned back, casually draping his arm over the back of my chair.

"Wait, if she isn't afraid of him, then that means she doesn't know about..." someone started to say.

"Keep it that way," Hayden's deep voice interrupted, his cold stare directed at the redhead.

She pursed her lips and nodded, appearing slightly intimidated. I glanced at Hayden, silently pleading with my eyes for him to let me come. Rolling his eyes, Hayden let out a sigh.

"Fine," he said, his gaze shifting from mine to the redhead. "But if something happens to her, it won't end well for you." The girl bit her lip, clearly intimidated by his warning.

"Okay," she replied, leaning back, while the girl next to her rolled her eyes and leaned forward. I couldn't help but feel a bit afraid of Hayden at that moment, and it seemed clear that the girl noticed it too.

"Don't worry about it. He's only a jerk to us," she reassured me, taking a sip from her cup.

"Slim is like the king of this damn hellhole. Even when he isn't here, nobody tries to take his place. Fucking cowards," Blowjob Guy chimed in, and they all burst into laughter.

"Then why don't you give it a shot, Zeek?" the redhead challenged, finally revealing his name.

"Because I'm quite content with the title of being your stepfather, Lilly," Zeek fired back, causing everyone to laugh even harder. I couldn't help but giggle quietly, attempting to cover my mouth to keep it from being heard. However, I failed, and everyone turned their attention towards me, including Lilly, who smiled.

"Aww," she said, and the girl beside her agreed.

"Where did you find her?" she asked Zeek, who rolled his eyes.

"She isn't some animal I picked up on the side of the road, Ella," he replied, while Ella scoffed.

"I found her in the hallway. She was falling in love with me," Zeek joked, and we both laughed, knowing what he really meant.

Eventually, the bell rang, and I let out a sigh, glancing over at Hayden.

"I have to go," I told him, and he nodded, standing up and waiting for me to do the same. Once I stood, he nodded towards Zeek and led me inside.

As we walked, Hayden blocked my path, walking in front of me and looking down at me with his hands in his pockets.

"What really happened?" he asked, his gaze icy as it met mine.

How did he know? Technically, it was just from falling.

"It's okay if I don't want to talk about it, right?" I asked, and he sighed, nodding in understanding.

"I don't need to know 'what.' I need to know 'who'," he clarified, his stare still piercing.

I bit my lip, feeling a wave of tingles spreading through me.

"It's getting late. I don't want to miss another class," I quickly said, attempting to walk around him.

His deep, dark chuckle filled the air as he grabbed my arm and pulled me back in front of him. The tingling sensation intensified, and I couldn't help but bite my lip harder.

"See you at eight," he said, his voice low and husky. I gave him a thumbs up before adjusting the strap of my bag.

"Bye," I said, walking around him once more and heading down the hallway to my next class.

Glancing behind me, I felt my cheeks heat up as I saw him leaning against the wall, watching me as I left. But it wasn't a creepy look; it seemed more like he was making sure I got to class safely.

Once I reached the classroom, I glanced back through the glass to see him push himself off the wall and start heading back towards the entrance. However, he suddenly paused and turned around, locking eyes with me. Startled, I quickly jumped away from the door and hurried to my seat.

Then the taunting began. I did my best to zone them out until lunchtime, which I successfully managed. Time flew by quickly, and I silently thanked God when the bell rang, interrupting the teacher about to assign homework. We all rushed out of the classroom.

People purposely pushed and shoved me as I made my way to my locker. Letting out a sigh, I wiped away a stray tear that had fallen down my cheek as I looked into my open locker.

Just a few more hours, and I can finally go home.