Chapter One

I sat somberly in the school bus wrapped up in the deepest distress. I sat with my hands on my knees, looking occasionally about me as the shouts of all the kids at the rain hit my ears, making me all the more saddened. As the rains poured down the windows of the bus, so too did my eyes wet with tears, fall off my face, and down the floor of the school bus.

I remembered it all. It was the Jessica gang. Loiterers they were. But there were much worse. Terribly bullies they were. Jessica was better than boys even in the senior classes at her hobby. And her special target was me. She came across to me this morning with a shoulder tackle, knocking off the books and papers that where weighed on my arm.

“Oops…sorry, can’t see you. You are quite small to be notice you know. You almost seem…invisible.”

“How about you being blind?” I threw back at her, great scorn written on my face. I deeply regretted saying that the moment the words escaped my mouth, and she made me feel it.

“Can anyone here see her?” she called, turning to the crowd that had gathered around me.

There was no response as no one wanted to fall into this girl’s trap.

“See, I’m not blind. You are microscopic.”

There was a roar of laughter at her, well…most hilarious joke. Seeing that there was no use arguing with them, I picked up my things without a word and left the place, amidst the titter of the students gathered there.

*****

It happened again later that day in the interval, as I sat separate from the class, fearing more taunts and ridicule. I sat alone on the swing when Jessica’s crush came along. He was very handsome, but he didn’t like Jessica. He smiled at me each time we meet, and I secretly liked him too. Jessica had suspicions. And this was her main annoyance. She would have me dead if she ever caught us together.

Despite disliking Jessica, Roshan was also afraid of her. It was clear from the abstracted gaze he gave her when she was speaking to him. He stuck with her, nonetheless, only when she made him to, in order not to annoy her. She was a holy terror in the entire school.

Roshan came along the quadrangle and into the playground when I saw Jessica coming from the opposite direction. Fearing that she was coming to disrupt the little peace I had there, seated on the swing, I hurried backwards, towards the quadrangle and ran into the handsome face of Roshan.

He gave me a broad smile that sent goosebumps all over me. I made my apologies, and at that moment, I felt something building in within me. Was it infatuation or was it love? I didn’t know at the moment. His smile was for a moment, and then his masked face returned, forcing out a fake frown as Jessica came across to us. She was accompanied, as always, by her bunch of loiterers.

“What’s going on here?”

“Oh! Just that…she bumped into me.”

“Just that, Roshan?!” she asked, her eyes narrowing terribly. No wonder she was nearly worshipped by her own boyfriend.

“Um…nothing else, just that…I feel she is a terrible jerk!”

It was Roshan’s turn to look mean. Turning to me, he said in meanest manner he could ever assume. I knew it wasn’t real, but his words hit me.

“Stay away from me, you parasite!”

To Jessica, this was the most wonderful thing she had ever heard him say. She burst out laughing as my chest fell in shame, and I should say, pain. I wondered within me what I actually wanted from Roshan in his unexpectedly, cornered moment. But I felt that since he liked me, he should own up. Anyways, I knew it was too dangerous.

Taking his arm, Jessica walked off behind me. I didn’t turn to see them, but I knew she was gazing at me with fury on her face.

“Stay away from her Price charming.” That was Fiona, one of Jessica’s best friends.

As though all they had said was not enough, Jessica, who had advanced a little forward in Roshan’s arm turned back to finish the torment.

“See, I told you. You are an invisible, microscopic organism. Stay away from the young man and do not harm him, you sorcerer, or I will…”

I didn’t let those words get out of her mouth in peace. No one should dare call me a witch and got away the same. I slapped her across the face and in no time, we were rolling along the corridor holding one another’s sleeves tightly. Students from all over the classes rushed out to see our brawl, for no one had ever seen the Almighty Jessica ever challenged, let alone beaten.

I don’t know how far of we went, but we hit a door at the end of the corridor. This caused a stir among the students as they fled back into their classrooms. Looking above me with several of Jessica’s punches in my face, I saw the name, Principal on the door we had hit. Finally realizing the situation, and hearing his footsteps as he came out to open his office, I kicked Jessica off me as ran down the corridor as fast as I could.

I got into the classroom safety but soon heard that the principal wanted to see me. I didn’t regret my actions, anyway. She started it all. Entering the office, I found Jessica on the right of the office with her head cocked and hands akimbo, and the Principal on his seat in the center of the office. The look on their faces was terrible to look at.

“Caught fighting in the school, eh?”

“She started it, Sir!” I retorted, with some heat.

“Do not listen to her, Sir. She hit me first. Here!”

She turned to the side of her face I had not seen before and revealed a deeply cut wound. I could swear solemnly at once that I never struck her so savagely.

“You know what brutality means even in the constitution, right?” the principal asked, his eyes narrowing.

“Yes Sir, but I assure you that I did no such harm to her.” I answered with concern on my face for the girl that was hurt.

“Shut up, you witch!”

“Quiet there, Jessica! Now leave my office right away.”

“Daria, sit down. Tell me, what happened?”

Tears rolled down my face as I complained to him how I have been brutally harassed by the Jezebel of a girl, Jessica. So shocked was he by my story that for some minutes after I was done he couldn’t yet find his words.

Finally, after scribbling something on a note paper and putting it an envelop, he addressed me.

“You should have told me earlier about your plight before deciding to use your fists. A fight with just about anyone is something we do not tolerate in the school and I keep by the school rules, and so should you. Here…” he said, handing me an envelop.

I prayed hard it was not what I thought it would be.

“It’s a suspension letter. Come back to my office after one week. Go!”

The tears began to form, but I blinked them back quickly. The principal was only doing his duty, I thought.

Coming out, I met Jessica at the door. I turned away from her, and she burst into a hearty laugh.

“Bad news, huh?”

“Jessica…” it was the principal calling. ‘Right on time’ I thought.

I headed for my favorite spot in the playground and sat alone. I opened the letter and read the words, allowing my tears to fall upon them. Mother had pleaded with me not to get involved in a fight with anyone in school. How could I show her this?

“Seems like you got suspended, huh?” Jessica again! “Tell you what? I wasn’t. Next time, don’t attempt to fight me or else you will receive the same result…” she said blandly, and then her eyes narrowed “…or even worse.” She laughed scornfully and departed.

I cannot recall how long I stayed rooted at the spot. It is only at this moment that the bells I heard reechoed into my ears, making me realize how long I remained there.

I faintly heard the rattle of the winds and the boom of thunder. Several of my friends did not bother to come to me in fear of the torture from the school bully. I had no idea what was going on as my head was in a whirl when a hand tapped me from behind.

Reality crept in as I saw that the rain had started and my laps and shoes where out of the shade, and completely drenched in water. Turning around, I found the one person I never expected to see. Roshan.

“I heard it all, girl. She’s so mean to everyone. I braved myself and ditched her.”

It came to me as a thunderbolt. At first, I felt happy at the thought of having Roshan by my side, but then, as I thought of what that meant for my life of peace, I soon realized the danger.

“Why the hell did you do that? Why have you come to me? Now, she will only seek revenge.”

I walked out on him and made straight for the bus, amidst his apologies, all of which I paid little heed to. I loved him but couldn’t have him. I was chased out of school for him. I was beaten up and insulted because he kept his eyes on me. What a world, and what a day it has been!

“Daria!”

I stopped at his call, without turning my head.

“He was wrong about you. The wound on her face, I gave that to her.”

*****

The bus had stopped at my destination, and many called out my name, but I had no idea what was going on. It was only when Sofia approached and nearly shoved me that I returned to reality. I dragged my bag as though it was one heavy luggage, as the baleful eye of the school driver glared down at me in half animal fury.

“Get lost, creep,” was a voice from behind, as I was shoved out of the bus and into the mud on the street beyond. It was her again. Jessica Brown, the bully.

“See you tomorrow,” she continued from the open window, and the bus drove away.

I got up from the muddy floor, watching the bus drive away.

“'See you tomorrow,'" her voice re-echoing in my ear. She knew I had been suspended. Where did she expect to see me? I bit my lips in pain and looked briefly at my wounded arm that just started to ache as the rain water hit it. I looked again at the bus in the distance as it turned right to the next street and disappeared.

Tears fell in torrents. I was known at home and in the neighborhood as a girl of guts, but in front of this particular girl, I was a helpless mosquito caught in a net. Why was she always finding joy in hurting me?

“Daria!”

I turned around to find mum at the doorway. Oh no! I had been standing under the rain. I picked my fallen school bag, drenched with water, when the handle I held broke off, and I had to pick the bag off the muddy floor. I was halfway through that when mum came down to me across the driveway, a large umbrella in hand.

“Sweetheart, why are you standing here under the rain? You are so soaked! Come in let me make you feel better.”

She led me in and helped me take care of the ruined clothes in the balcony. I saw father’s face at the window as I entered. I wouldn’t bear meeting him. I just walked into my room coldly and slammed the door. Picking up a pin, I stabbed me palm with it and let the blood flow, the I had within flow away.

I seemed to have lost a lot of blood in the attempt. For as the blood dripped from my palm, so too did the tears flow from my eyes. I lay on the bed wanting to die, crying out to my maker to take away my life, when gradually sleep took over my senses as the blood dripped off my hand and arm onto the floor next to it.