Chapter 5: Dealing with Bullies.

It’s been five months since I found Cerberus in the woods, he is now fully healed and become so strong. I am looking forward to going home after school and seeing him. He has shown an interest, in the music I play when I am doing my homework, as I often see him outside my window watching and listening, sometimes he even chases his tail, which makes me laugh.

Suddenly, I trip over while walking in the corridor and my books fly from my grip, as I land hard on my knees.

“Watch where you are going freak!”

I hear from behind me, followed by multiple voices laughing at my expense. I turn to look at my tormentor and see Billy, gloating at me, his friends beside him laughing. I know he tripped me, and I am angry, but I refuse to retaliate, so I ignore him and begin gathering my things.

My knees hurt, but that’s nothing really, with my books in hand, I stand and begin to walk away from them.

“What?! No apology?!”

His shout draws the attention of the rest of the students, and they all stop to stare at me now. So, I turn and glare at Billy.

“I’m not apologizing to you. You’re the one who tripped me.”

I’m done letting this go, my parents always tell me to ignore it when people try to pick fights with me, but I’ve had enough. A rage has been building in me for some time, and I noticed a large jump in this urge, after I found Cerberus.

A collective gasp runs through the kids stood watching. They have never seen me stand up for myself before, and they aren’t sure what will happen next. I glare at Billy and his anger only rises, as he stalks closer to me.

“Of course, you should apologise freak, I’m the one who has to look at you.”

“Why do you call me a freak? What is it about me, that offends you so much?”

“You’re weird hair, freak. Who dyes their hair white, but leaves their roots black? And if it is natural, then that’s even worse, because it means you’re a freak at your basic existence.”

My anger boils, I love my hair and I will not let him insult me this way any longer.

“Better to be unique, than to be boring and a clone like you. What’s so special about your dull brown limp hair?”

“How dare you?!”

He lunges at me, in an attempt to punch my face, but I dodge, and he runs into the wall.

“Pathetic. At least know the basics, before you decide to attack someone.”

My taunt angers him further, and he lunges at me again, but I deflect his punch and land one of my own in his ribs.

“Argh!”

He shouts and I feel satisfaction at having been able to hit him at last. But the feeling is short lived, as I see the principle walking along the corridor, and the distraction allows Billy the chance, to grab my hair and throw me toward the wall. I wasn’t expecting it, and my nose connects with the wall, causing an explosion of blood to cascade everywhere from the impact. The pain is blinding and almost causes me to pass out, but I fight to remain conscious.

“Billy! How dare you attack a fellow student?!”

“She started it sir, she hit me first.”

“Is that true?”

“Well technically I landed the first hit, so it’s not a complete lie, but I didn’t make the first attempt at landing a blow, so in truth he started it.”

I manage to force the words out, despite the pain in my face, the images of people around me are blurry and I am struggling to focus. The principle notices that my condition is worse than Billy’s, and since my hit was not enough to cause a bruise, he seems unharmed.

“Billy, go to my office and wait for me there, while I take Lydia to the nurse.”

“Yes sir.”

He stomps off, while I am led away, but I only get a few steps, before I collapse and the principle has to catch me, as I black out.

When I come back to my senses, I can hear muffled voices nearby, so I strain my hearing to try to make out what they are saying.

“She was fighting with a boy from her class. It turns out he started the fight, but she landed the first punch. This however has resulted in his retaliation and I witnessed him, push her face into the wall, causing the damage to her nose.”

“How could this happen? Don’t you protect your students?!”

That is my father, and he is angrier than I have ever heard him before.

“My apologies sir, I was not close enough to stop it at the time, however, I was close enough to witness it. The boy will be expelled from the school as punishment.”

“Hmm, I suppose that will be a suitable punishment, but how are you going to compensate my daughter, for the pain she is going to suffer now?”

“We are willing to supply a private tutor, should she wish to be home schooled while she heals, at no cost to your family. Or we would be willing to allow her to study in a private classroom.”

“Hmm, I will see what she wants to do. I am still extremely angry that my ten-year-old daughter, has had her nose broken by a classmate.”

“I understand Sir and again I apologise.”

They stop talking and the curtain is pulled back to reveal my parents. My mother is crying, and my father is still aggrieved. I attempt to smile for them, but my face hurts too much. My mother hugs me and I hold her back, while I stare at my dad.

“Lydia, did you hear all of that?”

“Yes.”

“Which will you choose?”

“Home tutor please.”

He nods and sits on my bed, patting my foot, I realise I am in the hospital and as I glance at the window, I see it is dark. Panic fills me when I think about Cerberus, he is going to be so worried that I haven’t come home.

“Can I go home now?”

“Yes dear. The doctors said that, once you woke up, they would just need to do a quick exam, and then you should be cleared to leave.”

“I will call the doctor now.”

Twenty minutes later, we are in the car heading home and I am growing more anxious, the closer we get. The car pulls to a stop in the drive and I leap out before the engine is off. My parents shout at me to be careful, as I run around the house, to where Cerberus should be. I see him pacing, below my bedroom window and glancing up at it every so often, clearly waiting for my light to switch on.

“Cerberus!”

I call from the veranda and he stops his pacing, to look my way. We lock eyes and he races toward me, running as fast as his paws will carry him, up the steps and into my arms.

“I’m sorry I’m home so late.”

He pulls back to look at me and growls, then whines and I know he has seen my injury. I smile as best I can, to try to calm him.

“I’m okay, I got into a fight at school. You should see the other guy.”

I wink and try to make light of the situation, but my face hurts too much to smile for too long.

“Hmmmm.”

He whines and presses his body to mine in comfort, and I appreciate it.

“Thank you. I’m going to go inside now and rest since it’s late. The good news is, I now don’t have to go to school until this heals. But a teacher is coming here instead.”

“Arf!”

I chuckle at his response and head inside; I know he likes that I won’t have to go back to school for a while.

***

It’s been two weeks since Billy broke my nose, and I am already hating being stuck inside this house. The teacher they sent, is terrified of Cerberus, and insists that he be as far away from her as possible at all times, so I am limited to studying in the dining room. I can hear him out there, and I wish I could have him next to me. His presence makes me feel secure, and right now I need that the most, since I don’t get a good feeling from this woman.

She looks around the room too much when she thinks I’m not looking, and it makes me suspicious.