Chapter 2 - The Bully

*Claire’s Point of View*

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The loud and annoying alarm clock woke me up from my blissful sleep. And I sat up on my bed and stretched my arms.

Sh*t, another Monday. I'm not too fond of school, but I have no other choice. If I want to have a promising future and go to college, I should withstand that hell hole.

Then I got out of my bed and went to the bathroom to take a warm shower to get ready for another long week.

"Morning, Mom." I greeted my mother, who's sipping coffee on her mug while she's reading some newspaper.

"Good morning too, Claire. Why have a scowling face so early on a Monday morning?" She greeted me and then asked me as she puts her newspaper on the table.

"Well, it's another school day, Mom. I will be missing my bed, and of course, I will miss you too." I replied as I sat down on my chair, and I took a sip of my favorite chocolate drink that she prepared. I just love chocolate, but I love my mom more.

"Okay, just call me if you need anything. And I'm going to be home late tonight." She uttered when she stood up and went to the sink to wash her mug and then picked up her car keys.

My mom manages her restaurant, and I work there every Sunday as a performer. I sing for the customers' requests, and my mother is the one who pays me. Mhmm, my mom is my boss.

"Take care, Mom," I let out, and she kissed my forehead then went to her car.

Finally, I waved her goodbye, and I went back inside to finish up my breakfast.

--

After eating my meal, I head out to go to school.

The academy is just a ten-minute walk from home, and I don't have to waste gas on my pick-up truck, Alice, or my motorbike, Nikki. Yeah, I named my truck and my bike. We have names for our pets, so why not name our vehicles too? And if I will drive one of those things, students will be surprised as f*ck.

And I reached the entrance of the school ten minutes early before class started.

Then I make my way through the crowded hallway to put some things into my locker while some students are bumping into me.

To tell you, I am very much invisible to almost all of the students here. Almost, because there's this one group of students who acknowledge my presence and to their leader who has been very much a b*tch to me since our elementary days. They, or should I say, she always makes my day complete. Not nicely and romantically, but by pouring drinks on me, bumping on me till I fell on the floor, tripping me by the foot, putting some glue on my seat, ripping my assignment, scattering my books on the floor, locking me in the janitors’ closet, putting some ugly photos on my locker, pasting papers on my back that says something unpleasant and many many more. Gosh, I just hate her so much. Well, sometimes I ended up being absent since I had to go home to change my clothes. Just like last Friday, she intentionally bumped into me, and my chocolate drink spilled on my clothes. She is just so f*cking nice.

Well, enough about her, I finally reached my locker while still in one piece. Thank goodness.

And as I opened my locker, there's another picture of a gorilla and a bear who's having sex.

I just sighed and crumpled the edited photo. These people are really damn annoying, and I will still endure seven months in this school. I love the academy, but I just hate the students.

---

After putting in and getting some things, I closed my locker, and my soul nearly jumped out of my body when the face of the girl I don't want to see appeared a foot from mine.

And thinking about the devil... here she is. And my day will be complete. I have such a lucky day every day.

I composed myself and managed to speak.

"What do you want?" I asked coldly while looking straight at them, especially at her.

"Well, I just want to greet you a good morning, Red." She uttered with a smile while doing her signature pose, which is crossing her arms on her chest and making her boobs to... Sh*t, stop thinking about her boobs, Claire. Look up.

I made a skeptical look on my face, and she is just smiling at me, like, wait... Did she smile at me?

It's a real smile because I can see it through her light blue eyes.

Well, Samantha Rivers is the only one who calls me Red, maybe because I have red hair or should I say I dyed my blonde hair red. But when we were still in elementary school, she kept calling me by my full name. And I hate it so much.

"Wait... What?" I managed to say while still confused by her sudden niceness.

She giggled and then spoke, "You heard me, Red, because you are not deaf. I said... good morning." And she's still wearing a smile on her face.

"Ah... eh... What have you people eaten this morning?" I asked them in disbelief while holding my books close to my chest.

I'm still in shock about what is happening now. Or maybe they’re just putting me in another prank. Definitely.

"Food, of course." Said Rebecca, one of the Clarke twins.

"Yeah, I know... but is the world ending and you people want to be nice or just playing another trick on me?" I asked, and they stared at me for a while.

"Nope. Just getting this one." said the girl behind me, and my eyes widened in shock when she fished my USB flash drive from the pocket of my bag.

Sh*t! That's my most treasured thing. Everything is in there, my cover videos, my songs, my music mixes, my pictures as XCeed with Shay, my childhood videos with mom and Shay's family too. There's no way they will get that from me and see everything in there.

"No!!! Give that back to me!" I protested, but Charlotte just gave it to the blonde bully.

No, my flash drive. I have to get that back.

"Not that easy, Red-nerd," Samantha stated and put it inside her purse.

F*ck it! They will ask me to do anything. These b*tches are really getting into my nerves. But I just need to hold my temper because they are too weak if I will beat them up. They are just girls, but very bad girls, especially this blue-eyed b*tch.

"Give it to me," I told her, and she seemed like thinking something.

"Hmmm, what about... No." She uttered, and the f*cking bell rang to signal us that class is about to start.

And for this very lucky school year, I have seven classes with these girls.

I'm just gonna deal with them later this lunch break.