Freaks

2(Continued)

The classrooms are trashy. Filthy and contaminated. But not with literal trash or germs or the stench of coffee from a teacher's breath, it's people. The middle class, more specifically, the rednecks. They live on the east side of Brookings where the Eagle Lakes are located. Though they look and act disgusting, they're still wealthy. They're second-best. They have huge fat-tire trucks and expensive fishing boats but own slightly more boring-looking houses, less expensive houses. They've always been decent friends with the rich kids but are still second on their list.

The difference between rednecks and these other inferiors is the money they have and the places they go, inferiors always being in the city or just at home while the rednecks take out their boats on the lake or hunt in the thick woods.

But rednecks and rich kids share the same routine of personality traits...

1. Be as controversial as possible.

2. Do drugs

3. Do many other things along with this list to get attention because that's what we all want.

Loud. They are tremendously loud. Very annoying. Harper can be reminded of her dad when they laugh or even speak. It can make your ears bleed. It can make your head spin. They crave attention and approval, much like everyone else. And the only time they will shut up is when it's lunch break and they can take a hit in the bathrooms.

Harper's head might as well have a gigantic bruise on it by now. Ever since she left that side, they always throw something at her. Whether it be a pencil, paper, or a bottle, you name it. Always something hitting her head in Chemistry. The teacher never cares about anything they do, she could care less. So unconcerned she would maybe even join them if she could.

Harper's been ignoring this every day for the past few weeks, the constant thump on the back of her head around the same time, the same spot. But today, it continued multiple times, today she wasn't having it.

She whirls herself around and faces them with an irritated expression, "Can you stop?"

"What's the deal, Hollick?" Bryce asks her, his eyes so close to his nose that she can't look at him straight.

"I just asked if you could stop throwing things at my head."

He bounces his pencil on the desk, "I mean, what's your deal with us? Those freaks...they-your new friends now or what?"

Freaks. Perfect name. It fits them well somehow. "Them", not including Harper, she isn't exactly sure where she stands yet.

"It wasn't obvious why I left?" She blinks and he stares, "Or did they not tell you?" She asks mysteriously, yet she knows he doesn't know a thing.

His fake confidence act finally weakens, "Tell me what?"

Harper peers at him like he should know, "Jackson and Alice..?"

He shakes his head, confused as ever, "You lost me."

She sighs and leans in closer to withdraw any echoes of her voice, "They stole guns, that's why I left, they were planning on using them."

He narrows his eyes, "For what?"

"No idea." She turns back.

I'm not a snitch. Not for most things.

That's how this is all going to start. The gossip of pure facts. No evidence, just facts. And what came out of her mouth will spread like another virus into the ears of other loudmouths.

Harper makes her way to English class next. Hopeful that the rednecks will finally stop annoying her. She shares this class with Luka, he speaks English well, considering he came from Korea in 4th grade. As far as she knows, his dad moved there, got married to his mom, had him, and then eventually moved back to America. He mostly spoke Korean and had a hard time taking in the ways of the American school, but he got used to it. Now he speaks these words of The Invisible Man like it's nothing, easy and smooth.