I can't Hurt You - Marcus Lopez Arguello

22

The night of the dance had finally arrived. You could hear the Legacies and there loud ass music from a mile away. The Rats and I were all sitting on the rooftop, smoking cigarettes and playing with illegal fireworks that Lex got. That is, every Rat except Petra. I bet she was having a shit time at the Legacy dance, but she'll live.

"If a wiener is called a penis, why isn't a butt called a poonis?" Billy stupidly asked.

These boys had been talking about the most stupid shit the whole night. I had no option but to either participate in the conversation, weather it was to give a snarky remark or actually contribute something, or ignore the assholes.

"'Cause nothing about the English language makes any sense." Marcus said as he lit a firework.

"Nothing. You've got 'womb', 'tomb', and then 'bomb'." Lex said as his firework shot into the air.

"It should be, uh, a 'boom'. It's literally a thing that goes boom." Billy contributed.

"Bloody fucking right." Lex agreed.

"Christ, do you guys talk about anything that actually matters? I don't know, like, ever?" I asked as my firework shot out of the tube.

"We're men, dear Emma, of course we don't." Billy said as he threw an arm around me.

"This is why I need Petra around." I said as I shoved his arm off me and walked off to stand next to Marcus, putting my empty firework tube on the table.

Almost on cue, a couple seconds later, Petra walked up the steps quietly. She walked up to us, making us stare at her in shock and speechless. She had her arms crossed and looked upset, and somewhat numb. She was wearing a bright yellow dress and a cheap blonde wig which didn't hide her jet black hair at all. That wasn't something she would ever wear. Her dark makeup was all messed up, almost like she was crying, and Petra doesn't cry. Blue shimmery tacky eyeshadow was placed messily on her eyelids, as well.

I guess it clicked at that second for me. The Legacies hazed Petra. Viktor asked her to the dance to lure her in, and those Legacy bitches did this to her. They embarrassed her and thought it was funny. They got her alone so she couldn't defend herself and they humiliated her. They made her the laughing stock of King's Dominion.

"Jesus, what happened?" Marcus uttered.

"Real smooth, asshole." I whispered to him as I shoved his arm.

She finally was standing right in front of us. She sniffled as she took the blonde wig off aggressively, like she was mad. I wouldn't blame her in this situation.

"It's my own fault for being a charlatan, right?" She said blankly as she set the wig down next to the used up fireworks on the table next to us.

"Oh, so I'm the asshole somehow?" Billy said.

I guessed they had a conversation earlier where Billy said something completely out of line. Something most likely about Viktor or the dance. He tends to say dumbass things sometimes. While he's not an asshole, he doesn't really think before he speaks. Besides, Lex's bitchy mannerisms can rub off on people pretty quickly, especially his naive friends such as Billy.

Petra took the half used cigarette from Marcus's fingers and took a hit.

"We we're just messing with you before. It's normal to want to be a part of a normal world, but it's easier when you accept that you don't belong in it." Billy tried to explain.

"Billy!" I whisper yelled at him, trying to hide it but failing anyway since everyone heard me.

"Stop. I'm not gonna let them rent space in my head. Lesson learned." Petra said before walking off.