True or False.

Chapter 1

Friday. It is a bright, sunny Friday morning. And I am just hoping, wishing, praying that today goes just like the rest of the days this week. Almost a week, fingers crossed, since Rick and his lackeys have bullied me or harassed me. Well, they usually start by just laughing and taunting me, calling me a nerd and a weirdo. Very original, I know. And when I inevitably roll my eyes at their super unoriginal bullying tactic, they shove my books to the ground, cackle like hyenas and oh yeah, they also shove me into a locker sometimes. I want to say that this was a good week. But for that to happen, I just need to somehow blend into the crowd of about 500 students in our high school. Not that difficult, am I right?

Wrong. Very, very wrong when these brainless geese's' leader is that thick headed, cackling hyena, Rick. He is a senior now and for some reason as soon as school started this year, he started targeting me. Now I almost went to bargain to him to do his homework which killed me to even suggest because there is no chance, he will graduate but if I help, he just might. Because of course I never planned on getting him good marks, just enough for him to graduate and leave me the heck alone. But alas. He cackled just like the brainless person he is. And then he pointed at me not even saying a word. What did he think people can read his mind? Yeah, definitely not. So, he laughed and laughed while people stared at him and only him mind you. Nobody even paid attention to the thick bespectacled olive-skinned girl, who was shoving books into her locker. No. It was just him people looked at, frowned and whispered about. Now that started this whole ordeal. 2 students sympathized with that cackling hyena and thus we have our 3 brainless idiots now hunting me every day, to taunt me and make me late for class.

Just one day. Is that too much to ask for? Nah. I am not hoping for a miracle just that they do not shove me in a locker because that takes time to get out of. And frankly is very childish and irritating. Okay I might be an old soul as my aunt told me. Or I just do not have time for meaningless pranks which does not really accomplish anything. I mean he is not a jock or anything. He is barely popular. So, this is not even a popular guy and a nerd girl story. It's just a cackling, brainless hyena trying to portray some relevance to society by bullying a nerd story. Not something I would read mind you.

Anyhow. I came to school at 7.30 exactly. As soon as I walked in through those double doors, the buzzing conversation is heard of the few students already here and the typical high school hallways smell wafts my nose. But there is something about today that makes me crinkle my nose, not because of a bad smell. Well could be since Rick does not shower and neither does his lackeys. But something just told me that today is not my lucky day. As before I could even walk to my locker lackey number 1 spotted me. He gave me a toothy smile with all his yellow crooked teeth. Geez dude do you not know how to brush? I fake gagged, he cackled. A hyena. But I knew they travel in pack, where there is one there are the others. Unless Rick's beat up car broke down, which to my luck did not happen today. So, in came Rick, snorting and cackling. And for a few seconds I imagined seeing three hyenas with human bodies cackling away, but then I shook my head and tried to walk to my locker. Lackey number 2 slid beside me very nicely, might I add. Now he knows how to brush and has also doused himself in cologne today, which made me sneeze. He said bless you, shocking me and his pack as well. Then it happened. Rick stepped forward, and flicked my forehead, I scrunched my nose. He pulled my specs and started cackling, throwing it somewhere far away. Now if anyone who wears spectacles says they are not blind but just needs glasses to see clearer, well I am not one of them. I am practically blind without those thick glasses adoring my nose. Unfortunately. So, when Rick threw them away, I felt naked, exposed and very, very angry. He just continued to cackle. But before I could retaliate, he started pushing me into some metallic hollow probably a locker. But because of my anger and because I am almost blind without my glasses, I punched and kicked haphazardly. I probably hit either of the two lackeys but not Rick. Again, that is my guess because I really cannot make out who, is who, without my glasses.

Somebody got hit and started moaning and groaning in pain. Now I know, I do not have that much strength so I kind of know this is an act. But hey, at least I hit someone even when they are all just a blurry glob. So, cheers to that. Now since this moaning and groaning is continuing by whoever got the blunt of my attack, I am assuming I must have hit their crotch. I make a hissing sound realizing that but then I recover quickly. Because I cannot let my opponent know that. Do I feel bad? Absolutely not or maybe just a little. You do not take away my glasses. Would I do it again, probably not but cannot promise that.

I continue to stare at some blurry blob on the ground and some blurry blobs nearby trying to push me but failing miserably for some odd reason. That's when I hear an angelic voice. My knight in shining armor, my savior, my princess arrives, and she is another blob. But she is at least a colorful blob.

"Hey leave her alone. What is going on here?" She does have a strict voice. Dammit is she older? Do I even know this person? I do not recognize this voice though.

"Get out girl. You should not be here." One lackey or a blob says. So not older, I am presuming.

"Do you know who I am?" I am guessing the lackeys shake their heads. Because I did not hear an answer. Next thing I know there are cold, soft hands helping me, pulling me out of the metallic hollow, where I didn't even realize I was half stuffed in. when did this happen? Weird!

"I need my specs." I tell this angelic voiced, colorful blob. She might have done an expression, hard to tell since I can barely identify where her head is.

"Here. Sorry there is a crack." She says in a soft, sorry voice. I smile taking it from her hand.

"Eh. That's okay. At least it is not in pieces, and I can still see." I reply smiling and fix those heavy spectacles on my face. Soon the world becomes clearer and stops being blobs. I blink to adjust my vision and look at my savior.

"Thank you for saving me, but I had them." I tell her, trying to ascertain some dignity. She just laughs throwing her head back. And there goes my dignity! Shouldn't have said anything.

"Yeah, I could see." She snickers, reigning in her laughter. But something about her melodic laugh or maybe this ridiculous situation where I somehow find myself again, brings a smile to my face as well.

"Hi. I am Cloe. Cloe Gardens. I am new here." She says extending her hand. I shake it firmly, smiling at her. Her hands are soft and very cold. Weird. Is she cold? I tilt my head to the side thinking. But I quickly recover remembering, I did not introduce myself to this beauty.

"Cool. I am Alison Iglesias. And I can show you around if you want. That's the least I can do for saving me." I smile and pat my back mentally for this quick recovery.

"Thought you would never ask. Now let's go." Cloe bumps my shoulder smiling at me.

Who knew that this would be the start of a beautiful friendship? In my sophomore year at Clearwater High School, I met this girl. This angelic voiced, beauty who after saving me, somehow became my best friend and stayed by my side throughout the years. It is odd how much we both endured during those two years together. I used to believe that, that pan brought us together because it was the worst. The bullying did not stop for me, in fact somehow Cloe got included in the target by Rick, and that just made it difficult. But us together, we knew we can face everything. There was nothing we could not do or endure when together. And now remembering it, I don't know. How can I live? What do I do now that Cloe is dead, and I am somewhat responsible for her death?

I am questioning everything. How could I let this happen? How could I fix this? How do I... like what do I even do now? Would this have happened if Cloe and I never met? Would she still be alive if she had not saved that almost blind, nerdy girl that day? That Friday changed my life for better. I used to believe that. But now, right now, I am thinking it changed Cloe's forever more so than mine. As now she is dead, and I killed her.