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eleven

F L O R E N C E

Jake followed me after class. I didn't know where to go to avoid him. Rylie is away sick and Nora is with the debate team at another school. Leaving me alone with Emma and her people looking for me and Jake stalking me from a distance.

I need to get to my locker though. Before second period I stopped off at my locker to grab my books and put my bag away. But now I need my lunch, and my pain medicine.

My ribs are burning because of the speed I am walking, and my lungs are getting very little air. I can't tell if it is an anxiety attack coming on, or something much worse that could be affecting me like this.

But whatever it is, it only gets worse once I get to my locker. Because there they stand in all their glory waiting for me. If you couldn't tell, I am talking about Emma and the strawberry blonde girl, their third member nowhere to be seen.

"Oh! Hi cutie pie!" Emma screeches once her eyes land on me. My heart drops but I continue to walk towards my locker.

I need my medicine.

I try to ignore them, key word, tried. They slam my locker door shut, just barely missing my hands. "You don't look so hot... what's your name again?"

She knows my name. Everyone knows my name.

She laughs hysterically, but it's dry and there is no humour I can detect in it. "Silly me! How could I forget! It just slipped my mind," she pretends to act dumb. I am sure she did forget, it almost makes me want to roll my eyes. "I forgot that you were a, mhm, what's the word?..." she trails off.

I want to punch her, but I can't. She's taller than me, and stronger. I am eighty pounds of skin and bones, no muscle can be detected on me. My lungs are barely working and one punch to my ribs will send me back to the hospital.

"I think what you're looking for is a worthless freak." Her friend chimes in.

"You're so right Cassy! Who knew the Young family could produce such a freak? They must hate you. Honestly I don't blame them. Your family is worth millions and so much more, but you? You are worth nothing."

"She's worthless!" Cassy pipes up, obviously looking for Emma's approval. But during Emma's spew of hatful words, she managed to catch the attention of other students walking by. A crowd is formed around the three bullies and the useless girl. The useless girl who cannot hide her pain as she lets tears run down her cheeks. The useless girl, who is me, who won't even stick up for herself.

"Awe is the freak crying?"

My chest is on fire and my tears stream faster down my red embarrassed cheeks. The other students whispers, snickers, and chuckles become louder and louder. The walls are starting to spin. My head is pounding with hurt, and my feet stay planted in the middle of the hallway unable to move, just like how my lungs are unable to breathe.

"What the fuck is going on here!" A very familiar voice rages. I can't register who it is. I can't see who is yelling because my head is back down. "Get the fuck away from her right now!" He roars at everyone around us. I don't know who it is until a few painful and dreadful seconds later, after everyone clears out from the hallway when two hands grab my face making me look up at them.

Lucien.

He looks angry. He looks livid. But for once it's not directed towards me and once we lock eyes I see guilt, and pain. He wipes my tears and leads me somewhere.

I don't know where. I still can't breathe, I still can't think. Why would they say that? It's true, it has to be. Why does everyone hate me?

Lucien leads me through the school doors towards a lone tree, a bit away from the school. I take big even breathes in through my nose and out through my mouth. I try my best to calm down so Lucien doesn't get mad at me.