Save Me, Mafia

One

[ First grade ]

I was minding my own business after Mrs. Ringer handed out our assignment for the hour, until a shadow loomed over me and a flowery shirt glistened brightly to my right. As I slowly looked over to whoever it was, and up to the person, the girl stared down at me with a giant ugly grin on her face. I stared at her confused as she just kept on smiling. Suddenly, she slapped both her hands down onto my desk and leaned over with that same ugly smile startling me and everyone in class. "My name is Chasity Lackets! Will you be my friend?!"

I blinked up at her even more confused than ever. "Uh...." I breathed out.

"Whoa....Your eyes are so sparkly..." she gasps as her eyes dilated and widened. "Please be my friend," she begged in a desperate whisper.

I looked around the classroom as everybody stared at us just as confused yet fascinated. "S-sure..." I quietly say only for her to beam even louder than before.

"Yes!" She pumped her fists and rushed back to her seat just before Mrs. Ringer came back. I kept staring at her, unsure on how to take in what just happened. I slowly turned back to face the front of the class and paid attention back to my assignment.

That year, I made an unexpected friend who had pestered me non-stop though that summer was the best summer I had.

[ Third grade ]

"He is so cute," I thought as I stared at Jake. I then looked at everyone else surrounding him. "And he's popular." I sighed silently and reluctantly continued on to finish my homework assignment. "It's never going to happen. I can keep on dreaming." I then shrugged just slightly at that thought. "Which isn't so bad, I guess."

"Hey, Ahsa," Jake says out of breath as he takes his seat in front of me.

"Huh?" I answered as I continued on with my work.

"I want you to be our goalie during recess. You're the best goalie!"

I stopped writing and spared him a glance as he stared back with a smile. From behind him, I could see the girls stare over at us, one of them in particular giving me a glare. I swallowed the lump in my throat. I want to so badly say no. But it was Jake who was asking me. And...he's a good friend. A good, cute, friend. "Sure," I answered.

"Yes! You're awesome, Ahsa!"

Come recess, I played goalie during soccer as per request and I felt good about myself to hear compliments from my teammates about stopping the ball almost every time. It felt good and it felt even better whenever he complimented me. Come the end of recess, the teachers blow their whistles to let us know to head in. Following behind everyone, Chasity runs up to me with a wide grin after talking with Jake. "You were awesome~!" She sung out as she threw herself on me for a big hug.

"Yeah, yeah," I grinned back.

I take the hair tie out of my sloppy mess of a hair and had just pulled it back up into a ponytail and was about to tie it when Mandy comes and grabs a hold of it and pulls me along every which way.

Not having any of it, I grab hold of her wrist and twisted it to the point she had no choice but to let go of my hair. In disgust, I shoved her away from me as she stumbled to rebalance herself. "What the hell is wrong with you?" I asked her.

She glares at me without saying anything while Chasity comes to stand beside me. "Yeah, really Mandy! That was uncalled for."

Mandy then approaches Chasity, shoving her by the shoulder. "Both of you stay away from Jake. He's mine! If I see either of you talking to him again, I'll make sure I pull out all of your hair next time."