Kilmy: The Indomitable

22/ Standing up to Bullies

As I trek along the sidewalk to the school, my eyes trail over similar buildings and papers littering the street.

What really happens to the girls that disappear? Now that I know someone who's gone. I want to know.

Someone shoves me from behind. Pain shoots through me as I fall to my knees on the hard concrete. I immediately began searching for the culprit. A tall person wearing a black veil strolls past me as if nothing happened.

My eyes narrow. I've never seen a black veil before. What does it mean? Can it be worse than the gray one those who fail have to wear?

The veil is hiding their face, so I can't see who the person is. Is it a guy? A girl? 

I keep an eye on my surroundings after that incident.

Thankfully I get to my classroom without any more issues. That is until Rosalie smirks at me as I sit down.

"Are you ready to fail?" she asks me, tilting her head.

I roll my eyes but stay quiet. I'm not going to let her get into my head today. This is a big day and nothing can get in my way. I'll prove to her that looks don't mean everything.

A smile lifts my lips at the thought. She'll be shocked when I win and she doesn't.

Don't get too cocky, Mila.

"Hey weirdo," Rosalie says, stopping in front of my desk, tapping my foot when I don't acknowledge her. "It's rude to ignore someone when they're talking to you."

"It's also rude to make fun of someone but you don't seem to have a problem with that," I snap. I wince when the words leave my lips. I'm better than her. I just need to ignore her. She's nothing more than a bully.

Rosalie asks, kicking my foot again. I move them farther underneath my desk.

"It's such a shame that she won't know what hit her, isn't it, Loly?"

Snickers ring in my ears.

It's best to ignore them.

Where's the button to push to end this?

I snort at myself. If only it were that easy.

"What are you laughing about?" Rosalie demands, slamming her hand on my desk, and making me jump.

When I finally look up at her, Rosalie spills her MEAL drink on me. I gasp as the liquid splashes onto my head and slides down to my face. Tears immediately well up, but I force them away. I will not cry. I'm stronger than that.

I stand up and bolt from the room as laughter chases me.

How could she be so cruel? Why would she do that?

I lock myself into a bathroom stall and begin breathing deeply, trying to calm my racing heart and shaking hands.

I hate Rosalie. I hate her gang of friends. I hate everyone who laughed at me instead of standing up for me all these years. Not like I need anyone. I can take care of myself, but it's always nice when someone puts Rosalie in her place.

I just don't understand why I seem to be her only target. Is it truly because of my eyes? Dyna said that Rosalie was jealous of me.

I shake my head. She's not jealous of me. I have nothing to be envied for.

And I want to change that.

That's why I have to win this contest. I can't keep being tormented day after day. I want to torment them by being where they desperately want to be. That's how Rosalie will be envious of me. That's the only reason she should be.

I want to show that it's okay to be different. That it's not okay to bully because of it.

I head to the bathroom mirror after I calm down. I use their rough paper towels to clean the drink off of me the best I can. Maybe I should finally tell Mrs. Davis about their behavior.

Yeah right. What's she going to do?

I'm not going to let Rosalie break me. 

---

Thank you for reading this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it.

Please let me know your thoughts, comments, or suggestions in the comment section below. Your feedback means a lot to me and helps me improve my writing.

If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to vote and add it to your reading list. Stay tuned for the next chapter, and happy reading! 😊📚✨