My Church Girl

Chapter 3

Several days had gone by since that confrontation. There hadn't been any communication between the girls since then. 

Lunchtime had arrived, and in the lively hum of the school cafeteria, Ava found herself sitting alone, as she often did, quietly having her lunch amidst the chatter of her classmates.

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over her. It was Jenna, one of Harper's friends, with a tray full of food and a smirk that didn't bode well.

"Oops!" Jenna exclaimed, as she 'accidentally' stumbled, tipping her tray. Food splattered all over Ava, the stains spreading across her clothes.

The cafeteria erupted into laughter. The blond girl heart raced, but she didn't give in to the heat of anger or the chill of humiliation. Instead, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes briefly, and then stood up.

With everyone watching, she wiped the mess from her blouse and said in a clear, steady voice, "It's okay, Jenna. Accidents happen."

Jenna, taken aback by the other girl composure, could only mutter a half-hearted, "Yeah, whatever," before retreating back to her giggling group.

The bullied girl gathered her things with slow and deliberate movements. She didn't rush, she didn't hide. Then she walked out of the cafeteria, leaving behind the echoes of laughter and the remnants of her lunch.

From her table, the Harper watched the scene, her amusement fading into some uncomfortable feelings she couldn't explain. Lining over to her friend, she whispered, "Did you see that? Ava didn't even flinch."

"Yeah, so? She's weird," her friend replied, shrugging.

Green eyes followed Ava's retreating figure. "No, she's... strong," Harper said to herself, receiving another proof of her guess about the girl, she had never truly seen before those events.

Jenna returned to the table, her grin wide as she soaked in the approval of her clique. High-fives were exchanged, and laughter echoed around her. The group reveled in the chaos they'd caused, but one boy, Mason, wasn't laughing. He wasn't with them in that morning, and didn't see the scene that had happened then.

He watched Jenna settle into her seat, his expression growing more troubled by the second. "Why did you do that to Ava?" he asked, his voice steady but laced with disapproval.

The girl's smile faltered for a moment, but she quickly recovered. "Come on, Mason, it's just a joke," she said, waving off his concern.

The boy shook his head, his frown deepening. "A joke? That's not a joke, Jenna. That's just mean. Ava's never done anything to you."

The table grew quiet, the group's attention shifting to the unfolding confrontation. Harper, who had been silent until now, watched the exchange with a curious intensity.

Jenna rolled her eyes. "She's always so high and mighty, sitting alone, acting like she's better than us. She had it coming."

Mason exclaimed. "That's not fair, and you know it. She sits alone because of how we treat her. No one's wants to sit with her because of us. We've become bullies, Jenna. And I'm sick of it."

A murmur of discomfort rippled through the group. Harper's gaze flicked from face to face, sensing the shift in the air.

"Jeez, it's just a church girl, not a big deal!"

The green-eyed girl frowned at this mocking name, while the boy stood up, "No, she's not! We bullied her, yet, recently when I really needed help she was there for me."

Jenna scoffed, "So what? Now you're her boyfriend?" She teased, not even bothered to ask what kind of help did he need.

Mason's voice rose, "She's better than you all. I'm done with this group if this is what we're about."