I hate you | B.E.

2

What the hell did I do?
Never been the type to.

--

Present day, high school.

She let out a low groan as she felt herself being slammed against the locker. It was a Tuesday morning, and once again, she was in the all-too-familiar situation. There had been a time when they were kids where Billie and Aurelia were the same height, but now Billie towered over her, her strength making Aurelia's pale in comparison.

"I told you to do my fucking homework."

Billie's hot breath was against Aurelia's face, her eyes scanning for signs of discomfort. Aurelia winced, pain furrowing her brows as she fluttered her eyes shut. She was convinced there was a permanent bruise on her back from Billie's routine assaults. Her face contorted in disgust, her eyes opening again.

"Get away from me... When was the last time you brushed your teeth?" Aurelia spat back, instantly regretting her attitude as the words fell from her mouth.

Billie's face filled with rage as she shoved Aurelia further into the locker. Aurelia's breath caught in her throat as she felt the intensity of Billie's anger, a heat that practically radiated from every pore of her being. She winced in pain and softly cursed to herself in Spanish, seeing the fury in Billie's narrowed eyes and the muscles tense in her jaw as she pressed Aurelia harder against the cold metal surface.

"Don't talk back to me, baby," she muttered sternly, her voice carrying through the empty hallways. "Especially not with that stupid accent."

Billie's words seeped through Aurelia's skin like a knife. Her accent being the focal point of Billie's insults was nothing new to her, but it still hurt every time. The same way it did many years ago, Aurelia hated that she was different. It had been years since she moved to America, so her accent had simmered down, but you could still tell she was not born here.

"I'll... I'll do it tomorrow, I'm sorry, I forgot." Aurelia's attitude had vanished as she stared down at her feet, Billie's body pressed tightly against hers. Shame painted her face as a wave of unexpected emotions surged through her, tears threatening to fall.

A smirk crept onto Billie's face in response to her promise, but as she noticed Aurelia's change in demeanor, her expression faltered—had she crossed a line? Aurelia typically maintained her attitude; she wasn't usually intimidated by Billie, she was not a weak girl. Billie quickly recovered, hiding any hint of concern, smirking down at her again. She withdrew her hands from Aurelia's smaller frame.

"Good."

Billie turned and headed to class, but not before delivering a sudden punch to Aurelia's gut. Aurelia cursed under her breath, doubling over and clutching her stomach in pain. Her head spun as the emotions overwhelmed her—not just from the physical blow to her stomach, but also from the mental blow to her heart. Aurelia missed Billie, but Billie was not gone. She had been standing over her a few moments ago, but that was not Billie, not the one she had known many years ago. For the umpteenth time this year, Aurelia found herself late to homeroom. She leaned her back against the locker, sinking down until she curled into a ball on the floor, her head buried in her knees as she softly cried.

With a heavy heart, she headed to the bathroom, unwilling to risk getting caught by a teacher for skipping. Finding refuge in a stall, she continued to rub gentle circles over her stomach, still sore from the unexpected blow. Sitting on the toilet lid, she leaned back, stretching her torso out, and lifted her shirt to inspect the faint mark now, next to many, many other marks. She rolled her eyes in annoyance, her usual attitude beginning to return.