Mean girl? (Dayasco)

Bullies and brothers

"You're going to trip, Daya," jeered one of the boys as she hurried down the hallway, her arms full of textbooks.

"Shut up, Jeff," she muttered under her breath, not bothering to look up. It was just another typical Monday at school.

Daya managed to keep her balance, pushing open the door to her next class just as the bell rang. She took a deep breath and tried to ignore the snickers following her. She had learned to tune them out over the years. It was the price she paid for being different.

As she took her seat at the back of the classroom, she felt a sudden gust of cold air. She looked up to see the most popular girl in school, Bosco, sauntering in with her entourage. Bosco's eyes scanned the room, landing on Daya with a smirk. "Well, if it isn't the school's very own lesbo," she announced loudly. The room grew quiet, all eyes on Daya.

The teacher, Mr. Jenkins, cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Bosco, that's enough. Take your seat."

Bosco rolled her eyes but did as she was told. Daya felt her cheeks burn as she focused on setting up her notebook and pen. She wished she could just disappear into the floor.

The rest of the class passed in a blur of whispers and awkward glances. Daya kept her head down, doodling in the margins of her notebook to avoid eye contact. When the bell finally rang, she was the first one out the door, eager to leave the judgment behind.

As she walked home from school, her thoughts drifted to her mother. She missed her so much. It had been three years since she had passed away, but it felt like yesterday. Her mom had been her biggest supporter, always telling her to be proud of who she was. But now, with just her dad and brother at home, things were tense. Her dad didn't say much about her sexuality, but she knew he struggled with it.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of laughter up ahead. She recognized the voices - it was Bosco and her friends, loitering by the park. Daya's stomach tightened as she considered taking a detour. But she was tired of hiding.

As she approached, Bosco spotted her and sneered. "Look who decided to join us," she said, stepping into Daya's path.

Her friends circled around, their eyes gleaming with malicious amusement. "We saw you checking us out in the locker room, Daya," one of them, a girl named Tiffany, jeered. "Couldn't resist our straight, hot bods, huh?"

Daya felt the heat rising to her cheeks. "I wasn't checking you out," she said firmly, trying to hold her ground. But the memory of that day was burned into her mind - the accidental glance up to check the clock on the wall that had been twisted into something it wasn't.

Bosco stepped closer, her eyes narrowed. "Oh, really? Then why don't you tell us what you were doing, Daya?" she asked, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. "Were you admiring Tiffany's new boobs?"

Tiffany giggled, her cheeks flushing. "They're not that new," she quipped, cupping her chest with both hands. "But I guess even a lesbo can appreciate good work when she sees it."

The group of them cackled, closing in on Daya, who felt the world shrinking around her. The smell of their perfume, a sickly sweet concoction of vanilla and something fruity, filled her nose. She wished she could just tell them to leave her alone, but she knew that would only fuel their fire.

Instead, she took a deep breath and met Bosco's gaze. "I was just getting changed," she said, her voice steady despite the tremble in her knees. "It's not my fault if you think everyone's interested in you."

Bosco's smirk faltered for a brief moment before she regained her composure. "Oh, so you're saying you weren't interested?" she challenged, taking another step closer.