Fake reality

Ashley Macasher

I walk up to my locker, putting in the combination, before opening the door. Crowds of students fill the halls, pushing and shoving each other as they try to get to their classes and lockers. I shove my books into my locker as footsteps grow louder. Suddenly, I feel a hand squeezing my shoulder. My eyes widen in fear. Oh no, it can't be her. I turn around slowly, fear slowly creeping into my stomach as the face of the anonymous student comes into vision. I feel my breath hitch in my throat.
    "Hello, Ashley." I manage, my voice trembling. Ashley terrified me. She always tormented me, every day since fifth grade. I have been beat up, bullied, forced to do homework, threatened, cyberbullied, and so much more by her and her friends.
    "Hello, Pig." Ashley looks down to me with a disgusted scowl. "Did you finish my homework?" Her grip tightens on my shoulder, her nails practically digging through the fabric of my t-shirt.
I nod frantically before digging through my backpack and pulling out the finished sheets of homework. She snatched the papers from my hands. Ashley looks over the paperwork before giving it a small nod.
"Good work, Pig." She ruffles my hair, as if I were a child, before turning to her friends and walking away. I let out a sigh of relief as she walked away. The hairs on the back of my neck still stand, my whole body on high alert. There is absolutely no way that is the end of the torture of today. I stare into the crowd as it slowly decreases in size as students filter out into their classes. Soon, only two people. Daniel stands at the other end of the hall, silently staring at me. I feel my nerves kick into overdrive.
Why is he just staring at me? Do I do something? Did I do something Wrong? I swallow heavily. I stare back at him, observing his empty, cold expression, his eyes piercing into mine as we stare at each other in silence. We were on opposite sides of the hall, but I could feel the pressure and tension closing in around me from his gaze. I take a deep breath before slamming the door of my locker, and slinging my backpack over my shoulder. I look down to the floor before glancing back up to him. He continues to stare at me as I turn my back to him, walking away to my first class.