MASKING 101

7: Bullies

Wren found me at lunch with a brown paper bag in their hand and their backpack on their shoulder. "Hey Emory, how've you been lately?" They asked as I walked hastily to the back of the cafeteria. "I'm fine." I muttered as I sat down, Wren not taking a hint sat across from me and set their bag down with a smile. "You sure look like it." They said as they took their water bottle from their backpack. I didn't catch the sarcastic tone in their voice so I thought the conversation was over; I looked down at my wrap in it's glass dish and wondered if I would find myself regretting the choice to eat lunch, then again Wren was sitting across from me picking pieces of their sandwich in between slow sips from their plastic water bottle covered in anime stickers. "You should eat your lunch." They suggested, I looked at the food and sighed. "I'm not hungry, big breakfast." I told them, Wren shrugged. "Okay, you wanna wait till I'm done then we can go outside?" Wren asked me, I shook my head and put my untouched food back in the lunch bag. "No, I'm fine walking by myself." I replied shouldering my backpack, Wren sighed but didn't stop me. I walked through the double doors of the cafeteria and was instantly yanked to the side. "Avoiding us have we?" Jude asked, I shook my head knowing that I wasn't, Luca wasn't anywhere in sight so I was being restrained by Micah, Jude flicked his finger before leading the way to a new area. It was the junior high school across the street, I was dragged to the side of the building while Jude whistled a sharp tune driving me crazy as the misophonia raged in my brain urging me to get the heck outta there, but I couldn't. I was dropped and Jude opened his hockey bag and took his stick out. "Hmm, what to do what to do!?" Jude mused as Micah flexed his hands. "Ah, I know! Micah slam the bitch." Jude pointed to the brick wall. I knew what was happening and scrambled to my feet, Jude laughed and Micah crossed his arms over his chest. "No, I'm not a p-p-punching bag!" I yelled trying to stop the trembling tone of my voice. Jude shrugged. "You ain't that fast." Jude said, I sighed and decided to test my luck; I bolted out from the side of the school only to be cut off by Luca. "I tried warning ya sweet cheeks." Jude crooned as the front of my face was slammed against the brick wall. 
"OI! What the hell are you doing?!" I heard a younger sounding voice yell. 
"Scram twerp." Jude hissed at the guy in the leather jacket with close cropped hair. "Nah, don't think so." The guy decided and picked up a PVC pipe out of the garbage bin. "I do take kenjutsu just a heads up." He warned the guys, Micah and Luca took the kid on while Jude started smacking me with the hockey stick. "Kids these days hmm?" He asked after the second hit was landed. I was on my stomach with my back exposed. "Oh! You dipping your toes in suicide Freak? Good the world won't miss ya." He laughed as he brought out his pocket knife and cut the bandaging on my waist. After tearing the wrapping off he took a handful of dirt and smothered my cuts in it afterward he took a bottle and threw it against my back. "That'll help blend the cuts up some yeah?" Jude asked, I was shaking so hard and the sobs were ragged with yelps and gasps of air in between as Jude continued the vicious beating for several more minutes before I heard laughing. "Unorganized sloppy showmanship guys, learn some teamwork so that the one brain cell between you doesn't have to strain itself keeping you alive!" The leather jacket guy laughed as he made his way over to Jude and me. "Your henchmen are weak." It was a throw away comment as he shed his leather jacket letting it fall next to my head. "Are you at least skilled in some sort of fighting?" He asked Jude,"No, then again I've never had an intervention during this." Jude answered making sure to step on my back pressing the glass into my flesh. Leather Jacket guy laughed before quickly knocking Jude on his butt and driving them away from me and him. "Watch your fucking back twerp!" Jude screamed as the three of them ran across the street; Leather Jacket guy threw the PVC pipe back in the trash and sat next to me allowing me to see the several scars on his legs and Band-Aids on his knees. "Dumb question but are you okay lady?" He asked, I found I couldn't shake my head and the guy sighed. "Yeah, dummb question...I'm Jackson Black by the way." Jackson introduced himself before putting his calloused hands on my bare hips. "Glad I brought my water." He said as he unscrewed something...The next thing I remember was cold, Jackson was pouring his water on my back before unzipping his bag and taking a pair of tweezers out of a metal case. "Lotsa blood dude." I heard him say as I felt glass leaving my skin. "Listen lady wait a minute before getting up!" Jackson groaned as he sat back down. "I need help." I whispered, Jackson sighed and after another second I was slumped against the dumpster. "Yep, lots of blood." He mused looking at my busted up face. "Here." He offered me a pile of tissues before picking up his jacket and leaving while lighting a cigarette.