Blood Moon Howlers

Part 8| Red Painted Word!!

Skyler considered herself to be a lot of things. Most of those things are different than what you'd hear in school.

She was not weak or fragile.

She spent most of her life fending for herself with her sister. It was tough and she heard a lot of bad things whispered behind her back as a child. It was never easy to grow up parentless, but it was harder when other parents start questioning the source of money her older sister made from waiting tables while maintaining a scholarship.

Her sister was her role model and her only family. She wished she could be a little more like her, but Ava always told her that the fact that she was different is what made them a family and sisters.

So she learned at a tender age, that she couldn't afford to show emotion. She couldn't burden her sister by showing that she was struggling at school or had self image problems or was a loner. She was her own bodyguard and that was fine with her.

She didn't need someone to protect her.

She had herself and her sister and that was all that mattered.

That was her mentality when she walked through the halls the Monday after the Halloween party. She barely flinched when she saw girls pointing at her, whispering to their friends. She adjusted the scarf she wore to hide the fading hickeys on her neck and walked past them.

It wasn't all of them though. There were a large portion of the student body that either had more important things to do or just didn't give a fuck.

She loved those people the most.

But most of the people in her year and a few desperate first years always had something to say about her. Unfortunately, this time, her ears couldn't help but be extra sensitive to the things that they were saying.

"I heard she went to third base with some random stranger."

"Apparently they left the party together and had sex in the garage."

"Did you see the guy? He was so hot, I wonder how she got a guy like him. Maybe she drugged his drink."

"I heard that he was a teacher from her old school."

"I can't believe that Ava's sister is such a slut."

The last one really hurt. Really, anything that people said about her and her sister always managed to get under her skin. Ava had an amazing reputation and the fact that her crappy one was ruining hers made her sad, like she was letting her down.

Skyler kept her gaze forward as the whispers got more insulting and tried to block her vision with her hair.

She frowned when she noticed a small crowd near her locker. The students that didn't live on campus got lockers to keep their stuff in and since there weren't many, mine would be easy to find.

When a few of the kids in the crowd noticed her approach, everyone quieted down and moved away from the lockers.

She raised her brows when she saw what the group were doing. She blinked at the word that was painted red.

WHORE.

She blinked at it again and could feel the anticipation for her reaction. So, she figured that in all fairness she should give her most honest one.

The crowd watched in disbelief as her lips slowly curled at the corners, lifting up in a amused smile.

Some of them scoffed and others murmured in disappointment when she shook her head, her smile continuously growing, as she walked closer to her locker.