A Spark Of Hope (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 2: [ Bullies ]

It had been a week since highschool started. I thought it would turn out well but its the other way round.

I walked along the corridor. I can feel their eyes on me. I dont know how to act in this kind of situation.

'Act natural!' I thought to myself as I walked. Im glad that school day is over. No one will judge me. But thats only for today. I spaced out and recalled what happened on the first day of school.

[Flashback]

"Ouch!" she said with an eerie voice.

She glared at me with an irritate expression on her face.

"You freak! You dared bumping into me?! Don't you know who I am?? I'm Scarlet Flyer! The captain of the Cheerleading squad! Now, kneel down and wipe my shoes! Your cheap ass sneakers ruined them!" She growled in a high-pitched voice.

"Im sorry, Scarlet. I didnt mean to do that. It was an accident, I swear!" I defensed.

"I dont give a shit. Eww. Why someone like you even exist in this world? Gosh! Now, wipe my shoes, LOSER!"

I just stood there. Silently. Staring at the floor while other people whispering and laughing at me.

"Are you deaf?! Wipe her shoes, Loser!" said one of her friends as she pushed me on my knees.

I held back my tears as I start to wipe her shoes with my newly handkerchief.

The other students laughed and some of them took a video of me. I wanted to run. I wanted to leave. I wish that someone will save me. But Im all alone with this pain.

The bell rang. I quickly stood up and ran home. People started calling me "Loser" since that day.

I sighed as I walked along the hallways.

Everyone is staring and whispering about me. All I could do is trying to ignore them.

"WATCH OUT EVERYONE. LOSER is coming!" Scarlet shouted, making everyone laughed at me.

Thats enough. I couldnt hold it in anymore. Fuck everyone. What did I do wrong?

"You fucking bitch." I mumbled under my breath.

"What did you say, loser?," she glared at me.

"I said, you are a fucking bitch!," I shouted and I slapped her.

Everyone silently watching us. Shocked. Because of my action.

"Ehem. Miss Anderson?"

I heard a voice behind me. She is my homeroom teacher. Miss Jennifer. Raising an eyebrow, looking at me and Scarlet with a glare.

"Both of you. Follow me." she finally spoke.

Everyone started to talk shit about me. Why did I do that? God! We followed her to her office. She sighed heavily and look at us again.

"Now, what happened? Scarlet? Sarah?" she said, disappointment written in her face.

We didnt say a word until Miss Jennifer herself breaks the silence between the three of us.

"If you aint tell me what happened Im going to punish both of you." she said.

"Duh. Im obviously not at fault in this. You see it yourself, Miss Jennifer. Sarah is the one who slapped me when I offered her my help to carry the books." Scarlet said and pointed at the books Im holding.

"Is this true, Sarah?" she stared at me.

I took a deep breath and gathered my guts.

"She is lying. Thats not the truth." I glared at her.

Scarlet stared at me with an unsatisfied expression on her face.

"You can ask my friends, Miss Jennifer." she said with confidence written in her face.

"Alright then. Both of you, stay here while I meet and ask Scarlet's friends to come here."
Miss Jennifer said as she walked out from her office, leaving both of us in silence.

Just as she left the office, Scarlet looked at me and pushed me to the wall.She then pulled my hair hard.

"You bitch. If you dare deny anything. I'll make your life a living hell!," she let go of my hair.

I could only nodded. I felt weak. I felt useless. I felt scared. I can felt that bit by bit I'm broken. I slowly stand up and sit back on my seat.

Silence take overs the office again. I could hear Scarlet mumbling some curse words under her breath. I didnt dare to look at her at all nor I have the guts to say anything.

"Ugly bitch," she said it out loud.

We heard Miss Jennifer's footsteps, breaking the silence along the corridor.

"Girls, come in." she said.

Scarlet's friends came in the office. One of them named Ashley. She glared at me with a smirk on her face.

"Ashley, is it true that Scarlet is innocent in this case?," Miss Jennifer said as she glared at Scarlet.

"Yes. Sarah is the one who is at fault. Scarlet was being kind to her and she slapped Scarlet for no particular reason." Ashley replied.

The others just nodded as a sign they're agree with Ashley's statement.

I just stood there. Shocked. Knowing that I couldn't do anything. I felt like crying but I held my tears back.

Miss Jennifer glared at me.

"You lied to me Sarah? I want you to clean the school garden as your punishment. You can't go home unless it's done! Oh and Im going to tell your mom about your actions." she said angrily.

My tongue feels numb. I couldnt talk.

"Alright, girls. You can go home now. Except for you, Sarah," Miss Jennifer said.

We walked out from her office. Scarlet and her squad glared at me with a smirk on their face.

"Thats what you get when you messed with us, loser." Scarlet said in a sarcastic tone.

I didnt replied. I walked to the school garden.

'Why? Why it have to be me? What did I do?,' I thought to myself.

I finished cleaning the school garden. I told Miss Jennifer that Im done and I apologized to her. I sighed as I walked home.

"Im tired. I hope mom is already home by now. She knows how to ease my messy mind."