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"Maddie, no!" "I don't care. You're more important than what they could ever do to me."
"But they're strong, Maddie!"
"We can be stronger, and if we die, we'll be the strongest angels there are."
I sauntered over to my locker, thinking about what kind of treat I would buy after school. I was thinking about hopefully seeing James at school today when I felt a sharp tug on my backpack straps. I jerked backwards, startled.
"Oh look, Nia, It's the birthday girl!" Brooke mocked, looking at my outfit.
"Birthday girls always get presents, but they never give to others, do they, Brooke?" Nia taunted.
"I like your sweatshirt, Mackenzie." She smirked.
"So, do I, and that's why it's mine." I said as confidently as possible. I turned and headed back towards my locker, but I was pulled back again.
"LET ME GO!" I yellled, desperate for a teacher to come out of their classroom.
"Of course, this happens the one day the teacher's aren't supervising the hallways, just like in a movie." I thought.
"Didn't you hear us, Mackenzie? Nia likes your sweatshirt." Brooke threatened through gritted teeth, gripping my arm tightly.
"Didn't YOU hear ME?" I bravely responded. "It's MY sweatshirt." As soon as I said it, I knew I was in trouble.
"NOT ANYMORE!" Nia hissed, and kicked my in the shin, HARD. A searing pain scorched through my leg.
"Ow!" I whimpered as Brooke and Nia dragged my into the janitor's closet. I kicked and flailed my arms around, but it was no use. The two of them were much stronger than me alone. Brooke softly closed the door. I tried backing up, but the closet was small, and almost immediately I crashed into a pile of cleaners and mops.
Brooke started toward me since there was nowhere else I could go. She lifted her hand as I cowered into the corner, my scalp stinging as she pulled my hair very roughly.
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"Give me the sweatshirt!" I shouted. They forced it off of me, leaving me in my short sleeve t-shirt, and it was a cold day.
Then I heard banging on the door and it creaked open, slowly, as if the person opening the door was concealing their identity.
I secretly hoped it wasn't the janitor. He wouldn't even care if he saw me getting bullied.
Brooke punched me in the mouth and I could feel heat swelling up under my lip. For some reason I felt minimal pain. She looked surprised when she saw me keep a straight face. Nia began to kick me, and she punched my stomach. I felt like my muscles were weighted down, but when she punched my stomach, I doubled over.
Brooke was about to go in for another punch as I covered my face, when a force pulled my bully back. It was a boy, a student. He closed the door rapidly, clicking in the lock so the girls couldn't come back in. The boy took a step towards me as I lifted my swollen head. It was James!
"Oh my gosh, Mackenzie," James softly said, tenderly reaching out with his strong hand to touch my face.
"Don't, don't worry about me." I told him. "I'm okay. It doesn't hurt that much."
His soulful green eyes stared at me with a deep concern. I bent over to pick up my sweatshirt which Nia had dropped on the floor wincing from the pain of my ribs where I was hit. James's expression turned to anger and his jaw tightened.
JAMES'S POV:
" WHAT IS WRONG WITH THEM!" I shouted, my voice echoing in the small janitors closet. I stared at Mackenzie's beaten up body and wanted to cry and hurt someone at the same time. The truth is... I think I'm in love with her.
