Misalignment | ✔

avenge

It's the Monday
before Thanksgiving
when all hell
finally breaks loose.

Of course, it all starts
in art class,
as always,
a product of
Seth's insistent
nagging
and ridicule
and overall idiocy.
Usually, after
the bell rings,
he wanders off
and leaves me alone -
but today,
as I pack up to go,
he doesn't stop
with his self-righteous bigotry.
It's only when
he follows me
out into the hall,
still ranting about
'that useless queer,'
that I realize
he isn't bent on
letting me alone
any time soon.

By the time we reach
my locker,
I've about had enough.
I don't think he's even
stopped for breath
between here and
the classroom,
continuously pestering me
as though it's his
sole purpose
in life.
For all I know,
it very well could be.

"Stupid fags
like you
shouldn't even
be allowed
in this school -
you all should be
booted out like
that Natalia girl.
Attention-seeking
little bastards,
all of you!"

Attempting to
tune him out
doesn't work
well enough
for my satisfaction.
Sighing, I unlock
my locker
and exchange my books
for my bag,
refusing to give this
pompous bully
the time of day.
I won't let him know
that his words are
affecting me,
even if each
feels just as sharp
as I knife to
my heart,
and it's hard to
hide it.

But it's what he
says next
that stops me
in my tracks
and suddenly
forces me to
pay attention:

"You're such scum -
it's a wonder that
Matty would
ever even talk to
trash like you."
And then he just
laughs -
"Oh, I forgot.
She's just like
you -
filthy scum."

Just the mention
of her name
sends bolts of
fiery pain
shooting into
my chest,
nearly rendering me
incapable of breathing in
any more of the stale
school building air.
But more than that -
how dare he
compare Matty to
his warped perception
of me?
It's one thing
that he's insisted on
torturing me
every day without fail -
but to bring
Matty
into this as well?

How does he
even know her?
the last rational piece
of my brain wonders -
but the rest screams out:
How dare he?

The world blurs
around me
for a moment,
just long enough
for me to
spin around,
and for my hand
to move up
of its own volition.
The resounding
smack
that follows
abruptly drags me
back into focus
again,
just in time to see
Seth reel back,
clutching his cheek,
and to feel
the sharp pain
from that slap
stinging
in my right hand.

"You bitch!"
he fairly screams
once he's recovered
some control
of himself -
and I can see
that he's livid now.
The red handprint
on his left cheek
is, too.
"You're gonna
pay for that!"

All of a sudden,
it's like
whatever had
possessed me to
strike Seth
and try to stand up
for both myself
and for Matty
just
vanishes.
Stunned
by both my own actions
and his response,
I put up
no resistance
as he
slams me back
into the locker
behind me.
My head hits
the metal
hard -
and I can't tell
whether it's
a hallucination
caused by
a possible concussion
or reality
when Seth pulls back
his arm
as if to smite me down
in return.
I don't move;
he gives a
singularly
chilling grin.

Maybe I
deserve this...

"Stop!"

And suddenly,
out of nowhere,
an angel appears for
the second time
this school year
to save me.
Seth starts
in surprise
at the interruption,
and then
lowers his arm
with a grimace
as he turns
to face her.

"The hell do
you want-"
he starts,
but she deftly
cuts him off.

"Get away
from Cam,"
Matty barks -
an avenging angel,
then.
"Right now -
or I swear to god,
I'll make you sorry
you didn't."

×

HEY Y'ALL, LOOK WHO'S BACK AHAHAH--

This is one of my favorite chapters for multiple reasons. Cam is super badass, even if their slapping Seth was more instinct than intention. No, screw that - that just makes them even more badass. I'm so fucking proud of them, oml;;;

Anyway, this is part 1 of like, 3 chapters about this same scene, so y'know. More's to come. It just keeps getting better and better, let me tell you. At least, I'd like to think so.

If you guys liked this chapter (and Cam's badassery and Matty's triumphant return), I would really love if you would vote and let me know what you think below! Just like, scream in the comments for all I care. I practically screamed while writing this (and that was at work, too. I kind of got some weird looks for that...)