Girl Meets Senior Year

Cruelty

"Maya?"

"Yea, Riles?"

"Is everyone staring at us?"

"That they are."

Riley and Maya stood just inside the school doors and a large group of students has gathered shooting daggers at them from their eyes.

The two made their way through the crowd to their lockers. Maya saw it first and tried to stop Riley.

"Riley, let's just go straight to class. We don't need to stop by the lockers."

"I need to drop off all of my books, Maya." Riley said confused.

"Just bring them with us."

"I have eight classes worth of books. I'm dropping them off," she said adimately.

"Riles, please..."

And then Riley saw why Maya was trying to stop her. Slurs were written across each of their lockers in thick permanent marker.

Riley went pale and took off running towards her father's classroom, tears pouring from her eyes.

"Riley!" Maya ran after her.

The hoard of students laughed and shouted obscenities at them as they ran past.

"Lesbians!"

"You two should just go kill yourselves right now!"

"Teacher's kid is a little slut!"

"I always knew you were freaks!"

"Not good enough for a boy to like you?"

It was impossible to shut them out. Their voices echoed in the halls as they ran passed them.

"Riley? Maya? You don't have history this period." Cory said as they ran into his room, slamming the door behind them. Then he saw Riley's tears. "What happened?"

Maya took Riley into her arms and cradled her as she wept. "Our lockers. They... and then..." Maya couldn't bring herself to say the words.

Cory opened the door and went out into the hallway. A moment later he returned fuming.

"You two should go back to the apartment. I'll have Farkle take care of getting your assignments. It's only the first day so there shouldn't be anything you'll fall behind on."

"We can't go out there, Mr. Matth- Cory." Saying his first name felt strange. "All those people. They laughed and said things."

"I don't have a class until third period. After classes start I'm driving you both home."

Riley lifted her head off of Maya's now drenched shoulder to look at Cory, "Thank you, Dad."

"I'll find out who did this." He paused, "How did they even know about you two? It's the first day back."

"She kissed me outside. Someone must have seen," Maya looked up at him. She looked like a scared child.

"It'll all be ok. I promise. I'm going to go pull the car around. Don't leave this room until I get back," he said leaving.

"I'm so scared, Peaches," Riley cried.

"I know, Riles. I am too."