The girl on the Train tracks

"So that's settled class, the school field trip shall be held on Friday 13th. Anyone late will be recieving detention and a severe punishment. Please wear sunday best. You may leave" My teacher told us. The entire class stood, and, giving common courtesy to the teacher, we left the classroom in single file. I walked out, into the playground courtyard and left the school gates, tightening my plaits as I went, and walked out of the school gates. Walking home, I could see the girls behind me walking behind. They didn't like me, and I couldn't help but not like them because of it. I could just sense the feeling of being watched by them, judged. I tried to put it out of my mind until one of them shouted "Ebonique!" across the street, where people turned around to look at me. They embarrassed me, especially by pronouncing my name wrong, which was annoying me. I tried to ignore it and continue with my journey, and it seemed I was now in the clear. Until a tall girl, with blonde, wavy hair and a long pinafore came running up to me, shouting "Boni! walk with us". She had a smile on her face, but it wasn't friendly. Praying to the Lord for my welfare, I turned around, nervousely trembling in agreement.

They led me to an alleyway, and any trace of good will disappeared out of sight. They took my school bag, throwing it from one to another, telling me "If you want it back, just get it". I ran around chasing after it, worried I wouldn't get back. Finding it impossible to retrieve it, all six of them laughed at my feeble attempts to get my bag back, and threw it to one side once they became bored with it. Then one of them pulled on my hair to stop me getting away, whilst the rest of them huddled and whispered. "w-what are you going to do to me?" I said nervously, the girl still holding onto my hair and pulling. All six of them nodded in agreement and then a shorter, brunette girl spoke, "We think you're too pretty for your own good." I wasn't sure if she was complimenting me or not, but the end of the sentence conformed my assumptions "We're going to even it out, make you a bit less pretty. Just like everybody else!" they all smiled as they edged towards me. I tried to scream, but one of them put their hand over my mouth. Two girls tightly pinned my arms to the wall, and another two doing the same with my legs, a hand still over my mouth. I could feel the tears swelling up inside me already, and I tried to push them down, so as not to appear weak. I knew why they really wanted to do this. Partly, because, as they told me, that I was making them jealous, but also because they just wanted to let out anger. On me. A fifth girl went to the alley to keep guard of the situation, whilst a sixth, smiling an evil, twisted smile, pulled up her sleave and punched me in the stomach, hard. A tear pushed it's way through and I let out a squeal.

"stop making frivelous noises, Boni!", the girl who'd punched shouted at me, before slapping me across the face for doing so. "We're doing this for your benefit, you know. We're helping you fit in. So you better be grateful." She continued to punch, hit, kick and punch my face and stomach, and sometimes they switched over, so another one of them could have a go at attacking me. I fell to the ground and stopped trying to struggle. They kicked me more, all six of them, and then turned me onto my back to talk to me. "Tell your parents you was mugged" one of them told me, and gave me one last, hard kick in my ribs. They ran off out of sight.

I got up, aches and pains shooting up my entire body. Gasping, I retreated and tried again. I got up and limped, hobbling my way to my school bag, then home. When I did, mother was all over me.

"Ebonique! You're terribly late coming home!" She took a second look at me, shock hitting her as she saw my bruises, cuts and swollen jaw. "What ever happened to you dear?". Her frizzy bun bobbed up and down as she turned to look at me.

I hesitated. If I told her I was mugged, those girls might not bother me. But they might just think they can get away with it and continue. But if I told her I was beaten up by my classmates, mother would speak to the headmaster and then they'd be in trouble, which would really set them on me. But what if I told her I was mugged, she might get the police involved in a crime that wasn't committed. No, I better not tell her the truth.

"I... I was... Mugged. On my way home. They wanted money but I had none so they beat me up." Tears filled my eyes as I knew what really happened and how painful it was. I was beaten up, that part was true. But I wasn't mugged. It only happened because my name is different, and because they're jealous of my beauty. I know they are. They try to hide it but it doesn't work. They sit in lessons, looking at me with scowls, comparing themselves to me. When I turn to look at them, they change their worried and jealous emotions into evil glares. They'd never beat me up like this before, but they'd threatened to and been emotionally cruel before.

"Right. We're going to the police station to report it. I do not want my ch-"

"Oh, Mother please don't! They... they told me if I did that,They'd wait for me and do it again, but that time, they'd 'finish the job' they said!" I told her. I was making this up as I went along and I wasn't sure if Mother was buying it or not. I gave her a face of fear, and she gave in.

"OK, darling. Just... just be careful tomorow." I could not help but smile, and I hugged her tightly, and we stayed like that for what seemed like hours, until she let go and looked at me, rubbing the tears from my eyes. "I'll get you something to put on your wounds, dear."

Thank god. If mother went to the police, I would have had to keep this story going for ever if she'd made me go to the police for it. And then I'd get found out, and then punished in ways I can't even imagine.

After going into my bedroom to change for dinner, my mother gave me a cold, metal spoon to cool down my wounds. My next worry was how many others would ask about the wounds, and if they'd do the same as my mother had or not. What about my teacher? He would tell me it's his legal duty to inform authorities and then I'd be busted. I'd have to tell him something else, like an accident at home.

I was dreading seeing those girls tomorrow. What if they finished me off at school? What if I have developed a fear of them? It would only make them more agrivated, and then I'd be in deep trouble. I decided to go downstairs to dinner and try and put my mind off it for a while.