Kimberly's Story

Adrenaline

The second bell rings just as I take my seat in English class. I shift everything on my desk so that I have more room and then I place my elbows on the table, cradling my face, tiredly.

My English teacher, who is a nice old woman with glasses and a sweet smile, asks us all a question. Almost immediately, hands go flying up and a discussion erupts in the classroom, turning into a debate.

It isn't until I see Chrissie walk in the class that I lean back and snap back to the present. Everyone goes silent as Chrissie hands the teacher a slip and stands in front of the class, completely unaware of the students silently judging her to no end. The teacher points her to the empty seat behind me and I swallow, straightening up in my seat and throwing a polite smile in her direction. She walks toward me, smiling in return, and slouches into her seat, not bothering to pick up the pencil she had dropped.

I pick up the pencil and turn around, handing it to her.

"Thanks," she says, letting the pencil roll back off the desk and smack against the linoleum floor, again. She gives me a lopsided grin and I smile back, uneasily.

Swiveling back to look at the front of the classroom, I take a deep breath and prepare for a long English class.

Half way through the class, the teacher walks out of the room and everyone jumps from their seat, laughing and chatting away.

"Kim," Chrissie says from behind me, and I turn around to face her.

"Yes?"

"I saw what you did in the foyer," she says, a smirk on her bright red lips.

"Oh, yeah?" I ask, nervously.

She throws back her head and laughs, a careless and melodic sound. "Don't worry. I'm not holding it against you. I've been there, in your position."

"And what position would that be?"

"The position where you let some bitch control you. Control everyone," she says, icily.

I lower my head, feeling worthless compared to her.

She laughs, again, and I look back to her. "Oh, you're too adorable," she purrs.

I smile, feeling nervous and not knowing how to respond.

Chrissie suddenly leans closer. "I can help you, you know. I can make sure that Stephanie," she sneers, "is the one that is scared of you. Where you would be the one everyone looks up to. I can make you feel special. I can make you feel worshiped." Her piercing green eyes cause a shiver to run down my spine, making me want to beg on my knees for her to follow through with it all. "All you have to do is trust me," she continues. "And do everything I say. Because it won't work any other way. Do you understand?"

My head bobs up and down and I look at her with pleading eyes. "I understand," I tell her.

She leans back and crosses her arms on her chest. "Good. Let's start now."

Suddenly, she kicks back her chair and stands up, motioning for me to do the same.

I scramble to my feet and look at her, expectantly. "What are we doing?"

"We," she says, smiling, "are going to skip class."

I feel my eyes widen and I look at her with doubtful eyes. "I don't know. I've never skipped before," I tell her, worriedly.

"Oh, trust me. I know," she says. "Grab your stuff."

I do as she says and then I feel a warm hand envelope mine, pulling me out the door.