Nation

Chapter 3- What did you expect?

I decided that today would be a bad day to sit with the girls at lunch, so at decided to go and eat in the library.

Yeah, you might think I'm a complete nerd for saying this but I'm actually really good friends with the librarian. Her name is Miss Hale and she's lovely. She insists I call her Callie, but I feel wrong calling her by her first name, since we were in school.

I entered the library with my lunch in hand, remembering that the girls told me to lose some weight. Today I really couldn't care less, because I was going to get beat up about what happened earlier anyway.

"Hi Miss Hale!"

"How many times do I have to tell you, Kass? Call me Callie!" She exclaimed, smiling from her place in the corner. She was in her early twenties, and so the age gap between us wasn't that great. She had brown curly hair, that was about shoulder length. She wasn't much taller than me either, and some people used to ask if we were related.

"No, that's weird."

"What in gods name are you wearing?"

"Trust me, it wasn't my decision."

"Then who's decision was it?"

"You now who's decision it was." I replied, pulling up a chair and sitting behind the desk with her. I started on my lunch, which consisted of salad. Gross, but I was willing to eat anything that was out in front of me at the moment.

"You know, you shouldn't let them push you around like that."

"I know. But if I leave them, who am I left with? I'm almost 100% sure that everyone else in the year thinks I'm a complete and utter freak, so I would have nobody to turn to."

"I see your point."

"Anyway, how's the bump?" She was pregnant by about 4 months, and she honestly looked great. She was having a baby girl, and I was so happy for her.

"She's good, thanks for asking."

"Any ideas for names yet?"

"I think either Tilly May, or Kirsty Jayne. What do you think?"

"I think they're both beautiful names, but I think it's best to wait until she's born. You'll figure it out."

We chattered mindlessly for another half an hour, until the bell went for last lesson.

"See you later, Miss."

"See you Kass, and don't let them girls push you around!"

I smiled at her remark, and trotted away to geography, my last lesson of the day.

As I was going up the stairs to the classroom, my phone buzzed with a text.

From: Johnny

Took care of the girls, they said they were going to lay off. You in lesson yet?

To: Johnny

Thanks! Yeah, just walking in c':

From: Johnny

Come and sit with me? :3

To: Johnny

Okay :)

I walked over to where Johnny was, at the back and took the seat next to him. He smiled at me, and looked me directly in the eye.

"Where were you at lunch?"

"With Miss Hale in the library."

"Oh, right. Do you fancy helping me with this? I don't get it."

I spent the entire lesson explaining to him about equatorial climate, even though it was really easy. Geography was the one subject he just never seemed to understand, no yet he was a complete whizz kid at everything else.

The bell for the end of the day rang, and I was dreading it.

From: Lisa

Behind languages block. Now.

Here goes nothing.

**********~**********

I walked toward the back of the language block, and before I could turn a corner, someone grabbed my wrist and spun me around the corner, followed by a swift punch to the nose. I couldn't stay standing after that, and fell ungraciously to the floor, gripping my nose. I looked up to see Lisa, Annie, Riley and Karla standing above me, hands on hips.

"Why did you tell the lads to come and have a go at us?" Karla demanded, stepping closer.

"I-I didn't!"

"Then why did Johnny seem like he hated me so much, eh? He could have broken up with me!" Lisa spat, kicking me in the stomach. I curled up in a ball and willed for the pain to go away.

"What's wrong? Can't take a little hit?" Riley shouted, slapping me harshly across the face. A warm trickling sensation started near my nose, and blood begun to stain my hands.

"I bet you've got a thing going with all of the boys, haven't you? You seem awfully close to them all!" Riley wrongfully accused, stomping on my ankle which twisted and made a horrible cracking noise.

Pain soared through every part of my body as they continued to physically and verbally abuse me. I cried my eyes out, and just took it. I felt emotionally numb, like any words they could say would mean nothing any more I had heard it all enough times, and nothing seemed to matter anymore.

They eventually retreated, and I lay there, curled into a ball for a while as I regained my orientation. There was blood all over my hands and shirt, which I would probably have to pay for. I was still balling my eyes out, and so I ran. I ran to wherever my feet would take me. Which apparently was out of the school gates, and I don't really remember where I ran after that as my vision was blinded with tears.

I eventually stopped outside a familiar building: Starbucks. My watch said it was about half past five, and so Johnny would be finishing his small shift soon. I don't know why I decided to come here, perhaps it was because Johnny was the only one I could trust at the moment.

After standing there for a while, the pain in my ankle came round and it hurt like nothing I had ever experienced. I shrieked, and fell to the floor. Coincidentally, Johnny took that moment to walk out of the door.

"Oh my god, Kassy!"