The Lying Serpent

Chapter Eighteen: Exactly What I Need

As I walked through the school hallway, people were whispering and staring. Everyone was giving me dirty glares, and avoiding me so they don't 'taint' their image.

When I reached my locker, the first thing that caught my eye was the bright yellow writing against the blood red of the door. I gulped, pushing down the tears threatening to spill out. The day hadn't even started and I felt like disappearing forever.

Trying to ignore the big scrawling 'HEARTLESS BITCH' on my locker door, I grabbed the books I needed and rushed to find Nita. Any second I was going to break down, and I needed Nita to help me through it, and ensure my breakdown isn't public.

I didn't even need to shove past people. They all gladly stepped out of the way, people stopping their normal conversations as soon as they saw me, as if I was a snake, about to bite them.

I turned the corner, trying to figure out where Nita would be. In my distraught haste, I bumped into someone. Lissie's gentle arms came around me in a warm hug.

"Oh Linda, I've heard the nasty things people are saying. Don't listen to them, they don't know the truth," she soothed.

"Lissie, you can't honestly believe that? It doesn't matter if they know the truth or not, what matters is what they all think. What everyone's saying. Everyone thinks I'm a heartless bitch, Lissie. It's even written on my locker. No one cares about my side of the story. What's the bet, half of the people here are listening to this, thinking I'm just spinning a web of lies to save my ass?" My voice was thick with emotion as I gestured at my fellow students, the ones eavesdropping hastily ducking their heads and moving on.

"Linda, I know it's hard right now, but it'll get better," she tried to console me. It was no use, I was set on the fact everyone hated me.

"No! Lissie, you don't get it! No one hates you! No one thinks you're a heartless bitch! No one is pissed at you for something you had no control over! No one looks down on you for not having enough money to visit your Dad, that's suffering from cancer! No one here understands, but that doesn't stop them. They don't care about me, or my story. They only care about what they're told, they see what they want to. It isn't going to get better, because no matter what I say, or do, I'm always going to be a bitch to them. Hell, I'm worse than Sabrina at this point." By this point, the dam had broken, a stream of tears trailing down my cheeks as I broke down.

"Hey, hey, it's all going to be alright. Just trust me. Now, let's go find Nita for you, eh?" I nodded, avoiding the disbelieving glares of other students. They probably think I'm heartless enough to fake cry.

Let them think what they want.

~~~

I didn't stay for period one.

I couldn't stand all the whispering and staring, I just couldn't.

And so, I rushed home and pigged out on all the cupcakes we had. I couldn't bake but my aunty occasionally sent Mum baked goods. I lay on the couch, not caring about the icing dropping on my shirt or the crumbs lying on the floor.

The events of the past week roll over me in a wave, and soon enough my eyes droop shut and I feel something hit my nose.

~~~

I shut my eyes tighter in a feeble attempt to go back to sleep, but my shoulder starts shaking more persistently.

"Wake up!" an exasperated voice groans.

"Leave me alone," I reply sleepily.

"You wake up right now Melinda Wilson, or so help me God," Nita grits out.

"Ughhh, fine. Whaddya want?"

"I have good news. No, great news. Nay, amazi-"

"I get it, it's a good thing, just tell me what it is!"

"Fine, fine, little Miss Impatient. As you know, the annual Fall Festival is next week. I was thinking, instead of sticking around for it, we should go camping! You know, school will be basically useless for the next two weeks, we'll just be making props and floats for the parades and festivities. So, what do you think?"

"I guess that'll be good."

"Yasss! I'll tell the others."

"Did you just say yass? Oh my lord..."

Despite this I grinned, a camping trip truly sounded like exactly what I need.

+++

A/N: Hey guys, here's another update! I'll be updating White Roses tomorrow, now I'm off to write some more! Deds to my good friend felix, I miss you! P.S he's got a bomb-as book on his profile, go read, vote and comment on it and help me spam him into updating hehe.