The Bully

1

"Hey weirdo, did Mommy pack you a lunch today?" Chloe teased the shorter girl.

"Um no." Beca said and opened her lunch bag. She didn't have a mom.

"Really, then what's this?" Chloe grabbed a little note from Beca's lunchbox. "'Dear Becs, I wuv you. Xoxo Mason!' Ha! Who the hell is Mason?!"

"My nephew." Beca said softly.

"Nephew!? You're only twelve! Is your sister a slut?!" Chloe teased.

Beca blinked back the tears forming in her eyes. Jenna was always the best big sister, especially when their parents abandoned them. Jenna took care of Beca like Beca was her daughter. Jenna had her own son who was four. Jenna herself was twenty two, ten years older than her younger sister.

"Not answering, huh?" Chloe teased. "Must mean it's true!"

"Jenna loves Mason." Beca mumbled.

Beca took a container out of her lunchbox and began eating the crackers until Chloe eventually gave up and left. Beca never understood why Chloe was like that.

That afternoon, Beca moped through the front door of the apartment and was met with an adorable child.

"Bec Bec!" Mason squealed.

"Hey Mason." Beca mumbled and dropped her things on the couch.

"Why so sad?" Jenna asked before giving Beca a gentle hug.

"Just Chloe stuff. She's so mean sometimes." Beca sighed.

"Wanna know why?" Jenna asked softly.

"Why?" Beca asked.

"She's jealous." Jenna said. "You're beautiful, kind and super funny."

"Thanks Jenna." Beca smiled. Maybe she was right.

The next day, Jenna braided Beca's hair in cute pigtails and Beca loved them. She entered school confidently with a smile. That is, until Chloe came by. Chloe grabbed one of Beca's pigtails and yanked it causing Beca to scream.

"Cute little girl gonna cry?" Chloe teased. "You're so cute!"

Beca just looked at the redhead. She had a smirk plastered on her face but her eyes showed nothing but adoration. It was a weird look, so Beca tried her best to ignore it.

"Don't pull on my hair." Beca warned.

"Oh I'm so scared!" Chloe said sarcastically. "What're you going to do? Tell your mommy? Is your mommy going to kick my butt?"

"No." Beca said. "I don't have a mom."

Neither did Chloe. Chloe wanted to say that. She wanted to say "I'm an orphan too!" and hug the other girl. She wanted to say that, but she couldn't. She couldn't find the courage.

"Did she leave you?" Chloe teased. "You a daddy's girl?"

"No." Beca said. "I live with my sister and her son." Why was Beca saying this?

"Weirdo." Chloe scoffed and turned away.

That afternoon, Beca returned home once again in defeat. She had taken out her pigtails during lunch and opted for a ponytail instead.

"Hey, what happened to the braids?" Jenna asked. "You looked so cute in those braids."

"I don't want to be cute!" Beca snapped. "I want to be normal!"

"It's okay." Jenna hugged her sister. "Did Chloe make fun of your braids?"

Beca nodded.

"I'm going to kill that little rugrat!" Jenna said. "She has no right to make fun of you. She's just insecure about her own life. What do you know about her?"

"I don't know." Beca mumbled. "She seems pretty confident."

"That's only a wall, hiding all of her other emotions." Jenna explained. "You'll see."

At that exact moment, on the other side of town, Chloe was being beaten.

"You're worthless. You know that?" Sam told Chloe.

"Why Sam? Why?" Chloe asked.

"I don't know!" Sam was clearly drunk. He had been taking care of Chloe for a while now and she has gotten used to it. However, when he was drunk and telling her she was ugly or worthless or stupid, it went right to her heart.

She walked out of the house. She walked down the street and into the store she always shopped at. The man who owned the store knew her mom before she died and he often gave her clothes for free. Chloe had gone for a badass vibe because that's who she thought the world wanted her to be. She wore chokers and leather jackets with skinny jeans and combat boots. She looked like she could kick your ass. Deep down, that wasn't who Chloe Beale was, but that's who she had to be.

The next day at school, Beca had brought in a new book, Wonder. It was about a boy who was different. Beca wasn't much different from her classmates, but Chloe's mean comments definitely made her feel that way.

"What're you reading?" Chloe asked. "Wonder? What a dorky book! You're such a nerd."

"Have you read it?" Beca found herself asking.

"Oh please! I don't read!" Chloe snickered and walked away.

"Why?" Beca whispered to herself. It was a valid question. Why was Chloe like this?