Killing Me Slowly (Lapidot Human AU)

Chapter 5

We walked in silence to a little utility closet where Jasper pulled out a heavy red tool box. "Take what you need, and let's go..." Jasper mutters, standing impatiently with her muscular arms crossed. Seeing her like this made me....frustrated. I stood there for a moment, then finally blurted out, "What's with you?!" "What do you mean 'what's with me?'" Jasper asks, pretending to be completely surprised at my sudden outburst. "We were getting along fine, then all of a sudden after I say you're familiar, you cut me off and act like a dick to me!" I shout, clenching my fists by my sides.

Jasper wears the angriest expression I've seen her had since the few hours I've known her. Even though her incredible size intimidated me, I didn't show it, and I faced her without changing my cold expression. She glares for about 10 more seconds, then her expression slowly softens and she closes her eyes and sighs loudly. She pinches the top of her nose with her two fingers, and looks clearly distressed about something.

"Do you remember a lot of your childhood?" Jasper suddenly asks out of the blue. "Um...yeah I-I guess..." I reply, not sure where this was going.

"Do you remember being bullied a lot?"

"I.........yes."

Just as Jasper was gonna open her mouth to speak again, the girls that she was playing poker with called her over and asked what was taking so long. "I'll be right there!" she yelled back, then looked at me with an apologetic expression. "Look, if you run out of any tools or supplies or whatever, go see the Bismuths, 'k?" she asks quickly, dismissing the childhood subject. "Bismuths?" "Yeah, the big buff girls with rainbow hair...?" "Oh...'k thanks..." I reply looking down at the red tool box. And with that, Jasper runs off, apologizing to the others for keeping them waiting.

I picked up the toolbox and headed back to the elevator. 

Time skip

I open the door to my room and dropped the toolbox on the desk in the corner. I turned on the lamp and pulled out a piece of blank paper and began sketching out the design of the drone. This needs to be done by the end of the week....damn. I don't know how the hell I'm gonna pull this off - but I will if it means not getting my throat slit by a gang leader. After about an hour and a half of sketching, I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore and I lazily glanced at the clock - 1:03 AM. I needed sleep, and no one was gonna stop me.

I trudged over to my bed and flopped onto it, not even changing out of my heavy-ass leather clothing. The last thought I had before I drifted off to sleep was of Jasper asking me about my childhood and me being bullied. Why did she ask that? I began to think back to when I was in maybe elementary school or so, because that was when I was bullied the most. Then that's when it hit me - there was this one bully who would always pick on me the worst, and she was always so cruel to me. What was her name?.....SNOOOREEE

"GIVE IT BACK!!!" I screeched, jumping up, trying to reach my backpack. The tall girl held the object over my head and lifted it up any time I tried reaching it. "What're you gonna do about it, twerp? Cry to your mommy~? Hahaha!!" Why was she so mean to me? I continued to hop up and down, helplessly yelling at the girl to give the damn backpack back. 

The girl then lowers the backpack, and just as I thought she had her share of fun, she dumps all of the contents from the backpack onto the hallway floor. I watched in terror as all of the objects hit the ground with 'clacks' and loud 'thumps'. My lunch money had also fallen out, and before I could get to it, the bully had already grabbed it, and shoved it in her pocket. She chuckled, giving me an evil look, and I felt my whole body tremble. 

She then picked me up by the front of my shirt with her big hand, and her face was 2 inches away from mine. "You better watch your back, pipsqueak..." Her hot breath stung my eyes, and she dropped me and I fell on my back with a hard thud. She stomped off, laughing hysterically. Man, there's only so much a 4th grader can take. I rubbed my back, and climbed to my feet again. I bent over to pick up my belongings, mumbling curses under my breath. 

....

At recess, I walked over to the swing set, and cautiously sat in it, making sure not to fall over. Just as I was about to start swinging, I felt a hard tug on one of the chains hanging the swing, and I fell backwards headfirst into the wood chips. I then heard cruel laughing, and I looked up to see who this person was. It was the same girl from earlier - not that I was surprised. I got back up on my feet and faced her with the most confidence I could muster up. "Stay away from me, Jessica!!! You're just a big, dumb, cruel meathead that belongs in a dumpster!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, very proud of myself for standing up to her. And then she punched me in the nose.

I stumbled backward, but caught myself from falling. I held my nose and felt the blood trickling down from my nostrils. Jessica then shoved me to the ground, kicked me in the side, and stomped off once more, not saying a word. I sat there in silence, watching her walk away, tears filling my eyes. I then began full-on balling, pulling my knees to my chest, and burying my head between them. I continued crying for what felt like forever, until I heard a sweet, high-pitched voice. 

"Hey...d-don't cry. Are you okay?" 

I looked up, and a girl was kneeling right in front of me, wearing a sympathetic expression on her face. She had short black hair, blue eyes, and she was wearing a blue-striped shirt with a cute blue ribbon in the back. "Let's get you cleaned up, okay?" the girl said, smiling widely at me, holding her hand out. I took her hand, and she pulled me up. "I'm Lori. What's your name?" She asks in a sweet tone of voice as we walked to the school bathroom. 

"P-Penelope..." I mumble, staring at her in awe close-up as she was cleaning the blood from my nose with a tissue. After a few more moments of her dabbing my injured nose, she backed up and looked satisfied. "That should be good." She states, putting her hands on her hips triumphantly. All of a sudden, we could hear the teacher blow the whistle for the kids to go inside. We were already inside, but Lori said she had to go to her classroom. "It was nice meeting you, Penelope!" Lori waves, before skipping to class. 

I watched her skip, and the teacher finally snapped me back into reality, calling me to the classroom. "C-coming!" I yelled, running to the classroom. The rest of the day I thought about Lori and how nice she was. I hope we're friends forever...

....

I jerked awake, quickly sitting up in bed. I glanced at the clock and it read 9:07 AM. I felt my face and noticed dry tears on my cheeks. Was I crying? I asked myself, confused. I then remembered my dream - Oh my stars...