Blue Mirth

Numbing

Ivy Lisa

It happens so fast; I don't have enough time to register the consequences. John gets up from beside me, strides to Camp and Kylie, and punches Camp's face while he's still deep in the kiss. My breathing ends. Everyone in the cafeteria goes quiet. It's like we're all buffering. Kylie yelps when Camp is punched, and fakes innocence. "He... he forced me, John!", she says, her voice wounded, her face completely fallen. I don't believe this. "HOW DARE YOU?", John hollers at Camp. Now that we're all seeing John in his Bad-Boy get-up, we're all scared out of our minds. I can sense it. The tension in the large room. It's like there's this certain mad heat that's radiating off John. It's startling each person present here, as if he might pounce on anyone at any time. It's worrying me.

Camp looks so confused and it just confirms my suspicion. He didn't force her. He glances at Kylie, and she looks at him with a look that only I recognise. I'm sorry. Play along. Why? Let's just say I know people who have that look plastered on their faces like they were born with it. Plus, no one's really looking at Kylie right now. they're all looking at the framed Camp. "I... I did. I'm sorry, man. It was out of line.", he affirms. I mentally note that Kylie exhales. I glimpse at John. His shoulders have sagged, and he looks like he's just returned from an overlooked war. He probably has. He looks up – I can't tell who he's looking at, because his back's facing me – and says, in the smallest voice ever, "It was more than fifteen seconds long." Got you, Kylie. I see her face, and there's only one word for it: gobsmacked. "John, I couldn't get him off me.", she says.

Let me just say this: she stuttered. I can't believe she's lying. To John. In front of the whole school. I don't know why I'm getting so mad, but I am. She shouldn't have said yes to John in the first place, and now she's playing with his feeling? I'm sorry, no. I can't tolerate this. "Kylie. You're lying.", I utter. Correction: I blurt out. Now the concentration of the whole room is on me. I automatically duck my head. I didn't mean to draw this much attention. I didn't even mean to say that. "What's your problem, Poison?", Kylie spits. That nickname shocks me. No, not the nickname. The fact that it's coming from Kylie. From her, of all people. People stare at my reaction.

"Nothing. Continue."

I turn around and walk to the exit, my head staring at my feet, feeling stupid. I'm not going to class. I think I want to go home now. Or maybe not, I don't know. Someplace people can't tell me just how venomous my existence is. I get out of school and walk to my car. And it isn't here. I curse this frustrating situation, and walk out of the gate. I think about hitchhiking, but that'll just be stupid. My house is only nine blocks away. Only nine blocks. No big deal. Who am I kidding? Nine blocks will have my shoes disintegrated. Suck it up, Ivy. I walk in the direction of my house, my feet moving in a steady tempo. Halfway round the block, I realise that I've left my phone and all my books in my bag. Which I have left on the lunch room table. Excellent. My head starts throbbing.

I turn around and walk towards the school again. There's this sort of alley that comes in the way, which I always avoid because, well, me and alleys aren't exactly best friends. Speaking of best friends, Ivy, you have none. I think back to the Cafeteria Incident, and soon enough, my eyes are brimming with tears. I duck my head so they fall to the ground straightaway, and not on my face. I don't want to turn up there of puffy-eyed. 'Poison' they call me. That's what you are. I see the school come into view, and stop. If I go in now, people are going to judge me like I'm on a talent show and I'm amateurish. They do that anyway. I just walk in, not caring. The hallway is a marketplace, and when I enter, all their eyes turn to me. "Where did she even go? she doesn't have friends, so she can't possibly go to meet someone.", someone comments, to her equally snobby friend.