"STEPHANIE, YOUR FRIEND IS HERE!" Peter shouts from downstairs.
"I'll just go on up," Sierra tells him as I poke my head out of my bedroom door.
"Sorry about him," I smile apologetically.
"Don't worry about it, my siblings are much worse," she shrugs, entering my room.
"Don't take this the wrong way, but... is there a reason we bully people?" I ask shyly.
She stretches her arms casually. "Yeah, they're not as cool as us. You don't want to be one of them, so you gotta hurt 'em to separate yourself. It's high school logic. Why?"
"I don't want to do that anymore," I mutter under my breath.
"You what anymore?" She asks, inching closer.
"I'm done with bullying," I state.
She stares at me like I didn't say anything for a few seconds.
"...Oh." she finally breaks the silence. "So you want to be one of them..?"
"No..." I avoid eye contact. "I just don't want to bully them anymore."
She laughs and shakes her head.
"Steph, you dear little innocent sophomore, you can't just expect to hang out with us and not pick on a few weaklings."
I sigh. "Does that mean you're kicking me out of the group?"
She gazes at the floor. "I mean, only if you're serious..."
I nod. "I-I don't want to hang out with you guys if it means bullying other students."
She takes a deep breath and stands up. "Well, I hate to do this... I mean, you can still come to me if you need anything, just make it discrete... but I guess we can't be friends anymore." She starts walking out of my room.
"You don't have to stop being my friend if you don't want to," I suggest lightly.
She shrugs. "I have to go anyways. I'll see you around, Stephanie."
***
Tiana Pilgrim: Brian you little b-
.
Brian Fuller: whoa there
.
Tiana Pilgrim: -brick house!
.
Cameron Williams: ...?
.
Grace Anderson: Is that even an insult?
.
Stephanie Banks: That depends on what you mean by it.
.
Sierra Williams: Steph
.
Stephanie Banks: whaaa-
.
Cameron Williams: OH DANG
.
Grace Anderson: Um guys, what's going on here?
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Cameron Williams: DID YOU REALLY DO WHAT SIERRA TOLD ME YOU DID?
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Stephanie Banks: 🔪
.
Brian Fuller: OOH, IS IT MURDER?!? 😀
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Tiana Pilgrim: Brian, no! You're only allowed to be proud of me!
.
Sierra Williams: Stephanie get off the chat.
.
Stephanie Banks: I think it's funny that you're associating with me 🤓
.
Brian Fuller: ???
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Sierra Williams: If you don't want us to come after you anytime soon, you'll get off the chat right now.
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Tiana Pilgrim: ok I'm good with that 😈
.
Grace Anderson: wth?!
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Stephanie Banks: I bet you all are going to die before the age of thirty. The wicked people always get destroyed.
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Cameron Williams: 👍🏼
.
*Stephanie Banks left the chat*
I fall back onto my bed and let out a sigh of relief. I won't have to deal with them or their drama anymore, and I won't have to feel even more guilty about the so called "SilverLake High Missing Case".
My heart beat stays calm and steady until it suddenly spikes.
I no longer have friends at school.
I'll be alone at lunch, so where do I sit? Who do I sit with..?
I won't have the security of knowing I'll be left alone in the hallways of what might as well be known as DarkSwamp High.
I should just transfer schools at this point, knowing I could possibly go missing at any time.
Ugh.
.
.
.
I hate high school.
***
(The next day)
-In Sunday school-
I straighten my skirt after sitting down and hope that the teachers brought treats.
"Where's Michelle?" Sister Davies asks.
"I hope she didn't go missing," Tim mutters worriedly.
"I bet she did," Brian smirks.
"She always takes the role," Sister Davies sighs. "Here, Stephanie, why don't you do it today?" She hands me a folder.
"Oh, okay." I open it to see everyone's names in my class followed by boxes, some of which have been checked and others filled with a circle. I've never really done this before, but I guess the circles mean absent.
I feel a pang of guilt when I see a circle in every other box following my name.
I start checking off the people who are present until I get to...
Ryan Marshall?!
Since when is he in this class??
Heck, since when is he in my ward!?
***
(
Monday)
-first period-
I sit in my seat and wait for the bell to ring, which it does soon after. I feel my hands start shaking lightly as anxiety rises up inside me.
Olivia offers me a kind smile. I try to return the gesture, but it probably just looks like I slept on a cat.
Miss Spilker takes attendance before talking to the class. "Looks like Michelle and Ryan are missing today..."
I feel my heart wrench. He was my last hope of not being alone here.
The door opens and Michelle walks inside. "Sorry I'm late, I forgot to set my clock and I thought I had time."
"The time change was on Sunday..." Miss Spilker points out.
"And that's why I also missed church," Michelle smiles nervously as she takes her seat.
The teacher smiles back. "Well, okay, that gives me a better reputation as a teacher. At least you're not missing."
I can't help but stare at the empty desk on my right. Would he really attempt suicide again? Or is there something we're all missing..?
YOU ARE READING
Shatter My Heart
Teen Fiction~ Discontinued ~ "Silver Lake High is responsible for more than a dozen missing teens, most of which are victims of suicide, believed to have been caused by bullying..." but Xander Hopkins was no suicide victim. Niether was Allison Packer, Caleb Col...
