Let Me Be The One // Benny Rodriguez // COMPLETED

Chapter #4 // Bullies

Opal's POV

I walk in the school doors with my hand in Benny's. What a great way to start the year.

I'm just confused as to why they combined the middle and high school into one HUGE building. Doesn't that get confusing?

I notice some girls gossiping out of the corner of my eye, but I'm not starting the school year out like this. I refuse. So I ignore it.

"Is Eighth Grade hard?" I look over to see YeahYeah asking a couple older girls questions. I shake my head.

"Let me compare my schedule to yours." Benny says, getting his schedule out. I hand him mine. As he looks through it, I see his expression drop.

"What is it?" I ask him. He looks up at me like a depressed puppy.

"Aww.."

"Just kidding, we have the same classes." He smiles at me. I smile back immediately.

"Yay." I say as he kisses my head. At least this year won't be boring.

We head to our first class to get our locker combinations and stuff like that. Once I get mine I head into the hallway, but this girl blocks my way. On purpose.

"Excuse me," I say politely. She doesn't move. Me being my shy self, I just back up and wait.

"Hey, can you move please?" A voice says. It's Benny. With that, the girl moves.

"You can speak up, ya know." Benny says, putting his hand on my shoulder as we walk in the hall.

"I can't, actually, it's hard." I look at him. "I'm TERRIBLE at talking to people I don't know."

"You warmed up to me just fine." He smiles.

"But that was because you weren't some snob." I smiled back. "Plus, when I'd see you around town and stuff, you were nice, so I knew you were someone I could trust."

He smiles at me. Obviously, I smile back. Like an idiot, as usual.

I manage to make it through the day without dying of boredom, surprisingly.

The school food is still nasty and probably has diseases, so I became my cautious self and inspected everything before I ate it.

I put in my locker what I don't need to take home in exchange for what I do need. As I put my things in my bag, some girls shove past me, being quite rude actually, and purposely making me drop my stuff. I look up and it's the same girl who was blocking my way earlier that morning. She was looking at me with a disgusted look on her face, like I was some bug.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" Someone shouts. I look up from picking up my books to find Rebel.

"Rebel, don't start anything, please." I say as I get up, throwing my bag over my shoulder.

"Okay, no offense, but, I'm making myself your body guard. You are WAY too shy and are SUCH a doormat." She smiles. I smile back. If Rebel was someone I met just today, that probably would've been offensive, but I've known her since preschool.

The girl that shoved past me walks up to Rebel. She's a good bit taller than all of us, I have to admit. She looks older too.

"You gotta problem punk?" She looks down at Rebel.

"Wow. Not even enough respect to call someone their name. That's low Bethany."

^^ Bethany. She's played by Ajiona Alexus from "13 Reasons Why".

"How do you know my name!?" The girl asks.

"I know a lot about you and I won't hesitate to spill it." Rebel threatens.

As I stand beside Jolie, I remember that Bethany and Rebel go back to about 4th grade. Bethany shoved Rebel off the swing set, which broke her ankle.

Bethany knows exactly how to get under Rebel's skin. Considering they were forced to hang out to 'make up' after Rebel's ankle healed.

Bethany starts talking crap about Rebel. I can tell it's annoying her, but if she brings up ANYBODY else that she's close to...

"And DO NOT get me started on that puny little boy you call your friend!" She points at YeahYeah, who had walked up.

With that comment, Rebel snaps. She throws her backpack to the side and jumps on Bethany.

Bethany slings her into the locker and starts punching her. Teachers all around are yelling stop, but neither of them listen.

I can't bare to watch Rebel get hurt anymore. Her lip is already busted, although I see bruises forming on Bethany's face and blood on her nose.

Right as Bethany goes to punch Rebel really hard, I shove her out of the way, taking a punch in the shoulder and face, and a shove from the knee for her.

I hear "Ooohhhhhs" and other noises coming from the kids watching. Probably because the loud crack my shoulder made when I was punched and then slammed into the locker filled the hallways.

Since she was so much bigger than me, she hurt me worse than someone Benny's size could.

I feel arms wrap around me before my vision gives out.

Benny's POV

I don't know it's it's from shock or if she was hit too hard in the head, but right as I hold her close to me, she gives out.

I hold her as tight as I can, not wanting anybody near her.

The principal soon walks up and shoos everybody away, sending them home. He sends Rebel and Bethany to his office, and asks me to stay with Opal while the nurse looks at her.

She told me that her shoulder was dislocated, and I held Opal's hand as it was put back into place. She squeezed my hand so tight I thought she was gonna have a baby!

Once Opal was free to go home, we waited with YeahYeah and Bethany's jerk-off boyfriend for them to get out.

It turns out that Rebel was suspended for 2 days while Bethany was suspended for the rest of the week, for purposely being rude and then practically starting the fight by talking crap. Rebel only got 2 days because... well she has anger issues. And the principal knows it wasn't completely her fault for getting into it, but she still needs to learn to control it.

I walk Opal home and help her explain everything to her parents. They thanked me for my kindness of being there for her, and asked me to just keep an eye on her. Obviously I said yes. What kind of boyfriend would say no?

I get a bag of ice for her shoulder, since it's still a little sore, and help her up to her room. I help her lay down and I sit on the bed beside her, letting my hand rest on hers.

"I promise, you'll be okay." I say as I kiss her cheek. She manages a small, genuine smile, which makes me smile.

"Benny..."

"Yeah Opal?"

"Don't leave me..."