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Twenty-seven

September 14th, 2009

Victoria dragged along the walkway, passing muscular boys in white shirts, prissy girls in sweater vests and skirts, kids in bright green that wore glasses and had uncontrollable acne. It had only been about half an hour, but she had already picked out the ones she hated the most. The kids who wore letterman jackets—clearly they were on the baseball team.

She had spotted a few cheerleaders hanging out with them in short skirts and pigtails that made her want to gag. Briefly, she pondered the thought of punching one of them square in the jaw and watching them cry like little bitches. Victoria had a wicked right hook.

Jimin had already texted her saying to meet in the main quad—the center between the main building, the girl's dorm, and the boy's dorm. At each of the four concrete corners, there were groups of kids. Most of them looked like the ones in white shirts she had seen earlier. On each of them, one corner of their shirt was tucked in and the other was out. The girls had the same fashion.

Victoria stood in the center of the circle, looking around at the worn cobblestone around her and the pathways. The girl's dorm was a two-story building with ivy growing up the side. The old wood was painted coral pink. It was charming, but she didn't care for charming. She couldn't even make candles and she was sure there were a lot of rules she wouldn't care for and would end up breaking.

Then again, if she was expelled again she didn't know what her parents would do. They were just about fed up with her. I'm not going to waste my time on you anymore. The words rang in her head along with the image of her mother's face that was utterly disappointed. Part of her wanted to change and become a filial daughter. The rest of her wanted to swing at the bitch.

Her eyes were glued to the aging brick beneath her and the ambient noise of students chatting around her seemed to fade away. My own mother thinks I'm a monster. With a huff, she kicked at the ground before muttering to herself, "She's right, of course, but it still hurts."

"Noona!"

Victoria turned to see her cousin rushing toward her with a wide smile. His face was thinner than the last time she saw him, but he still hadn't shed the baby fat she thought was so cute. He still hadn't grown much, either, as he hadn't yet surpassed her height. His cheeks were puffed into happiness at seeing her again, his smile showing off the crooked tooth she found so endearing. If someone had told her that in less than ten years he'd be taller than her and fixed his teeth, she wouldn't have believed them.

His soft brown hair was layered across his forehead, as that was the style those days. Almost every boy had the same haircut. He threw his arms around her and squeezed her tightly, seeming to have gained some muscle.

"I missed you so much, Minnie," she said with a laugh, squeezing him in return.

A few feet away, a group of the white shirts laughed. "Oooo~" they teased. "Minnie's got a girlfriend!" They all began to laugh hysterically, making Victoria's blood boil instantly.

She felt Jimin tense in her arms and he quickly let go, his smile gone and an embarrassed blush taking over his cheeks. He averted his gaze and said nothing. But Victoria looked straight at the bullies and shouted, "Hey!" They stopped their banter and looked at her, a few of them checking her out like the pervs they were. "Is there a fucking problem or can you mind your own damn business?"

"You're lucky we're in public right now," one of the boys said with disdain. "I'd kick your ass, bitch."

If she wasn't angry before then she definitely was then. "What the fuck did you just say to me, scumbag?" She approached them ferociously, but Jimin held her back.