Mute
After I threw up in the boys’ room, I had decided against going to the nurse. I felt fine after puking anyway. Eventually, the epidemic passed and kids stop vomiting. One day, I’m hanging out after school walking alone. I usually do this. I notice that John is still hanging out with Krissy and Kasey. He’d usually move to another girl by now but he still hangs out with them. I notice a new middle school couple walking around. A boy named Steve and a girl named May. They may just be friends but I somehow doubt it. As I’m walking around I hear someone shout my name. “Hey Mute!” Someone calls out. Kids call me Mute since I don’t talk much. I don’t care though. I whirl around to see a boy named Nick. He’s tall and has buzz cut hair. He always wears a blue baseball cap. He has bad acne so his face is covered with zits. He has a group of boys who pretty much worship him.
“What are you doin’ in the middle school? Stalking little children?” he teases. “Ha. Ha. Real funny.” I mutter sarcastically. “Child molester.” A boy named Jared sneered. “What are you doing in the middle school anyway. Hypocrites.” I say under my breath. “Hippo-what?” Jared asks. “It’s means we say one thing and do another.” Nick explains. Jared snickers and rolls his eyes. I start walking away but Nick blocks my path. “Where do you think you’re going?” he asks with a deep voice. “Move!” I command. He laughs and shoves me against a nearby locker. I realize I’m way outnumbered and they could beat me to a pulp. I know if they do, they’ll get suspended but to them it may be worth it. A boy named Jack slaps me. Nick kicks my balls and I fall over. I want to fight back but I know it’d be smarter to try and escape. I attempt to crawl away but Jared yanks me up by my hair. I elbow his rib cage. He lets out a groan of frustration and slams me against the locker. Hard. My nose trickles a little bit of blood.
“Why are you beating me up?” I demand weakly. The boys look over to Nick who looks around nervously. “Cause it’s fun.” He says quickly. There’s another reason but I don’t know what. I never did anything to him. And even though I know a lot about a lot of people I don’t have any dirt on him. He delivers one final punch to my face and the back of my head slams against the locker. I feel my heart beat in my head and pain overcomes me with every beat. “C’mon. Let’s go.” Jack whines. Nick studies me carefully. “Yeah. Alright.” He mumbles sadly. They walk away leaving me lying on the ground. I weakly sit up. Everything seems to spin around me. I use the wall to support me and stand up. I know I should tell someone and I shouldn’t care if people say I’m a snitch but I don’t want to become more of an outcast then I am already. So I weakly walk down the hallway and limp all the way home.
The next day, I don’t intend to stay after school. But I end up getting detention for not handing in my homework. I would’ve handed it in but I fell asleep doing homework since my body needed to recover. So I end up going to room 202 for detention in science and wasting my Friday afternoon. Eventually the teacher lets me go since she is bored and I’m the only one in detention. I intend to go home but in the empty hallways, I run into Nick again. This time he’s not with his followers. When I see him at the other end of the hallway, I turn around and walk quickly in the other direction. “You can’t avoid me forever Mute!” Nick’s voice calls out. I quicken my pace and lockers fly by. I hear pounding footsteps behind me and start sprinting. Wishing someone else was in the school to help me, I run down random hallways and end up in an old run-down hallway no one uses. I look around and hear the lights buzzing. The floor is dusty and caked with dirt. I’m in the school’s basement where no one bothers going anymore. I realize I’m at a dead end. I look behind me and see Nick running down the stairs. “Told you there was no point trying to avoid me.” Nick teases. I lower my eyebrows. “What do you want?” I demand angrily. He smirks and I realize something’s not right. He begins to get a soft orange glow. His ears stretch out like a leaf. He pulls out something shiny and I see he has a knife!
“What the hell man! You can’t bring a knife to school! Are you out of your mind?” I shout angrily. “No.” he replies sharply stepping toward me knife in hand. I want to back away but I show no fear and glare at him. I’m not afraid of him. He steps closer to me. A warm feeling flows through me. I’m not scared. I’m not scared. Nick raises an eyebrow and studies me the same way he did when he beat me up yesterday. “What? What are you looking at?” I demand. He laughs. “You’re so clueless.” He raises his knife and I see part of my reflection in the blade. My hair is black and shiny instead of brown and frizzy like it usually is. Two bat ears stick out of it. My eyes are big and gray instead of dark brown. I look at my hands to see them covered by dark red gloves. My t-shirt and shorts have changed to black smooth fabric. My shirt has a red lightning bolt on the center. I look over my shoulder to see I have two broad bat wings. I stand shocked by this change. I begin to panic. “What the . . .” I can’t form words. Nick doesn’t look surprised. He knew this would happen to me. That’s why he beat me up and kept looking at me expectantly. “You knew this would happen! How?” I demand. He smirks. The air around him shrivels up and he disappears. I just stand there in a trance.
