My Friend Lizzie

Fresh meat

The rain seemed to fall heavily upon the thin and battered windows of the school bus, the distinct yellow pigment standing out like a flamingo in a field of pigeons as the rusty mobile rolled down the road.

It seemed as though the rain would never cease, but this was Florida; rain never stayed for long. Elizabeth missed England. She longed for its gentle breeze and rolling hills. She desired its crinkly autumn leaves and pure touch of snow in the winter. But it was too late for desire and endless longing, as sad as it may have seemed.

Elizabeth's eyes drifted around the rickety automobile that she was sat within, and the moment she did so, the scent of bubbling soda and teenage sweat filled her nostrils like ear-buds. She grimaced at the stench and covered her mouth in fear of regurgitation, wishing that she had never paid her attention to the place around her.

It wasn't long before the small yellow rust-bucket stopped and allowed many other zit-covered adolescents to fill every nook and cranny until all seats where taken. Unluckily for Elizabeth, a large boy with shaggy brown hair and a bright-red jacket had taken the seat beside her and had begun to shake the plastic bottle of soda that sat in his fist uncontrollably.

She braced herself as he stood up and opened the bottle with pride, hooting like an ape as he coated most people around him with sticky, bubbling soda. Fortunately, Elizabeth was in the best place to not be hit by the soda shower. 

Many other people on the bus laughed and began to copy the boy, shaking their bottles and letting soda fall like mala from heaven. Elizabeth gawked at the sight before her; this would have been like a death sentence back at Newbridge. She did her best to avoid the splatters of citric acid that darted around the bus and luckily, remained dry.

The bus soon stopped and the students flowed out of the bus like a typhoon, Elizabeth getting off last to avoid the possibility of being coated in soda. She looked up at the grand building before her with awe, reading the words carved into the wall above the steps. Southerman High-school.

Elizabeth stepped cautiously up the steps, terrified of the possibility of slipping and clutching her backpack with the firmest grip. The scorching sun burned her neck and made her desperate to get inside. She soon was embraced by the luxurious air-conditioning and gave a sigh of relief as it eased her enflamed neck.

The hall was as crowded as a hall could be, and she felt as though she was a dancer in the thirties as she dotted between students. She rather enjoyed the music of the thirties; she hoped to one day write her own song.

Elizabeth soon made it to her locker, noticing the scratched paint and letting out an anxious chuckle. She was in for a bad time. Her stunt from the previous school would haunt her for the rest of the days. She should have just let him do it.

She grabbed her books and shut her locker quickly, turning around suddenly and, doing the unthinkable. Bumping into a girl, but not any girl. The girl. Paige Haisely. The queen bee of Southerman high, "Watch where you're swinging, hoe! Who the fuck do you think you are?!"
She stepped back a few paces and placed a hand on the cold, rusted metal of the locker behind her, shivering at its touch.
"I swear, it wa-"
"No, don't even speak." The girl pointed a sharp, long, pastel pink painted finger straight at her, narrowing her carefully plucked eye-brows and glaring at her with the harshest, cold blue eyes, "You do that shit again and I'll pop your skull like a sparrow egg, you got that, stutternut?"
"Yes miss." She said, clear, terrifyed.
The girl slapped her across the face for good measure, "Use your eyes next time, and have a lovely day." She spat, cackling and flicking her ivory-blonde hair before walking off with the highest level of sass that a 15 year old girl could have. It was clear that 'stutternut' was a name that was going to stick.

Elizabeth sighed, picking up her books with shaky hands before getting up and continuing on her way. Her mind was still fried from the encounter with the queen. She was just grateful that she was still on her feet, hell, that she still had her feet to begin with. Sure, the bees at her old school could sting, but this bee; this bee's stings could kill.

She let out a deep sigh, closing her eyes for a moment. And guess what happened then? Bam. Down she toppled. Elizabeth fell backwards, her back cracking against the cold, hard tiles that made up Southerman High's floor. Her books flew across the room and before the word go was even uttered, people were ripping out their phones and laughing like rabid hyenas.

A thin, pale girl in a blue jumper steps forward as the coward who knocked the poor English newbie down ran, "Hey! Don't you have some other shit to be eating? Go on, piss off!" She shouted, the students looking at each other and rolling their eyes. A large boy in a leather jacket chortled, and hobbled through the crowd, "Why  should we, lesbianna?"
The crowd laughed, the girl raising and eyebrow, "Because, Jake, I fucking said so. Go and fuck Katie in the bathroom or something.." She snarled, helping Elizabeth to her feet.
"You bitch.." The boy raised a fist before suddenly, in swooped the maths teacher, Mr. Harnican, "Hey! Enough!" He yelled, the boy lowering his meaty hand, "Don't you all have somewhere to be? C'mon, get to class! Now!" He yelled once more, the students staggering off in small groups.
"You two,"
The pale girl and Elizabeth looked up at him,
"In my office. Now."