The Jungle Girl

5-The Fight

                  I'm staring at the clock, urging it to go faster. I'm sitting on the filthy gymnasium floor, getting my black leggings dirty. PE is my last class of the day and I already know I'm going to be begging Zenny to pick me up early everyday. This is my own personal hell. Running, sit-ups, competitive sports, RUNNING. This is going to suck.

Guess who gets the award for biggest optimist?

Since this is the first day it's just an introduction that nobody's listening to about what we're going to be doing.

Looking at the clock is only making the time go by slower. Twenty minutes.

The teacher is the most stereotypical looking gym teacher to ever exist. You think 'gym teacher' and Mr.Dolly comes to your mind. He's quite tall, with a buzz cut and track pants. His voice is powerful enough to fill the entire gymnasium. He honestly terrifies me. But then again, everyone does.

Mr.Dolly finishes the instructions with ten minutes left. He tells everyone to stand up and I immediately feel panic rising up in my chest.

"We're going to do a team building activity," Mr.Dolly's voice booms across the room.

Right away, everyone starts looking around to find a group. My heart starts to hammer. I look around. I don't know anybody here. I'm starting to feel light headed. Calm down. It's okay. You're okay. Everything's okay. I take a deep breath. I turn when I hear my name being called. I turn to see Angela waving me over. I let out a sigh. At least she's here.

I walk over and she grabs my arm like she's known me for years. I feel myself tense up. So she's a touchy one. Good to know.

We get through the activity without too many mishaps. Angela talks a lot and doesn't really let me get a word in, but I'm fine with that. I don't really have any words to put in the first place. Other than the constant jabbering, Angela's not bad. I guess my first impression was wrong.

She asks for my number and I gladly give it to her, proud of myself for making a new friend. I find my first thought to be how Zenny will react to my talking to two new people today. Zenny. I feel my mood brighten at just the thought of seeing her.

Alaia and I agreed to wait for each other by the exit doors at the end of the day. After going to my locker, panicking because I couldn't open it, and then realizing I was at the wrong locker, I'm beyond ready to go home. I have a vague understanding of where the exit doors that lead to the buses are, so I head in that general direction. If all goes to shit, I'll just walk out a random door and I'll eventually find my way.

I get bumped into too many times to count and I get hit in the head with an empty water bottle that was thrown across the hallway. I'm so over everything at this point that I don't even care. The only thing that's going through my mind is that I made it. One day down. It wasn't even that bad. Maybe I can do this after all.

I'm near the doors when I spot a huge crowd gathering by some of the lockers. By the time I get there, there are so many kids crammed in the hallway that I can't get through. I have no clue what's happening, but I don't care. I attempt to push through the crowd, but I soon realize I am not getting out of here. Kids are yelling and cheering, some take out their phones and start recording. I'm in the middle of the mob now.

Great. My favorite thing is having a lot of people all around me.

I honestly don't know which way is which at this point. I get elbows to the head, chest, and stomach depending on people's heights. The group is becoming so large now that I'm forced to move up unless I want to end up on the floor. And suddenly I see what all the fuss is about. I'm now a few people away from the front and I have a clear view of what's happening.

There's a fight going on.

Shit.

On the first day! Come on, what is wrong with people? How could one person possibly have beef with another so quickly?

The two guys are on the floor with the guy on top literally pounding the other's head in. I don't know what to do, so I just stand frozen. I watch as the guys continue punching, pulling, wrestling, anything to come out on top. I don't want to get involved and I'm scared that if I move, I'll somehow get dragged into this.

After what feels like forever, a security guard comes rushing through. He tries to pry the boys apart but has to call for backup. Eventually the two guys are broken apart and are being held back from each other. I can't see the guy turned away from me, but I get a good look at the one facing me. His lip is swollen and purple and his nose is bleeding. He obviously got a punch to the jaw that will leave a bruise. His black hair is all disheveled and his shirt is torn at the collar. He glances over in my direction and we make brief eye contact before I avert my eyes. The eye contact was so brief that I don't even know if it actually happened.

The guards start yelling at us to go home and I don't hesitate. I run out the door as fast as I can, but not before I glance at the guy one more time.

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