My Precious

THIRTEEN

Precious was so anxious, she had been all week. The show was finally here and although she had rehearsed countlessly, she still felt something was wrong. She touched her hair bow and then her throat.

"Don't worry dear, you would do perfectly well, okay?" Grace assured her as she readjusted her bow.
"Leave the bow as it is. Look at me." She ordered. Precious did.

"You are one of the best singers have ever met and the sweetest. You are not singing to win but you are here to have fun and discover yourself, okay?"

Precious nodded.

"It doesn't matter if others are here to win. Just sing from your heart and have fun. Now who's my strong, confident and smart girl?"

"Me?" Precious said lowly with no confidence.

"Come on!"

"Me!"

"Great! That's my girl. I'll be watching you over there. Bye"
Grace said and left.

"Hey Precious." Carolina said as she came closer to Precious alongside with the bullies she dreaded.

"Carolina." Precious said plainly.

"The show is about to begin, everyone take places." Their teacher announced and they all ran to their positions. They had earlier rehearsed and they know where to stay.

Precious stood behind Carolina and anxiously held her bow. After a few rounds it was Carolina's turn, she sang beautifully and confidently as expected. She returned back stage with a large smile as cheers still went on for her.

'Can you hear that?' She said to Precious whom anxiety had swallowed, fear was the only expression that could be seen on her face.

"You sang well." Precious said simply.

'Well? I did better than well. Are you jealous you would never be able to sing as I did?' She said and pushed her right shoulder.

"Stop, Carolina." Precious pleaded. It called the attention of the bullies.

"Stop Carolina." The bullies mocked her. They all laughed.

"You can't sing, you better run away to your poor ugly looking mother, so she can take you home to the little hut you live in." Carolina said then pushed her hard to the ground and the bullies laughed as they called her mother poor and ugly.

Precious was sad, anger filled her soul. It's okay for them to make fun of her but to her mother, it is unspeakable. She tried her best to consume the anger in her, to keep it in but she couldn't bottle it in anymore as the bullies danced around her and brought out their tongues to her. Precious kicked the leg of the boy to her left, he fell down. As the other tried to blow her in the face, she rolled away from the spot and he hit his hand on the floor. He let out a loud cry. She quickly ran to Carolina and pulled her hair, she screamed as she tried to reach out for Precious bow. Precious slapped her hands and pushed her, she charged at Precious and they were in a lock till they pushed their self to the stage.

"Precious!" Grace shouted as she ran out of her seat to her. She threw away everything she had on her.

"What is going on here?" The teacher screamed.

"She started it." The boys pointed to Precious.

"No, they started it. They called my mother poor and ugly."

"You shouldn't have fought over that." Grace said quietly as she climbed the stage properly.

"Yes, because it's true." A voice said and they all turned to the person.