The Girl

Part 1- The Beginning

Winter was young, but not too young. Fifteen going on eighteen in her mind, maybe older with everything she's dealt with. She was on her way to school, taking the long way, down the road walking along  the sidewalk. She didn't feel like taking the shortcut through the woods today, there was no need to hurry. It was Monday, and it was cold. Her mom had told her to suck it up while sucking down a cigarette that morning. She only wanted a ride this morning, and there was no reason she couldn't do it for her only daughter, but no, "Just go," her mother told her as she popped a pill. Supposedly a prescription, but in an old film canister. She knew better, probably a Percocet, meaning she would not be in any condition to drive her to school.

Winter stopped for a moment and shivered, she had no jacket. She never got hers replaced when she grew out of it. She had asked so nicely that day they went shopping, a cute black and red $30 jacket that was on sale, regularly $50. Her mom said, "Not right now, next time." That was about nine months ago. Instead she had a black sweater and blue jeans. She had a pebble in her right shoe, and awkwardly took it off. Winter shook out the pebble. As she was putting her shoe back on she heard her name called.

"Hey, I'm talking to you," came the familiar voice.

"What?" Winter replied as she pulled her shoe on.

"I said what are you doing on my sidewalk?" said the familiar voice. Bethany, but you had better call her Beth. She stood there with a hand on her hip, flipped her red hair and batted her blue eyes. The look on her face said "You're in my way." Why Bethany today, why not tomorrow? Not that she cared one way or the other about Bethany, but she wasn't in the mood for her bullshit today. Winter shrugged. "Getting a pebble out of my shoe." She looked at Bethany with a cold stare.

"Didn't I tell you I better not ever, EVER, see you on MY sidewalk?" Bethany said with a sneer. Lucy was behind her, a lumbering, sorry excuse of a girl. Lucy stood 6'1" at sixteen years old. She was usually by Bethany's side, and did whatever Bethany told her. Winter was sure Bethany had some dirt on her, she couldn't see Lucy taking the kind of shit Bethany makes her do. Lucy was big enough to cream Bethany. 

"And didn't I tell you to fuck off?" she replied.

"Yeah," Bethany stepped closer, "You did, and I had Lucy kick your ass after. Remember?" She smirked again, and nodded to Lucy. Lucy took a few steps forward.

Winter looked at Bethany, then up to Lucy. Lucy grimaced, then raised her hand and smacked her across the face. She stumbled, but held her ground and stayed on her feet.

"My mom's boyfriends hit harder, you shit," she told Lucy. Lucy raised her fist, but faltered and looked back at Bethany. Bethany shook her head. "We're running late, let's go," she said.

As they passed, Bethany made sure to shoulder her way past Winter, shoving her aside with her shoulder. "Next time you won't get a warning, bitch," she said.

Winter wiped at her nose and looked at the back of her hand. It had a smear of bright red blood on it. She was always amazed at how nose blood was so bright and vivid compared to the dark blood that came out from other places you could bleed from. She watched the two as they moved off down the sidewalk, "After you, Bethany," she said aloud, but she was alone.

7:58am and she walked into class. She was cold, shivering, and still had a smear of red under her left nostril. Mark, her classmate to her left, whispered to her. "You got a little smear on your nose." She wiped with the back of her hand again. "Better?" she asked. "Uh, yeah," said Mark. "Just a bit of pink around your nose now." She looked at him, sniffed, then looked back to the rear of the class. Bethany was laughing with her friends, and glanced in her direction. She started to whisper to the girls around her and they all had a good laugh while each took turns looking in her direction.