Jay had moved back in with his mother. I visited him every day. We hung out at the park most times. Dante talks more, but still keeps his distance. Everything is going ok. I think.
There's a new batch of prissy populars at our school. Just a bunch of pink dolls. Same as always. But this group was kind of different. One of the girls I knew. She went here before Jay came and we were best friends. Until she started leaving me alone and ditching me for a bunch of other girls. I didn't care much for her anymore.
They whispered an pointed and laughed. Haven't they learned that we don't give a shit what they think anymore? Apparently not.
A couple days passed by. The popular people kept getting closer, ready to strike at one of the five of us. Make that six again. They struck at Emerald too. In the harshest way.
It started one day when Jay and I walked up to Dante at the lockers. I put my hand on his shoulder making him jump an look toward me. His eyes were filled with water. "What's wrong," I asked. He just looked at the locker. There was a paper stapled to it. The news picture of Emerald getting pulled out of the water. The picture read as follows: "Some cut, some hang, some drink bleach, and the. There's the special kind that drown. Emerald Hastings everyone!" After that there were arrows pointing to her. And quoted saying she deserved it.
Without thinking I tore the paper off the wall, ripped it up, threw it away and hugged Dante. I could tell this was killing him. (Emily was one of the new popular girls; my ex best friend.) she walked behind us and began laughing. "She drown herself. I saw the picture earlier," she practically spit the words.
"You think this is funny?" I shouted. "She was murdered and everyone is saying she committed suicide!" I couldn't think. Dante walked away and Jay grabbed my arm. After a few moments, Emily spoke, "If you're saying I was the one who put the picture, you're wrong. I wouldn't do that. I've just been hearing the rumors and thinking they were true." I was steaming. "If not you then who was it?" I questioned. "Try that stupid group of guys. With the one that you beat up."
At this I walked off, Jay trailing.
After I got home that night I heard a knock on the door. Jay stood outside with Dante. "Hey," Dante said. "Hi," I greeted them. We sat on the couch in silence for what felt like forever. Finally Dante was the first to speak, "Did you see our facebook pages?" "No," I replied. I got up and grabbed my laptop from the counter. When I sat back down I signed into my profile.
The first post was by Andre telling me happy late birthday about three months ago. All the rest of the posts were horrifying. Emily had tagged Jay, Dante, and I in a nasty picture of a slit wrist. The next post we were tagged in was someone hanging from a tree in the middle of a field. I read the next post. "Andy, you used to be my best friend. Now you're just an emo skank that hangs out with a bunch of idiots. I think your little whore of a friend Emerald deserved to die. I honestly don't even know why I was friends with you. I'm glad that ended when your little boy toy came along. I was glad to get rid of you. They're not my target though. You are. Why don't you do us all a favor. And kill yourself. Please and thanks. :) ~Emily"
I started to cry. I realized Jay was standing behind me reading over my shoulder. Jay took the laptop and hugged me. I cried into his shoulder. She was my best friend. And now she was targeting me for no reason.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
A few days later nothing else had happened. Until Wednesday. I walked into the school not prepared for what was gonna happen. People stared. Laughed harder than ever. There were hundreds of papers taped to doors, lockers, walls, tables, everywhere. They were all pictures of me. My face on some kind of different animal with some different quote calling me emo, a disaster, suicidal, a fuck up. I looked around the cafeteria and saw Emily taping up her last work of art.
