Dangerous »ᴄɵᴍᴘᴌᴇтᴇ«

THIRTEEN

THIRTEEN [Madisyn "Freak" Simms]

"You've really come out of you're shell recently, haven't you, Freak?"

I winced as a hand smacked on the wall next to my head. There were three of them. Two of which I didn't recognise, but I recognised Lucy. Lucy with her cream jacket. Lucy with her angry hazel eyes. The other two girls were clearly there for intimidation while Lucy was the speaker and while I knew that I should fight, I couldn't. Nor could I find my voice to call for help.

"We not good enough to be talked to?" Lucy demanded, eyes flashing. "Oh, that's right, you don't like girls so you don't need to act like a damsel in distress like you do with Zero. Cut the crap, Freak, we know what you're really like."

No you don't, I wanted to say. But I couldn't even open my mouth. Forming words felt impossible in that moment.

Pain radiated across my cheek. Blood flew through my face until I knew that Lucy's slap was now shown as an angry red mark. I bit my lip to keep my whimper in.

"What did you offer him anyway?" Lucy demanded, standing with her hands on her hips. The other girls stood around making it as though they were a cage. "Sex? No... he doesn't go for you're type." "You're type" sounded like someone would sat roach, or rat. "What did you offer him?"

"Nothing," I said, finding my voice. I wasn't the only one that was surprised. "I just asked him to model for me."

"Model? Ha! How about you tell me the truth, or this time, I'll make sure it's my fist."

I cringed as I tried to answer. Tried to remember everything that had happened since the first day in the park. "I drew him a map to the hospital. Then he started speaking to me the first day back in school. Then I asked if he would be my model. That it."

"Why the hell would he model for you?"

"I don't know."

Lucy seemed to hear the tiredness in my voice because she blinked as though she'd suddenly realised that I wasn't lying. But that only seemed to annoy her. "You're really pissing me off, you know. I'll tell you what, don't talk to Zero. Don't look at Zero. Don't anything to Zero. Got it?"

I nodded jerkily.

"Because if you do any of those things... You will regret it. Do I make myself clear?"

Again I nodded quickly.

"Good. Come on, girls."

But one of the girls didn't move away. "You know, I really like you're jacket. Give it to me. Now."

Jerking back at the command, I hit my head against the wall.

"What are you waiting for," Lucy asked me, pausing to watch as I lifted my hand to clutch my head. "Give her the jacket."

When I didn't move, the girl moved forward and Lucy turned back. It was the girl who unzipped my jacket, who ripped it off my body as Lucy stopped and watched my hopeless expression.

"You really are pathetic, you know that?" Lucy told me in a strange soft voice of almost pity.

I looked at the ground. Not wanting her to see my expression that I knew would please her. It was the only thing I could do because I knew that she was right. I was pathetic. I was weak. I was a Freak.

I pushed myself closer to the wall as though it could swallow me whole - almost begging for that to happen as Lucy leant in to me, her breath touched my ear. "Don't go near Zero again."

Then she moved away, the girls with her laughing - at me - as they returned to the main part of school.

Feeling something crawling down my cheek, I wiped it away, only to feel my fingers get wet. Looking at my fingers, I saw clear liquid. The crawling motion started on the other side. I'm crying? But I hadn't cried in years. Cleaning my face the best I could with my arms that were now shivering in the cold winter air, I looked over to where Lucy and the two others were now. I felt like curling up into a ball when I saw the girl throw my jacket into the nearest bin. Why? Why did they do that if they were only going to throw it into the bin? Why!?