Rays of Dawn Light

IV

   The walk to school was never the part that Dawn dreaded. It was getting there. Dawn always wished the walk was longer. She could've trudged along for hours, thinking. But it was all too soon, that the bulky brick building, came into view.
   The school was an old structure, composed completely of red bricks. Inside, the walls were wooden, and the floors were tiled. Dawn had been told the school building was constructed around a hundred years ago.
   Kids loitered around the school yard, some playing hopscotch, some on the play structure or monkey bars, and others standing and talking on the tarmac.
   Dawn's entry through the gate went nearly unnoticed...
   If only.
   Dawn wanted to scream as she felt smugness and anger, rippling through the other floods of emotions in the yard. With her eyes, she saw two people she very much didn't wish to interact with. But Fiona and Griffin McKorgan approached her, despite her mental pleas for them to stop, and turn around.
   "Hey Dawn," Fiona did, her voice falsely sweet. So nice, that Dawn had fallen for it, the first time she had ever talked to Fiona. But she knew better now.
   Holding up her arms in surrender, Dawn tried to push past her enemy. Fiona didn't budge. Instead, she shoved Dawn backwards.
   Kids all around swarmed to watch, and some whipped out their phones. The McKorgan twins were never nice, but they were especially terrible to Dawn. They had a long history, beginning with friendship, leading to break up, ending in Dawn being bullied.
   "Wait a minute, I wasn't done." Fiona grinned wickedly, and Griffin placed two restraining hands on Dawn's shoulders. Dawn shuttered to think what Griffin could do to her under Fiona's command.
   Their duo worked perfectly. Fiona was smart, while Griffin was strong. What one twin lacked, the other supplied. They could do some serious damage together.
   "What do you want, Fiona McKorgan?" Dawn asked, trying to sound polite. It wouldn't work.
   "Well, Miss Light," Fiona replied, equally as sweet. "We were hoping that you could help us with something. Would you mind? It seems a bit crowded here."
   Dawn felt like crying. The way Fiona said it reminded her of when they had been friends. Before the fight. Before the drama of being older set in.
   But Dawn followed the twins, as she had no other choice. They marched her to the end of the yard, with the cover of some trees. While Griffin shoved off the mobs of kids, Fiona sat down. She patted a tree root beside her.
   "Dawn. I hope you haven't had a lot of work to do lately. My isn't school stressful these days? I was just thinking you might be able to help me. Griffin has been having some trouble, and since I know you are always offering to help him with his school work..." Fiona shoved a huge folder into Dawn's hands, " I though you could assist." Grinning malevolently, Fiona stood up, leaving Dawn sitting dumbfounded, Griffin's unfinished homework still heavily sitting in her hand.
   Fiona reappeared at her side, and ducked down, whispering in her ear.
   "He should get an A, shouldn't he? Oh, and, it's all due by the end of the week."