Framed

Three - Freaks and Bunks

“What’s your problem?” I demanded. “And– and I do not sound like that!”

“I do not sound like that!” I noticed a few people had looked up again, and I noticed some of them were trying and failing to stifle their laughs.

Looking back, it was probably the fact that I had always been the biggest badass in the school that left me feeling so helpless and intimidated. But the only thing going through my mind was that there are times when you should stand up and defend yourself, and there are times when you should shut up and run. When a big scary dude damages your property (no matter how cheap and unimportant) it is most usually a good time to shut up and run.

“Just leave her alone, Dallen,” some other guy muttered.

“Shut up, moron,” Dallen snapped. “Don’t tell me what to do.”

“What’s that you called me?” the other boy asked with his tone still calm but somehow threatening as he raised his eyebrows warningly.

“I said shut up,” Dallen repeated, jerking quickly towards him. 

A redhead girl that sat beside the other boy touched his arm, and he just glanced at the girl. “I’m not gonna shut up, Dallen,” he spat. I could tell it was taking him a lot of effort to not stand up and punch Dallen in the face.

“One more word and you’ll be sorry, Miller,” Dallen threatened.

“Look bro, we don’t need to take it that far,” the Miller kid said, gesturing with his left arm and open hand towards the crushed hair clip on the floor. “All I’m saying is you don’t have to be a jerk to everyone you see.”

“Why the hell do you care?” Dallen asked.

I couldn’t believe they were arguing over a hair clip. My hair clip.

“I guess I don’t,” Miller said, wincing and looking at the floor.

“Yeah,” Dallen said slowly, his lips curling into a devious smile. “You do.” I couldn’t help noticing that with his accent he pronounced his “yeah” something like a slightly attractive “yeh.” I didn’t have enough time to properly admire it before he said, “You caught the love bug for that freak of a chick that just walked in.”

“Ugh,” I groaned. “I’m not a freak, you jerk!”

Dallen swore under his breath. Miller rolled his eyes. “Look, asswipe, I don’t know this girl, alright? I just think you need to calm down once in a while.”

“Shut it already,” Dallen growled.

“I’m not gonna shut up,” Miller repeated.

“Fine, jaw all day, see if I care.”

Miller smirked at me and shrugged, then turned his attention to the redhead beside him.

“Can I just have the hair clip back?” I asked Dallen cautiously. Before I punch you in the face? I thought.

“Cameron has to fight for it,” Dallen said childishly, looking towards Miller. I could tell he was reasonably entertained by the situation he was causing.

“He’s not going to,” I said. “That’s the stupidest thing I ever heard.”

“Then somebody’s not getting her hair clip,” Dallen informed me. Before I even knew what I was doing, I stood up and spat in his face. His jaw dropped slightly, but he didn’t bother cleaning the spit that was sliding down his cheek. “Watch it, freak,” he said smoothly.

“You don’t scare me,” I said, just as calmly. I stepped back against the wall and slipped back down to the floor, beginning to wonder if I had misread one of the directions on my way there and ended up at a school for the mentally unstable. I inwardly reminded myself that I’d gotten a pack of eight hair clips at Dollar Tree.