The Girl With The Dice Necklace

Chapter 4- The Usual Bruising:

   The ice in my soda slushed back and forth in the cup. Amber and I ran fast, faster than any gym teacher has ever made us run. I turned the corner and entered the alley I had gone through last time. We came out of the alley with Manny's Hardware staring at us from across the street. I looked both ways before deciding to go left as if taking the back way home. Although somehow I knew I wasn't going home right away.

"Where are we going?" Amber whispered between pants.

"Uh, I don't know." I whispered back.

"I was expecting you to have some sort of a plan."

"I do; run." I answered picking up the pace and about to turn left into yet another alley.

And of course just that convenient moment Amber tripped on God-knows-what. She obviously isn't used to running like heck in winter boots. I was reaching to pull her up as 3 broad-shouldered silhouettes came into view.

"Go hide!" Amber snapped, pushing me into the alley behind someone's trashcan. She was pulling herself up when they had officially caught up.

"Hey, look what we got ourselves today!" One of the boys said, eyeing Amber. I was praying they'd let her go. Maybe she could seduce them with her girly charm.

"Looks like we got someone different today." The "leader", Sid said, circling Amber who stood trying to look bored. I knew she was scared like crap, but she knew better than to look that way.

"Not as fast as our usual, but much more attractive." Sid chuckled. He must've known I was around if he was willing to throw a little insult in there.

Without thinking ahead much, I threw my soda cup at Sid. With perfect aim, I hit him in the head. I knew there was some reason I had kept that cup. This caught his attention, and the 3 boys left Amber to come pick on their favorite. I gave Amber a little look an motion to leave and she ran off, willingly, in the direction of my house. I knew when I had thrown the cup that I wouldn't have much of a lead if I tried to run afterward. So now I was going to get the usual bruising.

"Oh aren't you noble?" Mocked one of the others. I rolled my eyes, sick of being my usual scared self near them.

"So are you gonna punch me a bunch like usual?" I asked in a bored tone, raising my eyebrows at the end for that kind of an effect.

"Well if you'd prefer worse..." Sid trailed off.

"Are you expecting me to beg for mercy or something?" I asked blandly. No one answered, which I took as a yes.

"Can I ask one question? Just little teeny tiny one?" I asked quickly, without waiting for an answer. I was pacing now, with my hand folded like a business man. I had their attention.

"Why? It doesn't make sense. I don't know you or anything. You're just going to pick on someone because it brings you some form of happiness? You're that low?" I stalled in a mock business tone. They stared at me for a long while because they didn't know.

Then they ran after me, ready to throw some punches. "Oh, I understand, You don't know." I mocked while I dodged them. I turned a trashcan that was behind me and put it between myself and the sophomores. I moved the trashcan back and forth like a shield. Then I stopped and got their attention.

"Seriously guy. What am I doing wrong?" I fumbled around, positioning myself out of the alleyway and into the street.

They were trying to attack me but at this point I was kicking back and punching back. Finally I picked up my old soda cup; still half empty. The sophomores made some remark about what I was gonna do with a soda bottle. I dodged behind some trashcans and felt around in my pocket. I pulled out a mint Mento I had kept safe in my jeans. I sucked on one, and offered my bully friends one. Then I dropped the Mento in the soda, shook it up, and threw it at my friend Sid.