Living with Homicidal Maniacs - I mean friends

Why hasn't Lunes killed all the Bishes yet?

I sigh, and relax as the cool wind blows around me, slightly ruffling my hair and crumpling my clothes. The park bench feels cold against my legs, and I shift around slightly to get more comfortable. The laughter of the other visitors at the park reaches my ears, and a sense of loneliness overwhelms me, before I shut it down, and pull out my phone.

No messages, 2:13pm.

My thoughts drift as I watch the stream nearby flow into a small pond. Luna, Slime, Dorian, and Tammy, we all agreed to meet at 3pm. However, me being me, I'd rather be an hour early than a few minutes late. Especially since Dorian and Luna said they had something important to share with us...

A sudden crunch of gravel caught my attention. It couldn't be Luna, her relapse nap is normally around now. Slime and Tammy are at work...

"Dorian?" I ask, looking toward the sound. Since everyone knows my habits, it isn't weird for one or two of them to deliberately show up early.

However, it wasn't Dorian.

"Hey, Peachy. Having fun all by yourself?"

"... hi, Briar." I mutter, instantly tensing up. She flicks her long brown hair with a flourish and saunters up to me. Giggling slyly, she places a hand on my shoulder.

"It may have been a couple years since you left my school, but I'd never forget you. It was so fun watching you crumple more into yourself day after day. You're still doing it now - look at you, crying already."

With a gasp, I gingerly touch my face. I - I'm crying?!

"Look, Briar, please, leave me alone. You were so mean to me back then, and I-"

SLAP.

"My... my face burns." I whisper, clutching at the hot red mark on my cheek.

"I was never mean!" She says angrily. "Look, PEACHY, I'm trying to get into a proper University. If they even thought I was mean I couldn't get in. This is why I've come to find you."

"M - me?" I stammer, tears still staining my cheeks. I'm so upset with myself - Briar was my bully several years ago, and in my last year of school, it was... really bad. As in, so bad I fell into a deep depression that still pops up from time to time. She - Briar - was the main cause for that. She IS the main cause for it - I've only been talking to her for a few seconds and all those feelings and memories have just been brought up all over again.

Briar forcefully brings me out of my frustration by cupping my hurt cheek. I flinch and try to pull away, but she grabs my neck with her other hand, forcing me to stay still.

She smiles at me... too sweetly for whatever she says next to be genuine.

"Look dear - we've never had any sort of conflict, right?"

"I, uhh-"

"And even if we did, if it was ever brought up - especially to the wrong people, well... I might have to pay you another visit." She tightens her grip on my neck, and her nails dig into my cheek. My hands spring back up once again, trying to get her to loosen her grip, but it's just no use. She's too strong for me. Or at least - too strong of a mindset. I feel so... so weak.

"I - I just, umm-" I feel frantic, scared, stressed, upset. What... what can I do? Is this just... my fate?

BEEP. BEEP.

"M... My alarm..." I mutter, glancing down to the pocket my phone is in. It must have just turned 2:30pm - my final alarm to make sure I arrived at the park in time. "My friends..."