When I Met Polly

Chapter 10

Everything is silent as I hop into school, everyone stares in my direction. I unlock my blonde hair from its firm position swept behind my ear so the it covers the majority of my face which is on fire. It takes me a while to finally reach my locker. I sigh with relief to see it hasn't in any way been vandalised. I reach into my pocket searching for my key. It's a very hard task with crutches as you have to keep swapping arms. I sigh as I find it's too much of a struggle to find it and decide to just put up with a full and rather heavy bag for the day.
"Hey Abby, you want some help?" Questions Pauline a girl in my art class. I smile gratefully at her, but shake my head. "Are you sure?" She questions again and I nod. She begins talking to me about the art homework and I nod and occasionally stutter a short response. Then she stops in mid sentence as her eyes land on something behind me. Her eyes widen and I feel my breathing speed increase. I don't want to look as I have a feeling who it might be.
"Hey Abby," begins a boy's voice which is far too familiar. I shiver at the voice and ever so slowly turn around.
"Don't worry Abby, you don't have to talk to him!" Pauline spits, looking at Alex disapprovingly. He drops his gaze to her and glares.
"Hey, haven't you heard it's rude to scrape, creep!" He growls lowly and she huffs but stays at my side. "Now if you don't mind I was talking to Abby," he finishes glaring at her. He referring to me as 'Abby' is very foreign to me after his continuos insults.
"Well you can talk to me too!" She declares proudly staying put at my side. I wish she'd just leave, she isn't helping by being stubborn, and I know I'll pay for this. I turn to her slowly.
"I-it-t'ss o-okay p-Pauline," I assure with a weak smile. She raises her eyebrows in question, and I nod. She takes one final disgusted look at Alex who looks down at her with a deathly glare before huffing and storming off. I feel scared as it's just me and Alex now. He looks into my eyes with his dark blue ones.
"Listen up Abby, you need to meet me, Leann and Steph at lunch outside the canteen. Not inside out!" He orders not giving me time to reply as he takes a nervous look at my crutches before storming off. I thought they might leave me alone after everything, but I guess not. I stay in the same position for a moment, before closing my eyes for a few minutes in frustration and upset I then open them and begin making my way to form.

"Oh and Abby," miss says in a low voice as everyone packs up at the end of registration. "Come and see me at lunch," she says softly looking at me with concerned eyes. So now I had to meet with not only with The Three- (I am referring to Alex, Leann and Stephanie as this now as it's easier) but now I have to meet with the teacher. I sigh before nodding defeatedly. I steal a glance at Alex who is staring at me with dark eyes as is Leann, yet amidst the darkness, and threatening I see a hint of worry and vulnerability. I pull myself up and hop out of the classroom in my crutches not daring to look at Leann and Alex as I felt their gazes burn into me. I jumped a little as I saw outside my form room leant against the wall was Stephanie. Her eyes swivelled over to me and I felt my skin crawl. She just watches me darkly with her swivelling eyes as I shift past trying to avoid her abhorrent stare.
"See you at lunch," she says lowly before I leave the corridor. I freeze in the doorway, close my eyes and take a deep breath before opening my eyes and resume in making my way to my first lesson.

Stephanie walks up to me in history, I stare down at the table not looking at her although I can see her black leather shoes under the table, with a slight heel. I furiously pick at the skin around my thumbnail with my other thumbnail.
"Don't forget to meet us at lunch, before you meet miss," she says darkly. I don't respond and I feel her lean into the table further. "Okay Abby?" She questions. I finally nod although still not meeting her eyes or ever advert in gym gaze from my thumbs. I am still confused as to why they're all calling me Abby, normal long it's 'freak' or 'retard'. I see her shoes walk away, and I dare to look up at her walking away. And somehow, as if she can tell I'm looking at her she looks over her shoulder at me with a glare. I immediately drop my gaze once again to the table, trying to calm my breathing. Then the bell rings and it's lunch. I feel as if my heart stops and I freeze, I look over to Stephanie who stares at me in a knowingly and rather sinister way as a smirk plays on her lips. She knows exactly what I'm thinking. I begin to resentfully pack away my things.

Outside the class is the rest of The Three and I feel my eyes sadden.
"We decided to just meet here instead," says Leann, darkly. I know they were making sure I met them first and not Miss. They lock either side of me and guide me as I hop in my crutches. They lead me to a spot in between the canteen and the languages department. It is significantly hidden from view. They surround me and watch me.
"So listen up, the teacher is going to ask you about what happened at the art gallery," begins Alex. I nod sheepishly. "And we just want to let you know a few things," he says.
"Firstly it wasn't our fault that you fell, you did that all by yourself!" Hisses Stephanie.
"Secondly," begins Leann "the reason we took you into the toilets was to punish you, you took Alex's phone and still haven't given it back," she hisses. I nod trying to avoid their eyes.
"So if we don't snitch about you taking the phone you won't snitch about us ," he suggests and I nod once more. I want to say that I didn't take the phone however words completely fail me at the moment. "Also we didn't glue the door shut, it just got stuck," he growls although I know that's completely untrue. I nod.
"Okay now that's all cleared up, you can talk to miss," she hisses. "Freak," she finishes, which makes it clear. That it's still not over.

Miss watches me as I sit down.
"Hello Abby," she greets softly, I smile back. "So tell me what happened at the art gallery," she says and my stomach churns. I open and close my mouth trying to form word but only sounds come out. She smiles sadly and rummages around her desk, I watch her cautiously. I am relieved as she pulls out a pen and paper and places it in front of me. "You can write it if you want," she suggest and I nod and begin writing:
'I got confused with the female and male toilets, then I went in a cubicle and the door got stuck, so I tried to climb out but slipped and fell.'
She read it aloud and throughout I kept my eyes trained on my feet. I feel her look up at me as she finishes, she just looks for a while and I can just in the corner of my eye see her dark eyes.
"Now Abigail, are you sure?" She questions, I nod but a tear falls onto my cheek. She continues to stare, and then she holds a tissue out to me I take it and wipe my tearful eyes. "Tell me the truth," she says softly. I stay unresponsive and just wipe away my tears. "Was it by any chance anything to do with Alex, Leann and Stephanie?" She questioned and by breathing became heavier. I gulped and more tears escaped my eyes. I remained unresponsive and slowly look up at her. She offers a rather small and sad smile. "It was wasn't it?" She questions. I gulp again and attempt to shake my head, but then I close my eyes and nod. I then open them and miss just stares. She let's out a small and sad breath. Her eyes are regretful and disappointed. "It was," she confirms and I just scratch at my thumb. I feel sick and know soon I may be sick. I quickly grab the pen and paper my heart is hammering; 'please don't tell them.' I write. She sighs as her eyes read over he paper and she shakes her head sadly.
"Abigail, I'm afraid this is extremely reckless behaviour for them and I do need to see to this," she says and I close my eyes once again and let out a breath. "Abby what else do they do?" She questions I gulp and feel a sickening feeling rising in my throat. I sprint from the class and down the corridor to the toilets where I vomit. I pull myself up and sigh. I hen hear a voice in the toilet.
"Abby?" Calls a voice and it belongs to miss. I hug my knees to my chest and remain silent. I then hear a sigh and footsteps leave the room.

After lunch Stephanie is not in class.
"Where's Steph?" Questions Aimee to Olivia who let's out a little excitable giggle and glances over to me. Then in a whisper yet my ears still hear it.
"Did you not hear?" She questions incredulously. Aimee shakes her head her eyes are excited. "Miss said she wanted to speak to her, Alex and Leann. About Abby," says Olivia. Aimee gasps.
"Do you think she snitched?" She whispers. My heart is hammering. I am dead meat.
"Probably," replies Olivia and they both look to me. I quickly drop my gaze. Stephanie then storms into the class and everyone looks up at her. I gulp and a knot forms in my throat. With stormy eyes she looks over to me with stormy eyes. Everyone turns and looks at me with excited and curious eyes. She let's her eyes leave me and she storms over to her seat. I let out a sigh of relief. For now, I'm safe.