Darkness Falls

Chapter 21 - Bullies At Breaktime

Skittle was sat in the lunchroom at breaktime, as children at the school had to. She was sat on her own, eating a white chocolate breakfast bar. She had decided to keep being a loner, as nobody seemed to like her much. If she made a friend, they'd just leave the school anyway. She looked around. Everyone was sat with their friends from their primary schools, but she didn't have any friends from her primary school.
Suddenly, the girl named Emma from her English class came over to her table.
"Hello there, Skittle." Emma said politely.
Skittle was confused. How come she was so nasty to her in the classroom, but she was being nice to her now?
"Oh, hey there, Emma." Skittle said.
"Listen to me now, Skittle. Don't you dare try and be better than me." Emma hissed.
Skittle looked taken aback.
"I'm not trying to be better than you, I was just a bit upset that I worked so hard for so many years and I thought I would get more than a Level 5." Skittle explained.
"Oh, really? What were you doing talking to Mr Winter then?" Emma questioned her.
"What's so bad about talking to the teacher?" Skittle asked.
"Only people who want to be better than me talk to the teacher. Because if the teacher gets to like you, they raise your grades. I learnt that in primary school." Emma told her.
"Really?" Skittle raised her eyebrows.
"Yes, really." Emma said.
"I don't care what you say. If I want to get better and have a good education, I'm not going to let you stop me." Skittle told her.
"I'd like to see you try." said Emma with gritted teeth, then she leapt towards Skittle.
Skittle managed to dodge out of the way, and she ran to the doors away from Emma.
"Come back here now!" Emma yelled.
Skittle darted up the corridors. She didn't care where she ended up, as long as she was away from this bully. She rushed up the stairs leading to the English classrooms. She skidded on the floor and burst into a random classroom.
It was Mr Winter's classroom.
"Oh, hello, Skittle. What are you doing here?" he said, surprised to see her.
"I'm being chased." Skittle answered breathlessly, holding onto the door handle as she tried to catch her breath.
"Who by?" Mr Winter asked her.
"By Emma, that girl in your class." Skittle told him.
"Emma? But she's usually such a nice girl." Mr Winter said, looking confused.
"She's really not. She said that she's better than me and chased me." Skittle said.
"Haven't you made any friends? Wouldn't they protect you?" Mr Winter asked her.
"I don't have any friends." Skittle said, and she burst into tears.
"Why not? What's wrong?" Mr Winter asked with concern in his voice.
"I lost two of my friends at primary school. Every time I make a friend, they leave, so I gave up making friends." Skittle told him, sobbing.
"I'm so sorry, Skittle." Mr Winter said, and he handed her a tissue.
"Thanks." she said, dabbing her eyes.
Then the bell went.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Mr Winter asked worriedly.
"I think so." she told him, then she grabbed her school bag and hurried out of the door.