Page 20
Me
Hey.
I smile as the text bubbles begin to appear, and watch as Liliana messages back first.
Liliana
Have you needed to use the taser yet?
Emil
Ugh, why are all high schools a war zone?
Me
I haven’t had to use it yet, but…
Out of the corner of my eye, I see a couple of girls walk into the courtyard and slide my hand into my backpack to pick up my bright blue taser. Lifting it to where my body is hiding it, I shove it between my thighs so my skirt is wrapped around it.
I can’t pinpoint why I feel uneasy, but neither girl has a lunch box or tray with her. They’re also not talking to each other, as I would expect two people who wanted to sit outside for their lunch time would.
It’s just…odd.
Me
I may be eating my words.
Rachelle
What happened between the time that I dropped you off and now?
Me
I fell outside and scraped my knees, had someone slap me in the face, and I told some guys they had tiny dicks for pushing me. That’s in no particular order.
Jared
Where are you right now?
Me
The courtyard on the back side of the school.
“Hey, new girl!”
Glancing to my right, I see a blonde with huge, bouncy curls coming toward me. There are about four or five more girls also walking into the courtyard, which is more than I originally saw. I love a mob.
Not.
“I have a name,” I say nonchalantly, typing one more text out before locking the phone.
Me
Not to be an alarmist, but there’s a group of girls surrounding me. No idea where any of the teachers at this fine establishment might be, Rachelle. Help?
Someone pulls my hair back hard, exposing my throat as I drop my phone with a clatter on the wood of the picnic table. Something sharp presses against my throat and I recognize it as a knife.
I’ve spent too much time around one not to know how it feels. The coolness of the steel feels like an old friend as the person behind me gets cocky and presses the flat of the knife against me. Knives and cuts are a method of escape for me. They help me have a way of controlling my pain. I don’t have it in me to feel nervous. Instead, my body relaxes, surprising the girl behind me.
