I start hearing commotion. I look up at the clock. We have five minutes until the bell rings. I stand up and put my painting and supplies away, clean up and sit and wait for the bell to ring. I don't have to wait long. The bell sounds and I head to my locker. Brandi shows not long after. We head out of the school and to her house.

"You don't have to do it, you know?" she asks, "everyone who gets it from Lori deserves it for what they did to you. Including me."

"I didn't ask for revenge," I answered, "I stopped it myself. That was all that I wanted. For it to stop. And it did. She's starting it up again. I can't let that happen."

Yes, Brandi was one of my bullies. Not a violent one, one of those that call you names and make fun of you. I got her alone and punched her a couple of times without a word. She stopped bullying me. Then a couple of weeks later, she came to me and apologized. Then she started saying hello to me in the hallways. Then she asked me to come to dinner at her house a couple of times. Things just slowly progressed to where we are now friends. It was nice. The others just sort of avoided me.

"Well if you change your mind, I'll understand," she told me as we reached her house. "I won't, but I appreciate that," I told her. Then, out of no where, she hugged me. It was a first and it took me a minute to return the hug. Then she backed up. She had tears in her eyes. "Well, see you tomorrow," she said. I told her goodbye then turned and left. I hurried back to the school. The sky was overcast. It looked ominous, like it could storm. I can fight in the rain. I prefer not to, but I will.

I make it back to the school. The hallways are deserted. I go to my locker and get my science book. If I have time, I think that I will read the next chapter to wind down tonight. I head to my dorm room where Leslie is waiting. Leslie was not a bully. I didn't even know she existed until she became my roommate this year. We hit it off immediately.

I get to my room and as is expected, Leslie is waiting for me. She is sitting on her bed kind of looking down. She looks up when I enter.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"I have a bad feeling about this," she answered, "you know that you don't have to do it."

"Yes I do," I told her, "she will never leave me alone if I don't. At least my way we can have some peace."

"I asked Sam to be the lookout," she told me, "are you okay with that?"

"That's fine," I answered, "what are you so worried about?"

"I think that it's going to rain," she answered.

"I can fight in the rain," I told her.

"Yes, but Lori might melt," she joked. I smiled.  "Maybe I'm just nervous," she told me, "what do you need a referee for?"

"We don't," I answered, "I just thought that you might like to be there."

"How about if I'm just another look out with Sam?" she asked, "I don't know anything about officiating a fight."

"That's fine," I answered.

I lay down on my bed to relax for a little while. Twice now I have been told not to do it. What is going on? I close my eyes and clear my mind. I focus on my breathing. In through my nose, out through my mouth. In and out, in and out, in and out.......

I wake to Leslie shaking my arm. "It's almost dinner time," she tells me, "how you could sleep at a time like this, I will never understand." I hadn't intended to go to sleep. I got up and changed into some black leggings, a white slim fit t-shirt and sneakers. I put my hair up in a tight bun and leave all of my jewelry behind.

We head down to the cafeteria and get in line. It's chili, cornbread and chocolate pudding. We get our dinner and go sit with Sam and his friends. "Are you sure you don't want an audience?" one of them, I think Carl, asked.

"Yes," I answered. There was a collective groan. "We do need someone to wait at the front doors to let us back in," I told them.

"I'll do it," Carl said.

"Okay," I agreed.

"She's here," one of them said. They all turned to look. I didn't look. I knew who it was. I finished my chili and cornbread and started on my pudding.

Lori took her seat a table over from us. She didn't eat. She just stared at me. Probably her version of trying to psych out her opponent. It's not going to work. I'm not afraid of her. A few minutes of staring isn't going to change that. I finish my pudding and wait for Leslie to finish. A few minutes later, we get up to clean off our trays and turn them in. I walk to Lori, "I'll meet you at the front entrance in ten minutes." I turn away without waiting for a response and walk away.

Leslie and I head to our dorm room. "Be there in a minute," I told her, heading for the bathroom. I take care of business, wash my hands then go to our room. Leslie's sitting on her bed waiting for me, "We still have a few minutes." I sit down on my bed.

"How can you not be nervous?" Leslie asked.

"I'm just not," I told her, "I'm actually a little excited." I might get to try out some of my new moves. We wait a few minutes, then I get my staff and we head to the front entrance.

Lori's not there yet, but Sam and Carl are waiting. "She's waiting outside," Sam informs us. We go outside. "Did you bring a weapon?" I asked Lori. She pulled out a switch blade. "This way," I nodded and turned toward the peach orchard. It's typical that she chose a knife. I wasn't the least bit surprised. We made it to the orchard, "You two stay here at the edge as lookouts," I told Leslie and Sam, "we are just going to that clearing in the middle of the orchard."

I continued on into the orchard, "Watch your step. The peaches are slick." She didn't respond. I could hear her behind me, so I didn't look back. We walked a few more steps then I heard a grunt and felt a sharp sting in my back on the lower right side. I jumped and turned around at the same time. "Coward!" I grumbled, "We haven't even started yet and you slice me when my back is turned to you." She doesn't answer. She has a determined look in her eyes. She swipes from left to right, missing me as I hop back. She stabs at me and I hop back again.

I push the button on my staff so that the ends extend out. I guess we're fighting now, right here. I had only picked the clearing for her benefit anyway. I twirl my staff in front of me and knock the knife out of her hand. The knife sails into the air. She grunts and grabs her hand with the other and holds it to her chest. I swing my staff low, knocking her off of her feet and onto her back. I hear a whoosh as the wind is knocked out of her. I stand at the ready, giving her time to recover. A courtesy that she wouldn't have given me.

She slowly gets up. I can tell that she is unsteady on her feet. She steps on a peach, slips and lands on her butt this time. She gets up a little faster than before. "Are you ready to give up now?" I ask. She groans and charges at me. I twirl my staff in a flurry, gaining purchase several times, as I back away and step to the side. She stumbles past me and falls. She mumbles something that I can't understand

"What was that?" I asked.

"I give up," she groaned loudly.

"Leslie!" I yelled.

"I'm right here," she said from behind me, "I heard her."

My back hurt so bad where she had cut me. I reached back to feel of it. It was sticky and wet. I brought my hand back around. It was covered in red. I could feel the blood trickling down my leg.

"We both need medics," I told her, "I don't know if I can make it back."

"I'm on it," Sam turned and ran to the school.

"I need to sit down," I started to fall. Leslie caught me and helped slow down the fall.

"Did you see her cut my back?" I asked Leslie.

"She stabbed you," she answered, "that's why we followed you. I was afraid that she would kill you if she got the chance."

"Is Lori still down?" I asked.

"Yes," Leslie answered. I suddenly felt exhausted. I passed out.

I woke to being jostled. Someone was carrying me. "What's going on?" I mumbled. "I'm taking you to the emergency room," a familiar male voice answered. He lifted me into a car seat and buckled the seatbelt. He stuffed a bunch of towels between my back and the seat. "Can I come too?" I heard Leslie ask. "Get in," the man said. I heard car doors shutting, then the car turned on. I looked at the man in the drivers' seat, "hi, Coach." I passed out again. I woke up to being jostled again. Coach was carrying me into the hospital emergency room.

"We called ahead from Orchard Academy. She's been stabbed in the back," Coach told someone.

"Right this way," a female voice said. I was put on a bed. They rolled me over onto my stomach. I passed out again.

When I woke next I was in a hospital room. Leslie was sitting next to me, holding my hand, laying her head down on her arm. I looked around. Coach was asleep in a recliner in the corner of the room. There was another bed to my right. Lori lay in it sleeping. The side of her face that I could see was swollen and bruised. I must have hit her in the face.

I cleared my parched throat. Leslie lifted her head up and looked at me. "Do you need a drink?" she asked. I nodded my head. She poured a cup of water from an almost full pitcher and handed it to me. I drank the whole cup and handed it back to her. She set it on the table.

"How are you feeling?" she asked quietly.

"I'm okay. Just tired," I answered, "How is Lori?"

"She has some cracked ribs, a fractured arm, a bruised up leg," she listed off, "Oh, and then her face."

"What's wrong with me?" I asked.

"I'll go get the doctor. He can explain," she said getting up.

She left the room and came back with the doctor. Coach woke up and Lori was stirring. The doctor explained that when Lori stabbed me, she cut into my kidney. They had to do surgery to repair my kidney then close me up. Blood loss was also a concern, but I seem to be doing okay now. They are going to keep me for a couple of days to watch over me. I should be able to go home the day after tomorrow. He said that Lori can go home tomorrow. I was surprised. She looked like she belongs here. The doctor left.

Coach approached me and took my hand, "I'm so glad that your okay. Your uncle will be here soon. Leslie and I have to get back to school, but we will come visit with you tomorrow, okay."

"Okay," I smiled. Leslie gave me a hug and they left.

"I'm sorry about your kidney," I heard Lori say. I didn't even know that she was awake.

"I'm sorry about your face," I told her.

"Don't be," she said, "I deserved it."