Your mind brewed like a cauldron that mixed a terrifying concoction of second-guesses and what-ifs. Jeremy, with his contagious smiles and irresistible chuckles, was pounded to a pulp. The image of his dull and dreary body was a slideshow you paid far more attention to than the ones the teachers displayed. Why would anyone do this? 

Pauline had something to do with this. I mean, that guy, Neil or whoever, is her boyfriend. Yet, she was such a charismatic girl, an achiever. Of course, Jeremy would have the lovey eye hearts for her. You were fairly sure that most of the teachers would prefer to lend their ears to the student body chairperson rather than some lonesome nobody. 

There was this twinge of jealousy you could suppress, there was no denying. How could a girl be so perfect... 

Jeremy would have already left by then, somehow you could sense his absence, a fleeting warm light. It made you long for time to get on with so you could check on him.  

You kicked away the rock on the swing. 

Why would it matter about you acting like a clingy girlfriend?  

Before slumping in the seat, you had conjured up a fake Jeremy talking to you, a grin glinting in the sunlight, with no bruises on his body whatsoever. Instead, you were met with dark clouds and a soft drizzle. Drops landed gently on the back of your hand. 

With a sigh, you retreated to class. 

... 

Being oriented into such a foreign place was surprisingly easy, you supposed it was because of Jeremy, that glimpse of hope, you were able to continue your lessons without feeling so alienated. Somehow, you felt like you belonged here. 

Eventually, the students were dismissed from class and you were straight out of your seat in no time. You had flicked open your phone to see that you have received a message from none other than, Jeremy. 

hey! thx 4 bringing me 2 the nurses! wld u like to come over to dinner at my house? uh..... dont maen it liek a date or anyth, just 2 sya my thx.  

The way he typed in the text was... endearing. You could somehow sense the sweaty, shaky thumbs creating typos along the way. You couldn't blame him, many people tend to take the wrong messages sometimes. Before you could type back, you rubbed the sweat off your palms.

Sure :D 

It all happened in a swift motion, your phone was swiped away from you, it clattered on the ground. You winced at the sound, the screen was cracked. You did not have to look up from the floor to see them. 

The same trio that had emerged out of the shadows to put you into place. The pack of wolves hunting for their lamb. During your first weeks in school, you had gathered an amalgamation of information from eavesdropping on other people's experiences with them. Perks of listening more and talking less. 

But all of them shared one message, do not mess with them. 

They stared up at you expectantly, Pauline perked an eyebrow, "Well? You're just going to gawk at us?" 

You could not answer back, what exactly did they want to say? Cry and feign ignorance? Though you weren't intimidated, you still cannot find an answer as to why... why are they doing this? 

"You have this piece of junk?" She rolled her eyes. Gladyss picked up the phone, dangling it with her pointer and thumb like it carried a disease. 

"Oh, would you look at this. She received a message from that pathetic, little moron and he can't even type," She sneered. With how she described your friend, you bristled, jaw hardening and resisting your fist from flying into her face. 

Somewhere in the distance, you could hear a vague yell, a British accent, it seemed, "I AM NOT A MORON-!" 

"YES, YOU ARE!" She shouted back in its direction. It sent sparks everywhere. 

"Enough," You whispered, mentally slapping yourself for not speaking up louder, rather it came out more like a squeak. 

"She speaks?" Alyx marvelled, almost like she had been searching for your voice like a treasure all this time, shouldering past her peers. 

"Get back in line," Pauline snarled, shoving her to her original position. 

Her emerald eyes glinted with poison, Alyx shuffled and grew smaller, dipping her head meekly. 

"It's only been your first week in this school," She began, "And you've already been whoring for that Jeremy boy. It seems like we need to give a little lesson for this slut." 

A manicured hand shot out and yanked you by the hair. A running faucet smacked you on the forehead, swelling red. 

"This is to wash your FILTH from this school!" Pauline threatened. But you could hardly make the words out as your ears filled with water. 

Your foot swept Pauline's legs and she released you, nearly tumbling backwards. How sudden she had let go that your knees buckled and collapsed to the cold and wet tiled floor, not before the rim of the sink knocked your left cheek. 

A shoe pinned you down to the ground and another continued bashing your sides. With every attack, waves of pain stung as you thrashed wildly to be released of her grip. The world turned bleary. 

So this is what Jeremy had to go through nearly every day. Helpless. 

The bystander Alyx yelled over the clamour, "Please! Stop, she's had enough!" 

The snakes stopped lashing at your body. The foot left your hair. You managed to pick yourself up from the ground, ignoring the throbbing agony in your sides, you had wanted to stay crumbling on the ground. Before you could even leave, Pauline reached for something at the belt of her skirt. 

Your breath hitched, out slid a revolver from her violet jacket. The barrel hovered over your forehead. Behind Pauline, you could observe both Gladyss's and Alyx's eyes bulge. 

"That's enough, Pauline," She said, flitting her amber eyes at me, "Do not waste a good bullet on a fool like her." 

"Hm," was the only thing she could reply, before replacing the gun in the holster. 

And with that, they left.