Emily's P.O.V 

Another day at Kollok Middle School. I didn't particularly like it, but my parents kept saying I was still only new to Kollok, so I had to give it a chance. The middle and high schools were joined together, so older middle school kids got to venture into the high school areas. Which meant I sometimes would bump into Mickey. And it would be really awkward.

Anyway, I was on my way to see my friends at break time. I was about to go up and say hi to them, but I couldn't. They were talking. "Emily thinks she's all high and mighty. I heard her Dad does drugs," my friend Sierra said. That wasn't true.

"And her sister's a weirdo," my other friend Arianna said. That one was true.

"I honestly can't tell who's worse, Emily or whatever the Hell her sister's called."

"Mickey Mouse."

"Emooly is Emily's real name, because she's a cow."

I could feel the tears stinging my eyes as I quickly walked away. I found a quiet spot just into the high school area, and I cried quietly. Suddenly, I heard a quiet, "Hey, Emily, what's wrong?"

I looked up to see none other than Tibby Devin. "I'm not telling you, idiot," I spat back.

"Come on, don't be like that. You can talk to me, I won't tell anyone."

"I'd rather tell literally anyone else."

"So you wanna talk to Billy?" Tibby smirked.

"Where's Mickey?"

"Still in class, I think."

"Okay fine, if Mickey trusts you, and Mom trusts you... my friends were talking about me behind my back."

"Really? What is there to say about you?"

"They called me a cow! And they insulted Mickey too."

"Well, they're in for it. I'll tell you... I've been a freak all my school life."

"I literally don't care."

"But being a loser and just being able to be yourself is so much better than being pressured to be someone you're not as a popular kid. Come on, we'll go wait for Mickey."

"They did not..." Mickey said, clenching her fists.

"They did! I wouldn't lie to you about them calling me a cow," I said. "But... I understand if you don't wanna help me. You don't love me so..."

"Of course I love you! I... we'll continue this conversation later. Tibby, come on, you're going to take this as a lesson."

I showed Mickey to my friends. I could see she was scrunching her nose just from looking from a distance. "Yeah, they seem like the popular girl type. Come close, but not too close. They're gonna have a good talking-to," Mickey said with a smirk, already strolling over to the girls.

Sierra and Arianna stared at Mickey as she strolled over to them. "I heard you were talking smack about my family?" Mickey said.

"Well... yeah," Sierra shrugged. "Y'all are a bunch of idiots."

"Hm... brave, you are. You have guts."

"Yeah, I d-"

"And if you're not careful, I'll rip 'em out."

"You can't do that!" Arianna whined.

"I can do what I want."

"Don't think that you can scare us with that! You're a weirdo with a Dad who drinks, a sister who's really full of herself and a Mom who wastes so much time on you. Who do you think is the worst in your family?"

Mickey looked as if she would explode. She punched Arianna in the mouth. Arianna stumbled back, and Sierra still didn't look scared. She was angry. "I'm telling! I hate you so much, you are the meanest, most horrible person ever!" she hissed.

"Tibby, stay here," I said, going over to my sister.

Sierra smirked at me. "Naw, had to get your older sister involved? You too chicken to stand up for yourself?" she asked.

"Mickey really hurts. Thought you should feel her pain."

While Mickey wasn't paying attention, Sierra punched her in the arm. "Hey!" I exclaimed. I kicked Sierra in the shin. 

Mickey smiled. "Em, it's fine, she didn't hurt," she said. "Even Tibby can hit harder."

"I HEARD THAT, BABE!" Tibby shouted. 

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

"OH OKAY! I'M HURT THOUGH!"

"JUST SHUT UP!"

"I'LL DO THAT!"

Sierra forced her fist onto the top of my head, knocking me to the ground. It managed to hurt my ankle, bad. I managed to keep myself from crying, but all my weight being forced down had to have broken it. Mickey growled at her, "Don't mess with us, got it? One more punch, and you two will leave."

Mickey punched Sierra in the stomach and shoved her and Arianna away. The two ran off, calling out, "TEACHER! TEACHER!!"

Tibby came over, and Mickey bent down beside me. Tears pricked my eyes. "It hurts..."

Mickey glanced at Tibby. Tibby bit his lip, but when Mickey glared at him, he placed his hand kn my ankle. With very little pain, it was healed. "What... how did you do that?" I asked.

"Don't tell anyone," Tibby said, "don't tell them what I can do. But just know that I had to destroy the ankle of you in another universe."

"Oh okay, that's weird and makes no sense. Um... I have no friends."

"Hang out with us, I guess," Mickey shrugged.

"Since when did you love me?"

"This place is toxic, I don't want you to be like me."

"So you want me to ha-"

"My friends aren't as bad. They're... teenagers."

"They're weird."

"Do you want to be lonely or not?"

"No!"

"Fine, with us until we find you a good friend."

I have to admit, Mickey's friends weren't half bad as I thought. They were funny, and very understanding when Mickey explained. "Emily's friends sucked, and talked smack about her, so she's with us until she's guaranteed a fr-" she was saying, but I cut her off.

"A friend worthy of my presence."

"Not what I had in mind."

"Oh yeah, middle school sucks," Billy said.

"Did you even go to middle school?" Em Pegg asked.

"Wel-"

"Heheh, nah, he was in a coma," Tibby replied.

"Oo, yeah, maybe you shouldn't be giving Emily advice," Em Pegg smirked.

"He shouldn't give anyone advice, he's Billy," Mickey scoffed.

"Good point. Now, the thing with middle school... it's not as bad as high school because a whole bunch of little girls trying to be cool aren't poking at you all the time. Yeah, you may get picked on, Mickey's your sister, Tibby's her boyfriend, and one of her best friends is 'Coma Boy', but people are too busy worrying about graduating and literally never coming back."

"Okay...?" I asked.

"It's true."

Mickey and I arrived home to... one angry parent, and one proud parent. "We were called about what happened at break time today, girls," Mom said as she tapped her foot.

Dad was grinning. "You two beat the crap outta the kids!" he exclaimed. "Even better, you did it  together!"

"Mike! What a horrible lesson!"

"Susie, it's teaching them to work together through supporting each other."

"It's teaching them to harm others over a few words."

"Words hurt Mom, I learnt that the hard way," Mickey sighed. "Words are more than just words. And besides, those girls were mean about the four of us."

"Well, they did mess with the wrong family, didn't they?"

"Yeah! The Jones family is strong! And not on drugs!" I pumped my fist in the air.

"What?"

"Nothing."

It was a week of putting up with (actually a bit funny) dirty and coma boy jokes, and angry girls every now and again, until Em Pegg came to school with a younger girl basically attached to her side. The girl looked around my age. "Emily? This is Faith, my younger cousin. She's with us because she was in a bad home, so now she's living in Kollok," Em Pegg introduced.

Faith's orange locks spilled down her shoulders, almost to her waist, and her right eye was hidden behind hair. She smiled shyly. "Is she worth my presence?" I asked.

"She's certainly something once you get to know her."

That had me intrigued. "Well, Faith, you're going to need guiding around middle school. I guess I can do that. And if there's any trouble, Mickey will beat up the bad people," I said.

Em Pegg whispered something in Faith's ear before giving her a gentle shove towards me.

Faith certainly was worthy.

She's been my bestie ever since.