Chapter 5

"Alright, I'll see you later!" I said to Asaru as we split to go to our own classes.

As I walked in I heard slight muttering. Things along the lines of, "speak of the devil" and "that's the cheaters-?". I put my head down as I continued to walk to my seat. The muttering eventually died down before the bell rung for class to start.

I took notes for my first period, did homework for second period, finished more assignments for third period, and caught up with everything by the time fourth period ended. Class by class I heard similar whispering like this morning, this time I was assured they were whispering about me.

Nevertheless it was lunch now, I looked for Yuza for our usual lunch hang out. No where. I couldn't find her any where. I then again repeated this awful cycle for the rest of the week.

Go to school, have people whispering about me, Yuza disappearing on me.

Then that winter day, the coldest day of the year by far, the bullying became physical. I finally reunited with Yuza after a few long and lonely months, but her as my bully, well, one of my bullies.

They threw things at me occasionally and gave me violent pushes and punches down the halls. Eventually I stopped reacting to her actions, until they turned to use my possessions against me.

"Hey-wait no!" I tried to reach for my notebook. I only got pushed into the corner.

"Please I need those for tomorrows test! Please, Yuza!" I begged.

Her smirk grew twisted. I tried to get up, but my legs gave out as soon as I stood.

"You're not gonna use them anyways, cheater." One of the bullies beside Yuza spat. Yuza's expression softened, she started walking towards me with my notebook.

Only for her to drop it wide open into the puddle in front of me. I immediately reached out for it, but before I could Yuza stepped on it. She grinder the wet pages with the heel of her foot. The pages couldn't even be salvaged.

She looked down upon me, disgusted. She merely turned back and left, the rest of the bullies slowly following her 1 by 1 after tormenting me.

This happened again,

And again,

And again.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

"Why do you have so many C's?" My mother shouted.

"A-as I said-"

"Stop stuttering, you're acting like I don't pay for the heater to run!" She yelled once more.

I took a quick deep breath.

"As I said, Yuza and her friends have been bullying me and I can't-"

I was interrupted again, "So what? You're grades are just slipping? Even if they are there no reason for it to be slipping this badly! Study more, stop disappointing me!" She left and slammed the door on her way out.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

I was on the floor, again.

My backpack raided, again.

I was in pain, yet again.

They mocked me as they ripped the pages out of my notebook, throwing the pages at me.

"Hey!" A voice shouted. "Get the fuck away from her!" The voice shouted again. This time I looked up at the owner of the voice.

It was Asaru. Except this time, he face was pained. Perhaps even angry. His jaw was clenched, eyes squinted, brows furrowed, and he was looking down at me. I couldn't tell if he was pitying me or empathizing with me.

"Aspen…," he grabbed my hand, pulled me up from my feet. He then started to collect the rest of the legible papers that were left, handing them to me in a neat stack. I took the papers and held them tightly.

"Why didn't you tell-," I cut Asaru off. "Thank you," I said before walking away.

It was worse than getting bullied. I was being pushed around, May grades were dropping, mother was getting angrier and angrier, and that expression….I don't ever want him to look at me like that again.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

"B, B, B, D, F, and F…," my mother turned toward me, report card still hand. "Didn't I tell you to do better?" her eyebrows furrowed tremendously, causing her face to look angrier and more displeased than before.

"I tried my best-," I said. "I didn't ask you to just try your best, I told you to do better!" She yelled.

"But-," I was met with a hard slap in my right cheek. It was not the first time she tried to hit me, but it was the first she was successful in doing so. She looked so revengeful, angry, it like she wasn't even my mother anymore.

"Don't talk back! Especially when you take after your scummy father…I wish he took you in!" She yelled. She gazed at me painfully, only for a moment. I sniffled back tears, just barely holding it in.

Her breathing slowed and her eyebrows relaxed as she glared at me. She didn't say a word as she turned around to leave the room.

I stood still for a moment. It felt as if it was a fever dream. Everything happened so fast. She looked at the grades, got mad, but even worse, she compared me to my father. Is that why she resents me? Just because I resembled him?

I flopped onto my bed face first. I then rubbed my stinging cheek, which had reddened and puffed up. I winced at the pain momentarily.

"Ah, this is wonderful, now isn't it…," I sighed.

"What to do now, what to do now…," I clicked my tongue before face planting my bed once more.

I turned over, back facing my bed. Perhaps I should try and keep everything I need at home…study at home too…it would take up lots of free time but there's no way around it, I thought to myself.

Oh well. I snaked my way under the covers into my bed sheets. The coolness of my pillow case eased the pain of my swollen cheek. I just layer there, gazing at my desk, the digital clock, closet door.

I didn't do much, well more so I couldn't do much. My mother was already so displeased with me, if I were to piss her off anymore I'd probably be dead…

Maybe that wouldn't be such a bad outcome…