With

With living in a small town comes a close knit community of people who are somehow always up in each other's business. It could be someone's pride and joy to have so many people caring about their family, looking forward to share each other's whereabouts but not me. The only thing I look forward to everyday is leaving this place. A few of those who have been out of this town to the city say that it's an isolating place. Although that frightens the village folks to me it's a dream. Even right now as I'm trying to study with this cheeky brat talking like her life depends on it, I remind myself that she'll be gone once I exit this place and focus on trying again. "Why do you hate this place so much? There's a bakery and a pet shop so close to your house" she asks. In my 20 years of living in this town I had never noticed that, perhaps because I was always more focused on leaving. "Because once I'm in the city you won't be able to follow me there". Maybe this would get her to realise that I despise her

To that she throws her head back in a laugh "You must do your best to escape then". Huh!? Somehow that infuriated me even more and I turned to look at her. There it was that mischievous glint in her eyes. "I know you hate me. Bear. But all you can do is be a grump about it"

Because If I murder you it won't look good on my resume. There's no point in hitting my head against this wall. For reasons unbeknownst to me she had made it her life's mission to make me suffer. "Go home. Or better just live with your grandma in the city if you're so lonely". I'm not saying that I was jealous but it wasn't fair that she, who didn't work hard enough got to exit this town whenever she pleased. Back in 2010, she and her father moved to this secluded town from the city. But once a year on every 23rd June, they both leave to see her grandma. The one day I love the most in the entire year, even more than my own birthday.

"As if you can get rid of me that easily" she mutters.

Yeah I didn't think you'd agree that easily either. I thought she would be satisfied after successfully making every preschooler in my grade bully me with that name. But nope, this curse remained constant with me even in my middle school and high school years. A false sense of hope came over me when her father enrolled her into an all girl's middle school. Something about her needing to be around female companions more. Her mother had always been a busy bee, to the point that nobody had ever seen her. Whenever someone asked that brat about her mother she'd go on and on about how her mother is a Star. I had never heard of her, neither did I care all I cared about was that if we didn't go the same school No one was going to ruin my image in front of others, No one was going to tail behind me all day like a shadow, No one will-

My train of thoughts was vehemently stopped by her loud voice calling my name again and again and again from afar. Half the middle school learned who I was that day. If I tried to push her away or not acknowledge her the crowd of 12 year olds only criticised me more, picturing this brat as a damsel in distress. What they didn't know was how much distress this Damsel was causing me. And so everyday she showed up at my school gate right after the departure to accompany me.