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I didn't faint. I didn't escape. I had to put up with my classmates laughing at me and taking my photos like I was an animal in the zoo. I stood up, on the verge of leaving and skipping class, but then Ms. Roberts came, and I had to explain what had happened. Everyone waited for me to snitch on them so they could give me hell later. Been there, done that. I'd lost my faith in teachers and the school administration a long time ago.

"I wasn't careful, so I fell. It's nothing special. Faulty chairs happen."

"Are you sure you are okay?"

"Yep."

"Are you able to stay in my class?"

No matter how much I wanted to run away from this hole, I couldn't. "Yes, Ms. Roberts. It wasn't a big deal."

"Okay. I will call the school janitor and tell him to bring a new chair for you."

I couldn't wait for the period to finish.

After calculus, I went to my locker to get books for the next class and halted in horror when I saw Hayden leaning against it with his hands in his pockets and one leg crossed over the other.

He'd become even more muscular during the last two months. His arms were corded with muscle, which bulged through his tight black shirt. They were perfectly honed and standing out just like his abs. I followed the various designs, shapes, and words of the tattoos he'd put on his upper arms last year, thinking how good they looked on him. They were completing his "bad boy" look, along with his earrings.

The artist in me appreciated the fine contours of his face, the glint of his eyes that gave a mysterious depth to them, and the way the shadows accentuated his striking features that hid the inner ugliness. He was definitely the most beautiful boy at East Willow High and the cruelest guy I'd ever met.

I considered running away, hoping he didn't notice me, but I couldn't do that for two reasons.

1) I needed my art notebook and pencils.

2) He noticed me.

I was embarrassed and scared of him at the same time, my stomach feeling heavy as I approached my locker. The last time I spoke to him, I did something that was way out of my league—I defied him and made a fool of him in front of the whole school. The last time I saw him, he took my nude photos. He saw my naked body, and if that weren't enough, he threatened to post my photos online for everyone to see. It was nauseating.

I couldn't even look him in the eyes. I stopped several steps away from him, but he didn't move an inch, completely blocking my locker.

"Hayden, can you please move so I can open my locker?" I was looking at his black Nike sneakers, silently pleading for him to move.

He waved his hand in front of my eyes, trying to catch my attention. I dragged my gaze to his face and looked at the spot on his temple that had been scarred from the car accident. An inch-long scar was almost invisible now, perceivable only if someone knew about it, but it was quietly accusing me of my stupid mistake nevertheless.

"I'm up here." He pointed his thumb at himself. "Look at me when you're talking to me, do you understand?"

I blushed, and I cursed myself for not being able to prevent or control my chronic, excessive blushing at almost every single thing. I didn't want him to see that he intimidated me. I couldn't have an upper hand if he knew he could affect me that easily.

I stared at his eyes that seemed so black now as he glared at me. His jaw was set in a firm line, his full lips unyielding.

"Yes, Hayden." I wanted to avoid confrontation at all costs.

"Good. Now, hand me your phone."

My eyes bugged out, fear yielding cold in my limbs. "Why do you need my phone?"

"Your phone. Now."

"I don't want to give you my phone."

Without any warning, he grabbed my phone out of my front jeans pocket. I yelped, jumping back, appalled by his audacity.

"What's the password?"

I crossed my arms on my chest and drew back a couple of steps. "No. Give me my phone back."

"Give me the password, or I'll break it."

He couldn't be serious. "I won't give you my password!"

I squawked when he let my phone slip out of his hand and fall. It hit the floor with a crash and careened off, ending a few feet away from us.

No. He couldn't be doing this! It was a cheap, used model I bought after Kay's death to replace the phone I had with me during the accident, but it was valuable to me because it contained some of my art ideas, notes, and art photos I took these last two years. It was like my diary. It was a container of my interests and dreams. Besides, I couldn't afford to buy a new one.

Several students passed, casting us curious glances, but I knew better than to expect anything from them other than morbid curiosity. Once more, I wished there were cameras, but then again, would they make any difference in this rotten place?

Hayden picked up my LG from the floor, and my heart sank upon seeing the broken screen. It was covered in a crack resembling the web, which now silently mocked me.

"Oh, look. It's still working." His piercing eyes bore into mine, and shivers ran down my spine. "Next time, it won't just slip. I'll fling it away. So you better give me that fucking password."

I exhaled a shaky breath. "Password is my birthday. It's 022—"

"I know your birthday," he interrupted me and entered four digits, unlocking my phone.

I tried to ignore the fluttery sensation in my belly caused by his words. He knows my birthday... Why does he care to remember it?

He kept swiping and tapping his thumbs over the screen, and each passing second brought more uneasiness.

"Please, give me my phone back. What are you even searching for?"

"I've been away for two months. That's a plenty of time for you to meet someone, and since you're stupid, I wouldn't be surprised if you thought you could hang out with them."

"For crying out loud, do you really think you can invade my privacy like that and decide who I can hang out with or not? You have no right to interfere in my life!"

Hayden lunged at me and backed me against the lockers. He slammed his left hand next to my face, making me flinch, and my breathing turned ragged. I was trapped, overcome with tension because our bodies were almost touching. I could smell the mossy scent of his cologne mixed with the smell of cigarettes, and it was distracting me.

His nearness was too much. I tried to look down, but he didn't let me, pushing my face up with his forefinger.

"You keep forgetting you have no freedom. You can't escape me or disobey me. Remember what will happen if you disobey me, and trust me, you don't want those photos to end up online. Besides, don't think I forgot about what you did in the cafeteria two months ago. You're going to pay for that."

I could hardly breathe, my pulse drumming. I hated him. How much longer did I have to suffer like this?

One more year, Sarah, and then you're off to college. You'll escape Hayden. Just a bit more...

"Now, as far as I can see, you have no male contacts here, and you better keep it that way. I don't want to waste my time on them too."

"If you think you waste your time on me then stop torturing me! I'll be completely out of your way. You won't even see me—"

"No," he cut me off. "Remember this?" He pointed at his temple, and my stomach dropped. "It's your fault that Kayden and I got into that accident. You deserve to suffer."

Our breaths mingled, mere inches separating our faces. I returned his heated gaze, unable to look away.

"Actually, maybe I shouldn't return this phone to you." He tilted his head to the side, looking at the device in his hand with narrowed eyes. "One can never know with you. Maybe you'll cause another car accident with it."

My throat closed up, my old scars bursting open, and it hurt more than anything. "Please, no more."

"No more? I barely even started. I won't stop until you completely lose your sanity. You'll be lost, hopeless, and broken, and every single breath will make you bleed. And that wouldn't even be a fragment of how I feel every single day." He tapped his scar. "That's justice."

We kept staring at each other, unaware of the people around us. I couldn't move.

A few long moments later, he pulled away from me, breaking the chain that had held us together. I could finally release my breath, and the fist that had been squeezing my heart hard loosened its grip.

He shoved my phone into my hand and strode away.

*************

I went to art class and felt relieved to see there was no one I would have to keep my distance from. It was my most favorite class, and after the encounter with Hayden, I was more than glad to be able to have my full attention on studying instead of on my classmates or my depressing thoughts.

As much as I enjoyed this class, though, it was challenging for me since Mr. Xiong wanted us to experiment with various techniques. I liked sketching and drawing with watercolors and watercolor pencils, but I struggled with other materials. I was interested in drawing people, trying to portray them as realistically as I could in different settings, but Mr. Xiong made us draw still nature or animals most of the time.

The class passed too quickly for my taste. I dragged myself down the hallway that led to the cafeteria, wishing for a twist of fate that would send Hayden far away from this school.

The lunchroom was packed with students when I joined the lunch queue, some of them staring at me as if I had three heads. I was sure that by now my fall had become viral. It made me queasy, and I didn't actually have any appetite, but I had to eat something if I wanted to survive this day.

I placed my food on the tray, thankful that nobody tried to do anything to me in line. The students kept whispering and snickering, but I was used to that already. They always made the same reaction, which added to my social anxiety, making me more susceptible to my inner demons, self-deprecation, and extremely low self-confidence.

At least I could remain strong enough to go to my table and eat. Even though sitting alone plain sucked, it was better than skipping lunch.

As soon as I sat down, facing the rest of the cafeteria, Hayden arrived with Blake, Josh, and Masen. Like usual, they attracted the most attention, and I could already see some girls speeding to their table to join them for lunch. I lowered my head, hoping Hayden wouldn't remember to look my way.

When I finally got the courage to raise my head and search for him, I found him sitting at his table already surrounded by girls, looking directly at me.

Oh no. My stomach made a somersault, my face growing red and hot. He didn't even blink or move a single muscle, staring me down. What was he thinking about?

Several students around the cafeteria started whispering and pointing at something, and I turned my head to see what they were looking at. A short, chubby girl, dressed in jeans and a draped T-shirt, stood at the cafeteria entrance. I'd never seen her before. She had beautiful hair, which was long, straight, and sand-colored. She was so cute.

Blake stood up and strolled over to her, his ruthless eyes sizing her up. The whole cafeteria went silent.

"Well, you're something new." He grinned. "What's your name?"

She lowered her head and blushed, giving away her insecurity and shyness. Her timidity made her a perfect subject for torture, and I could see Blake sensing it like sharks could sense blood. I already knew he was going to do something, but what?

"J-Jessica," she said in a small voice. A couple of students laughed when she stammered.

Blake didn't even blink. "Jessica what?"

"Jessica Metts."

"What's that? I didn't hear you. Jessica what?"

"J-Jessica Metts."

"You mean Jessica Fats?"

The fits of vicious laughter coursed through the air, and I felt cold fear as if I were the one standing there. I'd been through this same torture so many times that it felt strange I wasn't the one who was experiencing it now.

Blake's crooked grin gave me the creeps. "Because you're so fat, Jessie."

Jessica looked like she was on the verge of tears. She shrunk, giving the impression that she would run away any moment. I glanced at Hayden and saw him looking at them with no expression on his face. Christine, who was sitting next to him, caressed his hair idly, but he didn't even pay attention to her. If he decided to join Blake, they were going to ruin Jessica and make her terrified of this place for the rest of her school life.

Jessica spun on her heel, ready to dart away, but Blake grabbed her forearm and pulled her back. "Where are you going, Jessie? Do you want to miss your welcome party?"

Oh God, no.

"My welcome party?" Her voice was so thin, and I was curious to know if that was her natural voice or she sounded this way because she was afraid.

"Yes." He looked at the students around them. "What do you say, guys? Do you want to throw a welcome party for Jessica?" Everyone was so keen on doing what Blake had said, and it was heart-breaking. I felt like I was going to cry, scared to even imagine what would transpire in a few seconds.

A "welcome party" was Hayden's invention. It was about "greeting" new students by throwing food at them in the cafeteria. Several students would participate, surrounding the person and throwing food at them. It was like some twisted rite of passage, which marked the beginning of student's abhorred existence in East Willow High.

The lunch monitors didn't care, and the cafeteria staff didn't intervene, because Hayden had some stupid power in this school and always got away with his bad deeds. His mother was one of the benefactors of this school, so going after one of East Willow High's most favored students wasn't considered smart.

He and his friends were highly protected, allowed to wreak havoc whenever they wanted and bully whomever they wanted. The school staff had never helped me and they wouldn't help Jessica now. Not when we didn't have any power or money.

Blake stepped aside and, as if on cue, everyone began throwing their lunches at her. The first food projectiles ended right on her face. She raised her hands to protect it, making the rest of her body exposed to various sauces, fruits, and vegetables. It kept going, with some students taking pictures of it, and it was horrible just watching.

Absolutely no one went to help her. She yelped whenever something hit her, and I wondered if she was hurt or not. I wanted to help her, but I couldn't. I couldn't go there. I couldn't do anything for her. If I did, I would become a target too, and I didn't need any more harassment today.

Fear and shame twirled inside me, and my whole body felt like it was set on fire. It was adrenaline, which put my body in survival mode for what was about to happen next.

I can't go there... Please, somebody help her.

I glanced at Hayden and winced when our eyes met. Surprisingly, he was staring at me, but there was no usual nothingness in them. Instead, there was fire. There was a challenge. A strange feeling I couldn't name stirred in my chest.

I returned my gaze to Jessica, who was now completely covered in liquids and food, hunched on the floor, crying. Blake still stood in the same spot, his lips twisted in a cruel smile as he filmed her with his phone. He probably planned to make it the next viral video of East Willow High.

The food throwing didn't stop. It always continued until the victim ran away, but Jessica looked so weak and small on that floor that I doubted she had any strength in her to get up and escape.

I can't go there...

My chest tightened, a scorching pain suffusing it.

I'm scared.

Breathing felt like suffocating.

Don't be like the rest of them, Sarah. Don't look the other way. Don't be a coward.

Somebody threw a carton of milk and it landed on Jessica's forehead. The carton burst open upon the contact and the milk splashed all over her face. A small trail of blood oozed from her forehead, mixing with milk on its way down.

No. This is so wrong. This is twisted. I don't want to be a part of this. I don't want to be a coward.

I need to help her.

I jumped out of my seat and stopped in front of her, extending my arms, shielding her from Blake and most of the students surrounding us.

I faced him. "Stop this!"

"What the hell are you doing?" Blake's face was a mask of surprise and fury.

"This is not okay! You're hurting her! Don't you see she's bleeding?!"

I looked over my shoulder to check if she was all right and met her terrified stare. Her face looked grotesque, covered in blood, milk, and food, and I hoped her wound wasn't deep. She needed to see the school nurse double-quick.

"Step aside, bitch."

"No." I was shaking in fear, expecting an attack from any side.

Blake marched to me and leveled his head with mine in a threatening way. His icy gray eyes and the vicious sneer terrified me, increasing my uncontrollable trembling. "You're going to regret this."

He grabbed a chunk of my hair and yanked it toward him, and I cried out in pain, my vision blurring with tears. Our bodies collided briefly before he pushed me to the ground, dropping my ripped out hairs from his hand. He gave a sign to others to throw food at Jessica and me, but everyone stopped in their tracks when the cafeteria doors opened.

"What is going on here?" Principal Anders rushed toward us, noticing Jessica and me on the floor. "Jesus Christ!" He crouched next to Jessica and touched her shoulder. She was so still. So fragile. "Are you okay?" he asked her, but she didn't respond. The only sound that came from her was her weeping.

"She needs to see the nurse. She's hurt," I told him, standing up.

He jumped to his feet when he noticed the wound on her forehead. "Who is responsible for this?" Nobody uttered a word. I glared at Blake, but he just returned my stare, daring me to snitch on him.

Luckily, I didn't need to say anything because it seemed that Anders connected the dots. "Jones, to my office."

If Blake's looks could kill, our principal would be a pile of ash on the floor already. "Why me?"

"Don't play innocent, Jones. This is not the first time something like this happened, and most of the time you are involved."

"That's not right, Mr. Anders. I just happened to be here trying to help the girls. Is that right?" he asked some guys next to him and they—to my complete disgust—nodded.

"Either way, to my office, Jones. Now." His voice left no room for argument, and I began gloating. "You too, Decker. I want you in my office now."

I let my frown show on my face. I didn't like the sound of it, but there was no escaping it. "Okay. May I take Jessica to the nurse first?"

"You may, but be quick about it." He cleared his throat before he addressed the rest of the lunchroom, "Why are you still standing there? I want this mess cleaned right away!"

I dared a glance at Hayden. He was leaning back in his chair with the arms crossed over his chest, not paying attention to anyone but me. His fierce eyes reflected anger and surprise. Surprise at what? I was sure he was mad at me for intervening and opposing Blake, which I was going to be sorry for later, but what else was in his mind?

With a faint blush blanketing my cheeks, I helped Jessica stand, sensing her shivers. She was shorter than me, and for some reason, I wanted to hug her and make her pain go away.

I placed my arm around her shoulder. "Can you walk?"

"Yes."

"Okay then. Let's see the nurse."

She just nodded, letting me walk her out of the cafeteria.

"Do you have any spare clothes?" I asked her when we reached the nurse's office. Her pants and shirt were completely ruined. She shook her head, the movement sending viscid droplets from her dripping wet hair to the floor.

"Nurse will give you some towels to clean yourself, and I think she will let you go home for the day." I looked away. I didn't know what to tell her to make her feel better since I was never good with pep talks.

I was never good with making friends, period.

"Thank you."

I returned her gaze. "Don't mention it."

"Seriously, thank you. What you did for me out there... I was so confused. So scared. I can't believe this happened to me."

"I'm sorry. They're the worst."

She shook her head again, outstretching her hand for a handshake. "I feel weird for meeting you like this but here... I'm Jessica Metts."

Smiling, I shook hands with her. "I'm Sarah Decker. Despite the circumstances, I'm glad to meet you."

"Does this... Does this happen a lot?"

No. It only happened to me and a few more people who had the misfortune to be declared losers. "Not really. It's their stupid prank. They call it a 'welcome party,' but as you can see, it's not welcoming at all." I frowned. I wasn't sure if I should tell her the whole truth.

She noticed my hesitation. "What?"

I averted my gaze. "Nothing."

"Please, tell me everything. It's okay."

"Did you notice them holding their phones and filming you?"

She tensed, visibly gulping. "Yes?"

"Well, there are several private Facebook groups and profiles on Snapchat and Instagram that post the bullying content from East Willow High. People share those posts, like, comment and..." I sighed. "Make memes."

Jessica looked shaken. She swayed, and I barely managed to grab a hold of her in time, afraid she might faint. Maybe I shouldn't have told her this. It was too much to take in.

"Look, I'm sorry to keep you here. You really need to see the nurse now, okay? Please, lie down in her office and get some rest, okay?"

"Okay."

"We'll talk again tomorrow."

"Okay. See you."

I waited for her to enter the nurse's office, disinclined to join Blake in the principal's office. A few deep breaths later, I willed my legs to move, giving myself a pep talk that did nothing to abate my soaring apprehension.

***************

Anders's office was miniscule but thoroughly stuffed. It contained several cabinets, shelves full of books and papers, and his desk, which ate up all available space. This generated a fertile ground for claustrophobia. Two chairs were placed across from his, and they were so close to each other that I felt like my personal space was heavily invaded when I sat next to Blake.

Anders was a short, chubby man in his fifties with a bald spot in the middle of his head and prominent grays in his hair and eyebrows. His mustache was black, though, and I guessed he dyed it. His appearance didn't inspire trust in me, but what I particularly disliked about him was the overconfidence that oozed from him. He acted like he owned this place, caring too little about the students and too much about his power and the "perfect" image of our school.

"Did Metts go to the school's nurse?"

"Yes, she's there right now."

"Good. How is she holding up?"

Was he really asking me that? "She's probably been better," I said. Blake snorted.

"As I said to Jones before you arrived, such incidents are unacceptable in our school. I'm very sorry you had to go through that."

No, you're not. You never cared. How many times was I here as a victim of some vicious prank and you pretended like you weren't actually aware of what was going on? All you care about is you and your school's reputation.

"What are you going to do about it?" I asked him, fed up with authorities turning a blind eye on the victims of bullying.

"Pipe down, Sars," Blake snarled, looking at me like he was going to choke me.

Anders ignored Blake's jeer. "I'm going to make sure it won't happen again."

"And how are you going to do that?"

"You really do have a big mouth." Blake's voice contained suppressed fury. I glanced at his tightly-clenched hands on the arm rests, which were sporting raw scrapes on his now-white knuckles.

Everything about him intimidated me. He was the captain of our football team, and he had a very muscular build since he trained really hard. He rarely smiled; the ever-present ice in his eyes was outright menacing.

"Shut up, Jones. And you, Decker, watch your mouth. Don't disrespect your principal."

"Are you going to punish anyone?"

"For now, no."

For now, no?

Oh my God. I was so furious.

I was so furious that, for once, I couldn't control myself. I knew I would regret it later, but I needed to get it off my chest now.

"What do you mean 'For now, no'? People actually threw food at that girl and hurt her, and you won't do anything about it?"

"Jones mentioned already it was all just a misunderstanding—"

"A misunderstanding?" I yelled, standing up, and pointed at Blake. "He started all that mess! He told them to throw food at her, all the while filming it! You can't let him get away with this!"

Blake was so mad that his veins actually popped out on his temples, his eyes giving me a clear message: you're dead.

"Calm down, Decker! I will talk with Jessica Metts too and try to clear things up, but I won't push this matter further before that. If Jessica and certain witnesses can confirm it was Blake who started it, he will receive a proper punishment, of course."

This was unbelievable. I stared at Anders first, then at Blake. Blake's parents were rich—more than rich enough to buy Blake's way out of trouble—and his father was the mayor. On top of that, they donated to East Willow High, just like Hayden's mother. If Blake was punished, that could ruin the bright future of their heir, so of course they wouldn't let anything happen to him.

I felt defeated. Principal Anders was a corrupt snake, and he wouldn't move a finger to do what was right and protect his students. I was deeply affronted by this unfairness.

He dismissed us a while later, and we left his office in dour silence. As soon as we passed his secretary, turning around the corner, Blake grabbed me and pushed me against the wall in an empty hallway. Terror enveloped me when he pressed his forearm into my throat, making me unable to breathe properly.

"You just couldn't shut up, bitch! No, you had to tell on me." The pressure of his forearm increased, and it was becoming painful... "You're messing with the wrong guy. You'll be sorry for this." He dropped his arm and stormed away.

I gasped for air loudly, sliding down the wall. I felt beyond miserable.

When does it end?

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Hey, hey! It is I - the evil writer! *smiles evilly*

Thank you so much for reading this emotional chapter! It's tough to decide who is the cruelest, but at least Sarah has made a new friend! :) Heading to the next chapter!

Love ya,

Vera

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