Heart Of Steel

"Ugh, see who decided to grace us with her presence." Brittany's voice cut through the air like a pin. "The loser herself."

I felt every pair of eyes burning into me as that insufferable harpy gestured dramatically in my direction.

Just keep walking, Lucy. Don't react.

"What's wrong, Lucy? Cat got your tongue?" Brittany let out one of her shrill cackles that just makes you want to strangle her, you know? "Or are you just too braindead to string a few words together?"

Then her squad of mean girl minion began to giggle and snicker like hyenas.

I looked straight ahead as I focused on watching my steps.

I wasn't going to give them that satisfaction.

"I'm speaking to you,you freak!"

Before I could blink, Brittany's fake-nailed talons shot out and yanked my backpack right off my shoulder.

I yelped in surprise as my books and papers went flying everywhere.

"Oops, my bad!" She covered her mouth in an over-exaggerated shocked expression, those beady eyes of hers glittering with pure evil. "I guess those sausage fingers of yours can't even hold onto a bag properly."

The little witches surrounding her absolutely lost it at that, bending over and clutching their sides like it was the funniest thing they'd ever heard.

I felt the mortification burning my cheeks as I crouched down to gather my scattered things.

"Need some help?"

Mark's voice made my heart skip a beat.

Our eyes met for the briefest second as he knelt beside me, and just like that, the whole cruel world seemed to fade into the background.

His kind smile was like a lifeline.

I opened my mouth, ready to finally speak to him after all this time, but of course Brittany had to open her big trap again.

"Oh my god, please don't tell me you're actually talking to this loser, Mark!" She clutched Troy's arm all dramatically, staring at Mark like he'd just grown a third eyeball. "Even someone as pathetic as you has to have standards."

You could actually see Mark's face just crumple as the coven started screeching with laughter again.

He shoved my books back into my arms without a word and scrambled to his feet, muttering a feeble "sorry" under his breath before bolting.

"Aw, what's the matter, Markie?" Brittany crooned in that shrill baby voice that makes me want to rip my ears off. "Did I hurt your little feelings by insulting your girlfriend?"

More hyena cackles from the peanut gallery.

I sighed as I packed the last og my things from the floor wanting to disappear into thin air so desperately.

Or perhaps for the ground to open and then swallow me whole.

Anything to get away from their shrieking.

"Lucy and Mark, sitting in a tree!"

Oh god, here comes the pièce de résistance - Troy joining in with the kiddie romance taunts, wrapping his arms around Brittany in a crude mockery of a loving embrace.

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

I squeezed my books tighter, struggling not to cry. I will not give them that power over me.

"Oh my god, can you imagine?" Brittany spun in Troy's arms, her eyes lighting up with pure sadistic glee. "Their poor, deformed babies would be such fervent disappointments!"

That did it - I could feel the hot burn of tears prickling my eyes as their mocking laughter crashed over me in waves.

Why me? Why am I constantly their punching bag for cruelty?

"Leave her alone already."

The slightly accented voice was soft, but it cut through the din like a whisper in a quiet library.

We all turned to see Chase, the new foreign exchange student none of us had really gotten to know yet, watching the scene with an inscrutable expression.

A tiny flicker of hope sparked in my chest as his calm green eyes met mine, giving the smallest of nods.

For the few weeks he'd been here, Chase just had this...presence about him that demanded respect.