28 Troubled Teen

(Note: Yazhu Yiren's backstory. Warning: Cursing and bullying)

"Oh, that's a pretty necklace!"

"Yeah, I want it."

"No, I'm gonna take it! You're giving it to me, right, Yazhu Yiren?"

Ah, I don't know how much longer I can take this. Why did I have to move here? I recalled my father's words, "It's a prestigious academy, and I just want you to get the best education. I know that you don't want to move to a different school, but please understand..."

Yes. Of course, I understood what he meant. My father only wants the best for me, especially ever since mum died.

But why?

Why did I have to encounter them? In fact, why do I have to be bullied like this? What did I ever do to them? Is it because I'm wealthy? I mean, they are wealthy too!

Maybe because I'm gullible? A total pushover?

"Ah! Yay! She said yes!"

What? I never said-

"Ow!" I cried out, touching my burning neck.

Too late. She took my necklace. The necklace that I held so dear to my heart. My mother's identical necklace, specially made for my sister and me, is now gone.

Her filthy hands took my most precious necklace, the only thing that makes me feel like my mother is still here, next to me.

I can feel my neck burning at the pain of when she pulled my necklace without letting me unclip it first. I wish I was stronger like my older sister, Wen.

I wish I was more assertive, more confident in myself, and more self-spoken. I can't even stand up for myself- argh!

I look around the classroom, and every student's head is bowed. They are all avoiding eye contact. Ah, so no one will help me today too, huh?

I'm not surprised.

In fact, I totally understand. After all, the minute another student helps me, they will also be bullied. It's kind of sad, you know. This life of mine.

I wanted to tell my father and sister what was happening, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. They are working so hard to ensure that I get the best education and am well taken care of.

Won't telling them my problem just be selfish of me? I don't want to see them blame themselves for what is happening to me?

"Wow," one of the bullies, Yan, said, tracing her slender fingers on the necklace around her neck, "Your family's businesses must be doing really well. These are pure diamonds."

Another bully, Yating, laughed and gently slapped Yan's shoulder.

"No fair!" she pouted, "I want one too! Hey, Yiren? Can't you get me one too?"

If I was half as strong and assertive as my older sister, Wen, I would have punched their faces. I have those thoughts sometimes.

You know, those scary and creepy thoughts one sometimes has. Those scenarios where you imagine torturing your bullies until they scream and beg for mercy.

Yeah, those thoughts. I shook my head at Yating.

"Sorry," I told her, "But I don't think that's possib-"

SLAP!

"What the fuck?" Yating yelled, "I thought your family was fucking rich, so why can't I get one?"

I placed my hand where Yating slapped me, and I winced at the pain. I could feel that it was red and burning from her slap. The classroom was silent as it was a self-study period.

"I don't even know why you're here," Shu said, twirling a strand of her black hair, "You don't belong in this school. I don't care whether you're rich or not. Your father owns a furniture company?"

Shu scoffed.

"So what?" she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, "My father is Prime Minister Geng Qing. He's way better than some lousy furniture owner."

Ah, did I forget to mention the background of my three oh-so-lovely bullies? Zhang Yan is Prime Minister, Zhang Ru's only daughter, so she is spoiled rotten and feels entitled to everything.

She is the leader of the bullies. Her mother is a famous actress. What Yan says in this 11B class goes, and no other student can reject her.

Geng Shu is Prime Minister Geng Qing's second eldest daughter. She has a younger and older brother and is the middle child.

Since she is the only female, she is also spoilt rotten as her mother has passed away. Finally, we have Huang Yating.

Unlike her other bully friends, her father works as a prosecutor at Iron Law Firm. His name is Huang Chun. Her mother is a famous chef.

They all attend this academy, Xincheng Girl's High School, an only girls' academy. Since we only have girls in this school, you would think that we would all try and support each other, you know female empowerment and shit.

But no. It doesn't matter what kind of school you attend. There will always be bullies and victims of bullying. I am the latter.

"No reaction. She's so boring- argh!" Yating yelled, throwing her hands in the air.

"What did you expect?" Yan scoffed, "She is known as Ghost Yiren, after all. I mean, look at her, she is so pale, and her hair is so dark."

Ah, my nickname? How did I get it, you ask? Simple really. Just like they said, I have really pale skin and dark black hair like that of a ghost.

When I first entered this school and class, I was very shy. After all, I had to make new friends again and blend in with this school's system.

It was hard for an introvert like myself.

Yan, that bitch - pardon my language - approached me first in class.

I thought to myself, 'Wow, she's so pretty and nice. What an angel, and she says she wants to be my friend too! Maybe coming here wasn't such a bad idea.'

Little did I know, she was a devil disguised as an angel.

The bullying started when they found out that I was one of the daughters of Yazhu Furniture, a famous furniture brand. Out of nowhere, they started asking me for money. Does that even make sense?

They're all rich, so what the hell?

I gave them money, but one day, when I told them I did not have any, their angelic faces turned somewhat malevolent. It was scary. I had an ominous feeling. As weeks passed, I started to find strange items on my table.

I once found a dead crow. It was scary. So, so scary. I was extremely terrified and since then developed a phobia of black birds.

I also found a bloody sanitary pad on my chair. Their tricks and pranks went from simple to dangerous. Like putting pins in my gym shoes or sticking a nail in my chair so that I would get poked when I sat down.

I don't even want to go on to what other things they did to me. It makes me shiver just thinking about it.

DING DONG! DING DONG!

"It's time for lunch!" Yating clapped her hands happily.

"Great, I'm fucking starving!" Shu nodded.

"Hey, Ghost Yiren," Yan said.

I couldn't meet her eyes. My gaze was glued to my necklace, which looked foreign around her neck. I wanted to take it back. It didn't belong to her.

So why-

"This bitch keeps staring at your necklace," Yating laughed.

The students had quickly run out of the classroom at that time, not wanting to remain in the class any longer.

Yan aggressively cupped my face, pinching my cheeks with her free hand, and smirked.

"Sorry," she said, pointing at my necklace, "But once you give someone a gift, you can't take it back. No takebacks, okay sweetie?"

She forcefully let go of my face and crossed her arms.

"Now, go buy us our fucking snacks for lunch. The usual and meet us by the stairs leading to the rooftop," she barked.

I ran out of the classroom after grabbing my wallet. I headed to the cafeteria and felt my heart shatter when the cafeteria lady told me they ran out of Strawberry Milk.

Yan was going to blame me for the cafeteria running out of her favorite flavored milk as if I fucking drank it all. Again, pardon my language.

I sighed and bought the rest of the available things. I ran to the stairs leading to the rooftop and found all three of my bullies there, giggling and chatting away.

"I'm telling you," Yan giggled.

"No fucking way!" Shu replied, gently pushing Yan, "You're such sluts!"

Fucking bitches is more like what they are.

"Took you long enough," Shu said, snatching the plastic bag with their snacks from me as I tried to catch my breath.

Yan rummaged through the plastic bag, and I gulped. I was standing by the stairs, and they were in front of the door leading to the rooftop. My heart is racing right now.

She's gonna be so mad-

"Hey, where the fuck is my Strawberry Milk, Yiren?"

See? Told you she would get mad.

"I'm sorry. By the time I got there," I had tried to explain, "They had run out and-"

I was punched to my chest, and it felt like someone had hit my womb with a hammer.

"YOU THINK I FUCKING CARE?" Yan yelled, her face turning red in anger, "YOU SHOULD HAVE RUN FASTER, YOU LAZY BITCH!"

With that, she pressed her hands to my chest and pushed me.

"Yiren, no!" Yating exclaimed as she saw me fall down the stairs.

My body rolled down the stairs, and it felt like every fiber of my being was being punched and pierced. My head hit the bottom of the stairs...hard.

Before blacking out, the last thing I remember seeing was my three bullies' widened eyes. Their eyes were full of shock and horror as they stared at my injured and still body.

"Why me?"