Innocent or not?

Brianna fought back. Her initial reaction was to grab the thick book next to her and smack it on Melissa's head.

Melissa staggered. Brianna's ears were still ringing from the punch that hit her cheek.

'It stings…' she thought as she rubbed her face. She saw Melissa aiming to attack her again. As though her body was in complete control, she raised her foot quickly and kicked Melissa in the stomach.

"Woah! So, you know how to fight, little devil?"

Brianna ignored Bianca's sniggering. She was surprised as well. Instead of crawling under the bed to hide from Melissa, she was fighting her head-on. Brianna wet her dry lips and began explaining again, "I'm not the one who did it! Anyone here could have woken up during the night and done that! Why are you only blaming me? You don't have proof!"

Even if Melissa ransacked all her belongings, she won't find any evidence. Brianna sighed. She rubbed her cheek and wiped her watery eyes.

Melissa menacingly eyed her. Brianna had a point, and she was so mad that she jumped on her in an instant. Looking back, Brianna was the pathetic and weak girl who couldn't even stand for herself, so why would she do something absurd and anger her? Melissa pondered.

She breathed to calm herself.

Seeing Melissa come back to her senses, Brianna sighed in relief. She sat on the bed and started folding her sheet. There was an angel settled in the room, as everyone fell in silence. However, that silence was broken with a tiny sound of something falling.

As Brianna shook off her pillow and adjusted her mattress, a marker rolled from the edge of her bed and fell on the floor. Everyone's breath hitched as they watched the marker roll until it stopped in the middle of them all.

Melissa slowly bent down and picked up the marker. She read the bold letter on the thin cylindrical object, "Sharpie Permanent Marker…"

Bianca turned to Brianna. She almost burst into laughter after seeing the dread in her face. Alice was aghast, while Melissa slowly lifted her eyelids and darted her evil gaze at the poor newbie.

"YOU M*THERF*CKER! YOU BITCH! I'LL KILL YOU!"

Melissa's nose flared in anger; her eyes slanted as the reddish sheen on her glares flicked and ready to slash Brianna. Her yelling mouth released poisonous gas which made Bianca and Alice cover their nose.

"I'LL KILL YOU! HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO ME!!"

Melissa lunged forward. Brianna was frozen at her spot from that turn of events. Her mind was jumbled, trying to find a reason why the marker was in her bed. She really didn't do anything! She was innocent! Why is everyone blaming her for something she didn't commit?!

Just before Melissa's claws touched her, Brianna heard a snicker. Turning in the direction, she saw Alice looking at them with amusement. Brianna was then reminded of Freda's face hiding behind her father's shoulders, flashing her innocent smile but had eyes sparkling with evil.

Brianna pointed at Alice, "You…!"

Before she could finish her sentence, Melissa was on her again. Brianna's hair was yanked, and they wrestled on the bed. Melissa kicked her stomach repeatedly while cursing her incessantly. Brianna screamed from the pain on her scalp, as she tried to curl her body to protect her belly with her knees.

Alice and Bianca were just watching and didn't even dare to help.

At the corner of Brianna's eyes, she saw the thick book again. She rapidly grabbed it and slammed it on Melissa's head. Melissa blocked her sides with her elbow. Brianna's hair was let go, but Melissa's other hand was pinning her left hand, so without thinking, Brianna tilted her head backward and then slammed her forehead on Melissa.

"ARGH!"

Melissa was hit on the chin. She staggered a bit away from Brianna, cupping her jaw. Brianna's head throbbed, but surprisingly, she felt free and extremely satisfied seeing Melissa in pain. Gaining her momentum, she lifted her folded knees and kicked Melissa in the chest.

The woman fell down the bed, her back hitting first.

Bianca and Alice moved out of the way, as though they were both unwilling to be involved. Alice might be believable, but Bianca? How come the queen of lowlifes was shying away from a fight?

Brianna looked up and saw Bianca's grin.

'Ah, she was entertained by this. That woman is insane…' she helplessly thought inwardly.

Melissa twitched and sat up again, but Brianna was quicker. She jumped on top of her, and with the thick book in her hand, she began ramming it to Melissa's face until the woman's nose bleed and her lips exploded.

Melissa lost consciousness already, but Brianna showed no sign of stopping. She continuously punched the unconscious woman with a blank face.

"Dammit, girl! Are you trying to kill her?!" Alice ran to them, snatching Brianna's arm that held the book. "That's enough!"

Brianna glared at Alice, her eyes sharp and emanating a murderous aura. She muttered viciously, "What's the matter? What's wrong for a murderer to kill?"

Alice shuddered unexplainably. She felt like a devil was choking her and she stumbled a bit away from Brianna.

Bianca came and snatched the book. Looking at Brianna with interest, she casually commented, "Little devil, how could you use my bible as a weapon? Look how merciless you are. Geez, I guess I'm not the madwoman here~."

Bianca yanked Brianna away from Melissa, she bent down and checked the woman's breathing. Her eyes bulged along with her jaw falling. She looked at Alice with a terrified expression and muttered quietly, "Dead."

Alice froze. When the gravity of that word finally registered in her head, she fell back and screamed loud enough it could rival a kettle whistling.

"AHHHHHHHH!"

Even with that screeching noise, Brianna never moved her eyes away from Bianca. When a flicker of amusement flashed in those mischievous eyes, Brianna understood already. The breath she was holding back ever since finally escaped her mouth.

A female guard dashed to their cell and inquired what happened. Sighting the bloody Melissa on the floor, her face drained with color and she quickly radioed someone to bring a stretcher and additional officers.

The female guard looked with contempt at Bianca who held the bloody bible, and shouted, "Bianca Acosta, you will be locked in the isolation cell for a whole month this time!"