What Goes Up

"It was Spider Wells!" Magenta reported to her dorm parent.

Shelby nodded and said, "I saw it too!"

Spider's hollow and hungry stare creeped both girls out. And when he realized he'd been caught he jumped off the balcony and ran for dear life. The girls tried to chase him but strangely enough, he was quite fast even with an injury after a fall from heights. They couldn't get the evidence he was the one watching them. But they were sure of it.

So they went back to their dorm to complain about him.

"He was right there on the balcony," Shelby said.

They shivered at the thought of creepy Spider sexually looking at them.

"Okay, well we have to talk to Spider's dorm parents and to Spider himself too." Mrs. Moss was trying to be rational but seeing the panic in her dorm girls' eyes made her anxious too.

"We shouldn't make accusations against people if they are not true. Since we do not have any proof against Spider at the present moment, it would be hard for me to help you girls verify what you've seen and said. I'm not saying you are lying, but you could have told me something false to get someone in trouble. I am just trying to be fair." Mrs. Moss explained.

"What!" Magenta said.

"But he...but he..." Shelby pointed like a ghost.

"Yes, I am aware of what you have told me about Spider in the past. But Principal McCartney has spoken to Spider and has final say on the matter." Mrs. Moss said.

"Imagine you were accused and then you had to be punished all for what someone 'said' that could not be seconded by anyone else?" Mrs. Moss tried to help the girls see the other perspective.

"But to protect you girls, I suggest closing the window curtains at night. Locking doors when necessary."

Magenta and Shelby left Mrs. Moss' flat feeling deflated and discouraged.

How could they just let Spider get away with it? The principal must know by now that something was wrong with Spider's family. First Spider and then Gwendolyn...Magenta wondered exactly who their parents were.

"Do they think locks and closed curtains will keep creeps out?" Shelby said.

Magenta said, "Exactly. Oakstone Academy 'gem of all school gems' but no system to call someone out for sexual harassment!"

"It's not okay!" Shelby cried.

They went to bed with a foreboding feeling creeping its way under their skin, into their bloodstream.

--

It was a regular Monday before school started in the homeroom. The homeroom teacher was on a toilet break. When it was almost time for school to start, there were loud shouts and noises from outside the classroom. Magenta held her notebook, writing in the diary section of her book, while Blue made paper planes, and Shelby was doodling with Jasper.

Reese hauled Spider into the room, with a camera in his hands.

Spider was struggling so much, gnawing at Reese's arms, kicking and biting, shoving, spitting. Reese didn't allow Spider to affect him at all.

"I got him. Finally." Reese declared. He put the camera on the classroom desk.

Reese was like Gaston who just shot a wild animal. His eyes themselves were wild with ambition. As if his goal was right there at arm's length. His proud eyes went to Magenta, who was staring at Spider with terror.

Spider was so angry, he was almost foaming at the mouth. His eyes bulged at the sockets. His skin was streaked red as if he'd been scratched and he wasn't walking properly. One of the students at the front grabbed the camera, flipping the viewer open to see what was captured. The videos and pictures depicted Spider sexually harassing different girls by looking up their skirts or sniffing underwear, or even staring at people through binoculars and dorm windows. In his pride of hunting, Reese's grip on Spider slipped.

Spider rushed forward, latching on to Magenta's exposed leg. Just as he was about to bite her leg in the madness of it all, Reese ran after him and kicked Spider with a heavy blow to the side. Spider's head hit the side of the desk and he whimpered in pain. Reese's eyes were wide, not with an apology but with a fit of unadulterated anger towards Spider. He raised his leg to kick Spider again but stopped when he looked at Magenta screaming, "No!"

Magenta shrank back from Reese, now afraid of her boyfriend too.

She had wanted to get revenge but she didn't want anyone to be physically hurt for anything. One of the Physical Education teachers who was also certified in first aid and an ex-policeman grabbed Spider, pushing himself in between Reese and Spider. The teacher pulled Spider out of the room.

"Reese, to the principal's office. Spider, with me." The teacher said quickly trying to diffuse the situation.

"I'll get you! I'll get all of you! All of you are dead!" Spider screeched on the way out, his nose bleeding and dripping blood on the floor.

A trail of blood was left in the wake of what happened between Spider and Reese. A terse silence built up in the classroom as the homeroom teacher came back in and tried to sort everything out. The cleaning lady came and at that time their class was told to go have an early break outside the building.

Finally, Magenta and Shelby got their evidence against Spider, but it wasn't looking good for Reese either. Reese resorted to violence against Spider, though it could be argued as self-defense it didn't look like self-defense with Spider on the floor and Reese standing above him most likely about to kick him twenty times more.

Magenta was so terrified at everything going on, and she didn't know what to do. The first thing she knew to do was to look at Blue. Blue, who sat behind her. Blue, who had known her since they were eight.

Blue, who was not Spider or Reese. Blue, who cared.

Blue came to her side when he saw her going through a breakdown. Even Shelby and Jasper were so shaken up and shocked, clinging to and reassuring each other that they didn't notice Magenta trembling.

"Magenta, breathe. Take a deep breath," Blue said, soothing her with his voice.

Magenta grabbed onto Blue, tears streaming down her face. She broke at that moment as she saw Blue's concern for her, his eyes searching hers for any pain that he could eliminate he could. He wanted to protect her. He still wanted to protect her. Magenta felt shame burning in her throat, it was her who did not deserve his concern after the way she treated him. She buried her face into his chest, crying.

"I'm, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Magenta wailed.

"It's okay, it's okay," Blue murmured, holding her tightly.

Spider was expelled that very day, and sent to a correctional institution for youth. Reese was given a reprimanding and serious warning. If he ever made a misstep in terms of violence or violated the rules again, he would be expelled too, even his dad as the principal could not be lenient on this serious case.

But the greatest misfortune for Reese was in his pride where he gained recognition but lost Magenta.