Chapter 4

Riley and Kate kept aiming dodgeballs at me then the teacher excused and they increased the force and number of dodgeballs. They started throwing it at my face and I began to have a headache. After the class, I was leaving when I felt someone throw a ball on my butt. The shorts I was wearing really brought out the shape of my butt and it was embarrassing. I turned and saw Sean smiling at me. I was too angry to think of returning it and left. I walked into the same glass door again and hurt my arm. I went back to the girl's locker to change. I could barely see and almost fell on my way home. I was thinking of a suitable lie to tell Gertrude and still worried about who had my diary. I was getting stressed out and I still had my history project. We were asked to write a brief history on any of America's greatest president and I chose Roosevolt.

"Where are your glasses?" She didn't even let me get changed.

"They got lost"

"Lost?"

"Yes" I couldn't look her in the eye because I was lying and she almost caught me.

"You never lose your glasses"

"Nan, can you stop with the questions? I'm tired"

"I was just worried"

"Well there is no need for that. I'm fine" I said the last part just to make me feel ok. I had a shower and after hours, I began my history project. I didn't even have dinner and slept off in the study. I was having a pleasant dream where Sean and I grew old together, when I felt someone kept tapping me. I tried brushing the hand off many times but the person wouldn't let me be so I opened my eyes.

"What is it?" I asked drowsily.

"Don't you have school today?"

"School?" I was not fully awake yet.

"School!" the time was seven-thirty and I knew if I didn't hurry up, I would get late. My neck was aching because of the way I slept and I really needed to sleep because I slept that morning by five o' clock. I had spent so much time looking for books on Roosevolt. It was difficult because most of the books there were on business secrets and all that, which I was in doubt my dad actually read. I didn't finish the project. Dominos, My driver, insisted on taking me to school but I declined because of all the forty six cars in our garage, none of them was simple enough for me to take to school and I wasn't about reveal how rich m family was. Though, I would have really loved to show Kate her Mustang was nothing compared to what I had, I wasn't ready for the attention and questions because goodness knows what rumours would spread. I slept through almost all the classes and got into detention, spoiling my clean record and there was no way I could sleep in detention. Also, we had our test coming up in two weeks' time and I was halfway done with reading my notes. Bruce was angry with me because of the way I behaved towards him the day before and Riley and Kate starting to piss me off more. My dad made me take lessons on martial arts since I was twelve because he believed my mom's death wasn't normal because he has a lot of enemies who are after his neck and would definitely come after me. He doesn't even trust his family members so I only have a vague memory of my uncles, aunts and cousins since I only met them once before my mom's demise. Not to brag but I'm a pro, but even I don't know why I let myself get beaten all the time. I was tired when I got home and still had to submit my history project. I didn't sleep at all that night and kept downing cup after cup of black coffee without milk or sugar. By eleven O' clock, Gertrude came to knock on the door of the study telling me to go to bed.

"Come in"

"It's late, go to bed"

"I'm not done yet" she looked at the clock

"Please, I promise to go to bed immediately I'm done"

"Alright but make sure to eat something first"

"Ok, Thanks" she left. I made sure the essay was extensive enough to get my full mark. We had a free period before the History. I was reading my essay again and then, someone flung it across the class. I looked up and saw Kate. "My project needs finishing" she dropped her note in my front. I opened it and was amazed.

"But you haven't started" she pushed my head

"So?"

"I can't finish it on time". She pulled my hair. "Well I need it in the next twenty minutes" I checked the time and saw I had only thirty minutes to work.

"Are you deaf?" She pulled it harder.

"I'll get it done" I squealed in pain.

"Good" I bent to take my note but my hand was kicked away.

"I'll be taking this" Mark said. Mark was really smart but took fun in picking fightds with me.

"That's mine" I almost yelled.

"Are you raising your voice on me?"

"I am sorry, but please can I get my note back?"

"Ok" I sighed with relief.

"After the day"

"But I won't be able to submit it"

"Do you think I care about that?"

"Mark please"

"No" He turned around and left.

"Tick-tok miss. You've got twenty seven minutes left" Kate was tapping her foot rapidly on the floor. I was leaving the class to the library to get it done then Riley blocked my way 'can this day get any worse?'

She slapped me hard across my face and I moved back and bumped into a desk and almost fell.

"You slut"

'Slut?'

"Imbecile, Idiot, Bitch, Bastard, Snake" she kept hitting me in between each word and it hurt like hell.

"You dared try and snatch my boyfriend" she was red in fury.

"Uhn?"

"Shut up you retard" I kept quiet. She continued hitting me until I was sure my inside were pulp. Riley took classes on karate and taekwondo, she also learnt ballet and was a sprinter so, compared to her, I was a like a baby. I couldn't stand up to her because it had been a long time since I trained and I was taken by surprise. When I stood up, she hit me on my waist with a chair and I was sure my ribs were cracked or maybe broken. I couldn't speak properly anymore.

"I'm going to kill you" she rushed at me again but as weak as I was, I dodged it and she ran into the class board. She paused and slowly turned towards me. Her eyes were blood-shot. She scratched me all over my body and it was only few of us in class at that time.

"Riley, please!"

"Don't you dare call my name" she sat on me and started punching me in the face. Her fists were like iron. The students in the class started panicking.

"Riley, please, you're going to kill her"

"I intend to" she growled. I couldn't speak. Sean entered the class, then a teacher and it all went black.