The Bullies Who Loved Me

by Mia Belle

  I swing my arm over her shoulder, pulling her close. “It’s true,” I say, my voice choked up. “He killed himself, but that was because he lost everything. And that was Daphne’s fault. She lied about him being drunk and about him killing that girl. Even though another guy confessed, he still lost everything. The scholarship, the chance to swim for Dukan University. They threw him out like garbage, like he meant nothing. He felt like shit, so he killed himself.”

  She stares into my eyes. “And you blame Daphne for all that?”

  “Phoebe, he wasn’t drunk at that party, but the school refused to listen. And because of that, he’s dead. If Daphne hadn’t spread those lies, he’d be…” I swallow. “He’d be this amazing swimmer and we’d be…we’d be…” I can’t finish.

  Phoebe rests her head on my chest. “We’d be happy,” she says in a monotone.

  I nod, my throat tight as I try to hold back my tears. I can’t cry in front of my little sister. I need to be strong.

  “Please stay away from Daphne,” I say. “There’s a lot you don’t know or understand.”

  She pulls free. “I’m not a little kid. Do you…you hate her, don’t you?”

  “Of course I hate her. My older brother is dead. I don’t know what she had against him, why she lied, but…” I shake my head. “Just stay away from her.”

  “Fine,” she mutters. “It’s not like we see each other or anything. How was work?”

  “Fine.”

  “Ryder and Caden asked me about you. How much longer are you going to lie about the job?”

  I can’t answer that because I don’t know. My friends are great, but I don’t want them to know the truth. I don’t want them to know what became of my dad. And I definitely don’t want Ryder throwing his money at me. I can handle this. Phoebe and I will trudge through.

  I get to my feet. “I’d better make dinner before Dad wakes up.”

  She returns to her music as I close the door behind me.

  As the food cooks, I take care of laundry. Phoebe comes down a little while later and helps me fold and put everything away.

  Dad wakes up demanding food and more beer. Rolling her eyes, Phoebe goes to fetch him one. I bring him his food to the TV, just the way he wants it.

  “Fucking shit,” he calls while my sister and I sit in the kitchen, eating. “What is this? This tastes like shit!” A plate shatters against the wall.

  Phoebe makes a move to get up, but I motion for her to stay put.

  I add some salt to the dish, then bring it out to him. He eats the entire thing, downs it with beer, and throws the empty plate and bottle at me. I catch them before they, too, shatter to pieces.

  He yells at the TV, where he’s watching wrestling. I bend to carefully collect the broken pieces and throw them out.

  Phoebe looks at me when I return and I look at her. We don’t say anything to one another as we finish our food.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Daphne

  Just like yesterday, the kids form a blockade. Behind them, Eric glares at me. It seems he’s more pissed than usual, but whatever. I’m so over this.

  I tear two girls’ arms from each other and shove my way into the building. But I’m stopped short by Eric and his friends, who flank him on either side.

  They glare into my eyes, each more menacing than the last. Crossing my arms, I glare back. My brain is begging me not to piss them off even more, but I don’t listen.

  “You plan on giving me back my phone?” I ask Eric.

  He gives me a confused face. “Your phone? What would I want with that piece of shit?”

  “Piece of shit? You wish. Last I checked, your phone is, what, a year old or something?”

  His eyes narrow. “Better watch it.”

  I push past him, but he throws me back. How could his sister be so sweet when he’s such an asshole?

  He bends close. “We don’t move aside for bitches. If you want to pass, go the other way.” He nods toward the doors behind me. The hallway near my first class has another entrance, but it’ll take me longer to get there and he knows I won’t make it in time.

  I cross my arms. “I’m not walking around the building when I can get to my class this way.”

  He tilts his head to the side. “You’re not getting through, so either you’ll be late…or you’ll be late. Us? We can come to class however late we want and no one will care.”

  Ryder smirks. “Better run, Pigget.”

  I look from one guy to the next, hoping to see something other than evil brewing in their eyes, but no. Each and every one of them harbors the same feelings toward me.

  Giving them another glare, I turn around and walk briskly toward the doors. Someone sticks his foot out and I crash to the ground.

  Laughter erupts all over. My head springs up, my eyes flaming. I get to my feet. “I don’t give a damn about the consequences,” I say through clenched teeth. “I’ve put up with your shit for days, but it’s time to end you. I’m going to VP Henson.”

  I turn to go, but Ryder grabs my hand, pulling me so close I can see the little brown freckles sprinkled over his upper cheeks. “You sure that’s a good idea? My parents pretty much own this school. Are you sure you want to go down that road?”

  The surrounding kids shake their heads dramatically, telling me that would be a bad idea.

  I pull my hand from his. “Screw you.”

  He scans me from top to bottom, scrunching his nose. “Not my type.”

  Avery giggles so loud it’s like she has a megaphone hidden in her mouth.

  The bell rings. Everyone except for the Kings and me scatter to their classes. Eric’s eyes move to the school doors. “Better run, little piggy.” He waves his hand, like shooing away a pesky fly.

  They don’t move from their spot, which means they have no intention of letting me pass. They’d stand there all day if it meant blocking me from getting to class.

  I spin around on my heels and stalk down the hall, out the front doors, around the building, and to my class.

  Of course I’m late, but my teacher seems to be in a good mood and doesn’t reprimand me. I catch a few kids’ disappointed expressions, and can’t hide my small smile. Eric thinks he’s got me, but he can’t control everything.

  ***

  Gym is last period and it’s one of my favorite subjects. I like running around and being active. And that’s not only because I’m trying to keep my weight in check.

  The best thing about having gym last is that I don’t have to take a shower at school.

  Today is volleyball. The gym teacher splits us into teams of two, guys versus girls.

  Things are going well. I ignore the glares from the Kings and from the few girls on my team. I’m having fun, something I haven’t had since the start of school.

  My teammates are treating me like one of them, but I know it’s only because the teacher, the cheerleading coach, is watching. Sure enough, as soon as she steps out to take care of something, my team treats me as though I’m a wall.

  Whatever. I don’t really care. I just want the day to be over so I could go home and forget all this.

  Something thumps my head and I falter back. The ball. When I look up, I find Eric’s evil smirk.

  Avery leaps to pick it up, then launches it at me. The rest of the kids grab the other balls from the storage closet and hurl it at me like I’m a target at a shooting range.

  I fall to my knees, protecting my face with my arms. Some of the kids throw powerful balls that make my head and hands ring with pain.

  They laugh and taunt me, calling me a bitch, slut, any insults they can come up with.

  “Teacher!” someone yells and the throwing promptly stops.

  I’m surrounded by balls, and as soon as Coach sees this, she demands to know what happened.

  “We told her not to,” Avery pops up. “But Daphne wanted us to play with multiple balls. And when we refused, she threw them all over the floor.”

  The coach gives me a s
tern look. “Miss Pickett, we don’t touch school property unless we have permission from a teacher.”

  I don’t bother replying or trying to explain. What’s the point? No one will take my side.

  My hands and head still ring with pain, but it’s lessening. I try not to wince. I won’t let these jerks see the effect their bullshit has on me.

  “Clean this up,” Coach says. “Can someone help her?”

  Avery jumps at the opportunity. “I will.”

  Coach smiles, proud of her precious cheerleader. “I meant to take these balls to the basement. There’s no room for them in the closet. Do you think you girls can handle it?”

  Avery beams as she starts dumping the balls into a large bag. “Of course.”

  Coach and the others leave. Avery smiles widely at me. “I have to admit, you’re stronger than I thought. And stupid. You should have left by now.”

  I glare at her before stuffing more balls into the bag. “I don’t need your help, so get the hell away from me.”

  “I can’t. Coach is relying on me to help and I can’t let her down.” She’s being all overdramatic.

  “Whatever.”

  She still has that huge smile as we lug the bag down the stairs to the basement. Most kids don’t venture here, but Zoe and I once checked it out because we were curious. It’s just an old basement used for storage. There’s nothing special about it.

  Avery and I heave the bag inside, and when I turn to leave, the door slams in my face. Avery laughs loudly on the other side. “Oh my god, Pigget. Don’t you know the door shuts behind you? There’s nothing to hold it in place.”

  “Bullshit. You locked me in here. Let me out.”

  There’s no response, but I hear her giggles echoing off the walls as she makes her way out of the basement.

  I frantically pull on the doorknob, but it’s locked tight. I search for another way out, but this door is made of steel, I think, and it’s impossible to get out. It’s also impossible to hear my yells.

  Dammit. I don’t have Mom’s phone because I put it in my gym locker.

  “Hello?” I slam my fist on the door, biting back from yelping out in pain. “Someone help!”

  It’s no use. School is out and no one’s here. Even the kids who have after school activities can’t hear me.

  Damn Avery. I should have known she was planning something. She must not have expected Coach to tell us to go down here. Maybe she wanted to lock me in the closet or something, but this is so much more “fun.”

  It’s so temping to leave this hellhole and never come back, but I can’t do that. Firstly, I’d have to tell my parents the truth, but I don’t want to worry them. I want to be strong. Also, I can never ask them to pay for private school.

  No, I need to wait it out before either the assholes get bored, or I graduate.

  Slinking down to the floor, I shut my eyes. Mom and Dad will notice I’m missing and they’ll come looking for me. I just need to be patient.

  My eyes open. But how would they know? Avery definitely won’t say anything and I doubt Coach will remember she sent me down here.

  No. I need to stay positive. It’ll be okay.

  Half an hour passes and nothing happens. My head droops, eyes get heavy. Maybe I’ll rest for a little bit…

  ***

  The sound of a knob turning pulls me out of my sleep. My eyes spring open and I watch the door slowly open.

  Scrambling to my feet, I nearly trip as I rush out. No one’s here.

  Looking down the hall, I catch a guy with dark red hair turning the corner. I only see him for a split second, and my eyes are a little blurry with sleep, but I definitely saw him.

  Dark red hair. There’s only one person I know who has that color hair. Caden Murray.

  Caden? As in Eric’s best friend? Hell no. That’s impossible. My eyes must have been playing tricks on me.

  I can’t linger on this too much. I need to get out of here. Before I leave, though, I check the door. It does stay open on its own and doesn’t need anything to hold it. That damn Avery. She’ll get what she deserves. Maybe not today, tomorrow, or the next few years, but I believe she will. The world can’t be that cruel.

  I don’t have time to change out of my gym clothes, just to grab my phone and quickly rush home. Mom’s at the diner, Dad’s at work. I’m not really late, since I would normally have detention. Crap. Detention.

  No. Yesterday was my last day. I totally forgot I’m free. I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t tell my parents, because they’d be worried sick about me.

  I throw on jeans and a T-shirt and head to the diner to help Mom. Business was a little slow in the summer, but it’s starting to pick up. People in town are getting over what happened and they’re just here for good food.

  Why can’t it be the same with the Kings? Why can’t they let whatever happened this summer go?

  Chapter Fourteen

  Caden

  I’m sitting on Ryder’s couch, trying to watch the footage of our swim meet. Many people have recorded it and posted it online. We’re kind of famous to some kids.

  The comments are crazy good, enough to feed our egos. But I’m not thinking about any of that. My thoughts are focused on a girl who shouldn’t be treated less than human.

  I mean, to lock her in the basement?

  Ryder cheers. “Nice one, Caden. That turn was amazing!”

  I’m not listening to him. I can’t stop thinking about Daphne Pickett. The worst part is that I have no one to talk to about it. Not Ryder or Eric because they will fry my ass. And I definitely can’t discuss it with my grandparents.

  “Dude, you’ve been staring at the screen like you’re looking through it. You okay?” Ryder asks. I don’t get it. He’s a good person. So is Eric. So why the hell are they treating Daphne so terribly? Fine, she was responsible for Blake’s suicide, but to put her through hell? I don’t even know who my best friends are anymore.

  At the same time, how can I betray them by feeling sorry for the enemy? This is so messed up.

  “Cade?”

  I pull my gaze away. “Fine.” There’s no hiding the edge in my voice.

  He holds up his hands. “I don’t know what your problem is…” His eyes widen. “Is it the doctor’s appointment? Did you get bad news or something?”

  I think back to how I wrung my fingers in my lap—a grandparent on each side of me—as we waited for the doctor to tell me the results.

  “No,” I say. “No bad news. Everything’s fine. I guess I’m tired because I’ve been overdoing it with swimming.”

  His face washes with relief. “That’s great.” He holds out a fist for a bump, but I turn away from him. He frowns. “What crawled up your ass, then?”

  “It’s nothing.” I focus on the video, but I’m not really looking at it.

  “Fine.” He plays with his phone.

  I lift a brow? “Is that new?” He just bought a new phone last week.

  He shrugs.

  “And I noticed a few new cars in your garage.”

  “Your point?”

  I study him for a little bit. He’d never admit it to anyone, but the reason he throws his money at things he doesn’t need is because he’s lonely in this house, with only the servants to talk to. They walk in and out, asking us if we need anything. I don’t even know why the Kensingtons need so many, especially when Ryder’s parents are out of town. They travel a lot, leaving Ryder alone. Of course it bothers him, which is why I know he appreciates my coming here. I didn’t want to when he texted me to watch the video of our meet, but I knew he needed me.

  Eric usually hangs out here, too, and Phoebe tags along sometimes, but I feel like I haven’t seen him in days. Though he’s physically at school, his brain seems miles away.

  “When are your parents coming back?” I ask him.

  He leans against the seat, shrugging as if he doesn’t give a crap. He calls for one of the servants to fetch him a drink.

  We continue watching t
he video. The competition is different from the other times. Not only because Blake’s not here, but because Eric isn’t. I’ve tried so many times to talk him into swimming again, but I decided to give up. If he doesn’t want that connection to his brother, then I need to let him go. I hope we’ll still be as tight as we’ve always been. Lately, he’s been separating himself from Ryder and me. I know I think about it too much, but honestly, I hate seeing people so upset. I hate seeing my best friend give up something that used to mean the world to him.

  Ryder cheers when the Leighton High Whales win, waving his arms over his head. “That was epic,” he says with a bright smile. Then it drops as he sighs, slouching forward.

  Swimming is Ryder’s life. It’s all he cares about. He’s worried he might lose it because of his dad. Maybe he’s so consumed with following his dreams that he doesn’t realize the harm he’s causing Daphne.

  His hand clamps on my arm. “Dude, it’s like I’m talking to a ghost. Why did you bother coming if you’re not even going to watch our meet?”

  I pull my gaze away from the laptop. “Am I the only one who thinks what we’re doing to Daphne is wrong?”

  His eyes latch onto mine for a few seconds before he grunts, crossing his arms over his chest. “Not this shit again.”

  I throw my hands up. “Avery locked her in the basement. Did you know that?”

  “Everyone knows that. She bragged to half the school.”

  “And no one rescued her.”

  He rolls his eyes, leaning forward. “I don’t give a damn about her, man. And you shouldn’t either. Is Eric here? Nope. Because he’s still mourning over his brother. His brother that would be alive if not for her. So stop the bullshit or…” He squeezes his eyes shut. “You going to let that bitch tear us apart? All because you think what we’re doing is wrong?”

  I grit my teeth. “It is wrong, man.”

  He shrugs. “We haven’t done anything to really harm her. What? We threw some balls at her? She was locked in the basement for a few hours?” He shakes his head angrily. “I can’t believe you’d betray your best friend like that.”