Sierra
Chapter nine
Iwanted nothing more than to keep walking right out the front door and off school grounds.
But I didn’t. Instead, I headed to the bathroom and cleaned up as much as I could.
I had to suck it up and finish out the day.
If I didn't, dear Aunt Sarah would get a call, and depending on her mood, it might not end well for me. Three more classes. I can make it.
Unfortunately, I don’t have any clothes to change into, thanks to forgetting my gym clothes this morning.
Thank you cramps for throwing everything off.
I wet a paper towel and try to clean up as much as I can.
But the spaghetti sauce is unforgiving and has stained my clothes.
I really hope that soaking them when I get home takes the stains out.
Fuck! What the hell am I going to do? I really don’t want to walk around for what's left of this day in wet, stained clothes. It’s just asking for more taunts from the pricks at this school.
Ugh! Gripping the sink, I stare myself down in the mirror, trying to pull myself together. Once I make sure my hair is covering the edge of my face, I inhale deeply and push off the sink, heading for the door. God, I hope there is something else in the lost and found left over from last year.
The halls are empty except for a few stragglers at their lockers, who turn, pointing and laughing at me as they look at their phones.
Either word has gone viral via text for all those who weren’t in attendance to my disgrace, or Savannah or one of her cronies videoed it and shared it for all to see. My guess would be the latter.
Taking a deep breath, knowing Mrs. Bullock will have a million and one questions, I open the door to the office and step inside.
I expected to see Mrs. Bullock at the desk; she’s always there.
Mr. Stevenson, on the other hand, was not expected.
They appear to be in a deep conversation and don’t notice me enter.
Well, not until the weight of the door slams shut behind me.
Their eyes whip over to me, taking in my appearance, with shock on their faces.
Mr. Stevenson has made his way over to me before Mrs. Bullock can even stand up. “Sierra, what in the world happened?” His concern is palpable.
“Umm… I slipped inside the cafeteria and ended up spilling spaghetti all over me. I was going to put on my gym clothes, but I forgot them at home,” I lie to him.
“Let’s call your aunt and have her bring you a change of clothes,” Mrs. Bullock says, moving the phone to the front of her desk so that I have access to it.
FUCK! FUCK! FUCKITY FUCK! This can’t be happening.
“She’s asleep. She had a double shift yesterday, so I don't want to wake her,” I lie right through my teeth, hoping like hell my face doesn’t give me away. “I was hoping maybe there was something else in the lost and found I could borrow today. I promise to wash it and bring it back.”
“Oh, sweetie, I wish there was. I was lucky to even find that shirt. Normally everything from the previous year is donated if not claimed by the end of the year, but with Mrs. Garcia leaving and looking for a replacement, it was overlooked.” Mrs. Bullock smiles sadly at me.
“Oh, okay. Well, there are just a few more classes. I can make do with this, then.” I turn to leave the office when a deep voice speaks up.
“Let me run to my car real quick. I was going to the gym after school today and I have some workout clothes. They’ll be big on you, but they’ll be better than wet, stained clothing.
Give me about five minutes to run to my car and come back.
” Mr. Stevenson doesn’t even give me a chance to reply before he’s dashing out of the office.
“Did you get a chance to eat?” Mrs. Bullock asks as she moves back behind her desk and sits down.
“Umm. No. But I’ll be okay.”
“Hosh posh,” she says as she opens a drawer on her desk and pulls out her purse, quickly rummaging through it. “Here ya go. Eat this.” She hands me a granola bar that I graciously accept.
“Thank you.” I’m trying my best not to break down. From the events in the cafeteria to the generosity of both Mr. Stevenson and Mrs. Bullock, I know the tears want to break free. If they do, I’ll blame it on my period.
I move over and take a seat in the chair by the door, slowly opening the bar and taking a bite.
My stomach lets out a growl of approval at the chocolaty goodness.
Guess I was hungrier than I thought. Mrs. Bullock looks up, giving me a sympathetic smile before she begins clicking her fingernails on the keyboard in front of her as she gets back to something on her computer.
Minutes pass as we sit in silence. The only noise is the rustle of the wrapping to the oatmeal bar and the click-clack of the keys. We both turn our heads at the same time to the sound of the office door flying open, hitting the wall.
“Sorry, it took longer than I thought, Sierra. Here’s a shirt and some sweatpants. Like I said, they’ll be big on you, but the pants have a drawstring.” He hands them to me as a sliver of sweat slides down the side of his face.
“Thank you, Mr. Stevenson. I’ll be sure to wash them and return them tomorrow,” I manage to squeak out before turning and rushing from the room.
“Sierra…” I hear him call out, but I’m already out the door.
I know if I stayed longer they would ask more questions, wearing me down until I make a mistake and screw up, allowing it to slip what really happened.
Hell, all they had to do was look over the shoulder of one student at this school, and they could see what happened.
By now, it’s no doubt being stitched and duetted like crazy on TikTok.
I hurry to the bathroom and change. Mr. Stevenson was right; his clothes are huge on me, but so much better than what I was wearing.
I have to pull the string tight on the pants and roll the waistband over a few times as well as cuff the legs.
The shirt could be a dress, so I take the end and pull it to the side, tying it in a knot.
I sigh heavily, looking at myself in the mirror.
Guess this is as good as it gets. Folding up my soiled clothes, I stuff them in my bag and head off to Trigonometry, making it to my desk just as the final bell rings.
The snickers about what happened in the cafeteria, and what I’m wearing are all I can hear until the teacher finally has to hush the class.
I keep my head forward, focusing on the lesson, but I know they’re staring.
I can feel two sets of eyes burning a hole in me.
One is Zander from my literature class and the other is one of the identical boys, but which one, I’m not sure.
Class seems to drag on forever, but I’m already packing my bag before the bell rings, ready to race from the room to gym.
Two more classes and I can go home. My place of safety, at least ninety percent of the time.
Thank god, Aunt Sarah only comes around randomly.
I can’t wait until I can free myself and Sam from needing her at all. Come on eighteen.
The bell rings and I sprint, bumping into people on my way out, not even caring. Some days, I really wish I was invisible.
Wesley
“The look on her face was priceless,” Savannah brags with glee, regaling her followers with the story of what she did to Sierra for the hundredth time. You’d think they weren’t all sitting there cackling like hyenas when it happened.
“Do you see what she’s wearing?” Jazlyn, her best friend, sings songs as I tune out the rest of what they’re saying.
Seeing her in those clothes has my blood boiling.
Some other man whose life she’ll fuck up.
I know yesterday she got the clothes from the lost and found box, so when Savannah planned to fuck with her today, she had Jack sneak into the office and make sure everything was removed from it.
She should be walking around here in stained clothing, looking like the gutter rat she is.
But instead, she’s in another man’s clothing.
It makes me sick thinking of all the time she fooled me as a kid, pretending to be my best friend, all so she could ruin my life and try to act like a stupid innocent cunt, pretending to not know why I hate her.
To think I was finally at a point to confess to her my true feelings, that I was in love with her.
Thankfully, I saw her for who she truly was before I made that mistake.
We’re playing dodgeball in gym class today, and it’s the perfect time to knock that smirk off of her face.
She’s always the last to be picked. Hell, she wouldn’t be if it was up to me and not the fucking gym teachers, which she seems to have wrapped around her little finger.
She must have a pussy made of gold. There was a time I wanted each of us to be each other’s first, but that ship sailed after what she did.
“Jack, Savannah,” I call them over to me, and as we huddle together, I whisper the plan.
“Get our team onboard. We have one fucking target today and it’s the fucking whore.
We go after her with everything. Once she’s out, you can go after the others.
Hit her fast and hard. I want to see her in a ball on the floor, crying like the bitch she is.
” They’re all game for the plan, eager to please me as their fearless leader.
I wonder if they would follow me so easily if I was a nobody at this school. Good thing we never have to find out.
“Okay class, line up on your sides and play ball. If you’re hit, you’re out and go take a seat on the bleachers.
We’ll keep playing this game until we have a single winner.
If we finish before the bell, then we’ll start again,” Coach Luck shouts out, instructing us on what to do before blowing his whistle to start the game.
She’s good at dodging us at first, hiding at the back behind people.
Got to give her some kudos; she isn’t a dumb bitch.
She must sense this game is not going to go in her favor.
Jack and Savannah spread the word through our team, and we set out on a mission.
Take out the largest she could hide behind, allowing for a better aim at her, and then it’s game on.
I can see the fear in her eyes when she realizes her cover is dwindling.
My eyes dance in excitement at inflicting just the slightest pain on her.
The pain she gets from the ball hitting her will never be enough to match the pain she’s cost me.
How she ruined my life for her own enjoyment. She’s truly nothing but a fucking cunt.
Gripping the ball in my hand, I bound forward to the line on the gym floor, marking the boundary for our team.
Planting my feet firmly, I draw my hand with the ball back and slam it forward.
She was quick and moved, dodging it. But just as quick as I threw it, Jack and Savannah were right behind me, throwing their balls in her direction.
Jack barely misses her, and my rage grows.
Connor is on her team and knows how I hate her. He must know we have a plan. When he throws the ball at me, I catch it, putting him out of the game. I can feel it in my bones. I'm taking her out this time.
I follow her with my eyes as she squirms, with that deer in the headlight look on her face.
Pulling my hand back, I take aim and launch the ball at her.
This time she doesn’t move quickly enough, and it hits her right in the face.
She screams out in pain as her hand clutches her face.
Coach Luck rushes to her, pulling her hands away from her face, showing blood pouring from her nose.
A snide smile crosses my face, but I quickly rein it in. I need to put on a good show.
Running over to her, I put on the best act of my life. “Oh no, Sierra, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to throw it that hard.”
“It was an accident, Wesley. Continue with the game, and I’m going to escort Sierra to the office to see the nurse.” He leads her off to the locker room, I guess, to grab her things and send the assistant coach out to supervise us.
A few minutes later I see him exit out the back, Sierra beside him, now holding a rag to her nose with her bag slung over her shoulder and Assistant Coach Miller close behind them.
A hand slams down on my shoulder and I’m about to fucking cuss someone out when I hear Jack laughing beside me. “That was fucking epic, Wes. Her face is going to be fucked tomorrow.”
“Serves the bitch right,” I tell him, reaching down to pick up the ball from the floor. “Okay guys let’s start this game over. We have about twenty-five before the end of class,” I call out to everyone. And just like they should, they jump, ready to do whatever the fuck I say.