It was hard to believe, but Dave Karofsky sort of broke down when Kurt Hummel left McKinley HS. His drive to bully Kurt physically and psychologically was part of him, and without Kurt, he was lost. That was where I came in: Laila, the awkward new girl from Texas. I didn't know who he was the first time he called me a towel head. Sure, I was Muslim and I did wear the head scarf. I did have to explain what it meant the first three weeks of school. But no one else cared after that. Only Dave took the time to pantomime yanking the scarf off my head the first time he saw me. It didn't bother me. I'd lived through discrimination before. But something about Karofsky was so… disturbed. He was like a zombie who only came to life when he was about to prey on someone weaker. I wasn't scared so much as I was wary of what he may do if provoked. And of course, I wouldn't provoke a 6 foot tall football player.
Or not. I and my big, stupid mouth that I couldn't keep shut for two days. It was the day of the championship foot ball game. Typical, an anti-climactic High School event was the day I picked to open my trap and tell Dave what I thought of him.
He'd followed me into an empty chemistry classroom that afternoon, where I was looking for my pencil bag. I was hunting near a lab station when I felt a hand on my head. "Hey, towel head! Mrs. Bin Laden! Lemme see that hair… what's so special about your hair? It's probably no better than my dog's, why hide it?" His voice was strained, as though the words he spoke were fighting to get out. His eyes looked red and wide, and I realized that he was wasted. I knew that whatever he was about to do, it would be without self restraint. "Karofsky, leave me alone! This is sexual harassment, I can get you arrested!" He grinned in a way that made him look so vulnerable and nice that I thought maybe, just maybe I'd be okay. "It's not sexual, sand bitch. Your hair is not sexy. It doesn't relate at all. Why are you lying? Are you afraid to show your weave?" Normally I would've laughed. Normally I wouldn't have felt afraid as yanked the scarf from my head. It was like being forced to strip tease for a monster, and maybe I was being theatrical, but I was trembling from head to toe.
My hair was braided tightly, and I hoped he'd leave me alone. I was wrong of course; he tugged off the hair tie and loosened the strands of my hair, rubbing them gently as though they were valuable. I was confused and frightened as he sniffed my hair once, twice. With a ragged sigh, he whispered "Fucking fairy Hummel…Agh!" He pushed me away and ran out of the room, leaving me on the ground, shocked. At that moment, who of all people but Finn Hudson walks into the room muttering about American History? "Uh hey, are you all right?" I nod weakly, before I realized that I need my scarf, now! I didn't show guys my hair that was the whole effing reason I went through such hassle. God damn it. Finn held out a hand, and I slowly inched up, wincing at the already forming bruise on my knee. "Uh, thanks Finn." "It's okay, what happened? Did you fall? Hey, who are you?" I took a minute to compose myself and refasten my scarf. "Oh, you're Laila! Aren't you in the band?" I nod again, still having trouble forming words. "Yeah, I play the violin. I also play for Glee club, haven't you seen me?" He looks sheepish and shakes his head, saying "I don't ever really notice that much." That made me laugh,and we walked out of the room to the Choir Room. Then I couldn't hold it off. "What's Karofsky got against me? He just now yanked my scarf off and pushed me! Who's Hummel?" Finn stopped still and grabbed my shoulders. "What did he say about Hummel? Tell me exactly!" "He literally just sniffed my hair, and sort of whispered something about Fairy Hummel? I wasn't sure what he meant, does Hummel go here?" "He's my stepbrother, Kurt!" I didn't understand what I was getting into that day, but somehow, I was about to learn about what really goes on in the boys' locker room at William McKinley. Somehow, I was about to help bring a psycho path jock to justice. Somehow, I was going to defend myself against the monster himself.