The first of the texts came during the guys Mash-Up performance, only a single word that made Kate's heart flutter and her smile wider then she had in a while.

Hope.

The second text of the day came around lunch; she had just finished buying her small cup of French salad dressing (A guiltily pleasure of hers, no matter how bad it was for her skin) when her phone buzzed and the high pitched music went off, indicating that she had received a text.

Love.

The final text of the day arrived to her iPhone when she was on her path to English.

Courage.

Kate held up the iPhone so she could see the lit screen better, the schools horrible florescent lighting glaring off the screen and making her read the already far memorized words.

Hope.

She clicked to the next one.

Love.

Before she could even attempt to click onto the next text, she felt airborne as one of the meanest Cheerios tripped her onto the laminated title, throwing a sickly green slushy at her face.

Kate's hands flew up to cover her eyes from the ice. As the ice hit her eyes before she could stop it she knew the artificial flavoring would start burning her eyes any moment, maybe even tinting her skin if she didn't treat her face soon enough. As she tried to pick herself off of the ground, slipping once or twice on the slushy melting around her palms, she vaguely saw her phone lying in the corner, probably had been kicked. The previously lit screen looked shattered. She held Dave's loud booming laugh echoed down the hallway.

Courage.

She scrambled to her feet and ran after the girl, wiping some of the green ice from her face and hair.

"Hey!" She screamed angrily, charging into the locker room. She realized with fear that she and Dana were the only ones in the deserted locker room.

Dana turned to her with cold eyes and sneered, "Didn't you hear? No guys in the girls locker room, Lezbo."

"What the fuck is your problem with me?" She screamed, slamming one of the nearby locker close as she stalked towards her, all previous fears gone.

"Cause you're a fag." Dana muttered, pulling a purse out of her locker and shoving her things into it.

"Oh is that what you're so scared of?" Kate asked, laughing wildly "Catching the gay? Well let me tell you your raging homophobic, even if I was a guy and I still wouldn't even consider liking you!"

"Is that right?" Dana asked, coming closer into Kate's face, her obnoxiously sweet and sharp perfume washing into Kate's mouth.

"You know why? Because my type isn't the mean, bitch-y type! Who's most likely to be a drunk alcoholic by the time they're thirty!"

Dana reached out and threw her water bottle across the room, "Don't push me Hummel!" She screamed, her fists resting at her sides.

Kate's eyes flickered down to her fists, "What are you gonna do? Hit me? Pull my hair?"

Dana roared, "Oh my mistake Hummel never knew you were a girl, is that why you always wear skirts? To hide your junk? Even if you were straight no guy would like you, much less a girl!"

"Go ahead hit me!" Kate screamed back as Dana hit the locker closet to her face "It's not gonna change who I am, you can't hit the gay out me more then you can punch the homophobia out of you!" Kate pushed Dana away with all of her might, but she only stumbled back before stalking right back up, if not closer, to her face.

"GET OUT OF MY FACE!" Dana screamed into her face, pointing to the door as if it was going to make her leave faster.

"You're nothing but a scared little girl who can't handle how extraordinarily ordinary you are! What, did daddy not love you enough? Is that why you have to take everything out on everyone else?" Kate pointed into her face, a few tears falling down onto her face as she pushed herself up against the lockers in an attempt to get further from the jock.

It all happened too fast.

Slim hands wrapped around her neck with such tightness she couldn't breathe; her thick body was pressed against her slender frame. She tried to scream through the hot mess of Dana trying to push his tongue through her lips but was quieted by Dana tightening his hold.

When he finally pulled away Kate felt herself collapse onto the ground, lightheaded and unable to stand from the lack of air. She felt her vision cloud up as her last image was Dana standing over her, his face screwed up in horror