My head spun and I felt my body hit the ground. Lockers never did get softer.
"Lunch money?" Ashley asked me.
"Ok, ok, just leave me alone." I pleaded. I dropped the coins on the floor. He punched me one last time in the stomach and left me on the floor in the hall. I looked up and saw a different pair of feet in front of me. Someone took hold of my arm and helped me up.
"Thanks," I muttered.
"How long have they been doing that?" his soft innocent voice asked me.
"Who knows." I stated, he seemed caring.
"My name is Luke Smith, I can help you." He told me.
"Well, Luke Smith, personally I don't think you can help me." I told him. Standing up on my own and prising his fingers off my arm. He didn't seem to want to leave me to put up with this problem on my own.
"What's your name?" He asked me.
"Bella Smith." I answered.
"You have the same surname as me, are we?" He asked, if this was the Luke Smith I'd heard of, the Luke Smith that got straight A*, how come he didn't know the obvious?
"Smith is a popular surname." I pointed out. Opening my deformed, bashed locker, pulling out my books and shoving them in my bag.
"Why didn't I know that?" Luke muttered to himself. "What class have you got next?" He asked me directly.
"Um, music, geography, drama, I can't remember." I answered, I felt dizzy. My vision went blurry and I felt my body hit the lockers and Luke catching my arm again. I stood up and tried to walk away.
"Luke, get off. I'm fine." I shrugged his hands off my shoulder and discovered my shoulder killed.
"You just feinted, I'd say you need help." Luke told me,.
"Lukey-boy, what'cha doin'?" A coloured boy with brown eyes and short hair, asked him.
"Doesn't matter. Bella, listen to me," I started.
"Just leave me alone, Luke, I can deal with this myself."I told him.
"I want to help Bella." He pleaded.
"What's going on?" The other boy asked. Luke turned his back on me and talked to the other boy, I think his name was Clyde. They were both in the year above me.
While Luke had his back turned I sneaked away, to find my friend Sarah. She was by her locker, reapplying he make-up as per usual. I know that sounds shallow but she liked to look her best, she was the most caring girl on the planet. She looked up when I approached. She sighed.
"Not again Bells," She moaned.
"You say again like it's frequent?" I joked. I didn't care, if Ashley – the only guy with a female name wanted my lunch money he could have it. Spike and Uno (the only boy names after a card game/Spanish number) were just as bad, Ashley did the talking, Spike did karate and Uno did kung-fu – either way they knew how to beat me up. I'd fought back when it started but I just let them get it out they're system and give them what they want now.
"Look, Bella, you should tell someone, I don't like seeing you being beaten up." Sarah pleaded.
"There's nothing to tell! Sarah, it's alright," I started, smiling. She gave me a tissue and I looked at the mirror and cleared the dried blood off my face.
"And Luke couldn't told me about this," I muttered.
"Luke Smith? The one you've been," Sarah started.
"Yes, him." I interrupted, before she could say it out loud.
"Bella, I wasn't finished with you," I heard Luke from behind me. Now I couldn't face him.
"Luke, I'm alright, I barely know you ok, just go back to being a genius, A* student." I pleaded with him.
"How'd you know about the A* thing?" He asked. I felt his blue eyes melting my heart.
Yes I'd been crushing on Luke Smith for a long time. He's so cute and clever and caring – but I didn't want him feeling sorry for me.
"They told out whole year and showed us pictures of you when giving us a lecture. 'Tips and tricks to passing GCSE's', get tutored by this guy!" Isaid sarcastically.
"You say that like it's a bad thing." He sounded a bit disappointed. Why'd he care what I think about his GCSE results?
"No, it's just lectures are boring, and I caught a couple of z's in that one." I remembered. He laughed. Why was he even bothering with a year 11 like me? He's year 12, 6th form, he's top of the school; which begs the question, why talk to someone at the bottom of the food chain.
I said this to Sarah in geography (after she'd told me what we'd had next) and she shrugged.
"Maybe coz he was there. He was jumped on in the streets a couple of times last year wasn't he." She told me.
"Yeah, but he has friends, and people support him. He doesn't rule the foot chain, but he's pretty high up." I said.
"He only sits with that Rani girl and Clyde at lunch though doesn't he?" Sarah pointed out, she liked Clyde, I like Luke; boys were often out main topic. I ran through the conversation we'd just had and laughed.
"We sound so stalker-ish don't we?" I continued laughing and Sarah joined in. We were so weird, and loved it. I couldn't have a better friend than Sarah, and when Alexa gets back to school, we'll be at our full weirdness again.
We were like 'The Ace Gang' from Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, except none of us have a cat called Angus, none of us would DARE wear a thong, and none of us have snogged a boy; we loved being single but do you think that stopped us admiring from a distance? No way.
School finished, Sarah and I walked out of school arm in arm. Ashley stepped in front of us, Spike and Uno not far behind. Ashley came right up close to me.
"Get rid of your friend, meet us at the park near Bannerman Road, or else." He threatened. He's never done this before, but I daren't disobey him. I nodded. He turned and stormed off. His followers did what the name implies.
"What did he say?" Sarah asked, obviously scared for me.
"Nothing." I smiled, pushing back the fear running through my veins. We walked to our usual parting spot; a cross road. To the left; Sarah's house, to the right; mine and Alexa's houses, and straight on, a few shops, Bannerman road and the dreaded park down the bottom. When I didn't turn right Sarah immediately inquired.
"Why are you going that way?"
"I have to pick up some stuff from Sam's. Don't worry I'm alright, Sarah." I smiled and she waved and carried on walking.
I hoped I'd be alright.
Sam's was a local corner shop that me and my friend normally go to.
As I said, you have to walk through Bannerman road to get to the park, and guess who I saw walking towards a massive house on the left! Luke was getting out the heads car, waving good bye to his friend that's a girl, Rani – just what I needed! I looked down at the street, put my iPod on and pretended not to see him.
"Hey, Bella!" He called, waving to me. I didn't look up, I kept on walking and pretended not to hear him.
He came and stood in front of me.
"Bella," He started, pulling out one of my earphones. "I've never seen you walk down here before!" He sounded happy and flashed a beaming smile at me.
"I'm just going to the park, it's a one off, I'll try not to walk down here again." I said quickly and sarcastically, trying to walk past him. He jumped in front of me and didn't stop talking!
"I didn't mean that, I was just surprised that's all. I'll come to the park with you!" He suggested enthusiastically.
"No, I just want some 'me' time, but thanks." I said, trying to walk away again.
"Ok, then I'll see you tomorrow!" He called merrily before going into his massive house and probably cozying up to his nice TV and computer and doing whatever he likes, I presume.
Some of us aren't that lucky I thought. I carried on walking, I didn't even reach the end of the road before Ashley greeted me.
"Is Luke Smith your friend now Bells? Is he?" Ashley teased.
"No. He won't leave me alone." I muttered.
"Well he better not come and save you, or he's going to come out worse than you." Ashley taunted me. I didn't want Luke to get hurt but if Ashley didn't know that, then everything would be ok. Spike and Uno laughed as Ashley backed away.
"Do your worst boys!" Ashley smiled evilly, as did Spike and Uno, who were obviously going to enjoy beating the hell out of me . Fists were hitting me, mainly on my face, arms and stomach. Then one of them, I'd lost track which kicked me in the stomach which sent me flying backwards, hitting a lamp post and sliding to the floor. I opened my eyes and my whole body ached. One of them jumped on my right hand, obviously wearing football boots, and I screamed. I'm surprised they were attacking me in broad daylight but I didn't tell them that, it would be even worse if it was dark.
I realised, after I screamed, that I was on my head teacher's street. I opened my eyes again to see Ashley with a cricket bat raised over his head. Suddenly I heard a load crack and my vision went blank.
"I think she's waking up." An unfamiliar female voice said. I opened my eyes and saw an unfamiliar living room and a woman looking down at me. I as on a sofa. I sat up, my head span and I looked at my watch.
"Damn it." I whispered. It was quarter to midnight.
"Are you alright? My name's Sarah Jane Smith, my son and I saw what happened to you."
"How'd I get here?" I asked.
"My son half carried half dragged you." Sarah Jane told me. This explained the laddered tights and scabs on my left leg. I swung my legs round, off the side of the side of the sofa. Sarah Jane sat next to me.
"Mum, Mum," I heard someone call, with eager pounding footsteps, it sounded like...
"Luke, calm down." Sarah Jane told him, going to greet him at the door.
"Luke?" I asked, he came and sat next to me on the sofa. I knew it was him but I felt the need to ask anyway.
"Hello Bella," He smiled, seemed proud of himself.
"You two know each other?" Sarah Jane asked,
"I'm in the year below him at school," I said, getting up to leave.
"Where are you going?" Luke asked.
"To go find out how long I'm grounded for. My curfew was 3 hours ago." I said, picking up my bag from the floor.
"Luke, get back to bed. Bella I'll drive you home," Sarah Jane offered.
"No, I'm alright. Thank you for helping me." I said, slinging my bag on my shoulder, wincing a little, opening the door and starting the 15 minute walk home. It was chucking it down and I was sopping wet before I reached the end of Bannerman Road. Spike, Tracy and Gina were going to kill me.
Towards the end of the journey I started to feel light headed and remembered the cricket bat. I pushed my key into the lock and discovered the door was open. I pulled my key out the lock, and both doors were opened for me. Mike was standing there, fuming, I'd never seen him this angry.
"Get in here now." He demanded .
