"Why feel so generous when you've got nothing to give, scholarship kid?" Ian spat, inching his face closer to mine.
I didn't look up. I couldn't. I felt the color drain out of my face. I tried to keep a quiet life here at Kitslore, but it didn't work.
"Who do you think you are to be defying our orders? Ned here has been singled out for a reason," Ian continued.
I could tell his eyes were flared up even if I was looking at the ground.
Why should I obey you? Are you the president? I wanted to snap back. But if I did, I knew I'd be in trouble. Big trouble. And I had worked too hard for the scholarship and made my parents too pleased to be bullied out of the school.
"You're just a whimp who thinks she's all that for managing to impress the school board," he continued. "In reality, they just felt bad for your mother. Doesn't she spend her entire day sweeping my offices?"
I heard amused snickers. I shut my eyes closed, biting my lower lip. The cat was out of the bag now.
Ian was grinning like a cheshire cat. "I guess that's why you were picking up the mess, because that's what you were destined to do."
More snickers. I remained silent. I was transported back to when I was in elementary school and had kicked a kid's stomach for insulting my mother's job. I remembered when she heard the reason, the words she told me, He who laughs last, laughs best. I tried to stamp those words on my mind to keep my mouth shut that moment.
My ears closed for the strong words that came next.
Not even now do I have a clue of what he said. I only remember they were PG-13 insults, if you could put it that way. But the thing was, I didn't care. All Ian was for me was a blabbering bully who when faced with adversity would only be able to use his temper. I did not even care what the other snobs of the school thought about me, either. So the hurtful words toward me did not mean a thing. And that moment wouldn't have mattered if it weren't for Jake's expression.
He seemed as if he was expecting me to say something, to stand up for myself. He had his lips pressed together, and his jaw was tensed up. It seemed as if he wanted me to shut Ian up.
But all I did was look down.
Ian inched closer. "But I guess all that was inherited from your parents, a good-for-nothing couple. Was that why they married? Because they complimented their useless existence?"
My head snapped up, and I'm sure fury flashed in my eyes. One thing was to humiliate me. Another was to humiliate my parents.
He knew he'd struck gold by insulting my parents. He gazed at the crowd around me. "If someone wants to donate new brooms and mops, I can get you the address so you can deliver them right to their door!"
That prompted a wave of laughter from the crowd, and some even raised their hands.
Ned placed a strong hand on Ian's shoulder. "Enough!"
"Hey, didn't I tell you I'd beat you up if you disrespected me once more?" Ian exclaimed. "Do us all a favor and get the heck out of here!"
I looked away, biting my lower lip. Do us a favor, and you get out of here!
The bell finally rang, signaling the beginning of class. It seemed as if Ian had spent hours trying to belittle me. When all it had taken up were five minutes.
Without glancing at me, Ian swiveled around and stomped away. His friends followed behind. The only one who gave me a gaze was Jake, whose face was now emotionless. The usual.
"Hey," I heard Sinead whisper, stepping next to me. "You okay?"
I nodded. I bottled up all the anger inside me. "Yeah, let's head to class."
The rest of the first periods were spent by insulting Ian in my head, wondering why in the world he'd think my parents were useless.
Until it was finally time for break, and I could head over to my usual un-stress spot: the emergency route, a staircase with a beautiful view of a prairie behind the school.
I leaned against the balcony's railway, frowning and ready to exclaim. "My parents are useless? I should say that yours are for raising such a jerk like you, Ian Kabutt! And what was that about sending brooms and mops to my house? How about a new brain and an attitude check to yours!" With every word, I gripped the railway even tighter. Until I reached my climax, the point where I usually began to calm down. "Idiot! Jerk! Who do you think you are? Someday, you'll get a lesson! And you'll see what a wonderful thing karma is!"
"Someday you will too, for waking me up daily whenever I try to rest."
I gasped, my face as pale as a sheet of paper.
That was Jake.
I turned around, and my eyes widened. He was sitting at the bottom of the stairs, a book in hand. His penny brown eyes were glued to me.
"Funny, how you come here and insult us, talking about how someday we'll get it from you," he began, standing up. "But when faced with an opportunity, your lips are sealed shut."
I remained silent with my breath caught in my throat. How long had he been hearing me? I spent at least two breaks each week in the balcony insulting the P4 and their bullying ways. It was the only way I could keep quiet.
As if reading my thoughts, he answered. "Ever since school began, I've been retreating to this area to sleep. Sadly, twice a week I'm woken up by screaming."
A rush of color reddened my face.
He was now taking steps toward me. "Amy-"
He knew my name.
He knew my name.
"You sort of disappointed me today," he told me, leaning his back on the railway. "I thought there was gonna be some kind of show."
I looked down.
"Instead, it was only one-sided," Jake continued. He gazed at his watch. "There isn't much break left."
I blinked.
He gazed at me. "Look for another place to vent."
And he left.
I let out a breath I didn't know was holding. I never thought I'd hear the usually quiet and calm Jake talk so much. Especially to me. After all, I'd heard that there were days in which he wouldn't talk to his friends and just listen.
I gazed at the door Jake had exited through.
No matter how much I admired him...
I would not search for another place to vent. He'd just have to put up with me.
I smiled, looking forward at the next time I'd come here. I noticed he was reading some Jules Verne, maybe I could somehow talk to him about that?
Author's Note: I just thought I should answer some questions:
mollyhunt0: Well, it isn't really book. It's a manga, so I'm not sure if they sell those at Barnes and Noble. I don't live in any place with such bookstores, so I don't know. They don't even sell any kind of manga where I live, so I usually settle for the online versions (plus I don't know Japanese to read the originals :P). However, I do know that there are some stores that sell translated manga. I'm not sure if Hana Yori Dango is available, though.
The-Hot-Head: Yeah, that's what I was going for :) Rest assured, though, this is definitely an Amian. And Amy will soon snap some sense into Ian... just not in this chapter.
