Chapter Ten

(How are y'all doing?

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Here is another link to a drawing that nekolover3 drew for the seventh chapter of this story. Again, nekolover3, that's really good! Keep up the good work!

Anyway, here is another chapter for this story.

Enjoy the story and life as it goes!

Link:

art/Wheezy-love-430871797)

Beatrice:

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, BIRCHWOOD?" A voice exclaimed from behind me, making me jump in surprise.

I turned around and I saw…Angie with a bag full of things that I couldn't see. Her long jet black hair bounced as she walked.

"What does it look like, Angie?" I asked while I stood firm and crossed my arms. "And what did I tell you about finding you wandering around on my property?"

"You burning any cigarettes?" Angie asked as she stopped on the driveway, at least an arm-and-a-half length away from me.

"No."

"Then what are you burning?"

"Not telling you."

"Tell me, Birchwood."

I shook my head.

"No, Angie." I said.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Angie asked in a mocking tone. "I don't speak Idiot."

I frowned a small frown.

I'm not the idiot. I thought. The person who calls the second person that IS the idiot. That first person is YOU.

"What's that around your neck?" Angie asked as she dropped her bag and walked towards me.

"A dog tag." I replied calmly.

"What the heck is on your dog tag and how on Earth is it glowing?"

Glowing? I thought and looked at my dog tag.

The sketch of the brain with Yen Sid's hat was glowing a neon blue color when I looked at my dog tag in confusion. It was glowing like a lantern in the middle of a dark room.

Wow, that looks cool. I thought. Cool and freaky at the same time.

Angie was half an arm's length away when she grabbed my dog tag. The light from the tag was bright enough for me to see her golden hazel eyes, making me feel like I was having a staring contest with a great horned owl. It was an uneasy feeling.

"What the heck is that?" She asked. "A brain? That hat from that Fantastia movie? What you have on that dog tag looks really stupid. What would people say to you if they saw that dog tag? Oh, wait. I can answer that for them." Angie lets the tag hit my chest. "'You are a nothing. You are an idiot, a bag of trash, and a nobody.' Honestly, Beatrice, why can't you be like other girls?"

That's something that Mama would say to me on some days.

"There's nothing wrong with being who I truly am, Angie." I replied calmly as the fire from the shoebox began to die into the ashes. "I honestly don't like to dress up, wear make-up, or watch chick flicks. That's the truth. I much rather be a tomboy who likes to catch frogs, roll around in the mud, climb trees, read, draw, and sing. Marilyn Monroe says, 'Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring'. Wreck-It Ralph says, 'There's nobody that I'd rather be than me'."

Angie gave me a surprised look.

Then, she smiled.

"Beatrice, that was a fantastic…" She began.

I was surprised that Angie is actually moved by my reply. Is she going to be nice to me once and for all?

All of the sudden, I felt Angie's fist…hitting my jaw, causing me to stagger as Angie said,

"…load of horse turd!"

Unfortunately, I am not wearing shoes or flip flops. Because of that, I accidently stepped in to the hot ambers and ashes, causing me to exclaim in pain. I jumped away from the pile of ashes when Angie was about to punch me again. Her fist hits the back of Atticus's pick-up truck, barely making a dent.

I ran away from the truck but it was little hard for me to run with my feet burning. The rough pavement of the driveway scratches the soles of my feet as I ran and limped.

"What did I do to make you punch me?!" I exclaimed. "I didn't do anything to you!"

"You ruined my life!" Angie said. "You're too smart, you're a rebel, and your stupid performance during our kindergarten years took away my opportunity to the most talented girl in Houston! A girl can't be a good influence by being smart or being a rebel!"
"Angie, let it go. Whatever happened in the past should never be brought up again. It's not good to hold a grudge!"

I stumbled on to the ground. Angie moved in on me, grabbed me by the collar of my tank top, and pinned me on the garage door of my house.

"LIAR! Ever since my mom had to go to jail, I couldn't enter beauty pageants because she was the head of all of them! She was going to make me a star! After my mom had to go to jail, she was sentenced to spend fifty-five years in an asylum! Because of that-"

"ANGIE!" I exclaimed.

"—I couldn't enter beauty pageants or talent shows because everyone thought that I was going to be insane! It's all because of you! You're going to pay!" Angie continued.

"ANGIE!"

"I'M GOING TO FINISH THE JOB! THIS IS FOR MY MOM!"

"ANGIE, I DON'T WANT TO FIGHT YOU!"

"IT'S TOO LATE TO DO ANYTHING! YOU'RE GOING TO PAY!"

All of the sudden, the front door slams open.

"WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?" Mom shouted as I heard her walk towards me and Angie.

"Mama, do something! Help me!" I exclaimed.

Angie pushed me harder against the garage door, as if she were saying 'Shut up'.

"Angie Pikowski!" Mom exclaimed happily. "How's the family? How's your mother?"

The frog-hating queen bee (Angie) looked at Mom with a smile on her face while I was still pinned on to the garage.

"My mother's good and everybody else is doing fine." She replied to Mom. "Thanks for asking."

"And why are you pinning Beatrice on the garage door?" Mom asked.

Angie pauses and begins to think about a good response.

"If you're aiming to do something, go ahead and do it." Mom replied, to my horror. "I'm not going to stop you. Beatrice needs to have some sense knocked into her."

Then, Mom turned around and headed back inside.

"MAMA, NO!" I exclaimed. "HELP ME! HELP ME!"

"Your mommy isn't going to help you." Angie said. "She has nothing to do with us now."

Then, I just lost it.

Abruptly, I spat at Angie twice and then, I gave her a good uppercut to her chin. Angie staggered back while exclaiming in pain and disgust.

"LEAVE ME ALONE, ANGIE! I'VE HAD ENOUGH WITH YOU!" I exclaimed as I jumped back on my feet.

"I'm not finished with you!" Angie exclaimed in anger.

She picks up her bag and takes out a CAN. She throws it at me and it hits my shoulder.

Is that the best that you can do? I thought.

Then, Angie takes out five…six…seven more cans from her bag and she throws them at me like baseballs. I dodge them like it was a game of dodge ball.

"Is that all you got?!" I exclaimed.

With an evil smug on her face, Angie takes out a glass bottle with jagged edges.

"WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" I exclaimed in shock and fear.

Angie doesn't answer me.

She takes off running and prepares to poke me with the jagged edges of the bottle.

Where's help when you need it?! I thought.

I moved to my left, pressed my back against the pickup truck, and stuck my right foot out. Angie falls down on her stomach and the bottle flies out of her hands. It was at a good distance away from Angie's hand.

But Angie doesn't give up.

She tripped me by tangling her legs with my feet and I fall down to the ground. I felt Angie pounding my back really hard with her fist. I didn't exclaim in pain. I kept all of my exclamations in.

"Let's see if this will make you crack!" Angie exclaimed as I tried to wiggle myself out from her grip.

Then, I felt a burning flaky object getting thrown on the back of my legs and on my feet again. It was the ash.

I exclaimed in pain and then, in defense, I gave one of Angie's shins a good punch.

Angie releases me and then, I punch her hard.

I quickly got on my feet and I ran off my driveway, despite of the burns on my feet.

That's when I decided that I'm going to do something for the first time in a long time since Kaitlyn died. Because of Tommy being gone, I'm going to seek help from a friend.

I'm going to see Cressida.

I ran to my right and limped down the road.

When I was fifteen feet away from my driveway, Angie came running towards me.

I still don't stop.

I took off running like I was trying to reach the finish line and win a big prize. Angie still wasn't at a good distance to come after me. She was dragging behind but she still followed me.

Then, after three lefts and a right, I made it to the road that led to Cressida's house.

I was just about to run and limp on Cressida's driveway when I fell down to my knees.

"SOMEBODY!" I exclaimed. "SOMEBODY…PLEASE…HELP ME! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

That's when Angie came up to me.

"YOU'RE GOING TO PAY!" She exclaimed.

Then, she punched me in the chest and pulled my glasses off my face.

As I put my hand on where Angie punched me and listened to the sound of my glasses hitting grass, Angie grabbed a wooden plank from a garbage pile and she began to hit me with it on my arms, my back, and the back of my head.

"BEATRICE, IS THAT YOU?!" Cressida shouted after opening the front door.

Then, there was a brief pause.

"HEY, STOP THAT!" Cressida exclaimed at Angie.

I felt the plank hitting me on my face but over my right eye as I heard Cressida running towards me.

"Cressida, watch out for the plank." I said weakly and covered my eye.

Angie, all of the sudden, exclaimed in surprise…and then, in pain. She exclaims in pain again…and again…and again.

Finally, Angie was out. Not dead…but unconscious.

"There." Cressida said and unwrinkled her robe. "That should take care of her."

"Thanks, Cressida." I replied.

She looked at me and gasped in horror.

"Beatrice, what happened to you?" Cressida asked as she sat down next to me. "Did that girl do all of that to you?"

I nodded.

"I was having a meeting with Smarty and the others…" I said with my voice shaking. "…and they wrote down their negative thoughts and put them in a shoebox. I went outside with that shoebox and I burned it up. Angie came out of nowhere and after a brief conversation, she punched me. I accidently stepped on the ash and burnt my feet. Angie punched me, threw cans, and sprinkled burning ash on my legs and feet. She even tried to poke me with a bottle with jagged edges but I avoided that. I came running here for help and you saw Angie hitting me with a wooden plank. Before she did that, she took my glasses off and threw them somewhere around this area. Then, she punched me."

I broke down crying.

"I was so scared." I said.

Then, Cressida begins to hug me.

"It's okay, Beatrice." She said. "You're all right. I'll make sure that Angie will never bother you again. I simply can't allow anyone like Angie do that to you."

I began to take a few deep breaths.

"You're really brave, you know." Cressida said. "And you're one of the toughest girls that I've known in my life. You really went through a lot."

"I was still scared." I replied.

"It's all right to be scared. I would've been scared too. Do you need a ride back to your house?"

I looked at Cressida.

"What would your foster parents think if you drove me back home?" I asked.

"I don't think they'll mind if I borrow their car for sixteen minutes." Cressida replied. "If they ask, I'll tell them what happened."

I smiled a small smile.

"You're a good friend, Cressida." I said.

"But before I take you home, I'm going to call the police. I think it's time for Angie to go behind bars."

I nodded.

Then, Cressida takes her cell phone out of her robe pocket and she runs back into her house. After a few brief seconds, she comes back with a set of car keys in one of her hands.

While Cressida climbed in to her parents' black pickup truck, I pulled Angie by her arms and dragged her to the front yard of Cressida's house. I picked up my glasses and put them on my face.

I climbed into the truck as Cressida makes her 911 call. I didn't really pay attention to the conversation because I was rubbing my burnt legs and thought about what would've happened if Angie continued to beat me. I probably would've been so weak that I wouldn't be able to do anything. I probably would've died if Angie continued to beat me with a wooden plank.

After ending the call, Cressida put the truck in reverse and backed off the driveway. Then, she threw the car in 'Drive' and she began to drive me back to my house.

Throughout the ride, I stared out the window and watched everything move in a slow blur. The cold air conditioning blew on my face and small strands of my hair tickled my cheeks and nose. Goosebumps ran up and down my spine but my burns kind of stung when goose bumps were running down my legs.

With my eyes, I glanced at Cressida.

Then, I took a deep breath and said,

"Thanks, Cressida."

"You're welcome, Beatrice." She said.

Then, we arrived at my house. Cressida parked the pickup close to the edge of the driveway of my house and I got out.

"Thanks again." I said as I climbed out.

"If you need any help from me," Cressida said, "just call me and I'll help you out."

I nodded.

"All right." I said.

"Good night." Cressida replied.

"Good night."

Then, I closed the door and watched Cressida drive the pick-up away.

Instead of going to the front door, I walked to my bedroom window, which was still unlocked. I pulled it open and I carefully climbed into my bedroom.

When my burnt feet touched the carpet, they stung a lot as I walked. My feet even tingled when I shuffled a little bit. There was no way that I'm going to get used that.

The weasels and Roger weren't in the room. They probably went back to Toon Town while I had my struggle with Angie. Either that or either one of the weasels or Roger stayed behind while I was absent for a few minutes.

But since I can't go to the bathroom and run cold water on my legs and feet, I have to spend the rest of the night sleeping with the cold air in my room and let it cool my legs and feet. Then, I'll go to the bathroom, run some cold water, apply some aloe vera, and wrap my legs and feet with bandage tape.

After closing and locking my window and putting my dog tag on my nightstand, I turned off the lights and walked towards my bed. Then, I turned off my nightstand lamp and covered myself up a little bit with my blankets.

I took a few deep breaths and closed my eyes.

I tried to relax but the tingling from my burns made it hard for me. I gritted my teeth and I forced myself to go to sleep.

Finally, I saw nothing but a black void in my head. That tells me that after struggling to go to sleep for an hour or so, I'm finally sleeping.

I just hope that things will be better tomorrow.

…..

Greasy:

After waiting a few minutes outside of muchacha's house, I slipped through the crack of her window.

I found muchacha lying on her back and she silently breathes as she tries to go to sleep.

Not wanting to wake her up, I quietly walked towards the sleeping muchacha and sat down on her bed.

Then, I looked at her and I watched her making a small sad face in her sleep. As she rolls over on one side of her bed, muchacha winces a little bit.

All right, what did you do this time? I thought.

Thanks to the moonlight outside, I saw a flashlight on muchacha's desk. After I walked over to her desk, I grabbed the flashlight and turned it on.

To my horror, I saw muchacha's burnt legs. How on Earth did she burn them?

Then, I aimed the light from the flashlight at one of the bed posts.

I gasped silently at the sight of the black eye.

Did muchacha get into fight with someone while she was burning the shoebox? I thought. Is the shoebox the main reason why her legs are burnt?

I turned back to muchacha's desk and opened the drawer that had the paper pencils. I took out a sheet of paper and a pencil.

I was thinking about talking to muchacha but since she's asleep, I don't think that it'll be a great to wake her up around this late at night.

Then, I began to write this on the sheet of paper:

I came back to see you just a few minutes after you burnt the box.

Since I didn't want to wake you up, I decided to wait until the morning to talk to you about your burns and black eye.

See you in the morning.

Greasy