It's a beautiful May morning, though something doesn't feel right. Ashley sits at the living room table doing cards.

She looks so sad and worried so I sit with her, "Everything okay Ashley?"

Her mouth scrunches, "Look."

"Death, king of cups, seven of wands, ten of wands, the tower, and the world! Oof that spread's nasty!"

Ashley sighs, "I'm trying to see if dad is okay he hasn't been keeping up with us!"

She grabs my arms, "Will you help me make a flying ointment, please!"

I tell her, "We've been practicing so much and takes too long for not lasting that long. I mean sure I'll help but don't expect anything."

Dad Facetimes us from a park bench, "Hi kids! How's everything been with you guys?"

I tell him, "Training went okay." I'm not going to talk about Abby's loss to Shauna even if they were only sparring.

"And Carlos grounded me!"

He tilts his head pretending he's surprised, "He did?! That's my job whenever you don't do your chores homework or show up for Overwatch training!"

"Dad! He's actually getting better! I got past all his magic fire though it was more of a tie."

He smirks shaking his head, "I'm sure it was. Anything new with you Ashley?"

"Yeah Trang used his magic sapper spell which made us both muggles for like 10 minutes because he needed all of his magic to knock my magic out then I was careful getting into his range because he's so much taller than me then I got him to the mat after a punch combo and kicking his hamstring a few inches above his knee. I also practiced flying while throwing my energy knifes ugh you would not believe how hard it is! I always slow down moving back trying it so I still need to practice. What's gucci with you?"

Dad answers, "I'm so excited you guys! We're this close to bringing Reaper to justice! Oh he is so going down you know! Him killing my brother was so not cool. If it weren't for Overwatch being illegal I'd have so many cops helping us. Well kids I gotta go, have fun!"

"Thanks dad!"

We tell mom we're visiting Abby and she says, "No you aren't! Her parents don't want anyone over. And don't you even think about sending her any Snaps or inviting her to Houseparty okay!"

Ashley's mouth drops saying, "But mom you don't understand! She could really use our help!"

I continue, "Yeah she's with that no good dweeby bully Ryan."

Mom stares directly and firmly at us, "I said no."

Ashley looks at me suggesting we visit Shauna instead. "Okay but be back and be safe!"

We go to Shauna's and she gives us spy stuff.

Shauna hands me a realistic looking beard and smiles like she's pranking them, "If you wear this you'll totally fool Ryan!"

I put the beard on and walk to Abby's house. I knock and she answers and I whisper to her, "I'm Angel but pretend I'm your uncle okay!"

Hmm, what's something a grownup would say? I can't blow my cover or else I'll get in trouble.

Ryan's wearing his plaid blazer with a cherry red bowtie and has short strawberry blonde hair and thick black glasses. He's sitting far from her, and Abby looks a little uncomfortable. Makes sense since he's a bully, or maybe she just doesn't feel like she can get a good enough grade to make the soccer team again?

I walk fast to him, and I can't believe I'm going to do this with Ryan of all people but I must look friendly.

I deepen my voice and say, "Hiya kid! You know back in my day cartoons were better even though the graphics were like the worse ever!"

He looks at me weird and I tell him, "Oh sorry about that!"

I smile and teasingly say to him as I blink while he moves his head back, "Are you Abby's boyfriend?"

"Umm, no I'm tutoring her?"

"Okay you two I'll leave you alone." Eww the tone I said that in! Ga freaking ross!

Abby yells to me, "Don't go! I mean please don't be cringe?"

I smirk, "Too late but yeah I need a drink. Can I grab a water?"

"Sure go right ahead, uncle."

I come back and listen to them talk.

Ryan tells her, "I don't think you know this about Angel, but I saw him wearing a skirt and bra!"

To stop myself from just yelling at him for lying I leap into the air covering my mouth and make myself fall. My legs flop behind me in the air and I roll all over Abby's living room floor behind her other couch.

I can hear Abby telling him, "No way! Angel would never do such a thing."

"Yeah I can prove it too. Why are you even his friend?"

Abby says, "He's always been my friend. Our squad never has a problem judging me for liking boy things."

"By the way, Talon would love to have you."

"We've been over this so the answer is still no!"

"Fine be that way."

I get up and ask, "So uhh, studying okay?"

Ryan smiles and pretending to sound impressed says, "She's doing so good!"

"I heard you're in Talon. They're bad news and you should give them up soon as possible!"

"But we need to take over the world."

I get on my knees pleading with Abby, "You need to do this your team is depending on it!"

Wow talking in this older voice is tiring me so badly.

I hide behind the couch so they don't know I'm here. Ryan giggles then whispers to her, "I'm gonna…" I can't hear but now I can. "So we're gonna shove him in the girl's locker room!"

Abby told me I should avoid my usual route but…what are those guys doing?

"Get off me!"

I snap out of my freeze and try getting away from these creeps.

I scream, "NO! NOOOOO!"

Then hear them shushing me like I'm a freaking baby.

But I feel a big sweaty hand over my mouth. I wiggle but I can't get free from them. I feel someone taking off my shirt and pulling a compression sports bra over my head.

They drop me off in a corner of a locker room running away laughing taking pictures. I just wanna go crawl in a hole never to emerge ever again if I get caught.

At least nothing worse happened but yeah this is pretty embarrassing. Oh crap how am I even going to sneak out I hear people coming!

I hear a girl say to another one sounding grossed out, "Did you see how Carlos ate all those takis? Like eww!"

"I know right! How can someone be so weird and gross?"

Ugh, I want to defend my friend so badly but there's no time my reputation as a not creep is on the line.

I blindfold myself so I can just go without seeing anyone, with so many eyes I can't just wait for an opening to leave.

I comb my hair just right to make it look feminine and I find warmups that fit me.

A girl squints at me, "I've never seen you before?"

I do a girl voice and say, "Hey, I'm Angelina and I'm new here. Sorry for being rude but I really have to go, bye."

I walk really fast but someone just has to ask, "Is everything okay?"

"Oh, just practicing for the Bird Box challenge."

She then says, "That's stupid? Why would you do that to yourself?"

I go outside ditching the warmups but I gotta get this bra off! I grab the left part with my right sliding my left through the sleeve then pulling it up to my shoulder then the other side and I toss it on the ground. That tag was really itchy too but at least it was one of those bras that's easy to take off.

Is that Ryan recording me from behind a tree? I awkwardly freeze knowing he just recorded me and can dresscode me or worse depending on when he started.

I rush to the boy's locker room where I belong.

Wait, that actually worked without me creeping anyone out? Well I'm glad I got away but then again what does my disguise actually working say? I guess it doesn't matter if no one else can tell.

I dress for gym, though my tennis shoes are getting worn.

It's a free day where we can just workout after a jog and a few burpees. A big mean intimidating girl glares at Ashley.

I whisper to her, "Sis, think she has a problem with you?"

"Her name's Natalie she's an 8th grader and she's a big bully. What does she want with me?"

After gym I walk with Ashley in the quad but that girl stands in front of another one pouting meanly at her glaring. The other girl just hands her money.

Shauna whispers to us, "Uh oh, she's coming our way!"

We open random lockers staring forward at the palms, but she notices us.

"Okay you losers, mom's getting better at hiding the food key so I'm hungry! So gimme your lunches now!"

Me Shauna and another kid hand her takis, a banana and peanut butter sandwich, and pocky.

She snatches them from our hands but Ashley holds her box tightly.

Everyone else runs away and Shauna says, "Can you tell Ashley I'll miss her?"

She runs back into the school.

"And what about you, little girl?"

Ashley shakes her head nervously looking up into her eyes, "I don't have anything you'd like, just a regular old Boca soy chicken sandwich with sliced yellow peppers, bitter melon, and a white cheddar rice cake!"

She leans in closer glaring even more intensely at her. "That's my favorite!"

"Mine too!"

Ashley nervously cranes her neck looking into her eyes, "Listen, how about I give you half, we sit down together and we can share!"

She snatches my sister's lunchbox out of her hands, "I have a better idea, I'll eat all your lunches while you watch me eat."

Ashley's voice lowers a bit, "You shouldn't take people's lunches! How would you feel if someone took your stuff? It's not nice to steal."

Natalie puts her hands on her hips mockingly saying, "It's not nice to steal."

"Stop copying me!"

She then walks closer to Ashley, "Make me. Isabella told me you told her I'm a thot!"

"I did not!"

"Did too!"

"No one really likes you."

"Shut up!" My sister gives her a shove, putting her hips into it.

Natalie cracks her knuckles, "Oh you're so going to regret it!"

She shoves my sister into the girl's room so I can't follow. I hear the trash being knocked over and my sister yells, "ow!"

After class I meet up with Ashley again. I sweep a piece of hair out of her face and wow that black eye looks painful! She gives me a big hug and Shauna hugs her too. We pat her on the back.

However, I'm called to the assistant principal's office.

I sit down while she stares at me, like I'm being interrogated.

She shakes her head slowly scrunching her mouth. She stands up walking back and forth behind her desk, "Angel Angel Angel, I always knew you were trouble, but I never knew you were like that."

She shows me a video Ryan sent her. "How do you explain this, young man!"

I feel myself sinking through my chair, sweating, "Well you see..."

She cuts me off and smacks both her hands on her desk, "Not only is your behavior very far from being man like. Heck, it isn't just you violating the dress code, it's downright perverted! Did you know you were just outside the girl's locker room you irresponsible weirdo?"

I meekly look up nervously saying, "Please you have to give me another chance! Bullies put this on me and I can prove it!"

She sits down adjusting her glasses. "Okay, I'll give you a chance to find proof, though I honestly think you're going to photoshop lots of stuff trying to fool me."

I clasp my hands together happy she's giving me this chance. "Thank you so much! I'll do my best."

She leans forward smirking, "And if you don't, Angel, I'll make you into a viral TikTok meme and everytime people see you they'll point and say oh my gosh it's that weird creep sneaking behind the girl's locker room wearing a bra."

I'm worrying quite a lot between my sister's bully, dad chasing the most dangerous criminal in the world overseas, and my reputation potentially being ruined forever.

Back home mom sits down inspecting Ashley's black eye. She dilutes tiger balm in water because the fumes from that stuff seriously hurts your eye since it's a burny minty kind of cool then puts an ice pack over her eye.

Ashley asks mom, "How am I gonna hide my awful black eye?"

"Well dear sometimes trying to hide it draws more attention than the wound itself..."

"Can't we use makeup on it?"

"Not yet sweetie, it'll slow down its healing."

She sits farther back crossing her arms pouting. "What's the use? Everyone saw my eye anyway."

Judith sits on the table asking her, "Why did she do this to you?"

"I tried deescalating and negotiating like mom taught me but she just enjoys being mean too much! She stole our lunches and said no one loves me so I shoved her and..."

Mom then tells me, "Doesn't sound like deescalation to me! And two wrongs don't make a right. A lot of people in this world are bigger than you so it's not only wrong but for you it's quite dangerous trying to shove people." She really emphasized the words a lot too. Ashley has an okay I get it I'm small look on her face.

She looks up slowly blinking, "Are you telling me I can't fight?!"

"I'm telling you that you really shouldn't. Please avoid fighting whenever you can but if you can't, then just try your best and stay safe, please?"

Judith zooms into the living room and back into the kitchen. "Hey! I can do your makeup! I'm an omnic so I can google anything with just my mind!"

We all say, "She needs to heal!"

She sits on top of the small wall near the living room with her hands on her chin, "Geez! I was just trying to help!"

Oh crap I still need to get that no good bully's phone! I call Trang and tell him everything that happened, "You were in the girl's locker room! No freaking way! Have any good tea to spill?"

"A couple of girls were talking bad about Carlos but I couldn't see them or recognize their voices. But nevermind that! I didn't even want to be there. Okay, so these two guys carried me and had very toned arms, one was wearing a Supreme shirt and had light blonde hair and a fade and the other had the same hairstyle but medium brown, wider shoulders, shorter, and a black under armor shirt."

Trang tells me, "Yeah those guys are Ryan's friends! Say what you want about him but Abby's doing better."

"With my help after pretending to be her uncle. Oh, my sister ran into Natalie."

"Oof! Sounds brutal." Trang's voice softened in a way telling me he's worried.

"Tell me about it. I couldn't do anything to stop her either."

I then tell Trang, "I'm telling Shauna and Jacob too I definitely know they can get that bully's phone for me!"

The halls smell like fruity perfume mixing with cleaning stuff. Okay, Shauna's gonna text me when he comes from the quad and Jacob if he sees them coming from upstairs.

Abby grabs my arm whispering excitedly, "Here he comes! Hide behind the custodian cart."

Okay I just need to show the assistant principal his phone then I'll be cleared and my life won't be ruined anymore!

I step closer to him staying out of his vision, grab his phone, and sprint.

"You think you're funny give it back shrimp!"

Everyone laughs. I turn the corner but can hear him catching up. He needed to stop for half a second before turning so I gain a bit of distance. I run to the end of the hall slamming his phone on the assistant principal's desk. "I have all the proof you have right here."

She adjusts her glasses blinking twice.

"He's got my phone!" We're both huffing but she tells him, "You'll get this back after I look at something."

She tilts her head scrunching her mouth, "Huh. Honestly I was honestly really surprised to see you wearing a bra. This explains everything. As promised I'll delete Ryan's video of you."

"Can't you at least give him detention?"

She shrugs, "What can I say there's no rule against snitching. You on the other hand stole a fellow student's phone, violated dress code even if you were technically forced to it still doesn't change the fact you broke a rule, and sprinted in the hallway. You might not be a disgusting weirdo, but I'm still an assistant principal and still have to give you detention."

I slump back sighing and then shrug. Hey it could have been worse.

We all meet in a yard, Jacob collecting everyone's phones in a bucket as everyone gathers to watch Ashley and Natalie fight.

Natalie cracks her knuckles and slowly walks forward in the middle of the yard.

She yells, "Where is she!? I'm gonna make her face look like Bloomingdales Indiana!"

Ashley slowly comes out from behind a bush, slowly blinking looking into Natalie's eyes. She calmly puts her hands on her hips and says, "Oh yeah Jack Morrison is dad's friend you know!"

Natalie crosses her arms, "Ha! Like I'm stupid enough to believe that! Everyone knows Reaper killed him and Gabe in Switzerland."

Ashley stretches then puts her fist up moving her feet, "No more bullying do you hear me!"

Natalie puts her hands on Ashley's shoulders pushing her to the ground. I shout, "I believe in you Ashley!"

Ashley gets up, "Bullying is wrong!"

Natalie shoves her down again, but Ashley rolls back and hops back on her feet.

Ashley tilts her head slightly looking up, "You know I'm gonna keep getting back up." Ashley makes a fist and in under a third of a second twist her fist and forearm extending it towards Natalie while the entire left side of her body shifts so she's putting all that side of her body's force into the punch and not just her arm.

Natalie moves back an inch, smirks, and mockingly says walking back and forth shaking her head, "Ha! Look at me I'm Ashley and everyone loves me! I'm a silly little gremlin cheerleader. Aren't I just the cutest?"

Ashley shakes her head, thinning her mouth. "That's not funny! Oh I'm Natalie I'm so big and my hair's so messy! It's been forever since I had new shoes."

Natalie meanly points her finger at Ashley, "You think you're so hot you little 7th grader?"

Natalie gets closer to her, "If you tell on me I'll break your fingers."

She chases Ashley but then they circle each other and we cheer Ashley on.

Ashley's shuffling her feet like a boxer, "Notice how everyone's cheering for me! People don't like bullies like you!"

Shauna yells, "You tell her!"

Carlos jumps between them and says, "If you wanna get to her you're gonna have to…"

He grabs Trang's wrist putting him in front, "Get through Trang first!"

Trang smiles rolling his eyes in a that's so Carlos kind of way. Trang crosses his arms smirking. Jacob jumps in front of Trang saying, "To get to him you'll need to get through me! And no one's ever done that before! I have stopped bigger bullies than you!"

She grins, puts her arms around him and just places him out of the way, "You were saying?"

Me Abby and Shauna then step in front and Shauna tells her, "We don't like it when people wanna hurt our friends!"

Abby then tells her, "And we don't like bullies! If I see you picking on anyone else you'll have to answer to us!"

Natalie takes a few steps back shaking her head, "I…I can't take all of you on!" Her eyes dart back and forth and she turns running away.

Judith flies from a tree branch and says, "Sometimes words hit harder than fists."

I tell my sister as we're walking home, beautiful trees line the streets and listening to the usual traffic noises. "I'm so proud of you sis. Now she knows if she messes with you she messes with all of us."

Carlos says, "I so can't stand her! I think she spread rumors of me and Ashley kissing! Like seriously I'm ace I don't want to date her, or anyone no offense Ashley."

Ashley looks up with a thank god look on her face for a second then Shauna tells him, "That's not how Natalie plays. I think it's Isabella. I think she lied about Ashley to Natalie."

Ashley rolls her eyes and smiles sarcastically, "Ugh yeah she's still after me. How many of her lackey's finstas troll our Instagrams again? We all stood up to her together. Why do people like her like hurting people so much?"

Abby says, "I'm not really sure. It's just the way she is." Her tone shifts a bit to hints of pity. "Too bad she's such a bully." Abby's eyes glow and smiles wider and sounding happy over Natalie's saltiness, "I bet she's already getting salty on Instagram over you."

Reminding us of her party, how can we forget. Sounds like it's gonna be fun!

It's a gloomy June morning, and our graduation party earlier this week was so fun. Abby got a high enough GPA to stay on her soccer team and we all had a big hug after.

To celebrate mom brings us to the mall to buy clothes for Abby's party! We stop by Zumiez and get Thrasher shirts and hoodies and at Hot Topic a Neck Deep shirt and Jughead Jones was here shirt.

Ashley squints as she smiles, "Oooo I'm so proud of us! I'm gonna get the coolest clothes ever just you watch Angel!"

Shauna says, "I know right! It's gonna be fun."

Ashley's eyes and mouth widen as she looks at everything attacking the clothes racks for shirts skirts and pants.

Her shoulders slump and she sighs, "Aww, I couldn't find any of the cool stuff in my size." She stares at a Why Don't We wristband, "Isabella loved Why Don't We." She throws it from across the store into a basket. The cashier looks down to her and she says, "Please don't do that." In that condescending stop being such a baby tone. Too bad she doesn't understand like I thought you were supposed to be cool to work here?

Carlos and Jacob are looking at big Chungus shirts and I get one in black.

Shauna whispers to me, "Sometimes it can take forever for us to find anything for her, so many things aren't even in her size. We just can't seem to find anything good that fits her."

We're in Abby's backyard, palms and bushes stand tall near the fence and a lemon gum's branches next door hover over her fence. Of course Ryan had to come. I hate him but he did help Abby's grades. We play soccer in the yard and our team beats Ryan's.

There are chips, watermelon, avocado, and chocolate coronets for snacks.

Ryan throws a water balloon at Carlos and says, "Angel how could you do that to your friend!"

Ashley then projects him doing it from her phone and everyone laughs and Ryan blushes. "Fun party…well I gotta go everyone, bye!"