Authors note: This is almost song-fic. I don't think I've done too badly, but any improvements you can think of will be gratefully accepted.
An ear-splitting whistle made the despised girl jump.
'Check out the weirdo, girls!' Kylie yelled.
'Don't your mum download you anything decent to wear?' Kelly inquired, sarcastically.
'I make my own fashion statements!' she snarled back.
'What's today's statement then? "Hello, I'm a pathetic ugly little zero"?' asked Poppy.
Delilah added, slightly pitifully,
'How will you ever get with one of the boys from the Boy Zone, dressed up like some sort of freak?' After all, everybody wanted a chance at getting a boyfriend... A quiet response of 'yeah!' came from the rest of the group.
'You're a disgrace to the Ga Ga girls.' Stacey informed her.
'I ain't no Ga Ga girl!' she yelled back. A chorus off
'Ooh, alright' with implications of 'keep yer hair on' filled the air.
'And I'm not interested in the sort of Boyz-r-us, dur-brained Zone clones YOU hang out with!'
The Ga Gas were struck dumb for a moment. Not interested?!?! How could anyone POSSIBLY be not interested in the Zone Boys? Well that settled it. She was a lesbian. She couldn't possibly not be. But still... Zone Boys! The epitome of male adolesance! Not interested? Never had any luck, more like.
'You - are such a sad loner.' Poppy said finally.
'Well, you sure are right about that.' the girl replied, then hurled the worst insult she could think of a Ga Ga girl understanding. The more exotic ones in her vocabulary would probably go straight over their heads. 'Bitch.'
They drew back as one, clutching their bags to their chests in indignation. They retreated up the school steps in a gaggle, drawing support from each other.
'She can't do that. She can't say that! She called you a bitch!' Poppy whined. All the others twittered and agreed, including Delilah.
'That's not right. People like her can't say that.'
The girl sighed in despair. She didn't want a trophy boyfriend. She didn't want to be a trophy girlfriend. She wanted love - real, genuine love from someone she could talk to openly, on her own level, without any pretence. Someone she wouldn't have to impress. But someone like that would be beyond the reaches of the most thorough dating agency search engine. She hated the things anyway, the one date she had tried, a boy on the other side of the planet, had been an identical copy of every boy in her school. How could she possibly find someone she actually wanted? They, like her, would have to be an outcast, branded a freak.
'Can ANYBODY find me somebody to love?' she asked out loud. The Ga Gas laughed cruelly. They looked at each other and nodded. Yep, she was about to have another emotional outburst. They stood back, faces clearly saying 'Go on, then. Impress us.'. The girl decided she might as well let them know, it was hardly like she'd have to see them again. This was her last chance to make them SEE, to understand what they were missing with their inablilty to feel. After today they would be shipped off to various sections of the corporate machine to do their bit in destroying the world's soul.
'Each morning, I get up - I die a little. Can barely stand on my feet - take a look in the mirror,'
'Yeah, TAKE a look at yourself in the mirror.' they advised her. Kelly made a point of looking long and hard at her outfit. She withered slightly.
'And CRY.' she offered up a quiet prayer to an entity that she spoke to purely out of habit, with a roll of her eyes. 'Lord, what are you DOING to me?'
'I've spent all my years in believing you, but I just can't get no relief. Can anyone find me someone to love?'
'Somebody to love you? Yeah right!' Kelly yelled from the safety of the top step.
'He-llo, that is so NOT going to happen.' Delilah said. *Poor thing.* she thought *It can't. No-one would have her.*
'Stop daydreaming, and get a virtual life!' Poppy intsructed. Best way to get a Zone Boy. Get online, make some friends, make a date.
*They just don't get it.* the wretched girl thought, but not giving up yet. *I thought I wanted to be one of them for so long. They don't understand what love IS.*
'I work hard. Every day of my life, I work til I ache my bones.' She showed them the marks on her wrists from the wrist-braces she had to wear to relieve the pain she got from doing her own typed work. Unlike them, she wasn't content to copy and paste from the encyclopedia. She was intelligent, she knew that, but had no outlet for it. She buried herself in her schoolwork, actually trying to understand what she was taught, and not just parrot it. But no-one cared. She remained ignored and shunned.
'At the end of the day, I take home my broken heart all on my own. I go down on my knees -'
'Ooh!' a group gasp was unavoidable. On her KNEES? but that was what... what some of the boys talked about, when they were being REALLY rude.
'And I start to pray.' she said pointedly, glaring at their shocked faces. Prayer? What was that? Well, she was always saying weird stuff, but usually used words they could at least pick apart and try to understand later.
'Til the tears run down from my eyes. 'Lord, somebody, can't anybody find me somebody to love'? I work hard, dammit! Every day! And I try, and I try, and I try... But everybody wants to put me down -' she glared at the uncomprehending girls as pointedly as she could. *That means YOU, thickos.* 'They say I'm going crazy. They say I've got -'*what did that doctor say?*'- a load of water on my brain,-'*and the teachers, of course. In league with my parents.*'I got no 'common sense', I got nobody left to believe.' She held her hands to her face. *I'm turning into one of them. I'm losing my grip on what I want.*
'I- I got no feelings, got no rhythm, I just keep losing my beat.'
'You'll just keep losing, and losing.'*can't do anything else, stupid bitch.* Kelly thought.
'I'm ok.' she said quietly, to Kelly in particular. *Better than you, anyway.* 'I'm alright. But I ain't gonna face no defeat. I just gotta get out of this prison cell-' she gestured to the school '- some day, I've got to be free. Just - find me somebody to love.'
'Find me somebody to love.' Kelly mimicked, gesturing to the others to join in.
'Find me somebody to love.' repeated Poppy, getting the idea, followed by Kylie and Delilah, and finally Stacey. 'Find me somebody to love.' It grew into a taunting chant, the poor black-clad girl sank to her knees, battling against their voices with her own surprisingly powerful
'No, find me, find me, somebody find me... Can anybody find me somebody to love?'
Her voice finished too loud for them to drown out. The question hung in the air, and the girls finally realised that they didn't know what the hell she was talking about. They stood, foreheads wrinkled with the effort of trying to work it out, until Kelly removed the problem for them.
'Love.' she snorted. If it doesn't exist, they don't need to worry about it. 'Even if it does exist, you ain't gonna find it. Come on girls, lets go.'
They climbed down from the steps and strode past the huddled black shape. Delilah bit her lip and hung back slightly.
'I'll... I'll catch you online later, guys, I've gotta get home. I - said I'd be back soon.'. She pretended to go back up the steps until she knew Kelly and her group were ignoring her, a matter of seconds, then went back to the girl.
'Look...' she said, gently touching her shoulder. She jumped violently and backed away, ever wary of a Ga Ga seeking her attention. Delilah was surprised to actually see tears starting to trickle down her face. 'Please, don't tell anyone else I said this, but... I think you're kinda cool.'
'Yeah right.' she replied bitterly.
'No, I mean it. There's no-one listening.' She heard footsteps approaching, and stood up quickly. 'I'd better go. I'm sorry.'
As she quickly made her exit, she vaguely heard the words
'How very touching, young lady. But surely....' drift back to her. That voice sounded dangerous. Mother had been right - that type of person was bad news. The girl was in trouble, for some reason. There had been police sirens approaching. But she had seemed so - somehow - normal. Underneath all the weird stuff, of course. She had said some of the things Delilah thought about all the time, but knew she couldn't get away with saying. Not without trouble, anyway. One does not talk about feelings.
An ear-splitting whistle made the despised girl jump.
'Check out the weirdo, girls!' Kylie yelled.
'Don't your mum download you anything decent to wear?' Kelly inquired, sarcastically.
'I make my own fashion statements!' she snarled back.
'What's today's statement then? "Hello, I'm a pathetic ugly little zero"?' asked Poppy.
Delilah added, slightly pitifully,
'How will you ever get with one of the boys from the Boy Zone, dressed up like some sort of freak?' After all, everybody wanted a chance at getting a boyfriend... A quiet response of 'yeah!' came from the rest of the group.
'You're a disgrace to the Ga Ga girls.' Stacey informed her.
'I ain't no Ga Ga girl!' she yelled back. A chorus off
'Ooh, alright' with implications of 'keep yer hair on' filled the air.
'And I'm not interested in the sort of Boyz-r-us, dur-brained Zone clones YOU hang out with!'
The Ga Gas were struck dumb for a moment. Not interested?!?! How could anyone POSSIBLY be not interested in the Zone Boys? Well that settled it. She was a lesbian. She couldn't possibly not be. But still... Zone Boys! The epitome of male adolesance! Not interested? Never had any luck, more like.
'You - are such a sad loner.' Poppy said finally.
'Well, you sure are right about that.' the girl replied, then hurled the worst insult she could think of a Ga Ga girl understanding. The more exotic ones in her vocabulary would probably go straight over their heads. 'Bitch.'
They drew back as one, clutching their bags to their chests in indignation. They retreated up the school steps in a gaggle, drawing support from each other.
'She can't do that. She can't say that! She called you a bitch!' Poppy whined. All the others twittered and agreed, including Delilah.
'That's not right. People like her can't say that.'
The girl sighed in despair. She didn't want a trophy boyfriend. She didn't want to be a trophy girlfriend. She wanted love - real, genuine love from someone she could talk to openly, on her own level, without any pretence. Someone she wouldn't have to impress. But someone like that would be beyond the reaches of the most thorough dating agency search engine. She hated the things anyway, the one date she had tried, a boy on the other side of the planet, had been an identical copy of every boy in her school. How could she possibly find someone she actually wanted? They, like her, would have to be an outcast, branded a freak.
'Can ANYBODY find me somebody to love?' she asked out loud. The Ga Gas laughed cruelly. They looked at each other and nodded. Yep, she was about to have another emotional outburst. They stood back, faces clearly saying 'Go on, then. Impress us.'. The girl decided she might as well let them know, it was hardly like she'd have to see them again. This was her last chance to make them SEE, to understand what they were missing with their inablilty to feel. After today they would be shipped off to various sections of the corporate machine to do their bit in destroying the world's soul.
'Each morning, I get up - I die a little. Can barely stand on my feet - take a look in the mirror,'
'Yeah, TAKE a look at yourself in the mirror.' they advised her. Kelly made a point of looking long and hard at her outfit. She withered slightly.
'And CRY.' she offered up a quiet prayer to an entity that she spoke to purely out of habit, with a roll of her eyes. 'Lord, what are you DOING to me?'
'I've spent all my years in believing you, but I just can't get no relief. Can anyone find me someone to love?'
'Somebody to love you? Yeah right!' Kelly yelled from the safety of the top step.
'He-llo, that is so NOT going to happen.' Delilah said. *Poor thing.* she thought *It can't. No-one would have her.*
'Stop daydreaming, and get a virtual life!' Poppy intsructed. Best way to get a Zone Boy. Get online, make some friends, make a date.
*They just don't get it.* the wretched girl thought, but not giving up yet. *I thought I wanted to be one of them for so long. They don't understand what love IS.*
'I work hard. Every day of my life, I work til I ache my bones.' She showed them the marks on her wrists from the wrist-braces she had to wear to relieve the pain she got from doing her own typed work. Unlike them, she wasn't content to copy and paste from the encyclopedia. She was intelligent, she knew that, but had no outlet for it. She buried herself in her schoolwork, actually trying to understand what she was taught, and not just parrot it. But no-one cared. She remained ignored and shunned.
'At the end of the day, I take home my broken heart all on my own. I go down on my knees -'
'Ooh!' a group gasp was unavoidable. On her KNEES? but that was what... what some of the boys talked about, when they were being REALLY rude.
'And I start to pray.' she said pointedly, glaring at their shocked faces. Prayer? What was that? Well, she was always saying weird stuff, but usually used words they could at least pick apart and try to understand later.
'Til the tears run down from my eyes. 'Lord, somebody, can't anybody find me somebody to love'? I work hard, dammit! Every day! And I try, and I try, and I try... But everybody wants to put me down -' she glared at the uncomprehending girls as pointedly as she could. *That means YOU, thickos.* 'They say I'm going crazy. They say I've got -'*what did that doctor say?*'- a load of water on my brain,-'*and the teachers, of course. In league with my parents.*'I got no 'common sense', I got nobody left to believe.' She held her hands to her face. *I'm turning into one of them. I'm losing my grip on what I want.*
'I- I got no feelings, got no rhythm, I just keep losing my beat.'
'You'll just keep losing, and losing.'*can't do anything else, stupid bitch.* Kelly thought.
'I'm ok.' she said quietly, to Kelly in particular. *Better than you, anyway.* 'I'm alright. But I ain't gonna face no defeat. I just gotta get out of this prison cell-' she gestured to the school '- some day, I've got to be free. Just - find me somebody to love.'
'Find me somebody to love.' Kelly mimicked, gesturing to the others to join in.
'Find me somebody to love.' repeated Poppy, getting the idea, followed by Kylie and Delilah, and finally Stacey. 'Find me somebody to love.' It grew into a taunting chant, the poor black-clad girl sank to her knees, battling against their voices with her own surprisingly powerful
'No, find me, find me, somebody find me... Can anybody find me somebody to love?'
Her voice finished too loud for them to drown out. The question hung in the air, and the girls finally realised that they didn't know what the hell she was talking about. They stood, foreheads wrinkled with the effort of trying to work it out, until Kelly removed the problem for them.
'Love.' she snorted. If it doesn't exist, they don't need to worry about it. 'Even if it does exist, you ain't gonna find it. Come on girls, lets go.'
They climbed down from the steps and strode past the huddled black shape. Delilah bit her lip and hung back slightly.
'I'll... I'll catch you online later, guys, I've gotta get home. I - said I'd be back soon.'. She pretended to go back up the steps until she knew Kelly and her group were ignoring her, a matter of seconds, then went back to the girl.
'Look...' she said, gently touching her shoulder. She jumped violently and backed away, ever wary of a Ga Ga seeking her attention. Delilah was surprised to actually see tears starting to trickle down her face. 'Please, don't tell anyone else I said this, but... I think you're kinda cool.'
'Yeah right.' she replied bitterly.
'No, I mean it. There's no-one listening.' She heard footsteps approaching, and stood up quickly. 'I'd better go. I'm sorry.'
As she quickly made her exit, she vaguely heard the words
'How very touching, young lady. But surely....' drift back to her. That voice sounded dangerous. Mother had been right - that type of person was bad news. The girl was in trouble, for some reason. There had been police sirens approaching. But she had seemed so - somehow - normal. Underneath all the weird stuff, of course. She had said some of the things Delilah thought about all the time, but knew she couldn't get away with saying. Not without trouble, anyway. One does not talk about feelings.