Waking up bright and early didn't quite make the difference she was hoping for.
She still felt a bit groggy, tears and red hand marks evident on her face. She grabbed the wet hand towel by her bedside and wiped her face over and over again, till she could feel the stinging. Katie quickly got dressed and got her school bag ready for a Friday school day.
"Mum," she called from her door, "I'll have to skip breakfast, and I've got some things to do before school."
She mum's voice echoed from the kitchen, "Sure honey, just be sure not to be late for school." Katie didn't even bother to answer her mother. She was just too tired.
Heading out the door, she slammed it shut, walking quickly in the direction for school. Arriving 10 minutes early, she went in the path of the School Stationary Shop, which sold the school uniforms and some necessary stationary. She timidly pushed open the door and slid up to the counter asking for a long sleeved jumper.
"Sure," the lady said sweetly, handing her a green coloured jumper. Katie grabbed it and shoved the money into the lady's hand and quickly departed the shop.
Pulling it on she heard the school bell ring and entered the clustered hallway of Horace Green. She passed the "popular group" consisting of Vanessa and the people who would rather be in her group than out of it. It was extremely noticeable that Freddy was out of place, standing with his arm round Vanessa's waist in his usual rock garments. As she purposely bumped into him, just an experiment to see whether he'd actually care, she muttered a soft sorry and dashed away before Freddy could get a good look of her face.
But her hair could not be mistakened, and immediately he knew it was she. He wasn't a step ahead of her emotions, thinking she was spiteful towards Vanessa, when instead it was that she feared her.
Last lesson came around and Katie was the only one with the school jumper on. Vanessa was strutting around, trying to outwit anyone who dared open their mouth. She spotted Katie huddled at the back, pulling down the sleeves.
"What's wrong Katie? Are you cold?" She said in a baby-voice, "I heard from Freddy that she's a cold fish when it comes to kissing. A slobberer." Everyone erupted in laughter.
"And how would you know?" She asked through gritted teeth, "How would he know? I've never kissed anyone before."
That was a mistake.
"Oh really? Poor Katie the wallflower never expected you to be this bad. Even Rebecca has a boyfriend," she replied pityingly, giggling and looking around at her laughing friends.
Katie just ignored her, rage building up and turned around waiting for the lesson to just start already.
When they started to do warming up, Katie was just doing sit ups when Vanessa passed by and commented, "I'm so glad I'm not like Katie, she's built like a wrestler. More fat than muscle though." Raucous laughter sounded around her. She just closed her eyes and started counting her sit-ups.
When the girls were to put away the equipment, Katie picked up a small box and headed towards the storage area, but so was Vanessa.
In the room, was only the both of them. Vanessa placed the box on the floor and before you knew it, she pulled back Katie hair, twisting her hair around her fingers. "If you go running to Freddy again, I might get really nasty." Pulling harder she continued, "Don't forget, Katie. Nobody likes you, you're a fat bitch. You might fade into the background with other people, but I'll always recognize and spot you." She let go and left the room. Katie just slumped to the floor and rub the back of her sore head. At that moment, she just felt like cutting herself, but there was nothing sharp enough, and her arms were already filled up with cuts. She wanted to cut herself till she bled to death. Then they'd care, then they would be sorry.
Then she would be sorry.