rebel girl you are the queen of my world


"This is bullshit!"

"La-Language"

Beatrice scowls at the Head and he squirms in his chair.

"You're seriously blaming Hero for the graffiti in the cafeteria?"

"It — It's her name."

"Because she's the victim! How are you in charge of a school?"

Mr Bard clears his throat. "That's not — you shouldn't even be here, Miss Salucci. This meeting concerns your cousin."

He looks at Hero like a lighthouse in a storm. She lifts her eyebrows and lets him flounder.

"You want to discipline my cousin for an act of vandalism clearly against her. I notice you haven't done anything about the defacement of her locker.

"There — There are procedures—"

"Hero has been bullied and harassed these past weeks and the school has done NOTHING. I've a mind to go to the press."

"Now — um — there's — there's no need to — to — uh — overreact."

Beatrice slams her palms on the desk, causing the pens to rattle and the papers to flutter. "Oh, I've had enough of your under-reaction. We'll be taking matters into our own hands."

"Wh-Wha-What does that mean?"

Beatrice doesn't answer, turning her back on the stammering man and striding to the door. "Come on, Hero. Let's go."

Hero waves goodbye to Mr Bard and follows her cousin.

"But — But — I haven't dismissed you—!"

The door shuts behind them. The secretary squints and Hero flashes a smile.

"I can't believe the nerve of him," Beatrice fumes, marching through the deserted halls. "This can't be allowed!"

Hero sighs, rubbing her shoulders and thinking of leather padding. "Beatrice, I'm tired. Please can we go home."

Her cousin's gaze softens and she wraps an arm around her. "Of course, sweetpea."

That evening, Hero selects all her photos of Claudio and sends them to the trash. She eats her dinner, pretending not to see the looks of relief passed between her family, and goes to bed without bringing any of it back up. When her head hits the pillow she envisions midnight eyes and raven locks, and a smoky voice kisses her ear.

:-x-:

Monday arrives with the same gut-clenching inescapability of the previous week. Walking into school, she is greeted with the familiar whispers and glances.

Hero holds her head high and her shoulders back. When she reaches her locker she finds the WHORE covered in thick paint. Yet, she can still feel the letters burning underneath.

She looks for John, but learns he and Borachio have both been suspended. At the news, a pit opens in her stomach, guzzling down butterflies. She carries on.

She is sitting with Beatrice and Kate in the courtyard at break when her cousin springs to her feet, hissing like a cat.

"Don't. You. DARE!"

Hero follows her gaze and her stomach drops. Claudio hovers a few steps from their table, his face anguished yet still so unfairly handsome.

"Hero? May I — May I speak with you?"

He appears so soft, so guileless — a vast difference from the vengeful berserker she has known these past weeks. Instead, she is struck by the memory of a boy, holding out a Valentine's card to her with a stuttered confession.

Beatrice blocks his path. "I. Will. CUT. That. Shrivelled. Heart. From. Your. Chest. AND RAM IT DOWN YOUR THROAT IF YOU DARE UTTER ANOTHER WORD TO HER!"

Kate hums in approval, waggling her claws.

Claudio blanches. "Al-Alright — I won't tell Hero."

A muscle pulses in his jaw, brow furrowing, and she recognises that bullheaded determination. He leaps onto a wall, startling the students eating their lunch there.

"I WILL TELL EVERYONE!"

"Want me to punch him?" Kate asks.

Ice trickles down Hero's veins as Claudio garners his audience — she is pinned by magenta spotlights — heart-shaped streamers hang from the ceiling, one or two escaping their bonds, fluttering to the floor to be crushed under heel — the rays of the disco ball swing round and round the room, illuminating the faces of the watching crowd — the music is faint, turned down as the microphone crackles and Claudio welcomes his girlfriend on stage —

"YOU ALL KNOW HERO. YOU'VE ALL HEARD THE LIES SPREAD ABOUT HER."

Hero snaps back to the present. A murmur courses through the courtyard.

"YES — LIES. LIKE ALL OF YOU, I WAS TRICKED INTO BELIEVING THE WORST OF A SWEET AND INNOCENT GIRL." He looks at her, tears slipping down his cheeks. "HERO, I'VE BEEN AN IDIOT — THE WORLD'S BIGGEST IDIOT — AND I HATE MYSELF — HATE MYSELF — FOR THE HURT I'VE CAUSED YOU. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH AND WHEN I THOUGHT YOU'D BETRAYED ME THAT BROKE MY HEART. I WAS STUPID AND ANGRY AND I'M SORRY, HERO. SO SORRY."

He turns back to the muttering crowd.

"HERO ROSETTI IS A SWEET, KIND GIRL AND THE BEST GIRLFRIEND A GUY COULD WISH FOR. ANYONE TROUBLES HER, AND THEY'LL HAVE ME TO DEAL WITH."

"ALL OF US," Pedro barks, squaring his shoulders. His squad following suit.

Claudio jumps from the wall, sauntering to their side. Beatrice and Kate form a barrier around Hero and he stops short, irritation marring his face before it clears and he drops to his knees.

"Hero, I know I don't deserve your forgiveness. But I will spend every day, for the rest of my life, trying to make it up to you." He sniffs, wiping a stray tear. "I'm an idiot—"

"Yep," Kate chirps, throwing him off his rhythm.

"I-I'm — I never should have listened to that whoreson, John. I'm sorry, so sorry." He looks at her expectantly but Hero is frozen.

As her silence stretches into awkwardness, he seems to notice Beatrice's murderous glare and Kate's savage grin.

"I — um — think about what I've said," he mumbles and scarpers back to his friends.

"What an asshole," Kate sneers.

The courtyard is abuzz with chatter, many stares thrown in Hero's direction.

Beatrice shields her from their view, looking down at her cousin with concern. "Hero?"

Her hands shake. "What — what did he mean? He never should have listened to John?"

:-x-:

They get the whole story from Regan and Bianca, who are quick to worm themselves back into Hero's good graces now she has Claudio and Pedro's approval once more.

"So Pedro's shitty half-brother, John. He told Claudio all these terrible lies about Hero like cheating and shit. Claudio wouldn't believe it but John bribed Borachio into lying about fucking you and faked the photos so Claudio was absolutely heart-broken, obviously, and dumped you."

"Oh Hero!" Bianca squashes Hero to her chest. "It's so horrible!"

Hero fights to get air into her lungs.

"John is a fucking creep," Regan spits. "I mean — who does that!"

"I never believed a word!"

"Uhhh, has all that hair dye rotted your last brain cell?" Kate snarks. "You've been total dicks to Hero these last few weeks."

Bianca rounds on her sister. "Ugh! What are you even doing here!"

"Being an actual friend. Unlike you."

"Please, freaks like you don't have friends."

"Kate's my friend," Hero asserts, speaking up for the first time.

Kate shoots her sister a smug look while Bianca's face spirals through a series of emotions, ending with a huff.

"Ugh — well — fine."

Beatrice gnashes her teeth. "I should put you in the ground for how you've treated Hero."

Regan regards her nervously.

Bianca stomps her foot. "Like — it wasn't our fault! That shithead John had everyone convinced! He's the one in the wrong."

"Believe me, I will be dealing with him," Beatrice grinds out. "But that doesn't excuse your part."

Bianca pouts, crossing her arms.

"Why — why did he do it?" Hero's voice wobbles. "Why did — why did he lie?"

"Because he's a dick!" Bianca exclaims.

"He's always been like — jealous and shit of his brother and Claudio," Regan goes on. "Hates them because they're so much better than him, creep that he is."

"But—" Hero still doesn't understand. "But why me? Why did he — why did he say those things about me?"

"Because he's sick! He wanted to humiliate Claudio. And what better way than to call his girlfriend a whore."

Hero's stomach lurches, nausea rising in her throat. She catches Beatrice's sleeve. "I want to go home."

"But we still have class— OW! KATE!"

Hero's eyes sting, vision blurring.

A hand steadies her, Beatrice's voice soft, "I'll take you home. It's OK, I'll take you home."

:-x-:

School is a whole different experience now she has been found innocent. There are still those who look at her critically but most offer smiles, welcoming her back like a long lost friend — as if she had been on vacation these last few weeks instead of cast-out from society.

It is an abrasive change, like plunging into a hot bath after being out in the snow. She ducks conversations, dodging invites, and clings to Beatrice and Kate, suddenly Miss Popularity now her virtue is restored.

Bianca and Regan attempt to coax their "best friend" back from the dark side, but are quick to slink off whenever Kate and Beatrice are near.

Claudio walks around looking like a kicked puppy with his tail between his legs. He has started slipping love notes into her locker again — likely written by Pedro (again). Whenever they pass he sends her the most doleful looks and tries to corner her alone.

Mostly, she has evaded him, but he has the uncanny ability of finding her wherever she goes. At this point, she wouldn't be surprised if he had a tracker on her. Or an intricate network of spies, she muses, as she notices one of his jock friends shooting her furtive glances, typing out a text.

Stomach in knots, she ducks into the girls' bathroom.

"Hero?"

She starts, finding Ophelia there, gawping at her.

"Oh, hey."

Ophelia jolts. "I — um — uhh— I want to apologise!"

Hero shrinks, not wanting to manage another person's guilt. "It's OK, Ophelia — you didn't know—"

"No — not that — I should have — should have said something at the time." She wrings her hands. "It was wrong, how they treated you. I know it's probably — it's probably worthless now everyone knows the truth — but — even if it had been true — it was wrong. It was cruel — and I'm sorry I just stood by. I'm sorry, I should've said something and I regret that I didn't."

She bows her head and Hero considers her. She has received plenty of apologies these last few days but none as genuine as this. No one else has apologised for their behaviour, just for believing the lies. No one else has said the way she was treated was wrong regardless of the truth.

"I — um—" Ophelia falters, not lifting her gaze from the floor. "I know — I know what it's like. I was — um — I was the — uh — the first of my friends to — to um — to have sex," her hands tremble, voice cracking, "they — they called me a slut — my friends and — my boyfriend dumped me anyway." She sniffs. "I know that makes it worse — that I — that I didn't say anything but I — I was frightened of going through the same again — I should have done something."

"Ophelia…" Hero exhales and hugs her.

The other girl gasps.

"Is this alright?" She checks.

"Y-Yeah…" Ophelia leans into Hero. "I'm sorry."

"It's OK, I forgive you."

The breath rattles out of Ophelia.

"And, actually, there is a way you can make it up to me."

"Oh?"

:-x-:

Claudio materialises the second Hero leaves the bathroom.

"Hero, I wondered if we could tal—"

Ophelia springs between them. "Sorry! No time! Hero has to help me — buy tampons! Bye!"

They rush through the halls, leaving a stammering Claudio in their wake.

As soon as their pace slows Hero snorts. "Buy tampons?"

"I panicked!"

They burst into a fit of giggles, receiving odd looks from passersby, and Hero's chest feels light for the first time in a while.

She smiles at the other girl. "Do you want to sit with my friends and I for lunch?"

:-x-:

Hero is thrumming by the time next Monday rolls around, but for all her anticipation, John does not show. It is only Borachio who returns, face mottled with fading bruises. He keeps his head down, steering clear of her and Claudio's crew.

All sorts of rumours spiral around John's absence:

"I heard he was arrested for dealing drugs."

"I heard he murdered someone and is on the run."

"I heard he couldn't live with the guilt of what he'd done and blew his brains out."

"I heard Beatrice Salucci killed him."

Hero rolls her eyes. To quote the subject himself — it's bullshit.

But he is missing. And she needs to speak to him. Badly.

Class is dismissed and as she bends to collect her bag she notices JOHN D'S MUM IS A WHORE written on the side of the table leg. She doesn't know if it is recent or old, but she thinks of ink eyes and careful hands and grabs her marker pen.

When she is finished scribbling out the text she straightens and finds an envelope and parcel on her desk, both addressed to her. She frowns. She hadn't heard anyone approach.

"Are you going to get out of my classroom anytime soon, Miss Rosetti?" A bored voice calls from the front.

"Sorry, Mrs Macbeth!" She gathers her belongings — letter and parcel included — and hurries from the room.

The mysterious items burn in her bag but she waits until she is home to open them. When she does her gaze snags on the sign-off — John.

She sucks in a breath and reads...

Hero,

I'm sorry. It was my lie that ruined your life. Claudio and Pedro know the truth and everyone else will soon.

I won't bother you with excuses. It was fucked up and I'm an asshole. But if it's worth anything, I only wanted to hurt Claudio. Never you.

You're a good person. Kind. Special.

You deserve a hell of a lot better than what I and this school did to you.

Can't say I hope it works out between you and Claudio, but I wish you happy. You'll never have to see me again at least. I'm going back to live with my mum. I'll be gone by the time you read this (if you bother).

I know an apology isn't worth shit so I've left you my penknife. It doesn't light-up but you can stab the next asshole who troubles you.

I'm sorry. Good luck.

John

She scrambles for the package, unwrapping it to reveal the same penknife she glimpsed before. She re-reads the letter three more times, hearing his voice as she does so, tracing her finger along the page.

Heart beating in her throat, she examines the knife, opening and closing the different components.

Beatrice walks in, "Hero, your dad wants to know if— WHY THE FUCK DO YOU HAVE A KNIFE!"

:-x-:

Her cousin frowns over the letter. "Well, it's not as insufferable as Claudio's apology."

Hero hums, gaze flitting from Beatrice to the letter, hands twitching beneath her thighs

Her cousin holds it out and she snatches it back. "I'm still furious with him."

"I am too, a little bit," Hero confesses, smoothing the creases in the paper.

Beatrice shakes her golden curls. "Can't believe he gave you a knife."

Hero's mouth quirks, glancing at the penknife on her dresser. She has no idea what she is going to do with it but she feels bolder just looking at it.

(You're a good person. Kind. Special.)

"I wish I understood why he did it. I know it was to hurt Claudio but — is that really all?"

"He said it himself, he's an asshole."

Hero sags. "Yeah."

She remembers his leather jacket warm around her body, his feather-touch as he applied the plasters to her knees.

She hugs her waist. "Maybe."

"Hey," Beatrice drapes herself around her, combing her hair. "If it means that much to you we'll find out."

Hero burrows her head in Beatrice's arms. "I never would've survived all this without you.

"You are stronger than you think, Hero."

And maybe this is something she is starting to realise.

:-x-:

They corner Conrade during break.

His gaze darts between them, "Wh-What — what are you — you doing?

"Don't shit yourself," Kate mutters.

"We just want to ask you a couple of questions," Hero assures, throwing the other girl a chiding look.

"I — I — I — uhhh — I haven't — I haven't done anything!"

Beatrice tsks. "Sure about that?"

He regards them as if they might scratch his face off.

Hero keeps her voice gentle, "Conrade… you're friends with John Donner, right?"

"I didn't know what was in the package! Or the letter! John just — he asked me to give them to you — I — I — he was my friend — he was leaving — I didn't — I just — did what he asked."

Hero checks the question off in her head. "I wasn't asking about that. I wanted to know — why did John tell Claudio I'd cheated?"

Conrade's skeleton attempts to crawl from his flesh. "I — I had nothing to — to do with that."

"I'm not accusing you. I just want to understand. He said — in his letter he said he didn't do it to hurt me."

"No, it was never about you." Conrade straightens. "He — He didn't like it — when Claudio — when Claudio humiliated you like that at the Valentine's Dance. He never — never thought it would go that far."

"No," Hero mumbles, thinking of taffeta skirts, Claudio's matching tie.

"I mean, John's a dick, but he wouldn't do that."

"I agree he's a dick," Beatrice snipes. "What did he think was going to happen?"

Conrade shrugs. "Look, I'm not — I'm not going to pretend what he did wasn't messed up. But if Claudio spoke about my mum the way he did John's — in front of the whole locker room like that — I would have decked him. But that's John. He's his most ruthless when he's angry."

"Um, I think we've missed something," Ophelia pipes in.

"What — what did Claudio say about John's mum?" Hero asks.

Conrade scoffs. "Nothing I'd want to repeat. Nothing he hasn't said a thousand ways before. There's always been a grudge between John and Claudio. I mean things aren't great with the brothers either, but I think Claudio feels threatened for some reason — like John might steal his spot as Pedro's best mate. As if he'd ever want it."

"Claudio never — never spoke well of John." Hero cringes, recalling some of the things he said that she allowed to go over her head. "I knew they didn't get along."

"Couldn't fucking stand each other. And — I already said John's a dick but Claudio's a fucking psychopath!" He catches Hero's gaze and ducks his chin. "Uhh, excuse me."

She shakes her head. "No, it's true."

Beatrice, Ophelia, and Kate gawk at her but she keeps her focus on Conrade.

He stares back at her, startled, and rubs his arm. "Um — yeah — well — Claudio always used John's mum against him. It's a sore spot, you know. His dad hasn't treated him or his mum very well and — Claudio saw it, used it to hurt him. But — John's smart. He knew the best way to get even was through you."

Kate throws her hands in the air. "Ugh! All this over a fucking dick-measuring contest!"

Conrade coughs. "Um."

"Go on," Kate motions, "Or class will have started before we get to the point."

Conrade makes an affronted sound, turning beet red, but he continues, "Um — well — it's — uh — pretty simple from there — it was in the locker room and Claudio was mocking John again, calling his mum a whore — among other things — in front of everyone and — John went really quiet — then said Claudio should look closer to him." He glances at Hero. "I understand you and John ran into each other at a party a few weeks earlier and Claudio found you alone together. I guess he already had his suspicions because it didn't take much to convince him."

Hero's nails bite her palm.

Beatrice touches her wrist, addressing Conrade. "What about Borachio?"

"He backed John up, made his own insinuations. Then, once the cogs were turning in Claudio's brain, he told John he'd seal the deal — at a price. John accepted. Like I said, he's ruthless when angry."

"And you?" Her cousin hisses. "Didn't you say anything?"

Conrade clenches his jaw, shame glimmering in his eyes as he faces Hero. "I don't know you."

"Coward," Kate spits.

His face shutters.

"It's alright, Conrade," Hero says softly. "You're not to blame."

Kate scoffs, while Beatrice throws Hero a disbelieving look. Ophelia is quiet, slipping her hand into Hero's, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Conrade's mouth is thin. "Borachio faked messages and showed them to Claudio and Pedro as proof of your infidelity. Photos too. Except he didn't tell John about those. He was pretty pissed when he found out but — it was done. Claudio was humiliated. John predicted he would dump you, but not — not like that."

Hero releases a breath, some of the tightness in her chest uncoiling. "So that's all it was? A cruel prank out of control?"

"Pretty much. He's gone now. And everyone knows you're innocent, so…"

"You're saying it's OK?" Beatrice snaps.

His expression twists. "NO, I'm just—!"

He freezes, panic bleaching his features.

"Hello ladies, this creep bothering you?" Claudio's smile is charming, but his eyes are cold as they fix on Conrade.

Kate sneers, "As if we'd need your help."

He shoots her an annoyed glance.

"We're just discussing classwork," Hero informs, frustration disguised in honeyed tones.

"Not that it's any of your business," Beatrice puts in.

Claudio frowns, looking them over. Beatrice and Kate glower at him, Ophelia shuffles her feet, and Conrade braces, ready to bolt.

"We're fine, Claudio," Hero says with emphasis.

He regards her, brow wrinkled. "If — if you're sure?"

She holds his gaze, unwavering. "We're fine."

He puffs his chest and nods. "Let me know if anyone troubles you, Hero."

(You. You. You.)

With a final glare in Conrade's direction, Claudio turns and strolls back to his friends.

"God, he's like a bloodhound," Ophelia exclaims.

The breath gushes from Conrade and he shivers. "I — I — I've answered your questions — can I — can I — you'll let me go now — you'll leave — leave me alone? I don't want — I'm sorry — I don't want trouble."

Hero would like to press him more. Why did John attack Borachio if they were allies? How had Pedro and Claudio come to believe in her innocence? Why has he been sent away? Where has he gone? But she sees he is spooked.

"It's alright, Conrade, you can go."

He sighs. "You're a sweet girl, Hero. Sorry for my part."

He scarpers from the scene.

Beatrice brushes her fingers over Hero's knuckles, coaxing them to uncurl. "Did that help?"

She wets her bottom lip. "Yeah… I think so." She turns to her friends. "He's terrified of Claudio."

"I don't have much sympathy for the rat but Claudio's an ass," Kate drawls. "Doesn't matter what Donner told him. He should have believed you. And he definitely shouldn't have humiliated you like that."

"Kate's right," Ophelia chimes. "You deserve so much better than him, Hero."

(You deserve a hell of a lot better than what I and this school did to you.)

Hero sucks in a breath, tracing its path through her lungs. The hollow feeling in her chest is healed.

She thinks of John and what she has learned and hopes he is happier with his mum.

:-x-:

It leaks out that the photos thought to be of Hero are, in fact, Meg, Borachio's hook-up buddy, and the whole student body froffs at the mouth at this fresh meat. John is gone and Borachio is too much of a scumbag to be fazed by anything short of violence. But Meg is easy pickings.

If Hero hoped the general populace might have learnt from this ordeal, she is soon disillusioned. They turn on Meg like a pack of wolves, hounding her as they did Hero, except this is so much worse. In their eyes, Hero is the innocent wronged and Meg the viper who sullied her good name. They blame her for Hero's fall, forgetting their own roles in it, making her suffer for their every slither of shame.

Beatrice frowns at the scene in front of them. "This is ugly,"

The school still hasn't covered the graffiti in the cafeteria, but someone has crossed out Hero's name and amended it to read MEG IS A DIRTY SLUT!

Meg stands in the center of the hall, cast-out by her friends, as those around her jeer whore, slut, skank, and worse.

Hero is moving before the first piece of food flies. Meg flinches, dodging the projectiles, face swollen like a raspberry as she chokes back tears. Hero swoops in front of her, a scotch egg splattering across her back. Her friends flank her sides.

(Kate catches an apple, locking eyes with its owner as she crushes it to a pulp.)

"He-He-Hero—" Meg tremors, looking like the four horsemen of the apocalypse have risen before her. "Plea–Please — I'm so — sorry—"

Hero reaches out, her hand hovering short of touching the other girl. "It's alright, Meg. I'm not upset. None of this is your fault."

The hecklers hush, confusion pulses as the saint defends the sinner.

"You're — You're not mad? You — you don't hate me?"

"No, Meg. Please, sit with us. I know what it's like to go through this."

Meg stares at Hero, stunned, and jerks a nod.

With care, Hero settles her hand on Meg's arm, leading her away. Behind her, she hears Beatrice rip into the bullies but doesn't shift her attention from the trembling girl.

"But — but you — you were innocent. Those were my pictures — I knew — I knew it wasn't you and I didn't — I didn't say anything."

"Did you tell Borachio to say those photos were me?" Hero asks gently.

"N-No! Of course not!"

"Then you were also a victim. I, at least, knew the truth. I never wanted you to go through this."

Meg sobs and buries her face in Hero's shoulder. The other girls form a shield around them, guiding Meg somewhere with fewer eyes.

:-x-:

"I hate this," Ophelia mumbles, head on her knees.

"It's always the women who suffer," Beatrice seethes, taking her frustration out on the grass. "Boys never get shamed like this. Even when what they do is worse."

"Borachio and I weren't official but I thought — I thought he cared about me," Meg sniffs, head pillowed in Hero's lap, face puffed and blotchy. "I can't believe he shared those photos."

"Men are pigs," Kate sneers, laid out in a halo of flame. She flips her middle finger to the sky. "Fuck the Patriarchy."

Hero strokes Meg's hair. "We should do something."

Ophelia lifts her head. "What can we do?"

"Kill Claudio," Beatrice says, eyes flashing.

"Ooh, love it!" Kate rolls on her side. "But what about Borachio?"

Beatrice shrugs. "Kill him too."

"Sweet."

Meg sits upright. "Um — I'd rather not be involved in any murders."

"Wuss," Kate mutters. It lacks her usual bite but Meg, unaccustomed to the other girl's brash manner, stiffens with obvious upset.

"An act of protest," Hero suggests before the conversation can derail.

"Like making signs?" Ophelia asks.

Hero's fingers curl around the knife in her pocket. "We make their weapon our own."

:-x-:

The graffiti in the cafeteria gets another update. STOP and SHAMING surrounds SLUT.

And that's not all.

By now, Hero is used to the stares which follow her through school. This time, she wants them to look.

The five girls strut the halls like characters in a movie with a killer soundtrack. Written in bold letters across each of their foreheads is a different word.

WHORE for Hero.

BITCH for Beatrice

SLUT for Ophelia

SKANK for Meg

And for Kate, the C-word, with a smiley-face in place of the U.

As they pass they fix stickers to the lockers, walls, doors, and even other students, with other rude names and the message STOP SLUT SHAMING.

The school explodes, abuzz with confusion, criticism, laughter, and catcalls. Everyone is talking. The girls hold their heads high and the fire spreads.

Teachers object, accusing them of using foul language and causing a distraction. The girls point out this same language is scribbled all over the desks and walls. Teachers order them to wash their faces. They refuse. Detention is threatened. They are undaunted, the cause is worth the consequence.

They are sent to the Headteacher's office where Mr Bard squirms and blusters, no match for Beatrice's rapier wit or their moral reasoning.

("Don't you think slut-shaming is wrong, Mr Bard?"

"Well — uh — of course — but — um —you see girls — boys will be boys—"

"Are you saying sexual harassment is common at the school?"

"Yes — uh — NO!"

"I think the press would be very interested in some of your comments, Mr Bard."

"...I think you ladies better return to class…")

The cafeteria ripples as soon as they enter, a mutter rising — whore, bitch, slut, skank — building to a crescendo—

"Hero. What are you doing?"

Hush falls.

Claudio advances, muscles tensed. "You can't — can't walk around with that on your forehead!"

Hero takes a steadying breath, conscious of the whole cafeteria watching them. Bianca and Regan's piercing stares. Pedro's cool indifference.

When she speaks her voice is soft but strong. "You don't get to tell me what I can do."

He reels as if slapped, pleasant features contorting into a fierce scowl. "This is insane! People will think — they'll think it's true!"

"I'm done caring what other people think."

"I don't want my girlfriend being called a whore!"

Hero is a gentle soul, but there is gunpowder in her veins and this is the last spark that ignites the inferno.

She reers on her tiptoes, jabbing a finger into Claudio's chest. "You didn't care when you humiliated me at the Valentine's Dance."

"It was a mistake! John—"

"Not John. You, Claudio." Poke. "You pulled me on stage and called me a cheating whore in front of everyone." Poke. Poke. "You let me be bullied for weeks." Poke. "We were together for two years and you threw me to the wolves!" Poke. Poke. Poke.

He snares her wrist. "I said I was sorry! Isn't that enough!"

Hero winces, trying to tug her hand from his iron hold. "We're — over, Claudio."

His grip turns bruising, jerking her bones. "We're. NOT. Over!"

"Let. Her. Go." Beatrice snarls, voice low and bloodied.

Poised to strike, her eyes pins Claudio like vermin between her claws, the lioness eager to gorge on his mouse-heart. Beside her, Meg wields an umbrella, Ophelia hefts her textbook, and Kate brandishes a chair.

Claudio considers them and glances at his own group of friends. They turn to their leader, awaiting his cue. Pedro drags his gaze over the scene, unusually aloof.

The cafeteria is quiet. Watching. Waiting.

At last, he approaches, footsteps echoing in the silence. Clasping Claudio's shoulder, he breaks into a grin. "Come on, Claud. Leave the feminists to their revolution. Don't wanna get that pretty face scratched."

Said pretty face twists, looking like he is going to shrug off Pedro's hand. But then Claudio scoffs and releases Hero.

She scurries to Beatrice's side, eyes never leaving him. His face is ice — but like a sculpture left in the sun too long and starting to droop. Less fearsome and more pathetic.

"I loved you," he declares, his parting blow before he turns his back on Hero and strides away.

Hero smothers a giggle as, in unison, her friends flip him the middle finger.

"Hero!" Bianca pounces upon her. "What are you doing? What have you done?!"

Hero spares a second's remorse for the girls they once were, lying in the grass braiding daisy chains.

She whips her hair. "Good luck with Claudio. You're welcome to him."

Kate guffaws at her sister's gobsmacked expression and Hero links arms with her fellow rebels, leaving the stunned student body in their wake.

:-x-:

Their protest continues throughout the week, others joining in as support grows. If it were anyone else leading the charge, it would not work. But Hero is the martyr reborn, washed clean of sin and therefore can do no wrong. They are eager to be seen standing with her now.

Hero is not as naïve as she'd once been. She knows change is a bird sharpening its beak on the foot of a mountain. It takes years to change a culture and they are teenagers — it will be a miracle if she holds their interest for more than a fortnight.

But it is enough — to say something, to do something, to make people think, and be part of that bird which brings a mountain to its knees.

They strapped Hero to their pyre, forgetting diamonds are forged in fire. They intended for her to burn. Instead, a phoenix rises.

:-x-:

In the years to come, she will look back on her actions with pride. She will sit with her children, now facing their own teen dramas, and show them her old yearbook with MOST LIKELY TO START A REVOLUTION printed under her headshot, and share the tale.

"Whoever started that rumour is a total dirtbag," her children will say.

She will lift her amused gaze to her husband watching from across the room. His eyes will twinkle and he will cook the dinner, complete all the washing-up, and bring her breakfast in bed the next day. And she will kiss him and remind him all was forgiven a long, long time ago.

And she will be happy. So, so happy.

They both will.