***
"Like, seriously, who would wear that hideous skirt every day?" Paulina taunted me.
Dash and Paulina looked down at me evilly. They had me cornered against my locker, no one else in the hallway to stop the bullying.
I had just finished writing a paper in the library, and I regretted staying after school. I finished right at the end of cheerleader and football practice. It was perfect timing, making me the perfect victim for them.
I stood silent as they continued their insults, trying to think of a good comeback. They hit me from every angle, it was hard to think.
"And what's with this Gothic shit act you play?" Dash laughed.
"You don't need all black to be the freak girl of Casper," Paulina added. "You're hideous enough."
I liked to think of myself as individualistic and I was pretty proud of that. But when I had people attacking me this way, it was hard to keep a straight face. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes.
'Do NOT give them the satisfaction of you crying' I thought to myself.
With their every word, it was getting harder.
"That's enough," a new voice came from behind them.
Both Dash and Paulina turned to see Danny standing behind them, glaring. He was significantly smaller than Dash, but he still forced himself to look brave.
Danny's cold eyes met my tear-filled ones. I shook my head at him; I tried to telepathically tell him to get away. Dash had physically beaten Danny so many times; I couldn't stand to see it happen because of me.
"Where the fuck did you come from, Fenton?" Dash asked, now smiling at Danny.
Danny didn't even flinch.
"Tutoring, where you probably should be too considering your math grades," Danny replied, now glaring back up at Dash.
Paulina giggled at Danny's comment, and Dash's smiled instantly disappeared. He lunged for Danny, grabbing him and holding him up by the collar of his T-shirt.
"Listen here, Fenturd," Dash's tone was now menacing. "I was perfectly content with making your little bitch miserable for today, but you're gonna pay for your smartass comment."
Paulina and I both took a step back. We were both afraid of how dark Dash sounded.
Dash threw Danny against the lockers I had been standing against a few seconds prior. The force knocked the breath out of Danny and Dash cracked his knuckles in preparation.
Anger suddenly took over me. I jumped at Dash and wrapped around his stomach with my legs while I clawed at his face. I was not one for fighting, but I would not sit there and let Dash beat my best friend if I could have done anything about it.
"OW!" Dash wailed. "GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME!"
I ignored his cry, and kept clawing. I was hoping Danny was running away while I held onto Dash.
Suddenly, without warning, Paulina grabbed at my waist and pried me off of Dash. For a second, I could see the damage I had inflicted upon his face. There were multiple scratches, and some of them were bleeding. I had every intent of making more. Before I could react to Paulina, Dash grabbed me and threw me to the ground. I landed on my left shoulder weirdly and cried in pain. Something was wrong. I grabbed at it and began to back away from the two.
"GOD DAMNIT, DASH!" Danny roared from behind them. "WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU HIT A GIRL?!"
I watched as Danny's fist connected with Dash's face, and Dash was actually forced a few steps back. Danny grabbed his fist and pursed his lips. He had hit Dash so hard, his had actually sprained a knuckle.
If Dash was angry before, he was furious now. He rebounded and pushed Danny back into the lockers, and began punching him.
I started to get up again, but Paulina knelt beside me and stopped me.
"Sam," she breathed. "stay out of it."
There was no sympathy in her voice, nor was there remorse. I had never seen a nice side to Paulina, but something in that moment told me she was protecting me, like she didn't want me to get hurt again. Or maybe because she didn't want to get in anymore trouble than she had potentially been in. Regardless, she put her hand on my good shoulder and turned away. She knew that once Dash started, there was no stopping him.
"You and that damn freak better not stand up to me again," Dash said when he was done his assault.
Dash let go of his shirt, and Danny fell to the floor, out of breath.
"Let's go, Paulina," Dash ordered.
Paulina popped up instantly, and the two of them walked out of the school together without looking back.
Meanwhile, I crawled over to Danny who was heaving, and looked him over. He had bruises all over his face and arms. His nose was bleeding slightly, and he a huge black eye, all because he stood up for me. The tears that didn't fall earlier began to escape now.
"Danny, why did you do that?" I asked him.
He gave me a small smile.
"How's your shoulder feel?" he ignored my question; it was typical Danny, always putting other people ahead of himself.
The second Danny asked me that, I was reminded of the pain in my shoulder. It stung badly, and my arm instantly reached for it.
He sighed and pushed himself to sit up. He gently removed my hand from the shoulder and looked at it.
"It's dislocated," he whispered. "We have to go to a hospital to get it taken care of."
Danny stood up and very gently helped me stand up as well. He guided me to the exit of the school and we made our way towards Amity Park's hospital.
"Why did you do that?" I repeated my question. "Why did you stand up for me?"
"Because they were wrong," he replied.
"Wrong about what?" I was confused.
He kept his eyes forward, and a smile appeared on his face.
"You're not hideous. You're beautiful."
***

I was brought back to reality by the booming sound of Dash's laughter.
"THAT BITCH IS ON DRUGS OR SOMETHING," he roared. "SHE CAN'T EVEN GO AN HOUR WITHOUT COMPLETELY ZONING OUT!"
The others all laughed as I realized what was going on around me. I was in the bully circle, and Danny couldn't save me this time.
But then I realized, this was every day.
Every day of my life had repeated this cycle. I would go to school and be judged and bullied because they all knew I was the one who told Danny to go into the stupid portal. And I would lose my mind the second something that reminded me of Danny would present itself. And now people were telling me I needed to seek mental help.
I was done. I was done with this school. I was done with the people here.
I was done with this life.
I broke out of the circle and pushed my way past everyone in the halls. I ran as fast as I could, ignoring that everyone was watching me.
I burst out of the school's front entrance and into the pouring rain. The freezing air and wind didn't stop me and I ran towards my destination, Fenton Works.
I didn't care what they would say about me. I didn't care if anyone would miss me. I didn't care that I didn't care. I just wanted it to end. I just wanted it all to go away. I just wanted to end my life.
And I knew the best way to do it, would be the same way I ended Danny's life, in that fucking portal. I would do it the same way. A worthless life for a beautiful life.
Lightning lit up the sky and thunder cracked as if the storm was trying to warn me to turn back or to stop me. I ignored it.
I passed through the streets and dodged cars as I ran out in front of them. Fenton Works was off in the distance and I could see it.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I became aware of everything around me. This would be the last time I would walk down this street. The last time I would feel the cold, the rain, and the wind. The last time I would ever hear the thunder or see the city. All of it would soon be gone. I would soon be gone.
It didn't bother me one bit.
I eagerly opened the door and slammed it shut, not even bothering turning on the lights. I knew they would go out from the power surge I was about to create. With any luck, I would be dead within the next five minutes.
And no one would have been there to turn out the lights.