Summary: introduction to a new OC

Stories That Must Be Read Before Reading This One-Shot: none

Author's Note: bullying is a very prominent theme in this O-S. If you will feel affected by reading about bullying in this O-S, please don't read.

…

Mavis Monogram was alone in the SAB's gym. It was about midnight, which explained why Mavis was alone. She set up the punching bag in the middle of the gym and hit it with almost no force at all, just to warm up. After a couple of minutes of doing this, she upped the force.

For the first time in years, the memories of her high school years came back to her, along with the pain.

"You're seriously Monty Monogram's sister?" scoffed Philippa Hardy. "How can a cool guy like him have such a loser for a sister?"

Mavis shied away from the bigger girl. "I'm not a loser."

Delighted to get a reaction, Philippa pressed, "Yes you are. Look at you. You have spots, you're fat, and your hair is horrible. You'll never look as beautiful as me." She preened.

"Oh, don't worry. That's not much of a let-down."

Philippa glared and Mavis immediately knew she shouldn't have said that. The older girl s Mavis into the wall and grabbed her bag. She began taking out b

"Don't!" cried Mavis.

"What is this?" Philippa scoffed, inspecting a science textbook. "How many textbooks did you bring?"

"Four or five," Mavis replied defensively.

"Huh. You must need serious help with your work, then."

"I just want to do well in school," Mavis said, tears springing into her eyes. "Please, just give it back."

She lunged for the science textbook but Philippa held it above her reach. "Dumb as well as ugly," she leered.

Mavis slammed her fist into the punching bag, pretending it was Philippa's face.

Mavis tried to ignore it but she felt it like a punch to the stomach. She leapt again for the book but Philippa elbowed her in the chest. Mavis fell back, clutching her chest in pain. She looked up at the taller girl, tears blurring her vision. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because you're a loser," replied Philippa smugly. "And nobody likes a loser."

"I'm not a loser!" Mavis cried. "Please, just give my stuff back!"

"I feel very sorry for Monty," Philippa said, shaking her head in mock-pity. "Poor guy must be ashamed to have a sister like you."

Mavis bent her head, trying and failing to not let the tears fall down her cheeks.

"Aww, you're going to cry!" Philippa said triumphantly. "You really are a loser!"

The punching bag's stand swung as Mavis attacked it with all her force, placing all the anger she could into her moves. It was her only outlet.

Footsteps sounded. Philippa's voice said, "Ah, girls. This is the loser I was telling you about."

Another girly voice sounded, one that Mavis recognised as Mandy Jackson: "THIS is Monty Monogram's sister?"

"Eww," said the voice of Rachel Hunter. "I see what you mean, Phil. She totally IS a loser. Imagine crying at school like that!"

Mavis tried not to let it get to her but she couldn't help it. She began crying freely as she felt someone kick her knee. "She's ACTUALLY crying!" crowed Rachel's voice.

"Of course she is," laughed Mandy. "I feel sorry for Monty, really."

"Me too," Philippa said, sounding concerned, though Mavis knew it was an act. "I'd feel sorry for anybody who had this loser as a sister, but especially since Monty is so cool and she's clearly not."

Mavis suddenly stood up and got angrily in Philippa's face. "Shut up!" she yelled. "Shut up! YOU are the loser! Only a horrible person would make someone else feel the way you're making me feel!"

Mavis attempted to destroy the punching bag with both her moves and her glare. Neither worked.

Mandy and Rachel acted before Philippa could. Mandy punched Mavis in the eye while Rachel viciously kicked her in the shin. Mavis gasped in pain and fell back against the wall. Philippa then hit Mavis with considerable force on the arm, deadening it. Mavis shrank against the wall, expecting more attacks, but then the bell rang, signifying the end of break time.

"Saved by the bell," snarled Philippa. She grabbed Mavis's shirt collar and lifted her off the ground. Their faces were a few inches away. "Don't think you've gotten away with what you said to me. I'm going to make sure you regret it later."

With that, she dropped Mavis on the ground, and all three girls flounced off.

In the present, Mavis kicked the punching bag one more time and sent it flying into the corner. Breathing heavily, she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and swung her fist round angrily. She was extremely annoyed that these memories were still troubling her after five years.

As she retrieved the punching bag and began hitting it again, another memory came into her head.

Attempting to hide her new bruises with a scarf, Mavis walked out of school at the end of the day and saw the three bullies standing by the school gate, waiting for her. She almost felt like crying but she kept it together and had just begun to descend the school steps when a handsome boy with windswept blonde hair appeared in front of her. Her heart leapt into her mouth; it was Charlie Alexander, her crush. She paused and smiled widely at him, hoping to hide her awkwardness; Charlie was her crush.

"Hey, I just wanted to ask you if you were okay," Charlie said. "You looked like you were in pain."

Mavis hesitated, remembering Philippa's threat if Mavis ever told anyone about the bullying. "It's fine. I'm fine."

Charlie frowned. "Forgive me for being so forwards, but…"

He moved her scarf out of the way and saw the black and blue bruise on her neck. Mavis flinched. "How did you get that?"

"I-I fell over."

But Charlie must have seen Mavis's eyes darting over to the school gate because he turned round and saw the three girls waiting there.

"Are you being bullied?"

Mavis shook her head quickly but even she could tell that the expression on her face was telling a different story.

"You have to report it," Charlie said.

"No," Mavis said immediately. "I don't want to make a fuss."

"Are you being threatened to keep quiet about it?"

Mavis hesitated and pursed her lips. "No," she replied weakly.

"I'll come with you," Charlie offered.

"No, it's fine," Mavis said again. "I don't want to make a fuss."

"They're physically hurting you!" Charlie snapped. "That's not okay!"

Mavis suddenly backed away in fear. Charlie turned back to the gate to find the three girls coming into the school yard. Apparently they were tired of waiting for Mavis.

Charlie stormed down the stairs and met the three girls. "Hey," he snapped. "Are you the ones giving Mavis a hard time?"

Mandy and Rachel looked to Philippa, who tossed her hair back, unabashed. "So what if we are? What's it to you?"

"She's my girlfriend," snarled Charlie. "That's what it is to me. I don't like you physically abusing my girlfriend, so you'll stay away from her unless you want me to put my black belt in karate to good use."

Mandy and Rachel nudged each other and quickly left. Philippa met Charlie's angry glare but ultimately she backed down and left in fear.

Mavis descended the steps and looked shyly up at Charlie. "Why did you say I was your girlfriend?"

Charlie's angry glare melted into a look of extreme embarrassment. "Oh my gosh, I didn't know you could hear that. I'm sorry, I should have-."

"No, it's fine," Mavis said, smiling timidly. "It's nice."

Charlie smiled. "Then how about I make it official?"

Mavis stared at him, her heart pounding.

"Would you like to go on a date with me?"

Mavis nodded quickly. "Yes, please!" She paused. "Did that sound too eager?"

Charlie shook his head. "Not at all. Well, do you want me to walk you home, girlfriend?"

Mavis beamed. "Yes please, boyfriend."

Mavis forced herself to stop thinking about Charlie. It was too painful, remembering him.

Freshman year at high school had started out as a nightmare: bullying every day, to the point where she almost ran away from home. Then Charlie had asked her out. The bullying had stopped, and life had generally become much better. That summer, spent with Charlie, had been magical. She'd felt herself falling in love.

Then the phone call from Charlie's father. Saying…

Mavis had never forgotten anything about that phone call: not the words, not the grief-stricken tone of voice. Nothing.

"Mavis…I'm calling from the hospital. Charlie was in an-an-an accident. He d-didn't…he didn't make it…I'm so sorry."

Mavis wiped the tears out of her face with the back of her hand. Charlie had made her stronger. He'd made her see that she didn't have to take the bullying; she could do something about it. His love had made her stronger.

And now she would make sure his memory lived on in her.

…

*is crying* poor Charlie! Poor Mavis too! But has this been a good introduction to the character of Mavis?