The last thing that Sidney expected when she walked up to her locker to retrieve her textbook for her first class was to be shoved against it, but that's what happened.
A pained grunt tumbled out of her mouth as she was turned around and then shoved against the locker again, the ridges of the metal digging uncomfortably into her back.
Sidney wasn't surprised that the faces glaring into hers when she looked up after regaining her footing were the faces of Laura Scelfo, Christina Carpenter, and three of the other mean and popular girls who singled her out every time she wasn't with her boyfriend or friends. Those times were rare anymore, but they still happened and when they did, the Bitches of Woodsboro High took full advantage of her defenselessness.
"Good morning, Sidney," Laura said in her high voice. The glacial, nasty tone complemented her cruel gaze and the frown pulling down on her lips. From the positioning of her arms, she had been the one to throw her against her locker.
"Hi, Laura," Sidney replied quietly. "Christina. Breanna. Jen. Ashlynn."
"You don't know how happy we are to see you without your guard dogs today," Christina stated, her arms crossed over her chest. Like her friends, Christina was very beautiful, hair always in place and makeup perfectly done. She was a Latina, which honestly made her even more attractive due to her exotic appearance. Her brown eyes still managed to glow in the fluorescent light despite being openly hostile.
"I can imagine," Sidney replied. And she could. She'd never been physically assaulted by her female bullies, at least…not yet. The fact that Laura shoved her so brazenly and then slammed her against her locker indicated that today they might not be satisfied with only taunts. The only reason why she'd only been insulted until today was because Billy, Tatum, Stu, and Randy were by her side. The girls especially backed away when Billy and Tatum were near, Billy because of their obsession with her boyfriend and need to be on his good side so he'd like them (neither were true; Billy told her in explicit detail how much he despised each and every one of them for the way they treated her) and Tatum both because of Dewey's profession and Tatum's attitude; her best friend gave just as good as she received from her fellow cheerleaders and always paid them back for their cruelty. They'd learned quickly to only glare menacingly at her whenever those two were around. Stu was Billy's best friend, so they didn't say anything in front of him in fear that he'd report back to Billy (which he always did whenever they said something to her in front of him) and Randy…well, they mostly ignored Randy, but they still didn't do much in front of him other than give her backhanded comments because he was in the same friend circle as Billy. They knew that Randy and Billy didn't get along, but they'd cooperate with one another when it came to defending Sidney.
Sidney realized that everything that these girls did was because of their hopeless infatuation with her boyfriend. She almost pitied them for how fruitless their romantic endeavors towards him were.
"We're going to say something to you, Prescott, so listen up," Laura began, stepping closer to her in what was clearly an intimidation tactic. Sidney wouldn't give them the satisfaction of letting them know that it was working. "You're going to break up with Billy today."
Sidney couldn't help herself from rolling her eyes. "This again?" She asked in frustration. "I am not breaking up with Billy no matter what you say! He's my boyfriend and he doesn't want to break up with me, either!"
"You'd better listen to us, Sidney," Christina warned, stepping forward to stand beside Laura while Breanna, Jen, and Ashlynn stayed behind. It was clear who the leaders of the group were, although the other three could also be making sure that no one interrupted them.
"Or what?" Sidney challenged, a sudden bravery causing her to mimic Christina and step just a bit closer to the girls who would have no qualms in resorting to physical violence if provoked. "What are you going to do, Christina? What are any of you going to do to me? The last time I checked, all five of you had boyfriends of your own. Why do you want mine?" There was a voice in her head that sounded suspiciously like Billy who cautioned her not to do or say anything that would cause the girls to lose their tempers and actually harm her, but she elected to ignore that voice. How could she ever hope to hold her own without her boyfriend and friends if she didn't stand up to her tormentors now?
"Billy's hot, Sidney," Laura said in her sickly sweet voice. "He's completely out of your league. A real woman deserves him, not a little girl."
"And who cares if we have boyfriends?" Jen spoke up. "We're allowed to look elsewhere."
"Yeah," Breanna supported her friend. "If guys can do that to us, why can't we do it to them?"
Hearing their reasoning made Sidney sick. How could someone be so disloyal to their significant other? It was inconceivable to the teenager. "That's terrible," she said, unable to keep the disgust from her voice. "Your boyfriends all treat you well, especially Lucas." She turned to Christina. "Lucas would do anything for you and instead of appreciating him, you lust after my boyfriend when he doesn't even want you! He doesn't want either of you!!!"
When she saw the girls' faces twist with rage, Sidney gulped and stepped back, making contact with her locker behind her. Suddenly she regretted her moment of bravery as she was surrounded by five furious mean girls who despise her.
"Listen here, you little bitch," Laura sneered, reaching out and grabbing Sidney by the front of her shirt, her manicured nails digging into the skin beneath and making the brunette wince. "You have no room to talk about how we treat our boyfriends when your mother can't keep her legs closed to save her life. We all know that you're going to end up just like her and jump on every dick you see, so why don't you make things easier on yourself and Billy and let someone who isn't destined to become a whore try him out?"
Tears threatened to spill from Sidney's eyes as Laura played on the insecurities that the rumors about her mother created. She never wanted to believe what everyone said about her mom, but Woodsboro was such a small town that it wasn't a vicious rumor created by a few people and ignored by everyone else. It was always being whispered about and taunted to her by people who were convinced that she'd be the same way. It always terrified Sidney that Billy would believe them and break up with her, especially when she was so unwilling to have sex in fear of proving everyone right.
"Why don't you make things easier on yourself and get the fuck away from my girlfriend, Scelfo."
Everyone froze and the room suddenly felt ice cold. Sidney stared past Laura's shoulder to see Billy staring daggers at the group of girl bullies, his bag beside him and his fists clenched. His jaw was set and the look in his eyes was so cold and enraged that it made Sidney shiver. She wasn't the target, but seeing her boyfriend's anger at Laura and her crew filled her with a healthy dose of fear.
They all slowly turned around, sheepish smiles replacing the cruel glares and they immediately gave Sidney her space as if that would appease him.
"Hey, Billy," Laura greeted cheerfully, trying to save face. "How are you—"
"Save it," Billy snapped, instantly silencing Laura with a nervous gulp. "Get the fuck out of here before I break my 'no hitting girls rule' and beat you slutty bitches so badly your boyfriends won't recognize you."
It took only a few seconds for all five girls to rush past him, giving him a wide berth so he didn't change his mind and grab them as they made their exit.
Billy's fists twitched at his sides, tempted to beat them anyway, but he refrained from doing so. It was only after they were out of sight that he unclenched his fists and made his way towards Sidney, gathering her into the safety of his arms and kissing her head. "Are you okay?" He asked, his voice gentle and calm now that he was holding the girl he loved.
Sidney nodded into his chest and she felt his body fully relax. "Good," he murmured. "Sid, why didn't you wait for us?"
"I'm sorry, I just…I wanted to stand up to them for once," she answered, feeling very small now that her bullies were gone.
"Oh, baby," he breathed out sympathetically. "My sweet, brave Princess…I'm so proud of you for wanting to stand up to them, but I care more about you and your safety. I could tell that they were just moments away from hurting you and I couldn't let that happen. Please, just…just wait for me from now on, okay? I know that they only bully you because of me and I don't think I could live with myself if they seriously injured you like they almost did today." Just the thought of them hurting her like that made fear and rage stir in his stomach, fear that the love of his life could be in pain because he wasn't there to protect her and rage at the idea that Laura, Christina, and their gang would be so willing to cause that pain. He swore that if they ever harmed her, the first thing he'd do after checking to make sure that Sidney was alright is hunt them down and tear them limb from limb…
Sidney pulled her head back so she was staring up at him, her eyes soft and loving even as exasperation colored her tone as she told him, "I can't always rely on a bodyguard, Billy. I have to learn how to defend myself."
Billy chuckled, his arms tightening around her waist. "I know, but for now…please just do this for me."
Sidney nodded and allowed him to pull her into him again. She didn't think she could ever truly escape the emotional pain that Laura and her vile words evoked (there was just too much in her head for them to build off of), but having Billy by her side did make it a bit easier to endure.