River was waiting for me outside the school the next morning. When she saw me, she pushed away from the wall and took hold of my arm. “I need to talk to you.” She hissed as she pulled me around the side of the building.
Once she was certain no one was listening, she let go of my arm. “Is Ciela okay?”
I blinked up at her, stunned. “What?”
“I think she might be getting bullied, but I don’t have any proof.” She cleared her throat. “I hate that I can’t do anything to help.”
I gave her a smile and nodded. “I think she’ll be fine. There was a problem, but I’m pretty sure it’s been dealt with.”
River nodded along with me, but she didn’t meet my eyes. “That little gang of yours sure is unique. I never would have imagined Aiden Ignis hanging out with Ciela Harris. You seem to attract oddballs.”
“Um… thanks?” I looked back the way we came. “Was there anything else?”
“Yes.” She dug in her pocket and revealed a spherical locket. She popped it open and took out a small blue stone. “Like I said yesterday, that stone was similar to my uncle’s.”
My breath caught in my throat. My fingers tingled as I reached out and touched it. Physically, it just felt like any other smooth stone. But in my mind, I could feel a sense of calm wash over me.
River coughed uncomfortably, pulling me from my trance. “Sorry.” I said, an embarrassed blush crossing my face. “It matches the other stones.”
“And that means…?” River prodded.
“Aiden can explain it better.” I took off my gloves and pulled out my phone. “Second year, class 3. Come by at lunch.”
She pulled out her own phone and flipped through a few screens. “I can do that.” She confirmed. Her phone started ringing and she gave me an apologetic smile. “See you then.” She answered the call and walked further behind the building.
I sent a quick text to Aiden before slipping my phone back into my pocket. I walked through the school halls carefully, since the ground was wet from other students’ boots. The last thing I needed was a sprained ankle.
My mind wandered to Daren and how he’d react to seeing me limping into class. He’d made a big deal about a minor headache, so how would a physical injury go over? He’d probably call for an ambulance. I joked to myself.
He won’t. The voice in my head countered.
I frowned. I know he won’t actually. I was kidding.
He won’t. The voice repeated.
I shook my head, trying to dislodge the annoyance.
A hand reached out and grabbed my wrist as I reached for the classroom door. Looking over, I saw Ashley staring intently at my face. “I need a comment.” She said quickly before pulling me down the hall.
When we were in the stairwell, she let go and pulled a pad and pencil from her pockets. “What are your thoughts regarding bullying in this school?”
I rolled my eyes, but complied. “It happens.” I stated honestly. “It’s going to happen.”
She nodded and made some notes. “Have you ever been bullied?”
“You’re joking, right?” I put my hand over her notepad. “Ashley, you bullied me last year.”
“I did? When?”
“Mid-September until winter break.” I reminded her. “When it snowed, you pretended like I’d turned invisible.”
She just stared blankly at me. “I don’t remember.” She confessed.
“I ignored you.” I continued. “Eventually, you got bored and stopped.”
She lowered her eyes. “Sorry.” She offered. She made a few notes, but she didn’t ask another question for almost a minute. “Is that a strategy other victims should use?”
“Mostly. If things get physical, telling someone is better.”
Ashley quickly scribbled her notes and put the pad away. “Thanks.” Her voice was shaking. “For the comments and… for telling me…” tears started falling down her cheeks. “I’m sorry.”
I offered my arms out for a hug and she accepted. “It happens.” I said again. “I dealt with it and I’m okay now.”
I let her cry on my shoulder until the warning bell rang.
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