CLAIRE
School. Itâs like a jail for kids aged six to eighteen. Seriously, whoever came up with the idea of kids waking up at six in the morning for school must have been on something.
I groaned, rolling over to shut off my irritating alarm clockâit was time to get ready for school.
I turned on the shower, ready to wash off yesterdayâs grime from the fights. Nancy had informed me that I had another fight scheduled for Tuesday, this time with Nick Ross.
Nick Ross is Blakeâs best friend. Theyâre always together at school. Now, Iâm just trying to decide if I should go easy on him.
Iâve always wanted to wipe that smug grin off his face. Maybe this time heâll leave the ring without his usual smile.
I stripped off my clothes and stepped into the shower. The water droplets hit my skin, soothing my tense shoulders. I closed my eyes, wondering what the day would bring.
All my teachers actually like me. I guess Iâm the teacherâs pet. I always turn in my homework on time and get straight As in my classes.
I usually just sit in the back and do my work. Sure, I hear the names they call me, but I tune them out. I channel my anger into my fists and energy on fight days. Itâs a good way to let off steam.
When my skin started to wrinkle, I turned off the shower and stepped out, wrapping a towel around my shivering body.
I pulled on pale blue skinny jeans, a black sweatshirt, and a grey tank top. I slipped on my only pair of shoes, purple Converse.
I tied my light brown hair into a messy bun, grabbed my bag, and headed out the door.
I walked to school. I could take the bus, but I can only control my temper for so long. Besides, itâs only a ten-minute walk to school.
It was a chilly morning on November 19th, but the cool air on my face was refreshing. It gave me a burst of energy for the day ahead.
I walked the ten minutes to school and went in. As usual, I got the disgusted looks from my classmates. I shrugged it off, ignoring the usual nasty comments.
âSheâs such a freak. No wonder sheâs single,â I heard Ashley, the popular cheerleader who despises me, whisper to one of her friends. She made sure I could hear her.
~And youâre such a slut. No wonder you have herpes~, I wanted to snap back, but I remembered I donât talk much at school. So, I bit my tongue and headed to my first class: Chemistry. Itâs one of my favorites.
I walked into class early, as usual, and set my bag down, sliding into my seat in the back. Mr. West was always grading papers when I walked in.
âMorning, Ms. Walker,â Mr. West greeted, not looking up from his papers. Mr. West is in his late thirties with dark brown hair and brown eyes.
Heâs not exactly thin, but heâs not really overweight either. Heâs somewhere in the middle. He wears a suit to class almost every day.
Heâs married with three kids: two overprotective sons and a younger daughter. Heâs generally easygoing, but he has his days. And he loves talking about his family any chance he gets.
âMorning, Mr. West,â I replied with a smile. The teachers know I can talk. They also know about the bullying, but since I donât ask for help, they canât do anything.
But they always try to make sure Iâm comfortable, which is why they let me work alone on projectsâsometimes.
Group projects are designed to help students get comfortable working with others.
Being a âteacherâs petâ has its perks sometimes.
Just as the bell rang, Blake walked into class. He was wearing a tight black shirt with a leather jacket, faded blue jeans, and black Jordans, his usual outfit.
His hair always looked like heâd just rolled out of bed. Iâll admit, heâs more attractive than most guys here, but I see past that. I see the arrogant, player, cocky jerk that he is.
Looks can be deceiving. But I also know that beneath the facade he puts on every day, heâs just like Ashley: all talk and no action.
The only seat left was next to me. I didnât even glance at him as he slid into the desk next to me.
Every now and then, I could feel his eyes on me, but I ignored him. I focused on Mr. Westâs lesson.
As soon as the bell rang, I jumped up and hurried to my next class: Anatomy, with Mrs. Wilson.
When lunchtime came, I was out of my seat and practically running out the school doors. You can eat lunch inside or outside.
Or, you can go out and buy something from a fast-food place, but you have to be back on time.
I usually skip lunch and go outside to sit under my favorite tree. I pulled out my iPhone and turned on the song âFight for Youâ by Jason Derulo.
Itâs one of my favoritesâdespite the odd lyrics and cliché title. Itâs catchy. I started mouthing the lyrics while replying to messages.
Nancy
Hey, you have another fight. Thatâs making it 7 total fights for tomorrow night.
Nancy
Are you still sure you wanna continue this?
Nancy
Claire, please think about what youâre getting yourself into the more you continue to box. I just want you to be safe.
I rolled my eyes and texted her back.
Claire
Yes, Iâm sure Nancy. I promise, Iâll be fine
Her constant pleas for me to stop boxing before I end up dead or in the hospital were getting a bit annoying, but I knew she meant well.
I sat on a large rock by a tall, thick tree and looked up at the sky. The sun was shining and a cold wind swept across my face, turning my nose and cheeks a rosy pink. There wasnât a cloud in sight.
The small patch of woods I was in stretched for five more miles to the north. After that, it was just an endless road.
The once-green leaves on the trees were now turning autumn colors. Most of the leaves were already orange, red, and yellow.
Leaves covered the dying grass below, and rocks of all sizes littered the ground.
I closed my eyes, my lips parting to softly sing along to the lyrics. Honestly, I knew I had a good voice. Maybe not perfect, but it wasnât the worstâat least to me.
As the last notes of the song faded, I heard the soft rustle of leaves. I stopped the music and spun around, scanning the area for any sign of an animal or another person.
Seeing no one, I shrugged it off and hopped off the rock. I grabbed my iPhone and started back towards the school. I had three minutes left before the lunch bell rang.
Plus, I had an extra four minutes to get back to class. So, I had plenty of time to make it without being late.
***
When the final bell rang, I was on my way to the gym.
I had seven fights lined up for tomorrow that I needed to prepare for. Especially for Nick Ross. I knew he was a decent fighter, but Iâd never seen him in action, so I didnât really know what I was up against.
Nick was built and muscular, much like Blake. They were both the bad boys and jocks of the school. Even though Nick had a bit more of a reputation than Blake, it didnât make a difference.
In this school, if you crossed either of them, youâd either deeply regret it or end up with a broken bone or a tarnished reputation.
Iâd finished my homework during my free period so I could spend the rest of the night practicing. I caught Blakeâs curious glance as he and Nick left class together.
I shot Nick a quick, knowing smirk before I hurried out of there and towards the gym. ~Tomorrow is definitely going to be a night filled with pain and memories!~