I was minding my own business at the dining table, doing my homework because, honestly, studying in my room is like asking to be abducted by aliens.
Plus, I was home alone—Mom's at work, my brother is wherever he is, probably playing hide-and-seek with the furniture.
I don't care.
Suddenly, like a ninja who forgot the mission, Jack swung inside and flopped onto the couch with a noise that sounded like a sumo wrestler falling off a cliff.
But he wasn't alone—nope.
Mark, Ethan, and Liam followed, each with smirks that screamed "We just robbed a bank" and bruises that looked like they'd been fighting invisible dragons.
Yeah, I saw that.
They marched into the kitchen where I was, Liam plopping down like he was the king of the universe, Jack perched on the counter like a caffeinated squirrel,
Ethan standing stiff as if he'd memorized the constitution, and Mark just… standing there like a statue that's seen too much.
"Wow," I said, waving my pencil dramatically. "Look at you guys—bruises, smirks, and all. You're basically walking, talking 'Caution: Do Not Try This at Home' signs."
They shot me looks like I just insulted their favorite pet.
"I swear," I continued, "if you keep doing nonsense, you'll all end up looking like mashed potatoes—lumpy, ugly, and best served cold."
Liam, with a face that could melt glaciers, looked at me and said, "Thanks for caring, Ayana. Really, I feel the love."
I rolled my eyes so hard I almost saw my brain. "Thanks, Liam. Now tell me—any latest gossip about Emma? Or is she still as exciting as watching paint dry?"
Liam sighed like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, then said, "I don't like her."
"You? No way," I said, pretending to be shocked. "Next, you'll tell me you hate pizza and puppies."
He ruffled my hair like I was a tiny, adorable puppy that just peed on the carpet.
"Guys, don't you think we need a break? From risking our lives and turning our faces into modern art?'' Mark began.
'' I mean, come on—the danger level is off the charts. We're basically one step away from starring in 'House of Horrors: The Sequel.'" Mark announced his eye brows furrowing.
Jake grinned mischievously.
"Yeah, I'm not stopping. This goat"—He pointed dramatically at Me—"won't let me stop doing what I do. I'm a rebel, a troublemaker, a legend in my own mind!"
Jack, now standing like he was about to conquer Everest, announced,
"I'm going to bed good night to whoever needs it," with the seriousness of a king giving a royal decree.
Then, with a dramatic flair, he strutted off to his room like he just won a Nobel Prize.
Mark and Liam looked at me like I'd just won an Oscar.
They hugged me so tight I nearly suffocated, then whispered their goodbyes and vanished faster than my Wi-Fi during a storm.
Ethan, the unintentional comedy of the group, just stared at me like I was an alien from Mars, nodded once like he was signing a treaty.
And then, without a single word, silently walked away like he was avoiding a bad joke.
Weird.
At least talk or smile or do something human, I thought.
But you know me I don't care.
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"I don't think I want to be in art class, Nena," I said, waving my hand dismissively like I was swatting a fly.
I glanced beside me and saw Nena standing there, hands behind her head, walking with that smug look like she just solved world hunger.
"I'm going to science," I added, trying to sound confident.
She scoffed loudly, rolling her eyes so dramatically you'd think she was auditioning for a soap opera.
"Yeah, I'm going to art," she said, nudging me lightly like she was sharing a secret.
Then she turned and strutted away to her class, leaving me standing there like a rejected potato.
So I was walking peacefully to my class, minding my own business, when suddenly—there they were.
Regina and Isla, the queens of the universe, standing by their lockers, looking at me like I was the latest episode of "The Walking Disasters."
And nope, I wasn't just imagining it. I was their target.
"Hey, Ayana," Regina chuckled, her voice like nails on a chalkboard.
"Say something," she teased, flicking her hair like she was on a runway.
Before I could even respond, Isla stepped forward, her smile sharp enough to cut glass.
She pushed me gently, and I stumbled a little, almost losing my balance like a cartoon character who's just been hit by a mallet.
"Hey, be careful," I whispered, trying to keep my cool.
But Isla just smirked, her eyes gleaming like she'd just won the lottery—if the lottery was humiliating someone.
"Who are you? How dare you tell me what to do?" Isla snapped, gritting her teeth like she was about to bite my head off.
I swallowed hard, feeling my stomach do somersaults.
"I'm sorry, I will walk away…" I muttered, trying to act tough — but honestly, I was a scaredy-cat inside. Like a tiny kitten hiding behind a huge lion costume.
"How dare you walk away from us?" Isla sneered, her voice dripping with mockery. "You think you can just slip by like you're invisible? Like you're not nothing?"
They both started laughing—a long, loud, mocking laugh that echoed through the hallway.
Regina's giggles sounded like a hyena on steroids, and Isla's snickers were as cold as winter.
They pointed and jeered, making faces like I was the punchline of their cruel joke.
"Look at her," Regina snorted. "She's so brave, walking away like a ninja… a scared little ninja who's afraid of her own shadow!"
And Isla added, "Yeah, maybe next time, try not to look like you're about to cry. Or maybe do cry—wouldn't be much different!"
My cheeks burned hot, and I wanted to sink into the ground.
But all I could do was stand there, trembling like a leaf in a hurricane, feeling the laughter bouncing off the lockers like a bad echo.
They kept laughing, mocking me, as if I was the biggest joke of the century.
Honestly, I wanted to disappear into thin air or turn into a ghost—anything to escape their relentless teasing.
And then Regina crossed the line.
Without a shred of hesitation, she tore off my favorite shirt—my only comfort in this chaos—and pushed me aside like I was nothing.
Before I could even react, her foot came up and kicked my stomach hard. I doubled over, clutching it tightly, trying not to cry out in pain.
Around us, students watched in silence—afraid to say a word, afraid to oppose her.
That disgusted me.
How could no one stop her? How could she do this so openly, in front of teachers, like it was some kind of game?
"Go back to your old school," she sneered, her eyes cold and full of contempt, looking down at me like I was trash. "You belong there—filthy and poor."
My heart pounded, and my hands trembled as I clutched my stomach, trying to keep the tears from falling.
"Regina... you... I will make you pay," I managed to whisper, my voice trembling with a mix of anger and despair.
But she didn't flinch.
Her smirk only grew wider, crueler.
Suddenly, she knelt down, grabbed my hair, and yanked both my ponytails out with a violent jerk.
The pain shot through my scalp like lightning. Before I could even catch my breath, she punched me hard in the face.
Wow.
I never thought she could stoop so low—so vicious.
My cheeks burned with pain, and my head spun from the blow. I wanted to fight back, to do something, but all I could think about was my brother.
He's supposed to protect me, right? Where was he now? Wasn't he sent here to save me?
All hope seemed to drain out of me. I felt dizzy, defeated, like a broken doll.
Regina didn't leave me until she was sure I couldn't do anything—until she saw the tears welling up in my eyes, the blood from the corner of my mouth, and the mess I looked.
I slowly got up, barely able to stand, wincing as pain shot through my ribs and stomach.
I cast a quick glance at the crowd around us—silent, watching, no one daring to speak or intervene.
They all looked away, afraid or maybe just used to her cruelty.
I sighed deeply, holding my ripped shirt tight, my hair messy from her brutal yank, my face streaked with tears I refused to let fall.
My mouth was bleeding, and my eyes held nothing—just sadness, emptiness, and a deep, aching numbness I couldn't even put into words.