In every story, readers see only the protagonist and antagonist, but there are some of us whose stories remain untold and unheard. It's like we fade into nothingness. But it's our actions that place the protagonist and antagonist on the pedestal for y'all to see.
Crap! I hurl the knife across the kitchen and the stupid thing lodges itself in the countertop behind me. I've so much anger inside, not just towards myself, but even more towards Jada.
Deep breaths. That's better than spewing the swear words floating around in my head. My countless calls and texts to her have gone unanswered.
Jada lets her ego get the better of her because in her words, ‘Gloria acts like she's better than me.’ I roll my eyes. Gloria used to be her ‘best’ friend until she's no more. The next thing I know, Jada worms her way between Laura and me and starts calling the shots.
It started with all the ways Gloria was a bad friend and that we mustn't speak to her. Now Jada says we must meet and corner Gloria after school and get her into the girls restroom. I feel very uncomfortable about this plan and grumbly tell her so.
“Shut up, Aisha. Don't tell me you want to be the goody two-shoes,” she yells at me. And I hate myself for shutting up like she asked. Jada exudes this energy that makes people eager to listen to her and let her have her way. It's almost magnetic but I see right through it. Laura doesn't.
I have a bad feeling about Jada's plan and if she doesn't listen to me, I'll have to speak to Gloria. And put an end to this mess.
I gulp down my breakfast and run down the blocks to Gloria's house. The shock in her eyes when she answers the door makes me smile. Finally, readers will see me and not just Jada and Gloria.
Once I get to school, Jada walks up to me with a smirk. “You're late.”
“Why? We meet after school and not before.”
She sucks on her front teeth, eyeing me like she just finished a delicious meal and the act pisses me off. I never tell her this though. Instead I turn and walk away to our class.
When the final bell rings, Jada and Laura are waiting for me close to the girls restroom. Gloria has a habit of washing her hands after school. She's a neat freak like that.
Jada nods towards the door which is my cue to search the place and ensure we were alone with Gloria. I step in and see her at the sink, washing her hands. They are shaking. Poor girl. Our eyes meet in the mirror and hers are filled with tears. The restroom appears empty and is quiet except for the running water.
“Clear,” I call out and watch as Jada and Laura step in and turn the lock. They suddenly appear taller than they really are but I know I'm seeing them through Gloria's eyes and fear. Months of harassment from these girls have been traumatising.
“Tsk, tsk. I've not seen you all week, Gloria. Have you been hiding from us?” Jada loudly whispers into her ears, her voice echoing in the restroom. “It's time to teach you another lesson, yea?”
Jada roughly grabs Gloria's neck and she shrieks. At that moment, one of the toilet doors swings open with a bang startling us as Mrs Martha Rosen, the vice principal, steps out. Gloria bursts into tears with relief. I sigh too, knowing my so-called friends are toast.
I'm having a conversation with the principal when Jada and Laura walk into the office to collect their expulsion letter for bullying another student. The look in their eyes is not pleasant but the message is clear — this is not over.
At least, y'all get to read my story—and see me. I refuse to be a wannabe or one of Jada's minions anymore.
I'm my own person now.
I hope you enjoyed reading this short piece inspired by Freewrite #dailyprompt “so much anger”.
Thank you for visiting my blog.
Image created using meta.ai
Posted Using InLeo Alpha
You are so clever, @kemmyb. I admire you for experimenting a bit with a tried and true formula. You have in a way broken the fourth wall, by having a minor character self aware. It is an amazing breakthrough. I read a lot of stories, day after day. What a nice refreshing treat it is to read something so original. Thank you!
Thank you so much for this heartwarming comment. ☺️ The story started as a fleeting thought—I wondered what it would be like to give voice to those characters often in the shadows and tell the story from their perspective. Rather than focus on the victim or queen bee in this story, I thought why not tell it from one of her minions' perspective. Not all of them might agree with her bullying.
I'm happy you found it refreshing and original; it means a lot to me. Thanks again for your visit and support.
!PIMP