I stumbled back and fell down from behind. She started walking closer and closer to me. I froze in place and I couldn’t move. It felt as if someone had chained my feet to the ground. I closed my eyes bracing for a slap across my face but nothing happened. I slowly opened my eyes and saw her standing there.

“Why did you go out with her?” she asked. I was surprised at her reaction. Her face looks soft and sad almost like she was looking at a hurt animal. She never looked at me with this face and it made my heart hurt a little. “Why would you care? You always have made my life a living hell and you always see me as a little toy to play with when you get bored!” I shouted back.

It felt good saying my true feelings right in front of my bully. “What do you mean? I have always been nice to you!” she exclaimed. I laughed out loud.The audacity of this woman seriously started pissing me off. “You’re delusional. Not once have you been nice to me. Do you think I wanted to be slapped 30 minutes before school? Do you think I want to go home with no money? Can't you just let me be happy for once?” I said.

She started to tear up at her eyes. “I’m so sorry. I thought we were just joking around. I didn’t know that you felt this way.” she said as tears flowed down her eyes. I scoffed at her and started walking away. “I knew it was a waste of my time coming here. I didn’t come here to get a fake ass apology,”I said.

I started walking out of the alley when she started grabbing the back of my sweater to prevent me from going. “What are you doing?”I asked. I looked over and saw her face covered with tears. Her black eyeliner was slowly dripping down from her tears. “Why are you crying? You have no reason to cry. If anything, I should be the one to cry. You are just selfish.”I told her.

“Please don't leave me. I need you to survive. If I don't have you by my side...I’LL GO INSANE!”she said hysterically. I started getting freaked out and her hand on my sweater started tightening. Her face was in a smug smile almost like a lunatic. I was stunned and speechless. The school’s top beauty had such a horrifying and terrible side to her. I tried to let her pull off my sweater.

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“IF YOU LEAVE ME...I’LL GET RID OF ANYONE THAT TRIES TO GO NEAR YOU. I NEED YOU!!”she screamed. In that instant, a picture of Charlotte flashed through my mind. I had a gut feeling she was referring to her but I did not want it to be true. “If you touch Charlotte. If you even lay a finger on her hair. I will never forgive you,”I said. I looked her straight in her eyes just as if I was staring into her soul and turned around and left the alleyway. My hands were still shaking and trembling and as I was walking away to get ready for class, I could hear hysterical and uncontrollable laughter coming from the same alley way I was in.

It wasn’t long before I had my first period class. I entered the class and found Charlotte sitting at her desk. I waved my hand and she waved back. I felt at peace and at bliss whenever I interacted with her. She was my angel, the sun that brings light on a dark day. To me she was my refuge, my safe haven. I turned around and noticed that Olivia wasn’t there. I wasn’t that surprised because of what happened this morning, but it was unusual that she would skip class despite her ambition to be the number one in class academically.

The school day came and went and before I knew it, I was packing up and getting ready to head home. I was already exhausted from a whole day worth of learning and there’s just so much information my tiny brain could take. I took a big breath in and started leaving the classroom. As soon as I left, I felt a heavy load on my back as if someone had jumped on it. I turned around and saw Charlotte’s smiling face looking down at me. Her playful energy is contagious and I soon started to blush.

We walked all the way to the arcade together and decided to walk home by ourselves because she had something important to attend to. She ran off and I was standing all by myself. I decided that I would check up on the Cherry Blossoms before heading back home and going to bed. I started walking up the hill and felt cold chills down the side of my neck. Goosebumps started rising all over my hands and feet as I started approaching the top of the hill. I looked behind me and saw nobody there. I exhaled a sigh of relief and turned back around.

I arrived at the Cherry Blossoms and sat down at the corner. I had always admired the pink color these trees gave. I sat there and took a nap and by the time I opened my eyes the sky had already turned dark. I picked up my bag and started walking down the hill until I felt something hug me from behind.

I knew that it was Charlotte. She was the only one in town that knew this little spot and she was the only one that would hug me from the back. “What are you doing up here? Stop playing around Charlotte.”I said jokingly. “WHY DO YOU KEEP SAYING HER NAME?” I froze. I knew the sound and tone of this voice. I turned around and saw Olivia’s face inches from mine. Why is she here? How does she know this special spot. This is supposed to be our little secret so why does she know! I thought to myself. “I FOUND YOU” she said with a chilling look on her face.