When we hit the street that the massive school was on I felt us begin to slow down. Benji still held my hand as we walked in silence. I knew he wanted to ask me tons of questions of where “I” have been, but sensing my unwillingness to talk about it, he stays quiet.
It’s not that I didn’t want to talk about it, it was more like I didn’t know what to tell him. The fact that I had absolute no idea why Hazel ran off in the first place, if she even did run away that is. I needed more information before I was able to come up with a good story of where she has been the last couple of days.
As soon as we hit pass the large gate onto the school grounds a wave of anxiety washes over me. I stumble from the sudden onslaught of the emotion. Benji stops next to me and notices my reaction. He quickly grabs my shoulders and turns in front of me.
With a concern frown, he says, “Hey, it’s okay Hazel. I’m here with you. We can get through this together, alright?”
I just nod my head not knowing what else to do. Get through what? Why was I feeling this immense fear? Taking another step the first memory hits me like a sledgehammer.
“Watch out everyone here comes the trash of Blue Silver!” A kid shouts out from across the field.
Hazel’s eyes were down to the ground as she continued to walk in a fast pace.
“Have you ever even heard of a shower? I can smell you from all the way over here!”
“Of course they don’t shower, their from the slums, water doesn’t exist to those people.”
Laughter went all around. “Don’t listen to them, just ignore them.” Benji whispers desperately next to her, seeming to convince himself of his own words.
I wanted to look up, but Hazel was too humiliated to hold her head up high.
Suddenly she gets pushed from behind to where Hazel falls to the ground, making all her belongings scatter across the sidewalk.
“Damn, watch where you’re going.” A male’s voice barks out.
She looks up through her hair just to see the same boy I saw bullying Benji in the previous vision I had. He wore a disgusted look on his face. Looking to his shoulder he snatches a shirt, that was hanging on the shoulders of one of his friends, and wipes where he had made contact with Hazel.
“f*****g gross.” He snarls, then tosses the shirt back at his friend, who quickly steps back watching the fabric fall to the ground.
“Dude, don’t give that s**t back to me!”
“f*****g burn it then.” Was all he said as they walked off, the shirt forgotten on the grass.
I can feel Hazel’s body shaking at their words, but she doesn’t say anything as she carefully gathers her things and gets back up with Benji’s help.
“Hey, are you okay? Want to skip another day? We can if you want too, you know I’ll gladly go wherever you go. Just say the word.”
I stare at Benji with his earnest, honest face. So much care shined through those eyes. How could Hazel ever think to leave him behind? All alone at that? Shaking my head, I give him an encouraging smile.
“Nope. I’m all good, lead the way my friend.”
Looking a bit disappointed that I wanted to keep moving forward he once again takes my hand and we proceeded to hit the steps to the entrance.
I noticed it first at the gates and thought maybe it was just because Hazel hadn’t shown up to school the last couple of days, but now, watching as every single person gave me wide eyed stares with disbelief and whispering behind their hands to each other, I was dead curious of what the hell had actually happened.
Once we pass inside the doors another memory hits me.
This time she was walking through the hall when suddenly someone comes up from behind her and shoves her into the lockers. I felt the impact as the metal bruised her shoulder and hip. She turns to see three girls standing close to her with hateful gazes. The one in the middle held rage as she grabs Hazel’s hair in her fist and pulls her close to her.
Students start to gather around as they watch the scene before them.
“You little slut! You think just because he was nice enough to defend you once that you could just start lusting after my man?!”
She then slams her into the locker causing major pain to shoot through her scalp.
“Stay the hell away from him, you filthy low life. Don’t even think to go near him again. Oh and one more thing.”
The girl leans in even closer. “Take another glance at Slater again and I’ll strip you naked in front of the entire school with nothing but the word w***e all over your body.”
The vision was gone just as fast as it appeared. My heart pounded in my chest, anger slowly boiling inside of me. What the hell were these memories? Not a single one has been good since I became Hazel.
To make it worse, as we continued to walk through the halls, memory after memory shot through me like bullets. It wasn’t just those people that bullied her. There were others as well. Boys cornering her behind the gym, harassing, ripping her clothes, laughing as they insulted her while she cried. Others were of her hiding in the bathroom stall as some girls cursed her, slamming their fists on the door, threatening to kick her ass once she came out. In the cafeteria someone takes their school lunch and dumps it on her head as Benji was shoved from his seat with more food being dumped on him.
There was even a memory where a group of girls took her clothes from the gym locker while she quickly washed up, just to find them in a pile in one of the shower stalls completely soaked.
It was nothing but memories upon memories of torture, bullying and pain. I couldn’t help but hold onto Benji’s arm in a death grip. Anger and rage was building deep inside me. How could anyone be so heartless? So abrasive and vindictive to another person who never does anything to merit those behaviors from them?
I didn’t understand it. I didn’t want to understand it.
These people were mean, savage and downright assholes. To bring down a person in such a way was just too…barbaric and cruel.
“We don’t have to do this, we can go back.” Benji says again, seeing the way my body was shaking.
“No. I’m doing this.”
“Holy s**t, she actually came back?”
“I wouldn’t after what happened. I wouldn’t be brave enough to show my face here ever again.”
“You would think she got the hint.”
“That just proves how dumb the slum magots are.”
Snickering starts to go around after that. I didn’t know what they were all talking about, but I was dead set on finding out.
“What the f**k?”
Suddenly everything stops and I’m faced with Hazel’s tormentors. The guy that kept popping into my visions and the girl next to him was none other than the b***h that dared lay hands on Hazel.
The guy just stood there with wide eyes, completely shocked to see me standing there. He doesn’t move as if his entire body was frozen to the spot. But before any more words could be spoken, I finally get the memory I have been waiting for.
The memory that everyone kept talking about.