9 Ravenous

Missed calls from Dale, Sonnia, and Michelle filled up my i6 screen. They sent messages too asking if I was okay, and that if I wasn't, I should rest for a few days. They were pretty worried since I did not show up yesterday and was dogged by Dylan the day before. I did not reply them. I had to cook up a new excuse for my absence first.

After a day and a night of slumber, I woke up feeling oddly ravenous. I wasn't sure why I had black out for so long. Dylan's traces had all vanished from the house. I was extraordinarily cheerful even though my stomach was protesting about not getting any food for two days. It was as if my life from now on had come back into its place. Yea…until the 'Aaa' blared into my face and the four ravens filed themselves on the branch of a pine tree in my front lawn.

So raven-ous!

"Morning." I said to the ravens dourly. The bread in my mouth suddenly tasted bitter despite the honey I put on earlier. They were going to stick with me all the time from now on. I had better make friends with them now.

The ravens Aaa-ed in answer and stole the bitter sweet bread from my mouth.

There was an out-of-place atmosphere since I arrived at school. I chained my bike and looked about timidly. It was like the first day at school, except that on my first day, I did not have four ravens flying after me. Odder still was when I found that my locker was a center of attention. Sonnia, Dale, and Michelle were among there too. I swam through the people, forgot about the number of excuses that were floating in my head, wondering what again.

"Leigh, there's some weird smell coming out of your locker." Jessie said and I had to push faster to get to the center.

"Leigh." Sonnia pointed at the stinking box folding her nose.

I inched near it with uncertainty. I was sure I hadn't left any food or unwashed socks in there. The metal door grated slowly as hundreds of rotten eggs poured out. Everybody was at their limits and had to back away at the foul stench.

"Who did this?" Sonnia said through her pinched nose and grinding teeth. She leaned away trying to keep her white short clean.

Michelle, a lot cleverer, covered hers with a handkerchief. "Did you leave lots of eggs in there?" Well, not a very clever question.

"Hell, no!" I said.

The bell rang and I decided to leave it like that for the time. There was only one textbook in there. Besides I wasn't sure how to clean the mess. Maybe I would be able to think of something after class. I turned my head and walked brusquely to Chemistry with Dale.

With Dale by my side, my mind settled with reassurance in spite of the ravenous morning and the locker incident. It had been a while since the two of us last do things together, be it just walking. Because of that charity concert, Dale had been very busy practicing and organizing every bit of it. I really missed the time when we played, having only each other, not worrying about anything, the time when dad was still alive.

I slid the classroom door opened. A tiny piece of wire sprang pass my face and a bucket showered me with tomato sauce. I was sure it was tomato sauce. God, please let it be tomato sauce!

"What!" Dale yelled wiping a few red drops on his face.

What…is…this?

"Someone is not happy with you Leigh," Jessie who was standing behind Dale said something I already knew. Some of the tomato sauce sprayed on her white trousers too. "that you ask Dylan to be your drawing model. You know, Dylan is public property."

What?!

Jessie sounded very much like she was one of the culprits. But I knew that she was just trying to warn me. This was why I did not want to be friend with popular people. I knew they were public properties and some of the fans had a very frightening possessive disorder. If only I knew who did this, I would be more than grateful to give him, no it should be her, Dylan's contract. I would even add a hundred bucks. That if I could transfer the contract. Maybe I can talk to Dylan about this?

"I'm going to wash." I told them plainly and went off without looking into anybody eyes.

It was going to be hard to wash was all I thought the whole way to the toilet. Red dollops dripped and trailed along the route and I looked like a heavily injured people in the mirror. I put my head under a tap seeing the water went red like blood. Pink droplets raced across my forehead into my eyes. When I was rubbing them, somebody grabbed my wet hair and pulled. I did not get a chance to see who it was when my head was submerged under the sickening toilet water. I held onto the disgusting bowl trying to fight.

"Your head's still dirty." The person said and I heard laughs. It was hard to make out whether it was a girl or a guy voice with my head under the water.

The bully hauled my head up and I seized the chance to breathe. My face found itself under the stinking water again only after a few seconds. The bully laughed harder she or he almost seemed mad. I really hoped that the person who used this toilet before me had flushed everything out clean.

"Leigh! Leigh! Are you alright?!" Dale's voice was distant. But it was enough to release my head from the freakish controller. Then, I heard his footsteps coming into the girl's loo.

Dale crouched and put his hands on my shoulders. I took in a new big lot of fresh air. I knew I was in a restroom, sitting beside a toilet bowl. But anybody who had not had a proper breath for more than a minute would find the air here perfectly refreshing.

"Fuck, the--!"

Dale swore at the footsteps scuttling out of the restroom hurriedly. The bully was hiding in the other toilet room. We only got a glimpse of white cloth (again? I started to hate white.) and he went after her or him. I washed my face thoroughly at the tap again and followed him. I wanted, at least, to see the face of the malefactor behind my misfortune. We met a pair of the DW members.

"It's you!" Dale said suddenly judging only by the cloth's color. He had a slim body, arms and legs were those of musician. He had no muscles to support when he punched at one of the DW. The guy took his hit directly, didn't budge a bit. Dale must have hurt his hand because he winced.

The DW guy emitted a killing aura. His eyes turned menacing. "You're a dead man."

All I knew was I stood in horror for the next five seconds which seemed like eternity watching Dale got punched and kicked. His mouth was now covered with the tomato sauce. When I recovered from the shock, I dived between them shouting "Enough! Enough! It's a misunderstanding!"

Something seemed to block their ears. I guessed it was anger. The DW pushed me aside and carried on with the one-side fight.

The unpleasant odor of the toilet was taken over by the equally unpleasant ferrous-rich air. The smell of blood was heavier. There was also no other noises but Dale's cough. Everybody was already in class and the staff didn't want to have a go with the DW no matter what. I could only pray for miracle for Dale now.

Puffing up my chest, I charged into the chaos again with dry and hoarse yells. The DWs were tired of pushing me so they punched me.

I closed my eyes tight but didn't feel the hit. The DW surely took too long to hit a girl. Or maybe moral was suddenly born in them. I peeked and my hypothesis was proven wrong.

His arms were, like mine and Dale's, thin, and his body showed no athletic sign. They were the shape of an artist, but Conner held the fist of the DW in place. And the guy seemed to have a hard time resisting Conner.

Conner finally let go. The DWs clenched their hands, frustrated, and walked away without saying another word. Conner was like a savior for a second there. "Are you okay?" He asked kindly and I felt so grateful that my fear toward him vanished into the air. I nodded, began to feel I could rely on him, but he too, walked away without another word as I did.

I was brought back to Dale again. He was moaning in the blood pool on the floor. Okay, okay, I did overstate that but how could I do else? He was so battered up. "Dale!"

"…'M..o..ay" Dale was trying to said with shattered lips. His fingers that touched the swollen face bounced back as if met by hot melt lava. A few drop of tears escaped my eyes without knowing seeing him.

"Oh my Satan! Leigh!" Dylan appeared at that instant.

This is the worst! Why does he have to show up now? When I cry? Oh, bother!

I rubbed the tears out quickly, reasserting my previous self. "I'm alright. I'm taking Dale to the infirmary."

"Then, I'll go with you!"

We were in silence until the nurse finished with Dale's wound. She gave him two more Paracetamol and two more anti-septic, and asked him to lie down in the infirmary for a few hours. So I left with Dylan.

"I'm sorry I was late." Dylan said suddenly. "I couldn't help Cartner."

"That's alright." It was good Conner was the one who saved us. Or I would have to pay the demon the price of my life!

The first hour had already ended. Students flowed out of the square doors in stream. Adam, Rose, Jaden and their classmates just came in by the front gate, back from PE, sweating in their white PE shirt. Dylan walking with me caught all their attention. They murmured and stared. Then, the crowd parted way for the Queen and her friends to come up front. They all dressed in theme today. "Nurse", I thought, because all the skirts were tight and white. Natalie shook the fold out of her short skirt and stood with one hand rested on her hip.

White… But so many people dressed in white today.

"What do you think you're doing hanging onto Dylan?"

That voice--it's definitely her. Well, it could be her.

Natalie went on saying. "You can't keep Dylan to yourself! You have nothing to match him! I'm a lot prettier than you!"

What the?--It must be her!

The Queen nudged Dylan intentionally and gave him a sugar-coated eyes before advancing on to me. Her sugar-coated lapsed into X-Men's Cyclops' laser beam. Argh! Somebody put a sunglasses on her!

She shoved my elbow and said nastier things, something like I made myself look pitiful and tried to lure Dylan with my painting skill. Nonsense! There were too many, too dirty, and too stupid to remember or even listen. Natalie's glossy lips flapped open and close with such speed. It blurred my concentration. For god sake! Are you crazy! Don't you have better things to do?

I could only scream to myself. So pissed was I that the Queen's presence and the crowd could no longer threaten me. I was going to have a go at her. I would fight until one of us die if that's what she wanted.

"That's enough Natty." Dylan interjected unexpectedly. My tongue was held by what he said next. "I help Leigh because she's my friend too. And I don't like it that you bully her."

The Queen was taken aback. I, too. But I regained myself first and used my arm to keep Dylan out of me and the Queen. "I can deal with this." I said defiantly.

"No." Dylan said. "I won't just stan…"

I inserted trying not to let him spoke anymore. "It's ok. I--"

"No, it's not."

"Yes, believe me. The Q--Natalie and I are good friends."

"No, we're not!" The Queen squeaked, curling her upper lip in disdain.

God! Why can't you just get along? I thought feeling rather fed up.

"Just let me talk to Natty, Leigh. I believe she will understand." Dylan said again. "Let me help…"

That's the thing I fear! "No! Don't help me…"

Dylan grabbed me and covered my mouth shut with his big hand. I looked at him in alarm, so did the Queen and other people, as he dragged me away out of the exit, into the parking lot. He let me go there.

"What do you think you're doing--" I started to complain.

"It's not good like this Leigh." Said Dylan. "Natty won't let you go. You should go home today."

I didn't get to say anything else when he called Stix and friends, and the four ravens came gliding down. They pecked my back forcing me to move forward and walked out of the school. As soon as Dylan was out of sight, I said. "Okay, okay. That's enough! Let it go Stix!"

So Stix stopped pecking but his friends went on. I ground my teeth. "And your friends too."

My back ached and I swiped my hands on them to soften the pain. The ravens flew ahead and went up high into the sky.

Potentilla blossomed yellow in the small square garden of the houses. It reminded me that I should bring a bouquet of flowers for Dale. It would make him feel refreshing even with that face. The summer flowers colored the path and the atmosphere became a little more warm. The view was nice until two big muscular men narrowed the already narrow street.

"Erm excuse--"

One of them had a beard and tiny eyes while the other had sunglasses on so I didn't know the size of his eyes. The bearded guy's glances flicked from sideway to sideway, at the same time; the other observed me. I didn't know who were they and didn't get to finish what I was saying when the bearded guy yanked both of my arms behind; pressed a smelly dirty handkerchief on my mouth. Eyes wide with horror, I struggled to breathe and kicked wherever my legs got. The sunglasses guy punched me in my stomach, muted the voice muscle as I curled like a millipede. My lips mouthed 'Ow' silently. Everything was so fast and they were too strong. I didn't get a chance to react or even think! And ouch…the second punch…that hurts.

The sky was raven-ous as Stix and his friends flew in circle and cried aloud in alarm like siren. It was like something even worse was going to happen. And for the moment I was really ravenous for some luck.