10 Chapter 10: Bully

Chapter 10: Bully

“Hailey, can you give this to Mr. Cutler? He forgot affixing his signature at his form.”

The bell just rang two minutes ago, signifying that English class is done.

Mr. Riconalla asked me a favor that I couldn’t refuse since I went out late.

“Sure, Mr. Riconalla.”

With the sheet in my hand, I already have an excuse to talk to Stephen even if it would mean that I’ll be playing hide-and-seek with him again.

I got lucky when I spotted him along the hallway after class while he was walking with his friends. They must have told him that they have forgotten something because they headed back, so he was left behind to wait for them.

Perfect chance.

I take a deep breath, almost crumpling the form in my hand. I approach him with weak knees.

It was merely a few meters away from him when the witch, Dana, came out from nowhere and got to him first. I gritted my teeth fat her for stealing a perfect chance.

She was holding flyers tucked to her chest. I have to watch them even if I didn’t want to. She talked to him for a while, and I frowned when I saw him smile at her. She left him a flyer, and he scanned it through.

I hide my irritation when Dana spotted me.

“Oh, hello, Hailey. Take it.” She handed me a flyer and then walked away.

She continued distributing her flyers with her winning fake smile.

I scanned the flyer. My pupils dilated as I read the captions.

It read as:

“Dana Fernandez: VOTE for President

-Let me serve you the best way.”

“How was Susan Pacheco about it?” Christine asked me.

Christine and I have Physical Education (P.E.) class together, and we were cooling down by the bleachers when I told her about Dana’s plans in running for office.

I’m re-tying my shoe laces while she’s drinking water from her tumbler. Our P.E. uniform’s kind of sweaty and heavy right now even if our T-Shirt’s loose and we’re wearing jogging pants.

“I don’t know. Why are you asking me?”

“She talked to you once,” she said.

“That was because she likes my brother, but I don’t think that she wants to be friends with me,” I said, almost done with re-tying my shoelaces.

“Girls! One more game!” Ms. Alvarez called all of us and then blew her whistle.

I groaned because I really suck at playing volleyball.

***

“Hailey!”

I closed my locker and see Elaine standing behind me with a different kind of light shining through her eyes, sweating palms, chuckling nervously, and her cheeks blushing.

I’m glad Elaine came around since I feel terrible after participating in the dreadful volleyball game where my group lost because of me again.

Anyways, Elaine’s excitement is in contrast from her gloom yesterday.

“You won the lottery?” I teased.

“I saw mine. He’s new too!” She wiggled her arms and then randomly danced around the room.

I paused before grinning widely. “Whoa! Can I see how he looks like? Is he in junior? Is he rich, poor, popular, or a nobody?” I interrogated as she continue flapping her arms in an odd way around the room.

“He’s in my science class. He asked for my name and then we talked a little. Then we talked about sports and cars then he asked me what my favorite ice cream flavor is...”

She was talking fast that I could barely understand her. “Slow down, please. Well, really? It seems like you’re getting well with this guy already,” I remarked.

“Hmm, you bet.”

We are slowly walking as Elaine continued rambling about her puppy love when we noticed many students who were overtaking us to get to the middle of the hallway that is already filled with nosy people.

“Grace, what’s going on?” I asked one girl, who is one of my classmates from my math class. She is brunette, and her hair is cut short. She is nosy as everyone else as she tried to peak over tall people’s shoulders as what Elaine and I are doing.

“It’s Erickson Barrera,” Grace answered. The name is very familiar. I scavenged my mind where I may have heard about him. I suddenly remember what my brothers told me about Erickson Barrera. My brothers avoided him for some reason, despite him not doing anything to them at all.

You see, my brothers are untouchables. They have this standard reputation in school as the defenders, leaders, and legends of Wrenchplains High School, so there must be something about Erickson that even my brothers are wary of him. I’ve never heard of Erickson Barrera ever since until now.

“Why does it seem like as if everyone is afraid of Erickson Barrera?” I asked Elaine. We move to the sides when we realize that we couldn’t see anything by mere looking over tall people’s shoulders, considering our petite frames.

“He’s back,” she answered me.

“What do you mean by ‘he’s back’?”

“You mean you don’t know him?” Elaine sounded condescending. She sighs and explains slowly, “He’s the big bully from another school. Many transferred schools because of him. I don’t know if it was true that one committed suicide because of him.”

Chills run down my back. “Are you serious?” I asked her.

“Do you think I’m making everything up?” Elaine glared.

“Okay, okay. I was just asking.”

Suddenly, people start chanting: “Fight! Fight! Fight!”

People are tossing their clenched fists in the air as they continue chanting: “Fight! Fight! Fight!”

I realize that what is happening is going to be one of those classic school brawls with boys getting out with bruised cheeks and bloody noses in the end. And I’m going to witness them.

“I don’t want to look,” I said, but Elaine grabbed my hand to go watch it with her. We squeezed through the crowd to see who the poor guy that Erickson is challenging to fight with him.

I am not a fan of school brawls but boys usually solve their differences with fighting.

My jaw almost dropped when I recognized Stephen standing in front of Erickson.