Chapter 9

MILA

Stupid boys and their stupid pranks. Tyler Aliz and his band of idiots were the worst. How could he go from being nice to being a jerk within a few hours? I hated him just as much as I hated Ari, and they were both fighting for first place. I saw the way Ari looked at me when I ran towards the exit. I could only guess she planned this. That girl had nothing else to do but pick on the weak. She had everything: money, power, status. What more could she want?

Their little antics almost ruined the day for me, but then I thought of Gabe and smiled. I had never danced with a boy like that before. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears at the thought. I laughed to myself remembering he was just as nervous as me. I finally dried my dress as much as I could before leaving the bathroom. Then I heard a familiar ringtone and froze.

“Well, if it isn’t the belle of the ball.”

Ari, Amber, and Julia walked into the bathroom while Jenna moved slowly behind them, holding onto their purses. The look on her face told me this was planned and not good. Ari smiled as the three walked around me, pulling at my dress. 

“This dress looks almost passable,” Ari said. “I guess this is what I can expect from the daughter of an almost famous designer. Which one was it? Your dead mother or father?”

I didn’t answer, determined to not let her words hurt me. I just needed to get out. Before I could plan it, I felt Amber’s hand swipe across my face. The impact pushed me towards the sink, and I caught it to keep from banging my head.

“Didn’t she ask you a question, fatty?”

I could barely focus on her from the ringing in my ear. I felt a trickle of blood from my nose and quickly covered it to keep it from getting on my dress. I moved towards the napkins only for my head to be jerked back by Julia.  She grabbed onto my arms keeping still.

“What’s wrong? Afraid to get your dress stained?”

I looked at Ari, pleading with her, but the smile on her face only seemed to get bigger. “Please,” I begged. “I don’t want any trouble.”

“Oh, really?” Ari smiled, her eyes widened with fake surprise. Then, with each statement her face twisted up in anger as she hit me across the face. “You know, I spent weeks planning my look for the dance only to come here and see you taking all the attention.” Slap. “Now everyone sees you stealing my spotlight…” Slap. “...like you’re the Queen of the night.” Slap. “So, if you didn’t want trouble you wouldn’t be taking all the attention.”

I expected another slap, but when I opened my eyes, I saw Ari’s arm suspended in the air, held back by Jenna. She looked just as surprised as Ari. She quickly let go and stepped back. 

“I’m sorry,” Jenna said, lowering her head to the ground.

Ari scoffed and then started to laugh hysterically. The abrupt change even made Amber and Julia a little nervous. They let me go and moved to Ari as I slid to the ground. She stopped them with a hand and moved to Jenna.

“How dare you?” Ari gritted through her teeth. 

Each word seemed more difficult to get out than the last. Then she slapped Jenna harder than she slapped me. Funny how the only thing I could think of was what kind of gym Ari was attending for her slaps to make such an impact. I nearly laughed at the fact that was on my mind amidst the situation I was in. I looked up to see Jenna leaning against the wall, holding her cut cheek. Ari pointed to the purses on the floor.

“Do you know how much that purse cost!” Ari screamed. “That is a Hermes Birkin, you bitch! It costs more than your fucking life and you put it on the floor.”

Jenna started to move to pick it up, but Ari pushed her. “Don’t touch it while your face is bleeding, you idiot! Clean yourself up, then pick it up!”

Well that did for me. I started to laugh at her absurdity over a stupid bag. How could a bag be worth more than someone’s life? I knew everyone was looking at me now, but I couldn’t stop laughing. My blood mingled with my tears and fell on my hands that were bracing the floor. One moment later, Ari dug her heel into my hand, making me scream out in pain, before lowering herself down.

“And what’s so funny, Milan?”

I wasn’t sure if it was the burning sensation across my face or the hilarious thing over the bag that made me feel compelled to answer her. I looked into her eyes and smiled.

“It’s just a bag,” I laughed. Yup, now I’m hysterical.

Ari began to laugh with me before standing up and walking over to Jenna. She took something out of her bag and said something to make Jenna leave. Jenna gave me a look of compassion before disappearing around the wall. Ari turned with a switchblade in her hand. I moved away only for Amber and Julia to grab my arms. 

Ari brought the knife to my cheek, trailing it down as I tried to pull away. She balled the fabric of my dress in her hand and cut away a chunk of it.

“Stop,” I screamed, but she kept cutting.

“Why?” Ari asked. “It’s just a fucking dress.”

“Stop!”

Another scream echoed in the room, and suddenly my arms were free. One by one, Gabe successfully pulled them off of me as they laughed. He spread out his hands, blocking their view of me as I looked at the tether pieces of my bag on the floor.

“Gruggs for the save again,” Amber sneered. “Lucky you.”

“Don’t you guys have better things to do than pick on someone helpless!” Gabe snapped. 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Gruggs,” Ari said innocently leaning against the sink. “She had a tear and we tried to fix it.”

“Just leave her alone,” Gabe said. “She doesn’t want your kind of help.”

Amber and Julia looked at Ari, who stared at Gabe. The stand off only made me more nervous to the point I started to shake violently.

“Fine, I was getting bored anyway,” Ari said, pushing herself off the sink. “Let me know if you ever need some fashion advice, Milan.”

They laughed, leaving the bathroom as Gabe pulled me close. “Someone needs to knock them off their pedestals. I’m so sorry I didn’t get here sooner. They’re jerks, Mila, and what they say doesn't matter.”

He got up to get some napkins to clean me up. “I promise I’ll get stronger to protect you, Mila. I promise.”

I couldn’t help but cry at his words. He was right. They didn’t matter. but that doesn’t stop them from harassing me. I didn’t care much for the words, but the abuse was something that left a reminder every day. The power she had over everything scared me the most. How was I going to fight against that?