Red Wolf Rising

Chapter 4

The alarm had gone off, and I’d slammed my hand on it without thinking, hating the sound more than usual. My whole body had ached, my head, my knees, my stomach, but I’d dragged myself out of bed anyway. Chores had come first, then a quick breakfast I’d barely managed to swallow before heading to school.

I’d pulled my hat down low, hoping nobody would notice me. Maybe… just maybe, I’d thought, I could make it through the hallways without the staring, the whispering, the laughter. Just for once, I wanted to blend in.

I'd made it to school minutes before the bell, and it proved to be too early. The second I stepped into the hallway, someone yanked the hat right off my head. Time stopped. Every single person turned toward me. My stomach dropped. Gasps, whispers, and snickers had filled the hallway, loud enough to drown out everything else.

I froze, staring down at myself in panic. I remembered the bruises on my cheeks, the dark rings under my eyes, and my swollen lip. Everything I’d tried to hide with a little stolen concealer… there for everyone to see. Exposed.

Someone whispered, loud enough that I had to hear: “Wow… looks like someone got messed up...”

I tried to make myself small, to disappear into my hoodie, my backpack, with my eyes fixed on the floor.

One of the guys from the football team leaned closer, with a smirk plastered on his face. “Hey, Diner Girl… you like it rough, huh?”

I couldn’t speak. My throat felt like sandpaper; it was dry and raw, and the tears I'd cried yesterday weren't enough, for they were threatening to spill once again.

Some part of me wanted to yell, to make them stop, to fight back… but I was too tired, too sore, and too broken. I just wanted to disappear.

I grabbed my hat off the floor and shoved it back onto my head, pressing down as hard as I could, but it barely helped. Not enough.

I had hoped, just for a second, that today I could go unnoticed. That maybe I could survive one day without being everyone's source of entertainment.

That hope was crushed the moment my hat hit the floor.

And then it dawned on me, I wasn’t safe anywhere. Not at home, not at school. People didn’t care that I was hurt, that I was scared. All they cared about was laughing at me, making me feel smaller than I already did.

I kept my head down, shoving my way toward my locker, praying this day would pass fast. I opened it, shoved in the books I didn’t need and grabbed the ones I did, then slammed it closed again.

I slipped into class and made my way to the back, careful to keep my head down. My backpack felt heavier than usual, my bruised body struggled with each step.

The silence in the room was uncomfortable. The whispers had died down, but I could still feel the weight of everyone’s eyes on me, even if they weren’t looking directly at me.

Mr. Richards, our history teacher, gave me a sad look. “Accalia… why don’t you go see the nurse?”

I froze. My heart raced. “It’s not... there’s no need. I just… tripped in the woods, that’s all.”

He sighed, his patience wearing thin. “I don’t want an argument. Go. Now.”

I swallowed, nodded at him, and grabbed my books and backpack, moving quietly down the aisle. My classmates pretended I wasn’t there, filling my path with their bags to make it difficult for me. Some shot me quick glances before looking away.

Upon reaching the nurse’s office, I smelled the faint scent of disinfectant and flowers. I pushed the door open.

“Hi… you must be Accalia,” said the nurse, with a kind smile on her face. She was new; I hadn’t met her before. “You look like you’ve had a rough morning. Can I help?”

I shook my head, trying to brush it off. “It’s… It’s nothing. I tripped over in the woods yesterday. I’m fine, really.”

She frowned, clearly not buying it. “I want to help, but you need to be honest with me. Let me see your wounds.”

"I don't have any other than what you can see," I replied.

The nurse looked at me with an expression that made it clear that she didn't believe a word I was saying.

"Accalia, I want you to know I’m here when you want to talk,” the nurse said. “But I can tell these wounds aren’t from a fall. So please let me help you."

I opened my mouth to insist again, but the door opened behind her. Deputy Principal Williams strolled in, with an unimpressed expression.

“What’s all this fuss about?” he snapped.

The nurse looked at him, with concern in her eyes. "Accalia is injured. She needs medical attention.”

He laughed, shaking his head. “Accalia? She has a tendency to bring unwanted attention on herself. I’m sure she tripped, like she said. Nothing to see here.”

My stomach sank, but the nurse didn’t argue. She nodded in agreement, clearly not wanting to make things hard for herself since she was new here.

“Get back to class, Accalia,” he said in a loud, commanding voice.

I nodded quickly, forcing my shaking hands to gather my things. "Yes, sir, Deputy Principal Williams," I nodded, keeping my head down low.

I could feel the nurse's eyes on me, but she didn't say anything more.

I gave the smallest nod that I could manage and headed back to class, moving slowly, keeping my head down along the way.

Back at my desk, I sank into my seat, willing the floor to swallow me whole. It was going to be another long day, the kind that made every minute feel like a fight just to breathe.