Save me

Mena Daniels

No better way then to eat lunch with your bestie hiding in the library. The librarian, who's name I knew as Sandy, called us: “Those two”. She didn't even know our names and we have been eating here for four years now. It's okay though, I'm used to it by now, most teacher call me Nina anyways. My name is Mena, not Nina.

'How was band practice on Friday?' My bestie Chi-May Ling asked. Chi is different like me and that is why we stick together. We don't have friends so we became friends.

'Good.' I simply answer, while taking a bite of my apple slices. I couldn't afford lunch, but school gives fruit away for free because they want us to be healthy. So me and Chi just eat fruit everyday at school. If I managed to get some money, I would have bought lunch and shared it with Chi.

By the way, that was the end of our conversation. The lovely librarian shushed us to be quiet even though there was no one around here, except us. Everyone else was having lunch in the canteen. I haven't been there for years. Not since the most popular people at school took away my backpack and threw it in the dumpster. My mom and stepfather got real angry with me that I lost it. I began eating in the library and found Chi. We have been eating together ever since. I like her a lot.

After lunch me and Chi had Math and Science together. We sat next to each other, we only talked when needed and we made our homework. Of course the popular kids were loud and being their busy selves, but we tried to stay quiet and not seen. It was better that way. I had a secret I needed to keep hidden.

So when the principal called everyone to the gym, I didn't think my life was about to change forever.

We all were seating on the bleachers waiting for an explanation. It was a very hot day, and everyone was sweating. The smell was horrible in here.

The principal, an old big bald man, was wiping the sweat off his head with some paper towel, before stepping on to the stage and walked to the microphone. 'Well, thank you all for coming here. I wish it was under better circumstances.' He managed to get the whole school attention now. 'As you all know there have been a few attacks on students recently. A group of men have been harassing young girls at the mall, school and restaurants. They work in groups, they travel on motorcycles and the girls are too scared to go to the police.'

'Then why are the boys here?' Richie Holden, the captain of the baseball team asked. With this comment he made almost the whole school laugh. Yeah, I said almost. The teachers weren't happy about it.

'This is Lance.' the principal introduced a man who I haven't seen before at school. He was handsome and not so old may I ad. 'He is going to be here at school teaching us self defense lessons for a few weeks. He is your new school counselor. If you can defend yourself, you can stop the attacks. If you want to talk to someone, he is the man you need.'

'Boo!' someone yells.

'Just stop those assholes.' A boy shouted.

'We want to leave.' Three boys yelled.

Seriously, I hate these people. They were like wild beasts, who couldn't be contained. It always is like this at school.

'Hello, I'm Lance. I know you don't want to be here, but you are going to thank me later. The girls are going to thank me later.' He managed to get the attention of a few cheerleaders. One girl was crying. She was probably one of the girls that was attacked by the group of men. 'Can I get a volunteer?'

'Like anyone wants to do this stupid lesson.' Yet again it was Richie who spoke. Now only a few of his friends were laughing.

'Shut up Richie.' Amanda Knewly, one of the cheerleaders said to him. 'If Claire knew some of these tricks, maybe she wouldn't be crying right now. Did you think about that?'

'Richie is your name?' Lance asked. You can be my first volunteer. Aaaand...' The man was looking to all the students. 'You. The girl who is trying so desperately to look anywhere else but me. You, come on stage please.'

When I finally managed to look up, he was looking straight at me. I began to shake my head. There was no way I was going on stage. I looked over at Chi in pure terror. My hands were sweaty and shaking. Why me?

'Come on Nina.' The principal called for me.

'Nina, Nina, Nina.' Everyone began to shout.

Lance came to take me on stage. I had no choice but to follow him. My legs were shaking now and I felt like I couldn't breath. Richie was looking all happy and cheery on stage, while I was feeling like passing out.

'So what we are going to do is I'm going to teach Nina over here how to block an attack. So when Richie attacks her, she can stop it from happening.' Lance explained.

Now I was standing so close to him, I could see Lance looked even younger than he appeared to be from a distance. He had little stubbles on his cheeks and dark brown eyes, brown hair and freckles. I had to look at something, because if I didn't look at him and looked at the other students I knew for sure I was going to loose my s**t. Lance was maybe twenty or twenty-two. He was hot.

'Did you get that Nina?' Lance asked suddenly.

Apparently he had shown me a few moves. I didn't hear anything he had said, but nodded anyways.

'Okay than. Just stand over here and Richie is going to softly attack you, okay.' Lance took a step back.

Before I even knew what was happening I fell back on the ground. And then pain.. I didn't know what were the pain was coming from, everything was hurting right now from falling on the ground, but somehow I found myself screaming in pain. Both Lance and Richie came to me, asking me what was wrong, but I didn't answer them. I kept on screaming. My wrist, at least I think it was my wrist, it hurts so much. Lance lifted me up from the ground. I closed my eyes shut, because I saw how the whole school was staring at me. He ran out of the gym, through the hall to the nurses office. He opened the door somehow and placed me softly on the table. More people were coming in. I recognized Richies voices and the principals, because I still couldn't look.

'I can give her something for the pain. She will relax right away.' the nurse said.

'Do it.' The principal said to her.

'I swear on my life I didn't even push her that hard.' Richie said with a trembling voice. I finally opened up my eyes to see him almost cry.

'I know Richie. We were all there.' Lance calmed him down.

The nurse held a cup for me to drink. She helped me drink it. Within second I felt myself calm down. What the heck was this stuff? Can I get more?

'What the hell is this?' Lance asked, looking terrified at my wrist. This was bad, this was so freaking bad. 'Nina, this looks like cuffs marks. How do you have cuff marks?'

'My name is Mena.' I managed to say, right before I passed out.