“Oh Maya!” Becky called as my back straightened and I shook off the twins trying to pull me. I swallowed down and crossed my arms in a defensive posture.
“What, Becky?” I asked, feeling colder than usual.
“I just wanted to repay the favor of you burning off my hair.” She flashed a dirty smirk before tossing a series of extra photos on the ground, “wouldn’t want your new boyfriends to be unaware of what trailer trash you were after all.”
Oh no.
I kept my face blank as laughter exploded around me and someone tugged on my sleeve. I knelt down and picked up the photos covering the hallway. My mother sitting on the porch smoking a cigarette in her nightgown. My small body curled up on a threadbare mattress through the window. My torn bloody hood in the trash along with a million other beer cans and shit, that I prayed would distract away from it. Every evidence of my pathetic life was here and man, did it look rough. I looked horrible. I looked… like trash.
I swallowed down any violent tendencies and stood up to address Becky. She was closer than I expected. “Don’t forget the fact your mom beats you because even she doesn’t fucking want you.”
My eyes flickered over to the locker where a picture of my mom holding my hair in the kitchen window and yelling at me was blown up. I cringed but still couldn’t figure out what to say next. Henry was talking in harsh tones but I was just feeling a sense of humiliation. And fury. Who did this to someone?
Meeting Becky’s gaze, I examined the manic look in her eyes and cruel sneer on her face. This meant a lot to her. What did it mean to me? Nothing. Really though, I was never going to see these people again after I graduated.
“I’m not sure what you were trying to accomplish?” I spoke, my voice steady as everyone stilled around me.
“To fucking expose you for the fraud you are, no amount of nice clothing or shopping is going to make up for the trash that you reek of.”
“How do you know we went shopping?” I asked quietly.
Her face turned pink, “I wanted to expose all of this bullshit, followed you to see what other shady shit you were doing.”
I see.
Something inside of me clicked and I stepped forward towards her and over the pictures. “Becky, I understand what you were attempting to accomplish, but as I would assume how most of your endeavors pan out, it was unsuccessful. Completely. You care about this much more than I do and it would be smart of you to not confuse my kindness for being a doormat. What I would suggest is that you clean this up, I never stated I was anything more than those pictures suggest. All it is evidence of, is that you followed me around enough to capture it on film.”
Becky’s mouth popped open as I pressed a finger underneath it, closing it effectively. I turned on my heel as a shriek echoed in my ears and I was yanked back, hard. I hissed as my head snapped back on the hard floor as everything went to hell around me. Her shoe hit my rib as the yelling grew louder and my body was snatched up by Henry, a few people restraining the manic woman who’d clearly lost her mind.
I swallowed, meeting her gaze as she practically foamed at the mouth like a rabid animal, I clutched onto Henry as the cool air hit my skin and I relaxed into it. The police arrived and Anani spoke to the man I’d met before, my eyes stinging and my ears ringing.
Once we were in the car, my ears popped and I relaxed into the seat the sound of my heart beat loud and wild. I realized then that Anani was yelling.
“Fucking mental ward is where she belongs,” he spit out, “Who attacks someone like that?!”
I placed a hand on his leg as he startled and then Ledger muttered out, “a crazy bitch.”
Alright, I almost laughed at that.
“Sweetie,” Henry spoke quietly, “we are stopping at the local branch to talk to Marco, is that okay? Or do you need the hospital?”
I lifted a hand to the back of my head and pulled away, making the twins growl at the blood there. “No, it’s fine,” I mumbled, “it means it will heal.”
“That’s fucked up,” Ledger groaned.
I ignored him as we pulled into a low gray building that had a familiar BMW parked out front. I could already feel the wound on the back of my head healing as I inhaled the fresh air. Immediately, without waiting for the others, I was through the door and searching for Marco.
“Can I help you?” A stunning woman at the front door asked. I scowled at her narrowed gaze at me.
“Doubtful,” I muttered and spoke louder, “where is Marco?”
“In a meeting,” she responded right away and I watched her cringe as Marco rounded the corner.
“Cecile,” Marco stated, his tone harsh, “If you ever turn her away from this office, you’re going to find yourself without a job.”
I tried not to stick my tongue out at her because I’m an adult. Although I had a day and a half…
Cecile’s eyes widened, “you didn’t tell me that you’d found…”