Rena huffed and puffed her way up the hill towards school. Her mother hadn't woken her up on time and so she had missed the bus and now was forced to walk the mile to school. Rena had always hated her parents because they treated her unkindly. She never knew why but she always had this feeling in the back of her mind that Mathew and Yarna were not her real parents. But they were, it said right there on the birth certificate that she looked at everynight before bed.

Cresting the hill, she paused and took a breath. Her lungs began to burn as the taste of blood filled her mouth as she took her inhaler out of her pocket and drew in a breath as she puffed on it. Once she felt as though her lungs wouldn't burst from her chest, she started off again. As she walked down the hill, her honey colored eyes caught sight of the brown two story brick flat roofed school. A truck roared past her just then beeping it's horn annoyingly. She gritted her teeth as some of the football team yelled mocking words at her but she chose to ignore them and act like she didn't even hear them.

Meep Meep.

This time she stopped and smiled. A lavender colored lovebug pulled to a stop and the window rolled down revealing Daisy Nelson's mocha colored face. Her hair is a curly black mess around her head.

"Come love, get in." She says in her prominent British accent.

"Thanks Daisy."

"Of course. You miss the bus again eh?"

"Yeah." Rena said as she set her backpack at her feet and Daisy drove into the school parking lot and parked. Rena got out and met Daisy at the front of the car giving her a once over. Today Daisy was clad in a red skin tight dress with a halter top. Five bracelets adorned each of her wrists and on her feet were tall heeled MaryJanes. Rena had been jealous of Daisy's figure and clothing since the day they had met and wished with all her heart she could look like her and be a part of her clique. But she wasn't. The only time they talked or hung out was before or after school when Daisy wasn't with her crowd of skinny plastic girls and away from the prying eyes of the football and track

Team. As they walked to the double doors, Rena gave herself a glance over. She wore washed out skinny jeans with a black long sleeved shirt tucked into her pants. She mostly wore long sleeved shirts so that she could hide the marks on her wrist. On her feet were her leather white booted Dr Martens. Her straight brown hair with bleached ends was thrown up into a messy ponytail. Gold hoops adorned her bottom earlobe and in the second earring hole were diamond studs. Simple and not as out there as she wished she could be but her mother would never allow her to show one drop of skin that didn't need to be shown.

"So I'll see you later"? Daisy said quickly and Rena knew her friends must be looking at them again.

"Yeah." They fist bumped with the side of their hands and then Rena watched Daisy sashay away towards her posse. Rena with a sigh, went up to her locker and put her bag away, grabbing out her Chemistry book and notebook. Suddenly her locker was slammed onto her fingers and she cried in pain as she pulled them free and held onto them glancing up at her adversary Tom Hale.

"What a loser." He said as his posse of jocks laughed and pointed at her as they turned from her and went down the hallway chattering away with others like they hadn't just done what they did. With tears, she picked up her book and stuffed her notes back inside and went down to the nurses office. She knocked on the door and Raina opened the door with a smile which quickly turned into a frown.

"Hi Rena, what happened?"

"I smashed my fingers in my locker." She said as she sat on the paper covered blue bed.

"You did it or someone?"

"I-I did." Rena replied looking down. Raina's soft hand cupped Rena's chin and she looked Rena in the eyes with her chocolate brown eyes.

"Honey, if someone is hurting you on purpose you need to tell someone before something bad happens." Rena removed herself from Raina's grasp and looked down

"No one did it. Really." She heard Raina sigh as she popped an ice pack, covered it with paper towels and then wrapped it around her fingers.

"If you say so."

"I do." Rena said quietly as she picked up her book and ;eft the office finding a quiet stairwell to sit and hide until the first bell rang. This was how her day was every single day. She didn't know why she got picked on. Maybe it was because she was so small. Or perhaps it was because she liked learning. Perhaps it was the way she talked or the way her top right tooth slightly covered the left top tooth. Perhaps it was for the sprinkling of freckles across her cheeks and nose. Maybe it was because of the clothes she wore. She didn't know, she just wished it would stop. But she never felt like she could go to an adult and tell them what was happening because they would tell her what she could be doing to create more friends and getting out there and participating in things and then the kids wouldn't treat her differently. Sure she could probably tell Ms. Raina but she would probably end up telling the counselor or the principal and that was something Rena couldn't have happened. If her mother thought she was a problem child at school, she would get in big trouble and maybe even get some sort of punishment. At least, that's what had happened at the school she went to before. She had used her voice more and when the school brought her parents into it, her mother had gone psycho and told her that if she ever caused problems like this again or used her voice to advocate for herself that she would chain her up and leave her to starve. So, now, Rena never told anyone anything.

The bell rang and Rena stood up and gathered her book. She tossed her ice pack into the garbage and headed into Mr. Solomon's class and went to her seat which was in the back near the windows. There were three more students with her, but they usually ignored her so she sat on the end and let those three sit next to each other so that they could work on the assignments as a whole group and she would do it by herself which she preferred.

"Good morning guys." Mr. Solomon said as he rose his lanky self from his chair and stood in front of them. Mr. Solomon had short sandy blonde hair and crystal green eyes. He always wore slacks and dress shirts with one pocket in the front so that he could put mints in there to give to students who were falling asleep in class.

"Morning Mr. S!" Some of the kids chorused. Rena stayed silent as she doodled random animals in the margins of her notebook.

"Since today is Wednesday, you will have the whole period to review your notes and materials for Monday's test. You can study by yourself, in pairs of two or teams. Tomorrow, we will be playing Kahoot-it and the three students who get most questions right will get ten extra credit points." Scattered gasps and applause echoed throughout the room.

"Mr. S?"

"Yes Hailey?"

"What if we're not feeling good Monday and can't come to school to take the test?" Rena rolled her eyes at this. Hailey was always asking dumb questions like this, trying to figure out the best way to get out of things.

"Well Hailey, then you'll just take it when you come back."

"What if I get in a bad accident and can't write anymore"

"Then you can verbally tell me."

"What if I get in such a bad accident that I'm in a coma for two weeks, would I still have to take the test when I come back?" Mr. Solomon smiled his easy smile.

"No Hailey, you wouldn't. But I would hope you wouldn't go into a coma."

"Thanks Mr. S." She said defeatedly knowing that she wouldn't get any further than that.

"Alright everyone. Get out your study guides, your books, your notebooks and get to studying. If you have questions or need to use the bathroom just let me know." There was a rushing of students as they got out their things and moved to other tables in pairs or in groups. Rena stayed where she was but her table was soon filled with three other people who chatted about things other than chemistry. After some time had passed and the students settled into a nice rhythm, Rena felt a tug on her hair and then she heard a distinctive snipping noise. Turning, she turned to see Ivan there with scissors in one hand and a clump of hair in the other. A devilish grin upon his lips. She gave a shriek as she held her now jaggedly cut hair and then ripped the hair out of Ivan's hands. The girls bursted out laughing and pointed at her

"You leech!" Reena screeched as she punched him in the face and kicked him until Mr. Solomon came and pulled them apart

"What happened!?"

"He cut my hair!" Rena said shaking

"No I didn't! She cut it herself." Ivan said, standing straight and crossing his arms.

"Did you Rena?" Rena turned a death glare upon Mr. Solomon

"Of course I didn't."

"Yeah huh! You did it and blamed me! You probably did it all for attention!" Ivan replied smugly.

"Why would I cut my own hair!?" She said exasperatedly as she fought the tears back. Ivan shrugged his shoulders. Mr Solomon stood still. He didn't know what to do. He didn't want to ask Ivan what had happened because that was going anywhere and by looking around at the kids faces who were red with laughter, this had been planned from the beginning and Rena had not done it.

"Ivan, go to the principal's office immediately."

"What!? Me!" Ivan said, shock evidence on his face as his smile dropped into an O.

"Yes, go. Now." Solomon watched as Ivan stuck his tongue out at Ivan and then stomped away. Mr. Solomon turned to Rena who clutched her hair in a fist.

"Rena I-" She didn't let him talk. Instead she fled to the bathroom, closing the door and locking herself into a stall and plopped herself down onto the toilet seat. She hated her life! Why her!? Why did she always get picked on? Was it a curse? What was wrong with her?

With her cry done, she stepped out of the stall, pocketed her hair and then washed her face in the sink. Pulling her head up, she drew back quickly for the mirror had fogged up. Looking at the other two, they were not fogged up at all. She used her sleeve and brushed the water away and as she did a cold gray face stared out at her with intense blue eyes and Ivory colored hair. Rena scrambled back gasping for air as hands came out of the mirror towards her. She screamed loud and high. Just before the hands could grab her, the door handle rattled and then flew open revealing the highschool police officer and the assistant principal. Rena didn't say anything, just stared at the face that stayed in the mirror.

"I'll be back for you. . . . Human." Rena heard the words echo in her head as the woman suddenly faded from Rena's sight.