Bonus chapter 3 | Resolving The Bullying

Today was the first day back at school since the shooting and the cyberbullying had not stopped. The second I turned on my phone for the first time since it started, it blew up with more notifications from Instagram that said I was tagged in a post.

@Bella-Price This is all your fault! I hope you and your friends burn in hell!

@Bella-Price My parents had me trapped inside the house because they're scared that I would get shot. Bella ruined my life!

@Bella-Price Her friends have been reporting and blocking all the other accounts because they know we're right. The truth is, even they know that Bella is a killer.

I immediately reported the comments and blocked more accounts before switching my phone off again. If all the students were harassing me online, who was to say it wouldn't be any better at school?

As much as I wanted to spend the day in bed, I had to face everyone. Otherwise, they'd think I was hiding from them. I had to be strong enough to stand up for myself. At least I still had my best friends who I knew were going to have my back. I dragged myself out of bed and got dressed for school.

All eyes were on me when I arrived. No smiles were present. Everyone that passed by me shot daggers at me. They were judging me, thinking of me as Bella The Killer. Never in my school life had I experienced cruelness by the other students and for something I had nothing to do with.

Even though there was no reason why I should feel this way, I felt like I was walking the walk of shame. I used every ounce of myself to not have an emotional breakdown in the middle of the hall. My arm was grabbed and I was dragged away from the judging eyes and eavesdropping ears.

I took note of the other students constantly rolling their eyes at us and shaking their heads on the way out. If only I could see what was going through their minds as they watched my best friends pull me away from them. They were probably judging them for defending me.

"These people are acting like fucking children!" Olive let go of my wrist once we were outside. I didn't realize that the boys were following us until Zach closed the door. "They're just scared bitches and they're taking it out on you!"

"Don't listen to them, love. They know nothing about your relationship with the shooter," Kayden chimed in, taking my hand in his.

"You gotta ignore them," Zach added.

I scoffed. They act like ignoring them whispering about you as you walk by was the simplest thing in the world. It was easier for them to say because they weren't the target of bullying. "Ignore them? Like it's that easy? Everyone blames me for the most traumatizing event that happened at this school. They don't think that I was scared too?"

My voice faltered during the last sentence as the fear that engulfed me in its arms that day was brought up. Vivid flashbacks of my racing heart rate were coming at me and the sounds of the gunshots were all I could hear.

"You know what I was thinking about the whole time I was locked in the janitor's closet?" I didn't bother waiting for a response. "I was thinking about what would've happened if the shooter shot their way into one of your classrooms and shot any of you. How my life would've been a fucking nightmare without the three of you in it!"

My eyes flew toward Zach whose head was downcast and his arms were crossed. "And when you sent me that text asking if the shooter could've been Gray, I knew it would've been my fault. And that would've made life without you a thousands times worse."

Zach's eyes were clouded with sympathy and Kayden was lighting rubbing my wrist in comfort. Olive no longer looked angry at our peers. Her face softened up into one that held compassion. Suddenly, my lungs started to feel like they were on fire.

My vision was going in and out and when it came back, everything around me was increasingly blurry. I needed to sit down before I fainted. Everyone's voices sounded like they were safely on land while I was drowning underwater.

They were calling my name as if that would pause my panic attack symptoms. Thinking the wall was right behind me, I stepped back and fell on my butt with no back support.

Kayden rushed to kneel down beside me and to hold one of my arms while Zach took the other. My face was growing more moist with tears and my heart was going a hundred miles an hour. Flashbacks from the atrocious day haunted me everywhere I looked.

There was another gunshot that sounded like they were moving toward where we were.

Another one.

Another one.

It was as if I was taken back to that day. I was inside the janitor's closet again. Those thoughts were still swarming my mind.

"The only thing that I regret is not killing your boyfriend."

"Bella!"

Snapping me back to the present was Olive who was on my other side, rubbing my back. Kayden was holding me and Zach's hand was on my knee from where he sat next to Kayden. By remembering where I was and focusing on what was in front of me, my heart settled to its normal pace. The colors of the trees, bushes and grass looked more vibrant as opposed to the blurry vision that I was experiencing ten seconds ago.

"Look into my eyes, love. You're safe. We're safe. Everything's fine."

The bell became background noise as I leaned forward against his chest and felt his kisses peppering the top of my head. I was okay. My friends were okay. Those words were repeated in my head over and over until my brain was convinced of it.

-

Lunchtime.

The time of day I'd been dreading since the first bell. When school becomes not just a building of education, but one where students could socialize. In this case, where they can get together and discuss how I was at fault.

The second I entered the cafeteria, eyes were on me. Some didn't care that I saw them and the others were pretending they weren't staring. I couldn't do it. After being stared down throughout all the morning classes, there was no way I could handle more judgment and shot daggers. I spun on my heels and was on my way to the restroom, but Olive didn't let me go too far.

"Olive, please. I can't–"

"You can."

"I just–I know that... I know they're thinking that I'm this... evil monster. I can't take it anymore."

"Who gives a tiny rat's ass what they think? How many times do we have to tell you? They don't know your situation with Gray. You were just as much of a victim as the rest of them." Her hand lightly grabbed my wrist as a silent way to tell me she was there for me.

"You're a strong woman. I know you can do this. We all have faith in you." She gestured her head toward the lunchline and a warm smile touched her lips. Her words echoed around in my head until I gained the courage to go out there and face everyone. I sighed and spun my heels back. At that moment, I was sure I could handle this.

I kept my head up high as I stepped toward the lunchline and the whole time, Olive never unhooked her arm around mine. They were speaking horrible notions about me amongst themselves.

"Here comes Bella and her killer squad."

"She doesn't even deserve those friends. They know we're right."

"I'm surprised she had the guts to show her face in this school."

"May Bella The Killer and her posse burn in hell."

I mumbled to myself. "May you burn in hell, bitch." I was so intent on not giving them the time of day, I didn't notice the weight of a hand on my other wrist as we continued moving. Kayden's low voice whispered in my ear.

"Take a big step."

My eyes furrowed at the odd instruction, but I listened anyway. I hoisted my leg up and took a large step. My eyes scanned the floor behind me for any banana peel or spilled liquids Kayden warned me to avoid, but I didn't find anything. He whispered that someone stuck their leg out so I would trip and fall. That didn't surprise me. Olive was right. Their behavior was juvenile. Seeing their face when their plan to make me fall and humiliate me backfiring would've been priceless.

Just as I was getting in line, I noticed that Olive was no longer by my side. She was standing over a girl with her hand on the table. I could barely make out what she was saying.

"Don't fuck with my best friend."

The girl scoffed with an amused smile. "And why the hell not? She deserves it."

Olive was inches away from giving her a beating until Zach's voice echoed across the room. "Olive. Don't. She's not worth it."

She hesitated. I could tell by the look on her face that if Zach hadn't stopped her, the girl would've needed immediate medical attention. She pushed herself away from the table but not without shooting flames through her rage-filled eyes.

Olive reunited with the rest of us and we were looking away for five seconds until we heard everyone in the room ooh at something. I twisted my body around and found the girl that Olive was speaking with drenched in orange juice. My hand automatically flew to cover my mouth and I couldn't stop myself from giggling at the delivery of her instant karma.

The owner of the hand that poured it all over her was Angela. She dropped the carton onto the floor and her other hand remained on her hip as she surveyed her up and down. The unnamed girl's jaw was dropped as juice dripped from her hair to her lips. All the while, Angela looked down at her with her lips forming a devilish smile and her middle finger in the girl's face.

"Because she's my friend too, bitch." She stormed away, but not without sending a wink in my direction. A small smile tugged at the corners of my lips. It was ironic.

The girl that was making a scene in front of our entire class by punching me and publicly expressing her hatred toward me was now the one that had the nerve to stand up for me. Perhaps we could make it as close friends after all.