Believe Me ✔️

[27] Baby, So Be It

As I walk into school I find two girls standing at my locker. I stare and watch as they take a white paint marker and write something. Great, another note just for me. I bet they're the ones who left the other hurtful words. I storm over, shouting, "Hey! What the hell are you doing?" They step back—smiling?—and I read what they wrote. My anger melts into sweet relief.

WE
BELIEVE
YOU

I turn towards the girls. Hey, I recognize her! It's Beth—Blue Mermaid—from the bathroom a few weeks ago. I don't know the other girl standing beside Beth, but I smile at both. "Thank you." She steps forward and slips a piece of paper in my hand and walks off with her friend without another word. That was weird. Confused, I open the note and read it.

Meet us @ library
2PM after school
-Beth

I have detention after school, so I'll be going there, anyway. Wonder what that's about. I shove the note in my bag as I open my locker and my eyes wander down the hallway at the two loud voices echoing. Shit. My heart races and pounds against my chest and rings in my ears. Tiana and Paul are arguing—again—by the side door entrance. I can't look away as I find myself watching as Paul gets in Tiana's face and pushes her into the locker. Something protective comes over me and I slam my locker shut, about to walk over when suddenly she slaps his face and runs to the girl's bathroom. Paul and I make eye contact. I hold my breath, refusing to look away first. I'm tired of being walked on. I'm tired of being the victim.

"Mind your fucking business!" Paul screams across the hall and my heart drops as he starts walking towards me as his friend calls for him. He breaks contact first and turns away, jogging upstairs as the warning bell goes off.

Principal Tee yells at some students to get to class and I quietly slip into the girl's bathroom before he can see me. Tiana stands at the counter, crying, and she meets my gaze in the mirror. She whips around. "What the hell do you want, Addy?"

"Are you okay, Tiana?"

"Since when do you give a shit about me?" She asks, grabbing a paper towel and wets it under the faucet, wiping the mascara lines off her cheeks. "Huh? Just go away, Addy!"

I ignore her demand and say, "I heard your argument with Paul."

She laughs. "There's no way you could have heard our conversation from all the way down the hall."

"No, not that one," I whisper, afraid now. "Yesterday—in the chemistry lab. I was hiding under one of the tables."

Tiana's eyes widen as she stares at me. "What the fuck? You were spying on me?"

"No!" I shake my head fast, adding, "No, I was cleaning up when I heard you and Paul arguing in the hallway, and I didn't have a chance to leave when you both ran in the chem lab. I was too scared to say anything, so I waited."

"Oh." She glances over and whispers, "Too be honest, I was pretty scared myself."

I walk over and stand beside her,. "Is Paul bothering you? Did something happen?"

She turns away from me and snaps, "You don't care. You haven't cared in years. You're just a nosy bitch with a nose where it doesn't belong."

"I'm trying to help."

"I didn't ask you to." Tiana starts sobbing and I don't say anything. I let her cry and I wait. "Yes, something happened," She finally whispers as she looks at me again. "That's why Paul's psychotic. His fragile ego gets in the way when he gets so angry."