Gwendalynn: The Girl With Cancer

Gwendalynn | 10

When I got that black eye...

NOVEMBER - 2010

"Are you sure everything's okay with you and Gwen?" my mom asked for at least the millionth time.

I groaned. "Mom, we're fine. George and Denise are okay with me and her... being... uh, friends."

"Okay, I'm just making sure."

My dad continued to "read" the newspaper, while my mom nervously went on eating a breakfast burrito.

"I'm gonna go visit her later today." I said, keeping my eyes away from both my parents.

"Okay."

My mom was still too nervous about seeing them again. She didn't want to cause any more trouble than she already had. Which would be pretty hard, but considering this is Mom, she'd still manage to mess something up.

...

Like I always do, I walk down the halls minding my own business, but of course...

"Hastings! Come 'ere!" Connor commanded. He was leaning against his lockers with a couple of his friends, of course.

I rolled my eyes and kept walking.

He got up and rushed behind me. I could hear his heavy footsteps. "Hey, faggot, I told you to-"

I turned around and smashed my fist into his face. I was sick of his bullshit. I wasn't going to be depressed over what he called me. I already went through that crap.

He lifted a hand to touch his eye, and made a slight flinch that I was sure only I caught. He pursed his lips and clenched his jaw.

By this time, people were crowding around us. Girls were screaming us to stop - well, they were screaming for Connor to stop. Not many of them knew my name. I could see Alice in the corner of my eye and that one girl who asked me to join something at lunch the other day. They were screaming for us to stop too.

Connor sat up and flung his right fist to my left eye. I could already feel the bruise forming.

"Agh, damn." I said, bringing a finger to my eye and falling to the floor.

Connor advanced toward me and straddled me to the ground. He punched me again, except in the nose area this time.

"Think about punchin' me again you fu-"

"Hey! Stop it! Now!" Multiple teachers came towards us and pulled Connor off of me.

I slowly got up to realize I had a bleeding nose, a bruised eye, bruised chest and maybe a chipped tooth, who knew? I was practically numb.

"Principal's office. Now. For the both of you!" Mr. Calloway, the Seniors Biology teacher ordered.

Two other teachers hauled us towards the office, keeping Connor and me a safe distance away from each other. They took us into the office without knocking and the principal jumped as we walked in.

"What's going on, Mr. Grey, Mr. Demming?"

Mr. Grey crossed his arms. "We found these two fighting in the middle of the hall."

Our Principal, Principal Moore, raised her eyebrows and stared menacingly at us.

"Mr. Hastings, I don't believe I've seen you in here before, neither have I seen you, Mr. McDonnoll." She said, in her preppy high pitched middle aged voice.

I shrugged.

"He started it!" Connor exclaimed.

I glared at him. What are you, a kindergartener?