One of the Bullied | ✔

Chapter 14 - Rita

My phone has been going off the whole day with a string of incessant messages from Rita. It's seriously starting to annoy me. Also, Jean is increasingly puzzled as to who the hell would write to me.

At first I just tell him it's some friends from England who are on half-term and want to talk to me. He didn't quite believe me, considering it's almost the summer. Half term? Hah.

The phone buzzes again, earning me another glance from Jean. Knowing I'm going to have to explain, I bite my lip and pull my phone out.

Rita Tory ~ 18:09

Please answer. Are you okay?

I stifle a groan and turn to Jean. "It's been happening for a few weeks."

"What?" He asks, pretending to look surprised. In reality, he just looks like someone who has been caught red-handed.

"I know it's weird anyone is texting me." I sigh. "I don't know why, so don't even bother asking." I show him the screen. "They go by the name of Rita, but I'm pretty sure it's a guy."

"So it can't be that bad, then." He says, scrolling up our texts. I can't imagine he understands much, but enough to get the gist of it. "You have, like, a friend."

"Friend." I repeat coarsely in English. "Sure." I snap back into French.

"Well, it seems like it." He shrugs. "And if it's a guy, maybe it's someone who likes you. Like like you."

"I don't think so." I sigh. "It just seems like someone who feels bad for what he's done, and wants to make up in some way."

"Do you have any idea of who it could be?"

"It's a guy." I repeat. "It could be anyone. I kind of suspect it's a nerd-" I sigh again. "But it could be someone popular."

"What if it's Luke?"

"It is not Luke." I answer dryly. Hah. It were to be any of the Three, I'd say it was Caleb, not Luke. Rita being Luke would just be... It would be weird. It would be beyond weird. It would be like the world has turned upside down.

"So it's Nate, or someone like that."

"No way. I really think it's just a nerd who's fallen for me."

"I'll keep an eye out." He says.

"Don't." I answer. "I don't want to know."

What I don't say is that I'm desperate to know, but that I want to find it out myself. I don't need his help. He hasn't been here for anything, and now he might just ruin my only chance at a normal life.

Rita Tory ~ 18:13

Zoe?

I sigh, turning a little away from Jean. As nice as he is, and as nice as it is to have someone I can talk to like a normal person, this is something private.

Zoe Meyer ~ 18:15

I'm fine. I'm busy, I can't talk right now.

Rita Tory ¬ 18:15

Are you sure everything is okay?

There's a moment, then another text.

Rita Tory ¬ 18:15

You're with Jean, aren't you?

I huff, exasperated. Who else does he think I'm with? What, Luke?

Zoe Meyer ¬ 18:15

Yes. And I'm busy right now.

Rita Tory ¬ 18:15

You're not hooking up with him, are you?

Zoe Meyer ¬ 18:15

I do not need shit from you about this, too. No. I have known this guy for about a week. He's only with me because his English is non-existent. I am not hooking up with him. I am also busy, and I don't want to talk.

Rita Tory ¬ 18:16

Talk later, then?

I sigh, glancing at the little smiley emoji next to the text. It grins up at me almost evilly. I put my phone away, muting it before I do, determined not to talk to her/him until tonight, when I'm alone.

Jean and I work a little more, until his phone buzzes. At first it's only one, and I just assume it's a text from his parents or a friend. Then the phone goes absolutely berserk.

He reluctantly pushes away the dictionary, checking it. He emits a loud groan, then starts to bang his head against the table. I hold back a grin and grab his shoulder, forcing him to stop.

"What is it?" I ask.

"How did she get my number?" He wails, handing me his phone. There's a text, no, correction, ten texts, from Caitlyn. "You have it, but no one else in school has it!" He groans.

"Well, I didn't give it to her." I say. "They probably snooped through my phone to find it."

"They look through your phone?" He asks, looking surprised. "But that's-"

"Their hatred knows no boundaries." I shrug. "Caitlyn obviously wanted your number, so she probably asked Luke or someone to get it off my phone, knowing I'd most likely have it."

"I am hating this girl more and more." Jean answers, then shows me a new text. She is repeatedly asking him about prom and whether he would go with her. Hm. Last time I checked, she was dating Nate. I guess Nate just couldn't take anymore of her. "How can I say no?"

"Maybe just don't answer." I shrug, which is truly the worst thing I could have said. Five more texts pop up on his screen, before his phone starts ringing. In a moment of panic, Jean answers.

I groan, slapping my hand against my forehead as he starts gesturing wildly to me. "I can't hang up!" He whispers.

"Just talk to her." I hiss back in French.

"You're with that whore again, aren't you?" Caitlyn mutters over the phone, her voice sounding tinny and even more annoying than usual. "I can't believe you."

Jean starts glancing through his papers nervously. I grab his computer and type "I really can't go to prom with you." on it. He shakily says this.

"Well, you're sure as hell not going with the Zerd, because we won't fucking let you in." I rapidly type that he doesn't want to go to prom at all, that he'll be leaving and that he isn't interested in her.

Then something suddenly strikes me: Rita. Whoever Rita is, they told Caitlyn I was with Jean. They probably got his number off my phone at break. Caitlyn couldn't have known we were together, as Jean could have been with his parents or talking to some French friends.

I can't believe this. The moment you start putting your trust in someone, everything crashes. It's probably Luke, and he's probably having a great time now with all of his stupid pals, laughing about how stupid I was to fall for this.

Jean finally hangs up the phone, and turns to me, ready to start asking me questions, and, of course, bitch about Caitlyn. I hold up a hand, signalling stop, feeling tears pool in my eyes. Then I break down.

Rita called me Zoe.

She was nice everytime something bad happened.

She was there to comfort me when I was miserable.

We could even talk about homework.

I could ask her things freely, except, of course, her identity.

She was someone I could talk to.

And now she's gone.

A/N - So, firstly, apologies for this update being so late. Secondly, Happy Easter! Whether you are religious or not it is the time to indulge in insane amounts of chocolate eggs (at least for me). Thirdly, last time I posted I was on about 950 reads and now it's up to 1.2k! I am so happy that people are enjoying and reading this book.