The Garden of Eden || Canis Canem Edit / Bully [ #WATTYS2018 ]

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Summer Afternoon

The sky was ablaze with the fire of the setting sun, as it cast long shadows over Bullworth Academy. A warm orange tinge flowed through the empyrean, the slanting rays of the sun filtering through cotton ball clouds. Golden streamers cascaded on Eden Milenko's sluggish body, as she lazily shuffled along the campus' pavement. Every step she took was sloppier than the one before it. She didn't want to be outside. She wanted nothing more than to just sleep the rest of the day away. But yet here she was, absentmindedly trudging around the academy, looking for something to keep herself occupied with.

A lightbulb clicked in her brain. Eden snapped her back upright, straightening her hunched over form. She smoothed down the top of her hair, pressing down any flyaway curls. 'It can be pretty easy to forget who I am at times. I've been letting myself go too much, acting so carefree. I need to shape up. I know who I am, I can't disgrace my parents.'

A frown crawled onto her full lips, a hand diving to rub the back of her neck. Anxiety pricked and prodded at her throat like thousands of little pins and needles. 'Cold, conniving. Manipulative, poker-faced at all times. That's the Milenko way. It's what Ivan and Alyssa devised. Therefore, I must follow suit.'

The distant sound of animated chatter fluttered into her ears, dragging her reluctantly from her usually incessant thoughts. She glanced up. Her eyebrow rose. A curious sight was greeting her.

Pete was on the floor, tremoring like a leaf in a hurricane. Jimmy's face was red, as he spat out insults. Two Jocks stood in front of them, muscles billowing beneath their letterman jackets. All this, right in front of the main school building. Eden couldn't help but shake her head, fighting the urge to facepalm. 'Of course, there is some sort of drama going on. As per usual. Such a repetitive, sickening cycle it is.'

Eden strode over to the quartet, eager to separate the argument. She had finally something to occupy herself with. Her friends. She could hang out with them in peace and hopefully, without the constant threat of a beating. As the tall teenager drew nearer, she could finally make out the insults they were throwing at each other.

"Oh, I dropped my soap, please pick it up for me!" Jimmy taunted in a high-pitched tone, bending over and shaking his butt at the two Jocks.

"You're dead, Hopkins!" Damon growled out, approaching the stocky teen.

Eden groaned under her breath, wordlessly walking in between the fired up boys. She shook her head at their antics, curls flailing around, as she reached out a hand for Pete. He took her hand, heaving himself off the concrete. Clearly, he wanted nothing more than to run back to his dorm and cower under his covers in fear. He stood behind Eden.

Eden then turned her attention to the two Jocks that towered over her menacingly. Narrowing her eyes, she glared coldly at them with a scrutinising gaze.

"Oh sorry dork, almost didn't see you there. Thought you'd still be hiding away in your room after that beating Bif handed you." Ted Thompson taunted, a wicked grin spread across his lips.

Her blood ran cold, stomach lurching violently in disgust at the thought. Her mind flashed back to the bathroom, at the Glass Jaw Gym. 'Pain devouring my body piece by piece. Everything fading away into nothingness. Blood everywhere. Blood on the tiles, blood on Bif's shoe, blood on me. Raw screams...'

Pure resentment boiled within her, fists clenching and unclenching to hold back her rage. Her fury was nearly suffocating her, laboured breaths stifled through tightly gritted teeth. The thought of pouncing on top of Ted Thompson like a ferocious panther was so tempting. The thought of clawing, mauling him until her fingernails were dyed a deep red, and he was nothing more than mere shreds on the pavement- was so tempting.