Chapter 1 Torment's Grip

• "Ugh, see who decided to grace us with her presence." Brittany's voice cut through the air like a pin. "The loser herself."
• I felt every pair of eyes burning into me as that insufferable harpy gestured dramatically in my direction.
• Just keep walking, Lucy. Don't react.
• "What's wrong, Lucy? Cat got your tongue?" Brittany let out one of her shrill cackles that just makes you want to strangle her, you know? "Or are you just too braindead to string a few words together?"
• Then her squad of mean girl minion began to giggle and snicker like hyenas.
• I looked straight ahead as I focused on watching my steps.
• I wasn't going to give them that satisfaction.
• "I'm speaking to you,you freak!"
• Before I could blink, Brittany's fake-nailed talons shot out and yanked my backpack right off my shoulder.
• I yelped in surprise as my books and papers went flying everywhere.
• "Oops, my bad!" She covered her mouth in an over-exaggerated shocked expression, those beady eyes of hers glittering with pure evil. "I guess those sausage fingers of yours can't even hold onto a bag properly."
• The little witches surrounding her absolutely lost it at that, bending over and clutching their sides like it was the funniest thing they'd ever heard.
• I felt the mortification burning my cheeks as I crouched down to gather my scattered things.
• "Need some help?"
• Mark's voice made my heart skip a beat.
• Our eyes met for the briefest second as he knelt beside me, and just like that, the whole cruel world seemed to fade into the background.
• His kind smile was like a lifeline.
• I opened my mouth, ready to finally speak to him after all this time, but of course Brittany had to open her big trap again.
• "Oh my god, please don't tell me you're actually talking to this loser, Mark!" She clutched Troy's arm all dramatically, staring at Mark like he'd just grown a third eyeball. "Even someone as pathetic as you has to have standards."
• You could actually see Mark's face just crumple as the coven started screeching with laughter again.
• He shoved my books back into my arms without a word and scrambled to his feet, muttering a feeble "sorry" under his breath before bolting.
• "Aw, what's the matter, Markie?" Brittany crooned in that shrill baby voice that makes me want to rip my ears off. "Did I hurt your little feelings by insulting your girlfriend?"
• More hyena cackles from the peanut gallery.
• I sighed as I packed the last og my things from the floor wanting to disappear into thin air so desperately.
• Or perhaps for the ground to open and then swallow me whole.
• Anything to get away from their shrieking.
• "Lucy and Mark, sitting in a tree!"
• Oh god, here comes the pièce de résistance - Troy joining in with the kiddie romance taunts, wrapping his arms around Brittany in a crude mockery of a loving embrace.
• "K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"
• I squeezed my books tighter, struggling not to cry. I will not give them that power over me.
• "Oh my god, can you imagine?" Brittany spun in Troy's arms, her eyes lighting up with pure sadistic glee. "Their poor, deformed babies would be such fervent disappointments!"
• That did it - I could feel the hot burn of tears prickling my eyes as their mocking laughter crashed over me in waves.
• Why me? Why am I constantly their punching bag for cruelty?
• "Leave her alone already."
• The slightly accented voice was soft, but it cut through the din like a whisper in a quiet library.
• We all turned to see Chase, the new foreign exchange student none of us had really gotten to know yet, watching the scene with an inscrutable expression.
• A tiny flicker of hope sparked in my chest as his calm green eyes met mine, giving the smallest of nods.
• For the few weeks he'd been here, Chase just had this...presence about him that demanded respect.
• Even the doziest bullies seemed to instinctively back down when he was around.
• But of course, Brittany sneered at him like he was something gross she'd stepped in.
• "Stay out of this, Transfer," she spat, her pretty features twisting into an ugly mask. "This is a Westbrook matter. It doesn't concern drifters like you."
• To Chase's credit, he didn't so much as blink. "I would consider basic human decency to be a matter concerning us all."
• You could actually see Brittany's nostrils flare at that calm rebuttal, like she was a raging bull and he was the matador's red cape.
• An awkward tension settled over the whole group as they sized each other up through narrowed eyes.
• For a minute there, I actually thought fists might start flying.
• Then Troy had to open his big dumb mouth and snicker, burying his face in Brittany's hair to stifle his laughter.
• And just like that, the spell was broken as the whole gaggle of harpies joined in, their shrill braying echoing loud enough to rattle the lockers.
• "Ooh, listen to Mr. World Citizen over here!" Brittany rolled her eyes so hard, I thought they might get stuck. "Sorry, Transfer, but the rest of us aren't obligated to play nice with the school's resident bottom-feeder."
• With one last look of pure disdain in my direction, she turned on her designer heel and strode off, her little minions scurrying along behind her like a trail of ugly ducklings.
• Their cawing laughter seemed to ricochet from every surface, bouncing back into my ears in a torturous cacophony I couldn't escape.
• "Hey, are you okay?"
• Chase's voice finally pulled me out of my daze.
• His handsome features were all pinched with concern as he reached down to help gather the last of my books.
• I could only give him a jerky nod, not trusting my voice in that moment.
• What could I possibly say?
• That this soul-crushing ritual was just another day in the life of Loser Lucy, the school's favorite humiliation punching bag?
• That each fresh insult and degrading taunt from Brittany chipped away another tiny piece of my spirit until I could scarcely recognize myself in the mirror anymore?
• Until the sad, hollow person staring back at me was a complete stranger?
• Chase studied me in silence for a beat, then sighed heavily through his nose.
• "I'm sorry you have to endure such mindless cruelty," he murmured, handing me back my books with surprising gentleness.
• "High school...it can truly bring out the worst in people sometimes."
• I clutched my things tightly to my chest, catching his deep green gaze with what I hoped was a reassuring look.
• No more pity, please - I've had my lifetime's supply of that.
• "Thanks for trying to help," I replied, my voice coming out in a scratchy rasp.
• Christ, how long had it been since I'd last spoken out loud?
• A sad little smile played across his lips as he gave a slight shrug, like he'd expected nothing less from our backward little school.
• "I merely sought to uphold some semblance of human decency," he said simply. "Sadly, it would seem such a virtue is in short supply in this place."
• With that ominous little statement, he turned and continued on his way, leaving me alone in the now-deserted hallway.
• I watched his retreating form for a long moment, feeling like the last sane person left on an asylum ward.
• How in the hell did it ever get this bad?
• This daily torment, this cruel, endless cycle of humiliation and anguish that had become my life - when did I become such an easy goddamn target for the Brittany's of the world to take their frustrations out on?
• I didn't even have the energy left to cry anymore.
• The tears came far too frequently these days, each fresh wave of emotional agony leaving me more and more hollowed out inside.
• What few teardrops I had remaining were reserved for the moments I was utterly alone, when I could finally let the full, crushing weight of my desolation crash over me in peace.
• The loud trill of the warning bell cut through the heavy silence, jolting me out of my misery spiral.
• I straightened up with a shuddering sigh, squaring my shoulders as I mentally prepared to brave another endless day in this unrelenting hell.
• Just keep your head down, Lucy, I told myself firmly.