Colors of the Heart

The sound of metal slamming shut and gossip filled the hallways during passing periods. Everyone was buzzing about something, but I like to avoid unnecessary gossip when I can. I don’t understand why people are so fascinated in others lives’ then again those at PEOPLE magazine would be out of a job. I reach my locker and try to put my combination in while ignoring the chattering sodas and a few deserters. It’s funny how my locker is the border line that can step into the land of the populars and the land of the rebels. I don’t belong to either side because if I’m ever dragged into an argument I don’t need to worry about what side to take and who is waiting for me in the bathroom. I’m neutral, but Liza keeps telling me to join the rebels because unlike some people they know how to defend their own instead of throwing them to the dogs if cornered. Still I don’t like to get involved with others unless it’s absolutely necessary. I open my locker and reach in to grab some books from the library, my history book, and of course lunch. I stuff my books in my messenger bag and reach back in my locker for my lunch when my locker closes on my hand. I don’t scream but I did yelp and turn to the soda pop that fell against my locker. She was a red head that is in health class with me, Abby or something. She got off my locker and started laughing as she was merging back in with her group.

“You guys don’t push me over to loserville.” She said laughing with her fellow pop tops. I open my locker and notice my hand been sliced by the metal.

“Damn” I muttered under my breath.

“Hey! Dumbass” a girl in ripped jeans and a tight shirt yelled at Abby, but she didn’t turn around. “Yo bitch with the red hair I’m talking to you” the girl yelled and walked over to pull Abby’s hair. Abby quickly turned around and faced the girl.

“Who the hell are you calling bitch, bitch?” Abby yelled

“The dumbass girl that I’m looking at” ripped jeans said taking a step forward.

“Don’t you call me ‘bitch’” Abby said as she got in the girl’s face.

“How about retard?” the ripped jeans girl yelled and reached for me lifting up my bleeding hand “Look at what you did.”

“And?”

“I want to here an apology. You sliced her hand without saying sorry”

“I did not cut her hand, and besides it’s a small cut. It’s nothing” Abby shrugged her shoulders brushing the jeans girl off.

“Then how about we cut you the same size as her” a boy said from behind me.

“Dennis, no” The girl holding me said.

“Don’t you dare threaten me” Abby said as she slapped ripped jeans across the face. Right then the hallway went silent and everyone turned to our little chaos show. The girl holding me smirked and then let go of me as she jumped at Abby taking her down.

“Kat!” Two boys yelled as they tried to pull her off of Abby. Still Kat wouldn’t let Abby go. Kat held Abby’s hair in her fist and Abby started screaming.

“Shut the hell up” Kat yelled as she slapped Abby across the face. Then the two boys picked up Kat but she still wouldn’t let Abby go. “Get the hell off me!” she yells

“Let go you reject!” Abby yelled as she began clawing at Kat’s hands.

“Not without an apology!”

“Damn it Kat let go of her!” the guy holding her yelled

“Wait Kat? Katherine McCay?” a boy in the pop tops group asked “Aren’t you that lesbo?” and just like that a full scale fight broke out when a guy punch that other guy’s face in. This must have been the first time I’ve seen the two groups together, but it wasn’t for long. A fist flew my way and then it was lights out.

“What the hell happened?! Kat” a voice said as I tried to regain conscious. “Why does she look dead?”

“Damn jackasses” said a voice that sounded like Kat.

“Our Kitty has claws” said a guy

“Well so did that bitch! Look at my hand! Her nails marked me up like Freddy Fucking Krueger!”

My eyes felt heavy as I tried to open them and my head felt like it was gonna to split open. “Hurts” I said sounding like an idiot.

“Emma? Are you awake?” I tried to open my eyes again and a blurry version of Liza was looming over me “My darling you’re awake!” Liza said and quickly hugged me. “I was so worried after I heard those ugly brainless mannequins attacked you.”

“She isn’t the only one injured L” a guy with a black eye said

“She didn’t jump into a pit of jocks throwing her fists around like a maniac Dennis” Kat said looking pissed as she stared at her hand “She was the victim from beginning to end and I wasn’t gonna let no two face bitch get away with hurting someone without apologizing for it” she the turned to me and smiled “Besides I’ve been itching for a fight with that girl for a while you also let me blow off some steam.” I glanced at her hand and I guess she notice because she held it up in my direction “I consider this my warrior’s wound.” Then she reached into her pocket and her smile widen “And this is my trophy” she said holding some hair in her hand.

“Damn Kat you got her hair” Liza said as she inspected the red strands of DNA.
“Yup” Kat said.

“I didn’t get anything” Dennis pouted

“You got one hell of a shiner there idiot. Besides in a fight like that you’re lucky you came out of there with the ability to still have kids.” Kat said as she stuck the hair back in her pocket.

“Yeah some of those guys aim below the belt”

“Yeah well I know that very well” a guy on the bed next to Dennis said “My balls are killing me”

“Not to be rude or anything, but who are you anyways?” Dennis ask

“Hopefully someone who can have kids someday” the guy said and then he sat up and I notice his blonde hair and Liza leaned on me. I guess she was also taken by his looks and needed support. “But name wise I’m Devin Harte. I just transferred here today, and I one hell of a welcoming.” He said as he chuckled.

“Well if you can take a blow to the balls and still not go down in fight then you are a friend of mine.” Dennis said as he hit Devin on the back.

“Yeah well what was that fight all about for anyways? All I did was walk by and suddenly got pulled in by some dick. He tried to punch me and when he missed he kneed me in the balls.”

“That red head bitch sliced L’s Emma” Kat said as she walked over and held up my bandage hand. “That red head wouldn’t even apologize for it and it pissed me off”

“Don’t forget she slapped you” Dennis said

“That’s your fault for threatening her” Kat snapped

“Then what about that guy? You know I can’t stand comments like that!” Dennis yelled as he stood up and Kat fell silent and let go of me. “I know you don’t care what they say but I do. You’re my friend and I hate it when they bad mouth you.”

“Drop it Dennis” Liza said “I’ll talk with Kat later. It’s better when it’s just girls” she said as she stepped in front of Kat sizing Dennis up.

“Fine” Dennis said and he sat back down when Matt burst through the door.

“Ah looks like you finally heard what happened” Liza said sarcastically.

“Yeah no thanks to you” He said to Liza looking pissed and then quickly coming next to me “Is your hand the only thing that was hurt? How’s your head? Do you feel hungry? I can go get something if you are” he said frantically.

“She is fine pup” Kat said as she took a seat next to me.”But I wonder about that red head”

“I guess you didn’t hear then” Matt said

“What?” Dennis and Kat said in unison

“Those guys are in Swan’s office and so are some parents. It doesn’t look good for them”

“Serves them right” Dennis said looking victorious

“But I doubt we’re in the clear, D. It won’t be long until they come after our asses” Kat said when the nurse came in.

“Emma” the nurse said as she approached me “I was just on the phone with your parents they said you should go home and later they will take you to the doctors.”

“Oh well okay”

“Do you drive, Emma?” the nurse asked

“I’ll drive her” Liza said “I’ll just sign out at Swan’s”

“I don’t think you can” the nurse said

“Well then I’ll just risk a detention” She said to the nurse and turned to me “We’ll just go to the office and sign out”

“But what about my books for homework?” I asked

“Matt knows your combo he’ll just get your assignments and grab your books after school, right?”

“Yeah no problem” Matt said.

“Fine” I said as I got up “Let’s get going then”

“Since you two are going notify your teachers saying that you left” the nurse said and then she left.

“How you get better Emma” Kat said

“If you ever have any other problems just call us, Em” Dennis said with a smile

“Bye Emma” Devin said with a nod

When Liza, Matt, and I got to the hallway Matt with a quick salute and a see you later ran off to his next class. As we walk through the hall people whispered around us and I was the new hot topic. I’m usually the ghost in the hall but now it felt as if everyone was looking at me. I never liked being in the spot light and here I am with the school watching me. I wish I could disappear but God wasn’t merciful when the last person in the world walked up to me.

“Emma” Anthony said looking confused. Damn, Why him?

“Excuse me you’re in the way” Liza said looking pissed

“Sorry, but I’m talking to Emma not you Stanley” he said to Liza. “Hey is it true you got into a fight?” I didn’t answer “Hey Emma”

“That’s enough talking for today” Liza stepped in front of me “We’re leaving” Liza grabbed my good hand and began walking away when Anthony grabbed my bandage hand and I winced. He let go looked at my hand and then back at me.

“What happened?” he asked

“Ask your friends” Liza said and quickly pulled me away as we weaved around people to get to Swan’s office. Once we got inside Liza started signing us out when I noticed Abby and a few other people sitting outside Swan’s door. She noticed me and stuck up her middle finger at me, but it looked kind of sad since she looked trashed. Liza glanced at Abby and walked over to her and said something that made Abby look grim. I couldn’t hear but it seems it wasn’t something pleasant and just when I was about to go over where she was Zack walked into the office.

“Damn what happened to you Emma?” he asked as he looked at my hand. “Don’t tell you’re the nerd that got into a fight”

“Nerd?”

“Well” he said nervously “Everyone been saying that some nerd got hurt and the outcasts picked a fight with the jocks because of it. Apparently it sounds like you have some pretty strong friends, Emma” he said looking at the guilty battered party sitting by Swan’s door. “Are those the guys?”

“Yeah” I said looking at them. Most of them I recognized from when I was with Anthony. I looked down the line and noticed Liza was coming back.

“Do I know you?” Liza asked Zack.

“Liza it’s Zack from chemistry, remember? He transferred in yesterday” I said

“Oh yeah now I remember” she said with a smile “Nice to see you, but I need to get this one home”

“Oh” Zack said “Hope everything’s fine” he said as we left the office and made our way out of school.

“You know what, Em?”

“What?”I asked as we made our way to her car.

“I like that guy”

“Zack? But he isn’t your type”

“I never said it was for me” she said as she unlocked the SUV and got in. After that she changed the conversation all the way home. I didn’t really care about what she was saying because my mind kept drifting off to Devin and his blonde hair that almost looked white. Something about that fascinated me like the time when I was fascinated with Anthony and his refreshing look on life. Now that I think about it Anthony lost that look, well, at least to me. Now he looks dirty and cheap and I hate him. Still I don’t know why he looked concerned about me in the hall. That was the first time he talked to me ever since we broke up about a year ago.

“Hey Emma we’re here” Liza said pulling me away from my thoughts.

“Thanks Liza” I said as I undid my seat belt and opened the door.

“No problem. Just call me after you’re done with the Doc okay? I’ll be back with Matt after school lets out.”

“Yeah. See you later then” I got out of the car and waved to Liza as she pulled out of the driveway and drove away.