Now It's My Time to Strike Back

My feet felt like lead as we walked to Ms. Thorne’s office. I didn’t know what to think anymore. Jake obviously wasn’t on my side and it appears he never will be anymore. The recent events caused me to be even more confused. Who would target Vic and I? I couldn’t figure it out for the life of me just as something brought me out of my thoughts.

I felt a hand on mine and looked seeing Nick staring at me with just as much concern. I could only give a small smile in return to him. Once we reached the Dorm Advisor Building, Ms. Thorne didn’t hesitate with speaking to the secretary at the front desk.

“Don’t allow anyone to disturb me for the next hour. Victoria Sanchez should be arriving shortly. When she arrives, tell her to come into my office,” she said in a stern tone.

“Y-yes, ma’am,” the woman stammered also taken aback by Ms. Thorne’s sternness.

She briskly walked past the front desk, then held the first door open that led to her office. No one spoke and we proceeded until we were finally in front of her desk. She took a seat in her chair and I sat down in one of the chairs while Nick and Jake stood. Jake stood to the far right Ms. Thorne’s desk while Nick stood a little to my left.

Ms. Thorne opened her laptop and pulled out a notepad and pen from her desk. She scribbled some things onto the pad I couldn’t read as the nerves started getting the better of me. I began fidgeting my hands out of habit, but stopped when I felt Nick’s hand on my left shoulder. He gave me a reassuring look which calmed me.

“I’m sorry. What are we waiting for?” Jake asked in a bored tone.

Ms. Thorne shot him a look so angry that even I became nervous for Jake. Jake straightened his posture and bit his bottom lip knowing his words had gotten him in worse trouble now more than ever. However, she didn’t bother answering him. We sat for what seemed like hours even though it was probably closer to 15 minutes when her door opened revealing Vic. Her hair was in a high ponytail and she was dressed in a uniform, her bag on her shoulder. She sat in the chair opposite to mine avoiding eye contact with me.

“This is how we’re handling this. I’m going to ask this only once,” Ms. Thorne began staring at each of us starting with Nick, then me, followed by Vic, then Jake, “do any of you know who is responsible for any of this?” She asked in a stern tone.

We all shook our heads causing her to sigh.

“One of you has to know who is behind this,” she tried her volume louder than the previous time.

None of us spoke. I didn’t want to get Ms. Thorne involved in what was going on with the matter, but I knew neither Nick nor I had an idea who was the culprit.

“Why would someone target the four of you? And only the four of you?” She asked in a more calm tone, her eyes softening slightly.

I knew Ms. Thorne cared greatly about her students which made me even more ashamed. Maybe I shouldn’t have anything to do with Nick. Should I change schools? But wouldn’t that cause more problems than it would solve? Again, my thoughts were interrupted, this time by Vic.

“I don’t know, Principal Thorne. I thought Rose and I buried the hatchet about Nick, but I’m not sure anymore,” Vic said in a shaky tone as though she were about to cry still not looking at me.

“What? Something about Jonas? Was everything in the article true?” Ms. Thorne inquired looking from me to Vic and back again.

I bit my lip as anger began to fill me and I couldn’t hold it back any longer.

“No, Ms. Thorne. It wasn’t true,” I got out glaring at Vic now.

“Rose-,” Nick began, but was cut off.

“No, Nick. Let Rose speak,” Ms. Thorne interjected her gaze now on me.

I tore my eyes from Vic and looked at the others in the room before staring back at Ms. Thorne.

“Nick and I dated last year, but broke up after a few months,” I began causing Nick to look to the side, “then he and Vic started dating also for only a few months, then they broke up. Nick and I got back together only recently. As for Jake and I, we went on one date a month or so ago, but we haven’t spoken since. We aren’t even friends anymore,” I concluded staring now at Jake whom wore an expression with mixed emotions in his eyes.

“So, let me get this straight. You two dated the same guy, but at different times. Jake is involved only because you went on a date with him once and you two aren’t talking to one another? I can see how you two would have conflict, but not how you and Jake aren’t friends anymore. And why would there be an article on the school forum about any of this true or otherwise?” Ms. Thorne asked in confusion rubbing her temples from the mess.

“That’s the thing,” Nick began catching me off guard, “Rose and I don’t know. We only found out about it this morning. Jake and I don’t get along because we both liked Rose. Prior to over the summer, she and Jake weren’t friends for at least a year. It’s a long story, but basically out of all of this mess, we think someone close to us is doing this,” he concluded staring at Vic.

Vic shifted in her seat at Nick’s words causing Jake to get upset.

“So you’re saying it’s Vic’s fault, Jonas?” Jake asked incredulously.

Vic sobbed at the situation and a part of me felt bad, while another part didn’t. I didn’t understand why.

“No one said it was Vic, but based on some of the things she’s done, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was her,” Nick answered in a slightly angry tone, clenching his hand into a fist.

I knew Nick wanted to punch Jake and once again, I couldn’t help but question what was going on. Why was Jake defending Vic?

“Whatever happened doesn’t matter anymore,” Ms. Thorne said giving Nick and Jake a look that basically warned them not to argue or fight in her office.

“The article will be taken down. I’ll call a janitor to remove the graffiti off of Vic’s door. If anything else happens, I’ll have to take disciplinary action against Rose and against you two if you fight again,” she said to me, then Nick and Jake.

No one rejected her words causing her to speak again for a final time.

“Alright,” she began as she scribbled some words onto the notepad, “you four head to class and don’t alter your course. And Vic, if anything else happens, please alert me immediately,” she concluded staring at Vic.

Vic nodded in response. She continued writing on the notepad for a couple of more minutes, then pulled out blank passes, filling them out one for each of us to excuse us for being late to class. We took them as she gave them out to us and exited the room.

Confusion filled me now more than any other time. What in the world was going on? Vic was being targeted by the graffiti on her door and more strife was caused between Jake and Nick by the article written on the school’s forum for crying out loud! My eyes glanced at Vic briefly as the four of us headed to the Academic Building in silence.

My mind began to suspect further that it was Vic, but why? Why would she do this? She could even get expelled by doing something like well-everything she’s done so far. If only the school knew the truth about everything including freshman year, but I wouldn’t want everyone to know about that, either.

The more I pondered the matter, the more confused I became. It was Nick’s voice that brought me out of my thoughts feet from the door to English IV, his hand on my arm to stop me.

“You okay?” he asked, his brown eyes searching my own.

My eyes shifted briefly not knowing how to answer him with Vic and Jake close to the door than us, but still within earshot if we spoke at a normal volume.

“Honestly, I’m not sure,” I answered honestly.

Before I could add anything else, Nick embraced me in a hug I very much needed. His cologne filled my nose as I relaxed in his arms.

“I love you, Rose. We’ll get through this, OK?” he said pulling away from me at the end.

A small smile formed on my lips and I nodded, giving him a peck on the lips.

“Are you two done yet?” Jake asked with a glare earning an eye roll from me.

Vic stood awkwardly hugging herself and avoided looking in our direction.

“We’re coming. Sorry,” Nick replied quickly before I could even speak.

Needless to say, that was the beginning of an even more confusing time of my life.

~~~

-Some time later-

I informed Mel, Megan, and Mark what happened in Mrs. Thorne’s office during lunch. By this point, I was in fourth period for Team Sports and had endured nearly an entire day of stares and whispers. I became almost afraid to volunteer to do anything my previous classes. A ball hit me on my arm as we were playing basketball for the day being separated by the boys.

“Hey!” Mel’s voice rung as she glared at one of Vic’s bimbos who had the same class.

“She’s the one not paying attention!” the girl responded with an eye roll.

“Oh, I’ll give you something to pay attention to!” Mel exclaimed storming over to her, but I stopped her.

“Mel! Mel! Don’t!” I got out using all of my strength to stop my best from whom was constantly getting out of my grasp.

A frustrated sound escaped Mel just as Coach Strong’s whistle blew.

“We got a problem, Parker?” he asked in a stern tone.

Mel opened her mouth to speak, but I cut across her.

“Nope! Not a problem at all, coach! Mel’s just upset over the score so far,” I lied, plastering a fake smile on my lips.

“Oh. OK, then! That’s the passion I want to see, girls!” he replied with a smile obviously caring more about our interest in the game than what was actually going on.

Class resumed, but Mel stormed off to the locker room just as the bell rang. I had to fast-walk to keep up with her.

“I’m just sick of these fake bitches!” she exclaimed once we entered the locker room.

“Mel,” I said in a worried tone not wanting her to get in any more trouble.

“What? My best friend is targeted by someone I don’t know and her bitch of a sister’s friends are physically attacking her and I can’t do anything about it!” she rambled angrily.

I understood how Mel felt completely.

“I know, Mel and I appreciate it. But they don’t matter. What matters is making sure none of us allow our emotions to control our actions and instead get to the bottom of what the hell is going on,” I stressed sitting on the bench in front of my gym locker.

Mel took a deep breath to calm herself before responding.

“You’re right. I-I just feel so helpless like I can’t do anything to help and the whole situation just makes me so angry,” she confessed not caring who was around any more and plopped down beside me.

“You do much more than you think for me,” I admitted earning a shocked look from her just as it turned to skepticism.

“Yeah right,” she scoffed playfully shoving me, “Let’s get changed so we can get out of here.”

I nodded and proceeded to change following my best friend out of the room to tackle on the rest of the day.