You Get What You Deserve

In what seemed like an age, I saw them turn around. Even from this distance, I could see the rage in their faces; and the happiness in hers. I couldn’t help it anymore; I called out.

“FRED! GEORGE!” I managed to yell, before Chase dug his nails into my back further.

I cringed. In an instant, they were hurtling my way. I felt a flood of relief as I saw them growing clearer and clearer by the second. Even though I could still feel the sharp, piercing pain in my back, I knew it would be OK. Fred and George would be here in any second. They’d be here again. They’d be able to hold me like they had during the holidays.

“GET – AWAY – FROM – HER!” George bellowed, as they finally reached me.

Fred pulled him off me, and George pulled me close to him. Fred pushed Chase up to a nearby tree, pinning him there. Every ounce of strength, or confidence, or whatever it was that had been in Chase before, had totally disappeared.

“I am going to hurt you so bad,” I heard Fred hiss to Chase, “that you’ll be in hospital for the rest of the year.”

I watched with wide eyes as Fred pulled back his fist steadily. It stayed there for a second, before he shot it straight at Chase’s horrible face. I don’t know what had made the sudden change in him. He had been so nice, so sweet...

“Oh god,” I heard George say, and I felt his finger wipe away a runaway tear. “Please don’t cry.”

“I – I’m not,” I chocked, as I watch Fred pull his fist back again.

I don’t know what made me do it. It must’ve been the good inside me, or something like that. I ran up to the pair of them, and grabbed Fred’s hand. He stopped. I wouldn’t have been strong enough to hold him back, and he could’ve carried on easily. But he didn’t.

“Don’t,” I said, my voice steadier than I thought it would’ve been. “He’s not worth it.”

“If that’s what you want...” Fred said, letting Chase go.

“Mental,” I heard him mutter, before he walked away into Hogsmeade.

“Are you OK?” Fred said, his expressions turning soft.

I nodded, wiping away yet another tear. What is this? I’m not really a person that cries. It must’ve just been the shock of it. Yes, that must be it. I didn’t expect it from him.

“Why did he do it, though?” I said. I didn’t really expect them to reply; how where they to know?

“Ask her,” said George, pointing at Erica, who was strolling casually towards us; a triumphant sort of look on her face.

“You OK there, Samuels?” she said in her bitter-sweet voice.

“What did you do to make Chase attack me?” I hissed, not bothering to beat around the bush.

“Oh, nothing really,” Erica said simply. “Just a simple favour for a sibling.”

A sibling? But no... Surely not.

“A sibling?”

“Oh, didn’t you know? Chase is my sweet, dear little brother. Yes, it was quite simple to make him do what I wanted really,” she said, looking bored. “He has some skeletons in his closet that he doesn’t want shared with everyone else.”

“So, he never really liked me?” I said and I’m almost sure that I sounded stupid.

“Of course not, stupid girl,” Erica spat, glancing me up and down and chuckling slightly.

“But why would you –“

“Because, I wanted you out of the way,” she said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

I didn’t even have to ask. From the moment I had met Erica, she had hated me. It wasn’t for any reason, only the fact that I hung out with Fred and George, and they liked me more than they liked her.

I felt hatred and anger burn through my veins. I wanted to rip her hair out, one by one. I wanted to jinx her with ever jinx, curse her with ever curse. What kind of horrible, selfless person would make someone go through something like this?

But at the same time, I also felt pity. Pity that she felt so jealous of me that she had to do something like this. I didn’t feel upset, like a normal person would. Instead, I could feel a grin spreading across my face.

“You’re lame, you know that?” I said, a slight giggle coming out.

“I’m what?” Erica said an expression of the purest confusion on her face.

“You, Erica Hendricks, are lame. What did you expect to get from this? These two on your arms?” I said, pointing at Fred and George, who were both just as shocked as Erica. “Did you expect me to go cry in a corner for the rest of my life? Well think again. I’m better than that.”

“Stupid girl,” Erica spat again. “One day, you will get what you deserve.”

“Looking forward to it,” I basically sang. “Now, you two, we have some catching up to do. I’ll race you to the Three Broomsticks!”