Belonging to Lust

Chapter 81: False Sense of Security

The next following week at school everything seemed oddly…offbeat. It was like Zaiyia stepped into an alternate reality where her drama-filled life at school wondrously became drama-free overnight. She treaded through the halls and sat in her classroom without ANYONE calling her a single name or muttering rumors about her underneath their breaths thinking she couldn’t hear them. It was insane! Her name was never sputtered once, and no one acknowledged her existence except her friends and Alan. This dramatic change from violence to serenity was making Zaiyia wondered if she was suffering through some kind of hallucination that made her envision all those fights she’s been in from the very beginning. How does the whole entire school go from despising her and making her public enemy #1 to leaving her alone in peace? That stuff doesn’t happen.

“Okay…this is just too fucking strange for me to swallow right now.” Zaiyia referenced to Chasity that Tuesday morning as they made their way to their classes that were next door to each other. “One minute these motherfuckers want me dead and the next minute they’re acting like I’m a fucking ghost that they can’t see!?”

“As nice and peaceful as this all is, I can’t help but to agree with you.” Chasity admitted restlessly, her eyes also darting along the many other students making their way to their classes. “I mean yeah, this is all that I’ve wanted for you and more, Zaiyia, but…this is just too sudden and unexplainable. It’s feels all…wrong, like something really bad is about to happen.”

Zaiyia nodded in agreement. “And you’re exactly right about that, girl. There’s no way they’d randomly drop their blood thirsty vengeance against me and pretend I don’t exist. No, these motherfuckers are up to something for sure. The more crucial question now is, what?”

“God, I don’t know!” Chasity griped with unease before turning her eyes desperately to Zaiyia to plea. “But I still think we should go and talk to the Principal about this! Please, Zaiyia, it’s the right thing to do!”

“For the last time, Chasity, I’ll be fine!” Zaiyia assured her rather firmly, annoyed that she kept bringing Principal Quinn up. “I’ll handle this shit on my own. I don’t need anyone else’s help.”

Chasity immediately switched from despair to resentment as she rolled her eyes. “Oh my god, you’re being so fucking stupid right now just playing with your life like it doesn’t mean anything all of a sudden!”

Zaiyia ignored her hurtful remark but shrugged at the stupidity part. “I’d probably agree with you too, sweetie, if I wasn’t currently suffering from the world’s biggest heartbreak to give a shit.”

Chasity frowned in concern at her confession and reached out to place a hand on Zaiyia’s arm, so she could obtain her attention again. “Hold on, who exactly broke your heart? You’ve never told me.”

“It doesn’t matter anymore.” Zaiyia sighed, pulling away to continue their journey to class. “It’s over.” She was glad that Chasity didn’t choose to pursue for the answer after that and instead walked with her until they detached to attend their classes.

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By Wednesday afternoon, Zaiyia was heading down the hallway towards the gymnasium for her Science Class. For some reason, the teacher decided that class would be held outside the school building, and so Zaiyia decided to make her walk short by cutting through the gymnasium. At the end of the huge room were several double doors that led outside to the basketball court, the football field and the track where the Science class was held. She was roaming along, minding her own business when she heard footsteps pitter pattering up behind her just as her hand reached out to one of the gym’s doors.

“ZAIYIA!” A voice shouted out to her from behind in a tone that sounded filled with dread and hysteria.

Tensing up before twisting around, Zaiyia saw Monique McCoy headed her way down the hall in a rapid pace. “Monique? What is it?” She called back to her, moving away from the double doors that led into the gym to retrace her steps. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

Monique slowed down to a stop before her and bent over a bit to catch her breath as she panted out her reason for hunting her down. “Don’t…go…in there!”

“In the gymnasium?” Zaiyia asked her curiously as she placed a comforting hand on her back. “Why? What’s going on?”

Monique straightened herself back up when she caught her air and placed her hands on her hips. “I heard a rumor in the bathroom while I was doing my business and shit. A couple of girls were whispering amongst each other not knowing I was even in there.” She nods towards the metal double doors that led into the ominous gym. “They said that a bunch of kids are planning to jump you today in the gym which is literally why no one has been going in there all day long AND why no one has been fucking with you for the past two days to leave your ass feeling like you were on some false sense of security shit!”

“Really!? Are you serious right now?” Zaiyia was completely shocked. Not because her haters did indeed have a dastardly plan for her after all, but actually because they planned on attacking her in the gymnasium of all places. The gym was a huge place to fight! Why would one or two girls try and fight her in a big old room where it would be strenuous to catch her in?

“I’m SO fucking serious right now, Zaiyia.” Monique assured her. “What you were about to walk into was basically the locker room fight all over again except in a gymnasium.”

The Locker room fight. The one that started it all. The one that did the most damage. And now it was about to happen again, but in a large open room where she’d be able to see all her opponents at once unlike the locker room where there were plenty of hiding places to calculate a surprise attack on her. Zaiyia shook her head as her brown eyes turned to stare at the gym door. Was she really going to go in there knowing what had happened to her before can happen again? Or would she walk away? Well, of course she’s going in! This was the kind of beatdown Zaiyia’s been needing, and finally it’s here! Beyond those doors was a great world of pain that would distract her from the pain in her heart. Perhaps with her hater’s help they’ll beat her ass up so good her heart will resurrect itself from the death. Walking around every day with a broken heart that wouldn’t mend itself was the worst pain Zaiyia has ever suffered with, and she no longer wanted to be tormented by it. With her mind made up, she turned her eyes to a fearful Monique and gestured with a nod towards the hall behind her. “You better go.”

“Wait, what?” Monique exclaimed, stunned that Zaiyia seemed to not care that there was a group of girls in the gymnasium waiting to jump her, and was still planning on stepping inside anyway.

Zaiyia pointed a stern finger over Monique’s shoulder. “I said you need to get the hell out of here and get back to class or you’ll be late!” Without another word, she turned to shove open the gym door and step inside, sealing her fate. She listened as the door closed loudly behind her as she stared across the gym to her left at the group of girls that she cussed out in the cafeteria some time ago. There were about 7 young hating ladies waiting for her and in each of their hands was a sports equipment of their choosing. The sight of Grace Duke, Karen Shrader, Rose Roberts, Catherine Lourd, Celeste Hosterman, Jocelyn Carter, and Michelle Seyfriend waiting for her wasn’t all that intimidating to Zaiyia, but their choice of baseball bats, tennis rackets, and hockey sticks were. A chill ran up her spine at the sight of those familiar weapons, her eyes slightly widening a bit. This fight was something she desired back when she was standing on the other side of the gym door, but now that she was inside the gymnasium sizing up her competition she was feeling a bit anxious about what she walked into. Oh no, the option of running back out wasn’t going to happen now. Zaiyia wasn’t about to run from this fight with her tail between her legs. No, now that she was in there she had to see this fight through.

The sound of one of the gym doors opening and closing echoed throughout the gym behind Zaiyia, making her believe that another one of her haters was joining in on the fun or maybe the ever-elusive Alice White herself. Shooting a glare over her shoulder at enemy #8, her eyes widened when she saw Monique walking over until she stood right by her side, facing her opponents with her. Zaiyia almost couldn’t believe it and leaned over to hiss at her friend. “What the fuck are you doing here, Monique!?”

“I’m not letting you face these assholes alone!” Monique answered back in a firm but shaky voice. She was unsure of herself and what she was doing inserting herself in Zaiyia’s drama, but in a short time she’s become good friends with her and didn’t want to see her get hurt without trying to save her. She was certain Zaiyia would do the same for her in a heartbeat.

“You need to leave, Monique, NOW!” Zaiyia seethed, her eyes only on the ally at her side.

“Not a chance!” Monique argued, her hands tightening into fists at her side as she scanned the many familiar faces that were her classmates. Some she knew more personally than others and was saddened to see them here bullying her friend. They were better than that.

“This is my battle!” Zaiyia reminded her earnestly. “Can’t you guys understand I need to fight this alone?!”

Monique finally looked at her long enough to shoot her a glare. “Well you should have thought about that shit before we started hanging out! Now look what you did!”

Zaiyia was about to counter back when Catherine stepped forward patting the tip of the bat against her open palm. “Enough talking! We’re gonna beat your ass, Zaiyia Halifax, AND your nosy little friend here.”

“Hey, hey hey, wait a goddamn minute!” For the first time ever, Zaiyia desperately raised both of her hands up in peace and stepped forward to plea for Monique’s mercy. “My friend isn’t a part of this whatsoever! This between you and me, okay?”

“Fuck that!” Monique argued back as she too stepped forward to once again stand by Zaiyia’s side. “You bitches want a motherfucking fight? Then bring it the fuck on!”

“Oh, we will.” Celeste assured them with a sinister smile.