I started to walk away, toward a small table in the far corner of the hall. It was away from everyone else, it was just big enough for two or three people, and it was in the most tucked away part of the hall… it was perfect for someone who didn’t belong. I would likely have made it all the way if someone hadn’t grabbed my wrist and forcibly anchored themselves.

I glanced back over my shoulder, and Kim was right there. A look of determination and frustration covered her features, her eyes burned with something fierce, her shoulders were set, and if I hadn’t felt the tremor in her hand, I would have totally missed the fact that she was shaking.

“We need our leader to discuss what we’re going to do. You don’t get to walk away this time. Let’s see what the pantry has and get some food in our systems. People will have more level heads once they’ve eaten.” She said, squeezing my hand and gently pulling me back toward the team.

A part of me wanted to jump on her about how she’s been stringing me along like an idiot, waiting for the right time make it hurt the most for me. Another part of me said she was right, that we needed to stay together right now and work things out. This is why I don’t like popular kids, they always find a way to make us losers seem like we’re in the wrong.

The team got up and gathered around us, with Brittany trailing behind the rest, looking… I’d almost say distraught? Like she was hurting emotionally, but I couldn’t figure out if it was because I called her out for her behaviour or if someone else had said something. Whatever the case, I didn’t feel like wasting my time figuring it out. There was way too much going on that I needed to pin down to save my chances at victory.

We went back to the counter that we figured would have the food, looked around for a door to the pantry, but the most we found was a vending machine like thing. Listed on the machine was a bunch of foods ranging from traditional breakfasts and dinners to things that you wouldn’t see in the average American home, or at least not here in Washington. I let the girls try pressing a button, and out came a ticket. We then took the ticket over toward the counter where we found a hole that looked like it was for taking the ticket.

After we slid the ticket into the receptacle, we were given a show on the back wall that demonstrated how a cook would make it, and then the counter opened a sliding compartment and the food slid out onto the counter. It took all of about five minutes, so I wouldn’t call it a great thing if you’re in a hurry, but it was novel. I instructed my team to get themselves started and then told Jasmine, who had accepted the plate of curried chicken from the counter, to go find a table for everyone.

“Hey look, it’s Ms. Piggy! Oh, wait, it’s just Jace. How could I ever mix the two up? One at least has a backbone.” came a shout from the door moments after I had gotten my team going on getting their things.

I froze, I knew this was just the beginning of the mocking. I knew if I said anything I would just make it worse. Worst of all, I knew if I did nothing, it would just provoke escalation.

“Trust a fatass to be the first person to show for food, right? He probably smelled something and forced his team to get in here so he could eat it all before the rest of us got any. Talk about a nasty waste of space, am I right?”

I clenched my fist, trying to stop the shaking that I knew was coming. If I could just ride it out, then he would get tired of it. No reaction just means he’ll do something dumb and then leave me alone. I just have to put up with it a little longer.

He must have walked closer, because his next words seemed to be from right behind me.

“What’s wrong, mouth too full to respond? You know, you could lose some weight if you weren’t such a pig. Come on, why don’t you squeal for us? Show us what you’re really like. A dumb, fat, garbage eating animal.”

I’ll be honest, I expected something, but not the kick to the back of my legs that forced me down to all fours. “Squeal for me, pig boy. I’m waiting!”

I kept my mouth shut, curled my fingers in to fists, and tried to just brace myself for whatever was coming. Unfortunately, taking a kick to the side and a half dozen more to my stomach when I fell over isn’t something I was braced for. The shouts of “squeal, pig” and the continued assault to my exposed body parts were all I could focus on for what felt like forever. And then it stopped all at once.

I heard shouts of “how do you like it” and “feels really good, huh” from somewhere nearby, but I kept my eyes tightly closed and assumed the fetal position in case it was a ruse. The jocks weren’t really smart, but pretending to let up and then piling on worse was something I knew they were capable of.

I felt a hand on my arm, and I flinched. They were going to drag me up and keep beating on me. I knew it, I just did. But the hand didn’t grip my wrist, it just rubbed my arm gently.

“It’s okay. They’re not going to hurt you anymore. They ran away. You can open your eyes now.”

I slowly opened one eye, peeking through my arms just enough to see who was talking to me. I saw a cascade of blonde hair shrouding two bright green eyes. The hand moved to my upper arm and rubbed it as if to reassure me. “It’s me, it’s Kim. Come on, enough time on the floor. Can’t be a glorious leader if you stay there in a ball on the floor.”

I hauled myself up, half expecting someone else to jump in and start wailing on me when I was partway up. But the hits never came. And I was able to stand up, look around, and I didn’t see Michael anywhere. I didn’t see any of his jock buddies either, but I did see a crowd gathered around where everything had taken place. I saw the looks of pity, of shock, of disdain. It felt like the crowd grew into giants and were laughing at me, whispering about how much they hated me, how much they would be better off without me… so I ran. I didn’t think, I didn’t look back, I just ran away from the faces and the looks.