10
As I was wheeled into the operating room, the anesthesia took hold, pulling me into a dream of memories.
At sixteen, through sheer effort, I made it into one of the best high schools in the country, the same school as Nora, Declan, and the boy I loved.
That’s when my nightmare began.
I never understood why Nora enjoyed bullying me so much.
She and her friends would stick chewed gum in my hair and throw used sanitary pads into my backpack.
They’d trip me as I walked by and dump dirty water over my head in the restroom. I resisted, and the teachers knew, but nothing changed.
One day, suffering from period cramps, I tried to take some painkillers, but Nora snatched them away, demanding I kneel for them.
I gritted my teeth, fearing I might give in, as waves of pain crashed over me. My classmates were betting on how long I could hold out.
Seeing their red hundred–dollar bets scattered on the table, I couldn’t hold back my tears.
Suddenly, someone leaned against my desk, casting a shadow over me.
He picked up the money, counted it, and smirked, “Not bad, consider it a tribute to your grandpa.”
Watching him pocket the money, no one dared utter a word. He gestured for Nora to hand over the meds, his smile icy.
“The meds, hand them over. This little sick duck is under my protection now. She’s with me. Anyone messes with her, they deal with me. Got
it?”
He was Declan’s notorious brother, always causing trouble, never learning.
I hadn’t liked him before, but today, he stood up for me.
I figured it was because he often came home bruised from fights, and the adults never asked why, only punished him.
Only my mom secretly cared, tending to his wounds.
724 PM
<
It seemed he was repaying her kindness.
From then on, this little sick duck had a loyal protector.
When the anesthesia wore off, Aunt Hazel was holding my hand, tears streaming down her face,
Lasked why she was crying.
She said I’d been talking in my sleep for a long time.
“Where did the boy you loved go?” she asked,
I looked at the high rooftop outside and closed my eyes, whispering, “He… he flew away with the wind:”
