say. Cadence—she’s deaf.”
Chapter Eight
Cadence
When my mom came home one night last fall, after chaperoning a dance, she had tears in her eyes and I remember wondering who put them there and how hard it would be for me to find them and deal with them.
It’s the way things have always been with us. Even though she’s got my dad and he’s as supportive as they come considering everything he’s got to deal with, I’m super protective of her. She must have seen something in my eyes that night because she quickly went on to tell me exactly why it was she was coming home in tears.
One of her students, Isabelle had gone to the dance and been named Homecoming Queen. I remember thinking that it was pretty cool that someone who had special needs was actually included until she told me what happened next.
This opened her up to telling me about Isabelle’s struggles at school. The way she was picked on, called names and thrown into the girls’ washroom, beaten and burned. Back then, all I could do was watch my mom fall apart over the whole thing, unable to do anything to take her pain away, but also thankful that kind of hatred didn’t take place at my school.
The girls stopping me in the hall, I should have remembered that conversation sooner because if I did, I would have known what was coming for me. Now I’m seeing firsthand what Isabelle had to deal with because it’s happening again.
They don’t say a word as they’re pulling me along, but even if they did, with my eyes focused forward, I wouldn’t have caught their lips moving and been able to tell what was coming for me. Slamming their way into the washroom, everything my mom told me comes back and I understand with crystal clear clarity what is about to happen now.
What they don’t realize about me is I’m stronger than I look. I’ve never been in a situation like this one before, but I have been in enough altercations, stopping other people from getting bullied that I know how to get myself out of it. As much as I hate violence of any kind, if they’re planning on trapping me in here like a caged animal, I’m going to do whatever I have to in order to get away.
The minute my back connects with the wall, I feel the sharp sting up my spine but I don’t allow it to stop me. The minute the blonde grabs for my arm, I pull it up and hit her right in the nose. Bending over, tending to my move, the other two come at me, and soon as the other girls hand comes out close enough, I grab it and not thinking, bend and bite it.
It has the desired effect as she shrieks and backs up and away, leaving me alone with the person that put all of this in motion. It’s just me and Amy now and until the two girls collect themselves enough to come back and help, I plan on doing whatever I can to get out of here.
At least I am until Amy grabs my hair and yanks it. Hard. Twisting me around by the hair so she ends up behind me, all the reaching around I try to do falls short as I can’t get a grip on her. Whether I like it or not, until she lets go of my hair or changes her position, she’s in control and there’s nothing I can do.
Feeling her hands on my shoulders, I try to anticipate what’s coming next, but with too many different things she could do with the way she’s got me, I’m not ready for her as she uses all her strength to push me up against the wall, releasing my hair, spinning me around and laying her hand flat across my chest.
Even with my arms blocked, she hasn’t done anything to block my legs so I start kicking them out but before they can connect she dodges them.
Damnit. I can see the other two starting to move toward me and I know that whatever they’re about to do now is going to be ten times worse because of what I did before they had a chance to start. They’re pissed. I have a minute tops to get myself out of this situation, or things are going to get a whole lot worse.
Amy’s lips start moving and despite not wanting
Chapter Eight
Cadence
When my mom came home one night last fall, after chaperoning a dance, she had tears in her eyes and I remember wondering who put them there and how hard it would be for me to find them and deal with them.
It’s the way things have always been with us. Even though she’s got my dad and he’s as supportive as they come considering everything he’s got to deal with, I’m super protective of her. She must have seen something in my eyes that night because she quickly went on to tell me exactly why it was she was coming home in tears.
One of her students, Isabelle had gone to the dance and been named Homecoming Queen. I remember thinking that it was pretty cool that someone who had special needs was actually included until she told me what happened next.
This opened her up to telling me about Isabelle’s struggles at school. The way she was picked on, called names and thrown into the girls’ washroom, beaten and burned. Back then, all I could do was watch my mom fall apart over the whole thing, unable to do anything to take her pain away, but also thankful that kind of hatred didn’t take place at my school.
The girls stopping me in the hall, I should have remembered that conversation sooner because if I did, I would have known what was coming for me. Now I’m seeing firsthand what Isabelle had to deal with because it’s happening again.
They don’t say a word as they’re pulling me along, but even if they did, with my eyes focused forward, I wouldn’t have caught their lips moving and been able to tell what was coming for me. Slamming their way into the washroom, everything my mom told me comes back and I understand with crystal clear clarity what is about to happen now.
What they don’t realize about me is I’m stronger than I look. I’ve never been in a situation like this one before, but I have been in enough altercations, stopping other people from getting bullied that I know how to get myself out of it. As much as I hate violence of any kind, if they’re planning on trapping me in here like a caged animal, I’m going to do whatever I have to in order to get away.
The minute my back connects with the wall, I feel the sharp sting up my spine but I don’t allow it to stop me. The minute the blonde grabs for my arm, I pull it up and hit her right in the nose. Bending over, tending to my move, the other two come at me, and soon as the other girls hand comes out close enough, I grab it and not thinking, bend and bite it.
It has the desired effect as she shrieks and backs up and away, leaving me alone with the person that put all of this in motion. It’s just me and Amy now and until the two girls collect themselves enough to come back and help, I plan on doing whatever I can to get out of here.
At least I am until Amy grabs my hair and yanks it. Hard. Twisting me around by the hair so she ends up behind me, all the reaching around I try to do falls short as I can’t get a grip on her. Whether I like it or not, until she lets go of my hair or changes her position, she’s in control and there’s nothing I can do.
Feeling her hands on my shoulders, I try to anticipate what’s coming next, but with too many different things she could do with the way she’s got me, I’m not ready for her as she uses all her strength to push me up against the wall, releasing my hair, spinning me around and laying her hand flat across my chest.
Even with my arms blocked, she hasn’t done anything to block my legs so I start kicking them out but before they can connect she dodges them.
Damnit. I can see the other two starting to move toward me and I know that whatever they’re about to do now is going to be ten times worse because of what I did before they had a chance to start. They’re pissed. I have a minute tops to get myself out of this situation, or things are going to get a whole lot worse.
Amy’s lips start moving and despite not wanting
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