I stalked up the stairs of the school, ignoring the eyes that swivelled in my direction, checking me out, whispering soft things into one another's ears. It didn't phase me, not one bit. But I doubt what I did to Damien was still circulating around school.

There's always something else that draws in the attention of these drama hungry teens. And I think I gave them one today.

Today I ditched my knee-length skirts. Why? Because the old Michelle wouldn't dare wear those atrocious nun looking skirts. No, she'd wear something that made her feel confident. Not for the validation of other students but to feel good about herself.

There were no more flats and long skirts and overthrown shirts. Today and for a very long time, it was gonna be heels, a skirt that stopped just below my butt but not short enough that I'd get ridiculed and harassed and finally, a shirt that didn't run down my body as if I were wearing a robe.

I approached my locker, still trying my hardest to ignore the eyes that assessed me as I fished out my binder and slipped my bag inside. At the sound of footsteps approaching me, I turned towards them, thinking it was either Sasha or Mason but instead I was blessed by two vile creatures.

"What do you guys want?" I groaned.

"Who you tryna impress Michelle?" Damien cackled as he stretched his hands out to fist bump Ryder. I chuckled sarcastically and tucked my binder under my arm as I began to strut away from my locker, "no one special, just your dad." I spat.

"My dad doesn't go for sluts." Damien grimaced and I pouted as I outstretched a hand towards him and pinched his cheeks, "your mom says otherwise." I cooed and he glared at me then towards Ryder who fell into full-blown laughter.

I prepared myself to leave but Damien suddenly caught my hand in his and tugged me into an empty classroom. I gasped as he slammed the door shut behind Ryder and slammed me up against the wall, his menacing gaze penetrating through mine.

"What the hell are you doing!?" I cried out and both guys shared a look before Ryder sauntered towards me, cupped his hand over my mouth and smiled, "it's called payback, bitch." He said, a cackle escaping his lips as his eyes bore into mine.

Was that supposed to scare me? What are they gonna do? Beat me up? Assualt me on school grounds? Nah, these guys are more intelligent than this. . .they have to be.

And if they're not.

They're gonna pay.

Ryder released his grip on my mouth and narrowed his eyes at me, "scream and I'll hurt you." He spat and I pursed my lips in a thin line, willing myself to not make a sound.

Not because I was scared.

But I didn't want to draw in attention for what I'm about to do next.

Ryder grabbed onto both of my arms and Damien stared down at me mischievously as he outstretched a hand towards my face. He brushed my cheek lightly and I snapped my head away from it, growling under my breath. "Awe, feisty. Let's see how much of a fight you're gonna put on now." He exclaimed before his hand suddenly fell onto my waistband.

Oh. . .so they aren't that smart.

I see.

Damien tugged at my skirt and slowly his hands made its way towards my zipper. With his eyes still interlocked with mine, he tugged it downwards and down and down until I couldn't take it anymore.

I raised my leg and slammed it into Ryder's knee. He cried out in pain and doubled over which gave me the opportunity to retrieve the switchblade tucked comfortably in my pocket.

I whipped it out and charged towards Ryder who backed away slowly. Before he could react I sent my leg flying towards his crotch and he cried out loudly as he toppled to the ground, his hands cupping his private part.

Ryder shuffled from behind me and I quickly pivoted on my heels, hopped off of one leg and sent the other one barrelling towards his face. There was a loud crunch as he flew back from the impact and slammed onto the floor with a loud humph.

I flicked my switchblade and knelt down beside Damien who still hadn't recovered from the blow to his private part. I pressed the blade under his chin and made sure it punctured his neck as I tilted his head towards me, "listen here you disgusting horny asshole!"

His eyes flickered down to the blade pressed against his skin and he gulped in fear, "next time you and Ryder try to assault me, formulate your plan well. I am not a person to mess with Damien. . .You do not know me and you obviously don't know what I'm capable of doing."

I pressed the knife harder against his neck, watching silently as it drew blood. "What's stopping me from stabbing the shit out of you right now?" I inquired as I cocked my head sideways, my eyes assessing him silently.

Before he could reply the sound of frantic shuffling from behind me caught my attention and I tilted my head towards Ryder who struggled to pull himself onto his feet.

"If you dare touch me Ryder I swear to god I'll stab Damien and I will scream so loudly the entire school will hear me. When they find us, Damien will be dead and I'll say it was self-defence, which leaves you. And where will you be for premeditated sexual assault? Prison, where you won't be able to protect yourself when that bar of soap slips from your grasp."

He paused and lowered his head, a sigh escaping his lips.

I snapped my head back towards Damien and smiled as I withdrew the knife from his neck. "You're lucky I'm a nice girl." I whispered before pulling myself onto my feet and waving them goodbye, "have a nice day boys. Hakunah Matata." I giggled before opening the door and stepping out into the hallway buzzing with teenagers oblivious as to what just happened.

Level one of unleashing the person I feared the most was already accomplished by my father.

Level two was just unleashed by those two idiots and look what I did with it.

No one wants to see level three.

Not even myself.

•••

"Michelle White to the principal's office, Michelle White, principals office." I glanced at the intercom in confusion and snapped my head towards the teacher who motioned towards the door, "you're excused." He said and I sighed as I rose up from my chair and stalked out of the classroom.

What the hell did I do now?

I sauntered down the hallway and for some reason my heart slammed against my chest rapidly as if it were anticipating something bad to happen. I mean. . .something horrible did happen today but what the hell could this possibly be?

I walked into the office and nodded at the secretary who motioned towards the office and sighed, "what did you do now, dearie?" She muttered in disappointment. I pursed my lips in a thin line and knocked on the principal's door.

After a few moments she shouted for me to come in and I slipped inside.

I stopped dead in my tracks at the sight of Damien and Ryder sitting in her office, their eyes narrowed directly at me. But what really surprised me was the police officer who stood beside them, a scowl plastered on his face.

"What's wrong?"

"Michelle, Damien and Ryder have made some allegation about you this afternoon and unfortunately, as much as I hated doing this I had to call the police and your parents." She said and I flickered my eyes towards Damien who peered up at me, a smirk plastered on his face.

"Ryder said that you attacked him for no reason and kicked him in the face. As I can tell there's an obvious bruise on his nose and it might even be broken, Miss White. Damien also stated that you pulled a knife on him and again, there's a bruise under his neck. Do you have anything to say for yourself?" She asked.

"Yes, I did do all that but it was in self-defence!" I cried out, my eyes flickering towards the police officer who folded his arms over his chest, his eyes boring into mine, "from what?" He asked.

"They tried to assault me, Principal Santos. They dragged me into an empty classroom, pinned me against the wall and told me that if I screamed they would hurt me. Ryder pinned my arms above my head and Damien tried to unzip my skirt but I stopped them before the matter could have gotten worse."

She nodded her head and turned towards the police officer whose eyes were now trained onto Damien and Ryder. God these guys are stupid! We live in a society where men and women are constantly stereotyped. As harsh as this may sound it's true and no one will believe that a small girl like me could take down two big guys like them.

And it did happen, and that's what's sad. If it were the other way around I would go off Scott free.

But no, I don't give a shit about society right now. These guys need to pay.

"Do you have any proof of this happening?" She asked and I shook my head slowly, "no, but you have to believe me! Why would I attack these guys for absolutely no reason!? Hell, I don't even know Ryder!"

"Maybe because you were upset that we spread a rumour of you and you couldn't handle the reality of it. Just fess up Michelle, you did it because you hate us," Damien spat.

"Is that true?" The officer asked and I gasped in disbelief as I shook my head frantically, "of course not! Mrs. Santos, you have to believe me!"

She flickered her eyes away from me and even from here I could see tears brimming her eyes. She doesn't believe me? "This was retrieved from your locker, Michelle." She whispered as she dropped my pocket knife onto the table.

I stared down at it in disbelief and shook my head frantically as I snapped my gaze towards them.

"The mark on Damien's neck is obviously from a sharp object being punctured into his skin, Miss White and the bruise on Ryder's nose matches his story. I'm sorry but even if what you are saying is true, all the evidence point to you, there's nothing to back up your story. This is enough evidence to put you behind bars, miss White."

No, I can't go back to juvie, even if it's for a day.

"I'm telling the truth, they tried to rape me!" I sobbed out as my eyes searched the principal's own desperately. Hoping that she would believe me. She shook her head in disapproval before Jotting down something onto a paper. "We're gonna inform your parents about your expulsion, I'm sorry miss White but I warned you last time."

"I'M TELLING THE GODDAMN TRUTH!"

I snapped my head towards Ryder and Damien who sat there silently, their eyes penetrating through mine as they stared at me intently. I clenched my fist tightly as Damien parted his lips and mouthed silently, "paybacks a bitch."

I'll kill them.

I'll fucking kill them.

"Miss White, you have the right to remain silent, anything you say or do will be used against you in the court of law-" his words faded out and all I could hear was the sound of metal clicking against one another as he pulled my hands behind my back and slapped on the cold handcuffs onto my wrists.

I remained silent, still, no sound returned as I was pulled out of the office and into the hallway.

I ignored them, the eyes, the whispers, the visible gasps. They all meant nothing to me as I was tugged down the hallway filled with bodies of students. Tears streamed down my eyes and I lowered my head and fixated my gaze onto the floor.

Watching in slow motion as my tears fell against the tiled floor one by one.

This is what I get for being a victim.

"Oh my god, Michelle!" I snapped my head upwards and cried out in relief as Sasha and Sebastian rushed towards me. Sasha waved her hands frantically, her eyes fixated on my tear-stained face as she gasped, "what the hell is happening!?"

Before I could answer my eyes caught Mason standing at the entrance of the school. At first, he didn't realize the commotion going on around him until someone tapped him against the shoulder and motioned towards me.

When his eyes found mine his smile suddenly fell from his face and he froze. Officer Bill tugged me forward and I sauntered past Mason, our eyes interlocked with one another as I got dragged out of the school.

When I finally stepped out of the school it was as if reality hit him and he began to move again. He rushed behind us, Kaden, Sasha and Sebastian at his side as they shouted protests towards the officer who from here I could see that his name was Bill.

Thank you so much, Bill, for protecting me.

We stopped in front of his car and I tilted my head towards the loud commotion coming from the front of the school. Students upon students flooded the courtyard but all I could see was the worried glances of my friends as they tried to make their way towards me.

"Come on, get in." Officer Bill exclaimed as he unlocked the car. He pushed me down headfirst and I slipped into the police car, a sob escaping my lips.

"Michelle!" I snapped my head towards Mason and gasped softly at the rage visible on his face. It was as if he saw right through me, he looked so blinded by anger I was afraid he's rip off Kaden's head as he held him back. He clenched his fist tightly and narrowed his eyes as he spoke lowly, "who the hell did this, Michelle?"

"Damien and Ryder," I replied, and his eyes darkened as the words escaped my lips. Before I could get another word out the car began to roll away and Mason and the other guys quickly dispersed. I was scared, scared of what he might do.

Scared of what I might do.

After today, I'll make Damien and Ryder's life a living fucking hell.

Three strikes.

I'm out.

Here's something to cheer you up ⬇️😗