I slide in the slime of whatever it is. I get up quickly and the terrible smell almost chokes me.

My hands are full of the grime that I'm not going to try to think what it is. Its all on my back and my hair and my morning shoes are drenched in this goo.

Yes, its goo. That's all it is.

I remove whatever is on my body and I stand there. Too afraid to even move. The place is pitch black and I can’t even see my own hands.

I use my cardigan to cover my nose and I breath through it to try and minimize the smell.

Fuck, it smells like death in here.

"Sebastian, please. I'm sorry." I yell out the door.

"Leo, please help me." my voice cracks. "Tatsu." I don't hear any movement outside.

I move cautiously until I get to a dry place next to the door. I take off my shoes and when I stand on dry ground take my pants off too and leave them there. I am left in panties, top and cardigan.

I lean on the door and sleep doesn't come at all.

I yelled all night hearing students outside, but no one helped me. Many came after a few hours, I'm guessing the initiation was over and I was the spectacle, the after show. I didn't give them my screams but I was almost dying because of the smell here.

I will probably smell like this for years. Tears burn the back of my eyes, due to sadness and anger but also the smell is burning my skin. It's even hard keeping my eyes open.

I jerk when the door rattles. I step away from the door. The first light is seeping in and four shadows stand at the door.

The first whiff of fresh air comes in and everything comes up and I throw up. I stumble and grab the door and step on my sick.

I run out the door and there are a few people here. I'm guessing their goons. I throw up on a nearby bush again. I can't even wipe myself because my hands have this goo.

Yes, its goo. Nothing else.

"You are disgusting, Clark. Look at yourself." Mason's cruel voice comes from behind me. "But I guess it’s fitting. You know seeing that you are a rat and all."

I don't dare turn. I blink rapidly as tears come up. I don't wanna cry in front of them. I don't want them to get any more of my tears. I turn when that crisis has been averted.

I can’t even lie, I am utterly humiliated.

I turn around and stand tall, albeit smelling like a sewer. Fuck them if they think I will crumble to my feet. I see cruel smirks on their faces. But even then, I see some cracks on Bas and Jose.

"Still have your pride, I see." Mason breathes. "Well, we aim to correct that." He turns his nose at me.

I contemplate grabbing him and smearing this goo on him, but a dark look plays on his face that sends chills down my spine.

I drop my gaze to look at my feet and I see green and brown slime and I heave but I have nothing left in my stomach.

"Can I go now?" I ask after a few moments in a small voice, hating how broken and defeated I sound.

"We forgot to tell you Clark, this is just the beginning. Well, that’s if you still refuse to get on your knees for us." Leo tilts his head and if I had any doubt before I have none now, they hate me and coming to this school is the biggest mistake of my life.

"Get on your knees and we will make your stay very special. Promise." Jose emphasizes the word 'promise'. He remembers. All the promises we made to each other. And how those are nothing now just stupid words uttered by stupid kids.

He flips his knife, open close. A nervous habit?

He gives me a twisted grin and my heart jumps as I swallow.

I move my gaze to their shoes. Shoes that still have yesterday's dirt on them. Come to think of it, they all still have on yesterday's outfits. And I don't smell any fresh soap on them.

Have they been partying all night? Were they waiting all night? It is pretty early for anyone to be awake.

It is around the time I usually am up. Around 5am. I don't know what to make of all that.

But I swat all those away. These guys that are standing in front of me don't care about me. In fact, they probably hate me more than the devil himself.

I still don't understand why they fault me for what happened years ago. I was a child, just like them.

"Why are you doing this to me?" I finally ask

I see Mason's jaw tick so hard I'm thinking he's gonna pop a vein. "Don't act all innocent, Clark. You know street rules. You know what you and your father did. We are just collecting a debt."

“I was just a kid.” I try to defend myself.

My brows knit together. I am screwed. Royally so because the vile looks they have right now would split me in half if they could.

We hear more voices as some students come our way. They part in the middle giving me space. I notice when they move that the students have made a passage and they all have various items in their hands. I blink back tears.

"Welcome to hell, Zara." Mason says when I pass them

I breath and my feet carry me forward. I just want to get out of here. White liquid gets dumped on my head. Rotten milk.

A rotten tomato connects with the side of my face, and I pick up my pace. I shield my face as I move through the crowd.

When I am halfway somebody trips me, and I fall. People come around and they all throw everything they had on me like I am a garbage can.

It all stops, and I think maybe they have run out of items. I chance a peep and I see somebody get tackled to the ground.

I rise and I see Leo's back. Leo is on top of some guy and his fist is connecting with their face repeatedly and the other guy can barely block him.

It plays like a slow movie. This thing in front of me is not Leo. Leo was never this brutal. He was a gentle, sensitive soul. What happened to him?

The rest of the syndicate grabs him. I crawl away and the students give me space this time.

"What the fuck do you think you are doing, huh?" I hear Mason's voice in between the commotion.

I take my chance and I run. I am only in my underwear and cardigan. I run aimlessly. Then I see a hose. I open it and I hose myself down. I do a clumsy job. I just want all the grime out before I shower. I drop the cardigan. I know I am practically naked with the underwear and the light shirt, but I don't care right now.

When I open my eyes, I see I have an audience and some people taking pictures or videos. I can't care enough to care right now.

I want to get to my room, but I need to get some of this slime.

I meet some of the students drunk getting back to their dorms, no doubt after a great night. Nights I should be experiencing.

Many stop to stare. I run through campus. I have to go through campus to get to the side where there are dorms.

I get in the sports building and I get into the swimming pool showers. My skin is itchy, and I don't know if I can make it all the way to my dorm.

I tear through the clothes, and I turn the showers on. I take a few bars of soap and shampoo. And towels.

I soap my whole body and I rinse. I put shampoo in my hair, and I rinse. I wash and rinse at least 19 times. The smell won’t leave my nose.

I scrub myself raw. When I step out there are bottles of shampoo on the floor and bar of used soap and I still don't feel clean. I wrap a towel around myself. Its time to go to my dorm room. I don't bother drying my hair.

I find people outside when I step out. I am met with grimaces and people holding their noses.

I hear all kinds of words thrown at me. I just walk. Nobody moves to touch me. I just pull the towel to me and I walk. Some boys tell me they'd still fuck even if I smell like a dumpster.

I walk back to my dorm with a crowd. Some people taking pictures. I just walk and I have my 'I don't give a fuck' face in full force like I'm bored.

All these stupid kids don't matter to me. I take the elevator to my place, and no one comes in. I find Simba seated at the door.

I don't know how I feel about this, him. He jumps when I see him. He looks at me. I realize I don't have my own key. He dangles a key, and I don't have it in me to ask right now. I just want to be alone.

"Willow, I'm so sorry." He stammers

"My name is, Zahara." I take the key from him, and I open my door and I close it in his face.

They are all traitors. All of them. It's me against everyone. But I'll be damned if these kids break me. I have more important shit. And they are mistaken if they think this will break me.

They have no clue I am used to being punished. I throw the towel out of my window. I don't want anything that will remind me off this ordeal in my room.

I go to the bathroom, and I brush my teeth and my tongue a few times and I use mouth wash. I clean my ears. I shave my whole body. I wish I could shave my head too, but my hair is my crown. I clean my nose and I do a nasal irrigation.

I am exhausted and my skin feels raw. And even then, I don't feel clean at all. I collapse on my bed, and I don't wake up until its night. The time is 7pm and I wake up to shower and wash my body again. I sleep after.

When I wake up, I realize that I don't want to ever feel like this again. I don't even know what kind of things are online as we speak.

My mother. I just don't want her to see that shit. Then my mind drifts to Leo. I don't understand why he beat that guy. Wasn't he one of their guys? But whatever it is, its whatever.

I also realize I may not have the strength to handle this. If the year is starting like this, then what will the rest of my time be like here.

I have to talk to the principal. My father will kill me, but this school isn't big enough for me and them.

My phone rings then.

I compose myself.

"Father."

"Willow. How are you?"

"I am fine dad and you?"

"How are you adjusting there. Find any friends yet?"

If I was naïve, I'd spill my guts about Simba but knowing my father he would have a background check on him so he could decide if he is worthy, but then again there really isn't anything to report back. Simba is a traitor like the rest of them.

"Not yet. I am just trying to focus on school and get these grades."

"Good, good." Then he pauses

"Father is there a chance I can switch schools?"

There is silence on the other line before he says, "No. You can’t. Did something happen there?"

"No, nothing. I was just wondering maybe a different climate. It’s hot here."

"You are such a spoiled brat. Stay there, and Willow...? Don't embarrass me." then the line goes dead

So much for that. The phone call leaves me with a huge hole in my heart. So I’m really stuck here. I get back in bed and I sleep some more. It is just after 12pm when I wake up on Sunday. My stomach is empty then I remember I last ate on Friday at lunch.

I get a whiff of nausea remembering the grime and I don't know if I'll be able to swallow anything yet. But I am never one to starve themselves, so I know I need a way to eat.

I wake up and shower. I don't tie my hair anymore so air can run through it and hopefully help remove the smell.

Although very faint now but I still feel like I’m surrounded by a cloud of the smell. I wear baggy jeans and a big hoodie. I wear glasses and I take some money and head out.

I missed a few of moms calls and I will call her when I come back. I get ice cream at the vending machine. I get a few snacks also and I head to my room.

I walk fast, and although I see a few students looking my way, they leave me alone mostly and I get back to my room. I watch movies on my Netflix, and I tune out the world.