The Right Thing

I only noticed that new girl in class because of the name: Melanie. Never heard it before.

But I had no time for her. I have friends already. Like Eve and Sylvie. Especially Eve, she’s always up to something. Last week she invited us to the military base where her dad works. Well, not exactly to the base, more like the training grounds in the woods. We went there Sunday, when soldiers had a day off. There were ropes to swing on, narrow planks to test your balance, wells with ladders so you can go down, tunnels… Eve and Sylvie are my besties.

Bea is okay too. Sylvie calls her a nerd. True, Bea’s too focused on grades. Straight As for everything. Got A minus once, burst out crying soon as she saw it. Bawling right at her desk with everyone watching. Still, she’s okay. Knows interesting things. Helps me with homework sometimes.

Anyway, I didn’t pay attention to that new one. She moved into town last month with her parents and an adult brother who works as an administrator in our school. She mostly keeps to herself. But she walked with us a few times after school ‘cause she lives in the same direction as Eve and Sylvie. My place is more to the side but I walk with them part of the way. We talk and joke and it’s fun.

Only last time it wasn’t ‘cause the popular kids were with us too. Vanessa, Bianca and Emma: these three are trouble. They think everyone has to do what they say. I talk to them sometimes but leave when they start their mean banter they think is so funny.

They pretended they were sooo interested in Melanie. Asked all sorts of questions. Then it somehow changed into making fun of her. We stood facing Melanie, and the “troublesome three” kept interrogating like the police or something. I could see Melanie felt uneasy. Still, she tried to laugh and play up to them. Not smart. These three can sense the victim potential. Finally, I couldn’t stand it anymore and went home. Don’t know how long they stayed there and how it ended.

Yesterday I overheard some of the kids after PE. They didn’t know I was in the toilet, a metre from where they were planning to gang up on the new girl. They said that she “should be taught a lesson” and invited everyone to “an ambush”. Said they would wait for her after school.

So I caught up with Melanie when nobody was looking. Told her not to walk alone after school. She said she would wait for her brother to finish work. She looked so hopeless that I stayed after the lessons ended and we talked some. Turns out she’s actually okay.

When her brother came and we went outside, there was a big group by the school gate. Eight of them, maybe ten. Scowled at us but kept their distance. We walked by without a word.

And today is simply weird. I see Sylvie soon as I enter school, say hi and she just walks away without a glance. Probably didn’t notice me in the crowd. But weird really, she wasn’t that far away. Then Eve is next to me on the way to the classroom acting as if she doesn’t know me. All the kids from our group stand waiting for the teacher to open the door and everyone pretends I’m not there. No usual jokes, the girls just fidget awkwardly. Only the troublesome three look at me like I’m a cockroach and they snigger.

I catch Bea at recess and she whispers:

‘I’m not allowed to talk to you. Because of yesterday. Sorry.’

And she hurries away.

Oh, c’mon! I did what I had to do. What’s wrong with you, guys?

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(word count: 637)

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And here is the reason why I came up with this piece, i.e. Belle's unofficial challenge:

https://vocal.media/writers/the-conviction-an-unofficial-challenge