Page 2 of Vexed

CHAPTER TWO

Lily

Today has been a longer day than usual, and I can’t help but notice that the clock that hangs on the classroom wall is broken. The arms aren’t moving at all. It makes me worry about Daddy, who has to go to the doctor today because he’s not feeling too good.

He hasn’t been himself for a while now and Mommy finally got him to agree to go to the doctor. I really wanted to go with them, but Mommy said I couldn’t.

I don’t understand why not. When I feel sick and have to go to the doctor, I always want Mommy and Daddy to be there. Both of them. It makes me feel a lot better with them there, so why can’t I go with them to help make Daddy feel better?

Finally, the bell rings for recess, and I quickly grab my lunch from my bag. I head over to the wooden table that stands outside the cafeteria, the one where no one else sits except me.

Some kids call it the ‘loser table’, and sometimes I wish something bad would happen to them. Every time they say something mean to me, I imagine them tripping over and falling on their faces.

I take a seat at the table, sliding into the worn wooden chair, and open my lunch box. Mommy always packs me the best lunch, with a ham and cheese sandwich, string cheese, a pear, and a bottle of orange juice. She makes sure to include all my favorites.

Smiling to myself, I pick up my sandwich to take a bite, but suddenly, it falls to the ground as someone hits the back of my head.

I turn to see Tracy, the girl who has been bullying me for the last few years. She’s two years older and a little taller, but we’re in the same class. I think she was held back. I don’t know.

She has been harassing me and keeps picking on me. This one time in class, she rubbed her bubble gum in my hair. Mommy almost had to cut it out, but luckily she got it out of my hair without pulling the scissors out.

Her younger brother, Austin, who is also in our class, is a bully too. So, I don’t really talk to him. I have enough bullies as it is. Without saying anything, I turn back to my lunch.

“Oops, didn’t see you there,” Tracy says behind me with a chuckle, causing her friends to laugh along. I know she’s lying because no one ever comes to this table. I don’t respond as I try to grab my pear, but she snatches it out of my hand.

“Hey, give it back,” I say, attempting to retrieve it, but she pushes me back, causing me to fall off the chair with a loud thud.

Tears well up in my eyes as I look up at her, watching her eat my pear.

Anger builds inside me, and my cheeks grow hot.

I continue to stare at her, not saying a word, while she and her friends laugh.

She looks down at me with a sinister smirk. “Tell Mommy I said thanks for lunch.” Her friends join in the laughter, but I remain silent. In my mind, though, I have the nastiest thoughts.

Choke on it.

As soon as the thought crosses my mind, she stills, her face turning red as she starts gasping for air.

My eyes widen, along with all the girls, as they all start panicking.

It’s clear that she’s actually choking, but how?

I remember she finished eating before she said anything to me, and she didn’t take another bite. So how is she choking? And on what?

All the other girls scramble around her, some hitting her on the back, while another runs to the cafeteria to get a teacher to help.

I slowly get off the ground, but I can’t help but stare at them, unsure of what to do.

She’s red in the face, like a tomato. Is it my fault that she’s choking?

But I didn’t do anything. She’s the one that stole my lunch. Guess there is such a thing as karma.

Suddenly, she starts coughing and gasping for air, clutching her throat. I blow out a breath I didn’t know I was holding, but when she removes her hands from her neck, we all gasp.

There are clear red marks across her throat, resembling finger marks. It looks like someone physically choked her. Finally, a teacher comes rushing towards us, accompanied by one of Tracy’s friends.

“What’s going on here?” she asks, looking around at all of us, but we all stay silent, still in shock. She walks over to Tracy and examines the marks on her throat.

“Oh my... who did this?” We all look at each other, unsure of what to say. We genuinely don’t know. Initially, we all thought she was choking on the pear, but now... I’m not sure what happened. I’m so confused.

Then Tracy starts crying and points a finger at me. “She did it.” My jaw drops as I stare at her.

“What? I didn’t do anything! You were all here. You saw. I didn’t do anything,” I rush through my words, feeling like my head is about to explode. I look at the other girls, but they don’t say anything. They don’t tell the truth. They just lower their heads.

The walk to the office is silent. As we reach the principal’s door, the teacher knocks hard before opening it, and we step inside. “Sorry to bother you, Mr. Hale, but we had an incident occur during recess that is really concerning,” she says, prompting Mr. Hale to look over at me.

“What happened?” he asks, his voice loud but not angry. “She choked another girl. Even left marks on her throat.” My head snaps to her, and with widened eyes, I stare back at the principal.

“I didn’t. I swear it wasn’t me! She stole my lunch and choked on the pear,” I frantically try to explain, but the teacher cuts me off. “And the marks?” she questions.

“I don’t know how they got there.” Tears now streaming down my face, but they don’t believe me.

No one ever believes me.

I don’t know what to do to make people believe me. I hate everyone.

Mommy was so mad when I got home. The school called her and told her that I choked Tracy. I tried to tell her that I didn’t do it, but just like at school, she didn’t believe me and said I needed to be punished.

I don’t have a phone she can take away, and I don’t watch TV as much anymore, so she took the only thing from me that she knew would hurt me—the playground.

I won’t be allowed to go to the playground for two weeks, so I won’t be able to see Vex for two weeks. I really needed to talk to him about what happened, and now I can’t.

And to make my day even worse, the doctor said that Daddy has cancer. Mommy tried to explain to me what it is, but I still don’t understand why they can’t just give him medicine to make him better. All I know is that Daddy is very sick and that he might never get better.

I’m lying on my bed reading a book about dragons and other mythical creatures when a loud knock on my window scares me and I almost fall off the bed. Slowly, I walk toward the window and open it, but I don’t see anything.

However, my eyes catch sight of a white flower.

It looks like the flowers Mommy always gets—daisies.

Carefully, I pick it up, holding it between my tiny fingers, and a small smile pulls at my mouth as I sniff it.

I just know Vex left it there for me. Even when he is not physically near, he knows how to cheer me up.

I’m not going to tell Mommy. She won’t believe me anyway. These two weeks can’t go any faster.

I’m suddenly woken up by a hard knock on my window. Slowly, I sit up and rub my eyes with the palms of my hands, before throwing my pink blanket off me and walking over to the window. I pull away the curtains and when I peek outside, a big smile pulls at my lips.

Vex is standing outside, giving me a smile and a little wave. I squeal softly, trying not to wake up Mommy and Daddy, and make my way out of the bedroom on my tippy toes, walking as fast as I can to the front door.

Quietly unlocking the door, I open it to see Vex already standing on the porch with his back facing me.

“Vex!”

He swiftly turns and peers down at me with a wide smile. “Hello, little one.” I can barely contain myself as I lunge forward and wrap my little arms around his waist. A low chuckle rumbles through his chest as he wraps an arm around me, giving me a tight squeeze.

I loosen my hold on him and look up at him, my smile falling as I remember I’m not allowed to go to the playground for a while. He frowns as he looks down at me before kneeling on one knee so I can look him in the eyes.

“What’s wrong, Lily?”

“Something bad happened at school today and I got punished for it,” I say, folding my arms over my chest. “It’s not even my fault. I didn’t do anything. And now I’m not allowed to go to the playground for two weeks.” I say, pouting my lip.

His silver eyes soften as he tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear. “It’s okay. Two weeks isn't that long.”

A smile finds its way back onto my lips and I wrap my arms around his neck giving him another hug and he hugs me back even tighter. Almost squeezing the air out of me.

“Now, be a good girl and stay out of trouble, okay?” He says, flashing me a bright smile, his sharp canines shining under the porch light.

Nodding quickly, I turn and head back into the house, giving him one last wave, “You’re my best friend, Vex.” His eyes soften as he stares at me, warmly smiling, “And you are mine, Lily.”

Before I head back into the house, I turn back to him, “I have always wanted to ask you this—your sharp teeth… are you a vampire?” My question ignites a deep chuckle from him.

“No, I’m not a vampire.” He gives me one last smile before I give a slight wave and head inside.

“Sweet dreams, little one.” He softly says before I close the door. I need to get back to bed. I glance up at the clock hanging above the kitchen counter next to the sink.

I’ve been learning about time in class. The long arm points to the three and the short arm points to the twelve. It’s already past midnight. If mommy finds me here, I’ll be in big trouble.