manda . r a i

[EXTRAORDINARY]] PAGE SIXTEEN

"Rise and shine," Mrs. Smith called as she pulled Sandra's curtains open. "Get up girl, you're going to be late for school!"

Sandra blinked in the bright sunlight. She shielded her face with her hand as she grudgingly pushed the blankets away and sat up in bed. She rubbed her eyes sleepily as she headed for the bathroom. Please, don't make today like last week. Please have today be better than last week. She prayed as she brushed her teeth. Hurriedly she pulled on a pair of jeans, shirt, and sweater, and rushed down the stairs. "Bye mom!" Sandra called as she ran out the door. Briskly Sandra walked down the street, keeping her head down low as always. She avoided the usual crowds, keeping her mind on one thing only: getting to her locker safely. Slowly she approached the school; she took a deep breath and stepped up the pathway toward the main doors. Go Sandra, to your locker, and to your class where no one can hurt you. Keep on going Sandra. Sandra turned the corner to the bank of lockers and gasped. Rachel and her group of friends were standing around her locker, obviously waiting for her. Anxiously Sandra turned around and marched toward her first period class, hoping Rachel didn't see her. But it was too late, Rachel had already caught sight of her, and was walking her direction. It's ok Sandra. Don't chicken out. Stand up to Rachel. But I can't stand up for myself! I'm Sandra! She's Rachel. How can I stand up to Rachel? Sandra squeezed her eyes shut. Go away Rachel, don't come near me. Go away.

"Hey Mouse. How was your weekend? Spend some more time with that man of yours?" Rachel laughed hysterically, the thought of Sandra with a boyfriend was too much for her.

Slowly Sandra turned around. "In fact Rachel, yes I did," she said softly, fastening her eyes on the floor.

Rachel squealed with laughter, and her friends all obediently did the same. "So what did ya do? Anything you wanna share Mouse? Or is all too private?" She threw her head back and let out a loud guffaw. "What's his name Mouse? Huh? What's his name?"

For once Rachel wasn't being too mean to Sandra. Sandra tried to keep it that way. "Kevin, his name is Kevin. Can you please leave now Rachel?" Her eyes were still fixed on the floor.

"Look at me and say that Mouse. I'm not down there Mouse, I'm up here. You hear me Mouse? I'm here." Rachel suddenly shoved Sandra backwards as she went up close to Sandra's face. Sandra could feel a replay of last week coming up; she smelled strawberry gum on Rachel's breath again. Go away Rachel, please go away. I don't want to talk to you about Kevin. Just leave me alone Rachel, leave me alone! Crouching down, Sandra meekly brought her eyes up to Rachel's icy blue ones.

Rachel's eyes narrowed. "Why are you lookin' at me like that Mouse? You scared or something? Huh?" She advanced toward Sandra... slowly, deliberately.
Sandra quickly brought her eyes down to the floor again, cringing backwards as she did so. "No Rachel, please, just let me go to my locker."

Rachel stepped closer, until she was just an inch away, and looking down at Sandra intimidatingly. "So Mouse, you want to go to your locker huh?" Sandra had no choice but to step backwards, losing her balance as she did so. Down she went, crumpling to the floor like a rag doll. A burst of laughter rose from Rachel's group of friends, but no one laughed louder than Rachel herself.

Why don't you leave me alone Rachel? What is it about me that makes you want to pick on me? Go away Rachel! Go away! Please just go away Rachel... please. I can't take this anymore. Please leave Rachel.. please... Sandra tried hard to keep the tears back, but she could feel them sliding down her cheeks already. She hurriedly wiped them away, determined not to let Rachel see her cry.

"Eh, look at the Mousie cry..." Rachel taunted, amused at Sandra's pain. "Haha.. just look at the poor Mousie cry... such a baby. Poor poor baby Mousie! Why are you crying Mousie? Why are you crying?" Rachel smirked as she looked around her group. Snickers and giggles circulated around the group.

"Hey Mousie, get up!" A new girl stepped into the scene. She wore tight black pants with platform sandals, and a purple tie-dyed tank top. Her black curly hair framed her make-up adorned face. "Get up I say, Mousie! Now!"

"Yeah! Go Melissa!" Rachel high-fived the girl. "You show her girl!"

Melissa sneered at Sandra. "C'mon Mouse, did you not hear me? I said GET UP!"
Go away... go away.. go away... Sandra covered her ears with her hands and refused to listen to them taunting her, teasing her, torturing her. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she didn't care. She just wanted them to leave.

"Hey, did you not hear me or something? I said GET UP!" Melissa slapped Sandra's hand away from her ear. Sandra cried out in pain. "Aww.. you little wuss, stop crying."

Leave... leave.. leave... please leave... Sandra whimpered in fear. She scrambled backwards on her hands, hoping to put some distance between her and Melissa. However it was to no avail, every inch Sandra went backwards, Melissa advanced a step. Leave me alone Melissa, don't come any closer please! Sandra raised up a hand to shield her face from Melissa, in case she decided to strike.

"You dumb girl, stop it. What are you? Scared of me?" Melissa leaned over until she was face to face with Sandra. "C'mon Mouse, are you scared of me?" She sneered.

Sandra couldn't look straight into Melissa's eyes, "Yes Melissa, can you please leave now?"

"Look me in the eye," Melissa carefully enunciated every word, "and tell me that Mouse. C'mon Mouse, what are you now? Chicken?" Rachel and her group laughed loudly.

Sandra felt the laughter whirl around her like a giant whirlpool, sucking her down into its deadly trap. She carefully put her trembling hand down and looked Melissa eye to eye. Melissa's eyes glinted with an evil gleam as she drank up Sandra's fear. "So Mouse, I see you finally decided to answer to me and not the floor huh?" Her mouth curled up crookedly into a jeering smile. "Well, I'm happy that you did Mouse, 'cause for a second there I thought you were too scared to look up."

Sandra immediately adverted her eyes back to the floor. Don't look at her Sandra, she's just trying to control you. Avoid her comments Sandra, don't listen to them. They're trying to control you, to make fun of you. Don't you think that I know that? Don't you think that I know that they're trying to control me, make fun of me? Do you think that I don't know what they're doing to me? They're ruining me, that's what they're doing! They like to see me afraid, they like seeing me powerless in front of them. Then why don't you do something about it Sandra? I can't do anything about it! They're Rachel and Melissa... and who am I? I'm Sandra. I can never do anything about it at all, because I'm Sandra. I hate being Sandra, I hate being me. Why am I Sandra?! Why? Why am I so helpless, so weak? Can you answer that for me? Can you tell me why?? Can you?! Can you?

Melissa towered above Sandra, using her size to intimidate Sandra, showing her power over her. Sandra pulled her legs tighter into her body, trying to block Melissa out of her mind. Go away Melissa, why can't you just go away. Can't you just leave me alone? Why don't you go away... why can't you just go away?? Sandra shut her eyes and rocked back and forth. She kept on repeating the same chant over and over... go away Melissa, go away... go away Melissa.... go away...
"Hey Mouse, what are you doing," Melissa laughed. "Just look at her! Look at the dumb Mouse babble!" Rachel and their other friends burst into giggles and snickers.

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