coming loose. I hugged the bag closer to my chest. “No…nothing.”
The corner of his lip went up like he might smile, but I knew better. He never smiled at me. Ever. “Are you lying to me?”
Yes! “It’s just the new art bag my momma bought me.”
He reached his arm out towards me. “Let me see it.”
I could feel the tingle in my nose again that warned me I was about to cry. “W...why?”
He took a step closer towards me and I could hear his friends start ‘oohing’ at me. “I said let me see it, Halloween.”
“No. I have to get to class.” I held the bag even tighter.
I was so shocked when he just nodded his head and stepped aside, so I could pass him. I looked down the hall, and I saw Vicky coming my way. I was so happy to see her that I smiled and rushed to meet her. I had just made it past Damien when I felt a rush of air as my new bag was pulled out of my hands.
Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!
I should have held on tighter until I had made it to class.
I turned around and saw my new art bag in Damien’s hands. I couldn’t stop the tears because I already knew what was going to happen next. “Damien, pl…please, give me back my bag. Please!”
He looked at his friends. “Awe…she wants her bag back. What do you guys think? Should I give her the bag?”
I could see Vicky standing next to me now. “I’m going to tell the teacher if you don’t give Fiona back her bag, Damien!”
Damien gave Vicky the same look he always gave my shoes. “Sure thing, Vicky.”
I held my breath. It wasn’t going to be that easy. It never was with him.
I reached out to take my bag back, but before I could get my hands on it, Damien had taken both his hands and tugged down the seams ripping the bag in half.
It felt like there was someone really heavy sitting on my lungs as I watched him throw the bag at my feet. “That’s what happens when your mom buys you cheap things, Halloween. They fall apart.”
The bell for class rang and everyone around me started scattering to get to class while I stood there crying over my bag. I could feel Vicky’s arms around me as I cried.
I hated Damien Greystone no matter how much Jesus says we shouldn’t hate people. I hated him…absolutely hated him.
When I got home from school, I had lied to Momma and told her I left my new art bag at school. I lied again and told her I did it because I was scared of losing it on the bus. She believed me because she thinks I never lie to her and I usually don’t. The only time I lie is when Damien does something to me. I don’t know why I lie, but I do. He so mean to me, but I’m scared to get him in trouble. If he’s this mean to me when I haven’t done anything to him, I don’t want to know what he’d do to me if I did do something to cause him trouble.
I cried myself to sleep that night and the next day at school I made sure I stayed away from Damien. And because I ran to class, I was the first one there. My teacher, Mrs. Bicksley, just smiled at me as I went to my desk. I sat in the back of the room because it was safest. Damien sat two rows ahead of me, and so I felt better knowing I could watch him.
My feet slowed down as I walked to my desk. Our desks were given to us when school started and no one else sat in them but us, so I was surprised to see something peeking out from my desk chair.
I finally got to my seat, and I started to panic.
In my chair was a dark blue brand-new art bag.
I stood there afraid to touch it.
After a minute or so, I noticed a little white tag on one of the many zippers. I reached over to check it out. It might have someone’s name on it because there’s no way this could be for me. I turned the tag over and saw that it was a price tag. My nose started to tingle again.
The bag cost $150.00!
I put my backpack on top of my desk and picked up the bag to look at