"You come from a long line of powerful women, Elizabeth. We don't let people walk over us" Wendy, my mother, berated through clenched teeth, with a big frown on her face, her fists were tightly balled on the table.
I bit my nails, my leg dangling mid air from a stool possibly taller than me. I stared at her through tear-filled eyes from across the mahogany table.
She was mad, I knew that because she fisted her fingers so hard that they whiten and her words were practically spat out through clenched teeth.
I didn't know what I did wrong, but I knew it had something to do with the bruise on my left eye and my sticky pigtails.
"You shouldn't stand up for someone beneath you or let anyone stand up for you, you are a powerful woman, Elizabeth, you fight for yourself, you take your position, you teach people who don't respect you a lesson and they'll never do it again. You know what I did to paupers who didn't know their level when I was your age?" She asked. And I shook my head, waiting for all that to be over so I could go to my room.
"I paid a couple of big boys in my class to beat them up, and I always show up a second after the incident so they know who did it and why. You hear me?!"
I nodded, the tears finally spilling over.
"Good. Now, finish your dinner before your daddy comes back. I expect you to do something about that little poor brat that did this to you. I'll give you extra lunch money, okay sweetie?"
I picked my fork and absentmindedly stabbed it into pasta.
I was just six years old, but I knew what she was implying.
I wait in the empty basketball court with Big Jamie, we call him Big Jamie because, well, he's big, a whooping 6 '1, still has braces, which is weird, and I wonder how the school could allow him here. He looks like he should be married with kids by now.
Big Jamie throws the ball into the hoop and shouts a yes, his tone dies down when I look up from my phone to shoot him a glare.
The door swings open and Enzo walks in with his bunch of friends, tossing a ball back and forth between them. I'm guessing they are here to play a friendly match.
Okay, I'm not guessing, I know Enzo and his friends use the basketball court, a few minutes before lunch break is over, so here I am.
The moment he sees me, his whole face changes. Shocked. He almost turns to leave, but I stand up, catching his attention. "i'll fucking end you if you walk out of here!" I yell, loud enough to stop him in his tracks. His friends look between us, uncertain. "You lot, scram," I bark.
They don't even hesitate. They know exactly who I am and what I'm capable of. Without a word, they shuffle out, leaving Enzo alone with me and Big Jamie.
I walk up to him slowly. "Kneel," I breath out an order, obviously not getting the excitement I imagined I was going to get last night after dinner.
He looks at me, his face pleading, but after a moment, he reluctantly drops to his knees.
You teach people who don't respect you a lesson and they'll never do it again.
Big Jamie approaches, holding a chair in one hand and a bat in the other. He sets the chair down for me and steps back, gripping the bat tightly. I take a seat, crossing my legs as I look down at Enzo.
"I noticed you didn't show up for dinner last night," I say coolly, scrolling through my phone. No one noticed, not my mom, and definitely not my father. He opens his mouth to respond, but I don't give him the chance. It's going to be the usual excuse anyway.
I had a match. I was practicing. It was past my curfew. I was grounded.
Liar liar, pants on fire.
I wave my hand, and Big Jamie steps forward, raising the bat. Before he can even register what's happening, Jamie swings, hitting him hard in the back. He cries out in pain, collapsing to the floor. Jamie doesn't stop. He hits him again. And again. Each strike is harder than the last. The sound of the bat cracking against his body echoes around the empty court.
I scroll through my phone, ignoring the scene in front of me, barely acknowledging the sound of his groans and gasps. By the time Jamie's done, he is on the ground, bloody and beaten, barely able to move. He looks like he could die any minute.
Not like I care.
I glance up from my phone and sigh. "Eh, unfortunately, this might be the last time we see each other, since we're moving soon. So, consider this our official breakup. You must be devastated."
He coughs, his body twitching slightly, but he can't speak. I smile at him, then pull out a small piece of paper from my pocket. I hand it to Jamie. It's the contact for a dealer I know. The one who got exactly what big Jamie needs. "You've earned it."
He grins, nods at me, and walks off without a word, leaving me alone with Enzo.
I dial the number for the school's medical office, still staring at my nails. The moment the call connects, my voice changes. I sound panicked, on the verge of tears, like a completely different person.
It's one of the things you learn if you want to survive, trust me.
"Hello? There's a guy in the basketball hall. He looks really bad, like he's about to die. I don't know what happened, but you need to hurry. Please."
"Okay, okay. Can you tell me what hap-"
I hang up, taking a sharp breath as I slip my phone back into my bag. Without even glancing at Enzo again, I stand up and walk out of the court, leav
ing him to be found, broken and bloodied, before anyone can see me.