Standing in front of my tormentors, my blood ran red and my eyes were firmly focused on three of them. I could hear my mind telling me to start fighting them, but I knew better. If I were to strike first, then they could say that I attacked them for no reason despite the fact they've been torturing me for the past year. Besides, as much as I wanted to make the first punch, my mother and grandmother's words were ringing in my head. "Don't fight unless the other person hits first." So now, I'm just waiting for these three to make the first move.

After a minute, Maddy's eyes were blood red and she dashed toward me like a bull, where she met my foot in her stomach. As she hunched over, I looked over where the other girls were originally standing and saw that Rosalie was gone and Christa pacing slowly towards me with an evil smirk on her face when someone jumped on my back, pinning both my arms. This definitely heated my blood because they weren't fighting fair, but also felt my heart racing when Christa picked up the pace. I knew I had to get Rosalie off before Christa could attack me, so I swung my body back and forth to shake her off. Despite her hands slipping, however, she would not let go and Christa was about to make contact. Thinking fast, I swung my body forward, pulling Rosalie to the direction of Christa's assault and making her take a punch in the back.

When I stood straight again, my head was light and hearing was so fuzzy that I thought I would pass out. Luckily, that wasn't the case and I still stood. Looking at my tormentors, I saw Christa and Rosalie grabbing and shoving each other while Maddy was watching and still clutching her stomach like she had been stabbed with a sword. Then, I noticed that a group of kids were standing around witnessing what had happened while a couple of teachers broke through the crowd to break them up.

As I took another deep breath and grabbed my backpack, Mrs. Mills came up to me and placed her hand on my shoulder. I looked into her muddy brown eyes and they widened while her stern look faded into sadness. She then turned her attention to the silver SUV, which was my grandmother's car. I had forced myself to take another breath when she climbed out of it with her jaw dropping as she realized what had happened, but before I could walk over and explain what went on, Mrs. Mills just shook her head and dragged me back inside the building.

Luckily, my grandmother followed us and stopped Mrs. Mills before she could shove me into the principal's office. She then grabbed my shoulders and sat me in a chair with a hard seat, the one you can't soften no matter how hard your butt moves around. Even with her perfect bun and stern face, my grandmother took a deep breath to calm herself before asking me what had happened.

I took another deep breath while fighting the tears from streaming, then I looked her in the eyes. "I was heading towards the pick-up line when one of the girls pushed me," I said. "I was tired of them being mean to me, so I just stood there until they made the first move. Then, I fought them and Christa and Rosalie started fighting each other."

With a complete understanding of what happened, she quickly wiped my tears before darting her gaze at Mrs. Mills. Her narrow eyes made me believe she could kill my teacher with the look on her face. I then turned my attention to Mrs. Mills, who hung her head.

"This is the millionth time that these girls have picked on her and her mother and I had to ask y'all to intervene on the matter," she echoed, jumping out of her seat. "Jolene shouldn't be punished because you failed to do your job and she was defending herself."

As if she was on fire, Mrs. Mills' face jolted to my grandmother's like she was ready to fight. "I'm sorry, Anne, but Jolene was reading a book that she had no business reading in class in the first place. Maybe if you told her not to bring Hamlet or Pride and Prejudice to school, they'd leave her alone."

Her face turning red, my grandmother immediately cleared her throat before looking her sqare in the eye, which sent chills up my own spine. "They started a fight with her over a stupid book? Last time, it was her hair and the time before that it was her getting better grades. What's next? The clothes she wears?"

Seeing my teacher paralyzed at my grandmother's words made me want to laugh because this woman was struck speechless. She didn't know what to say or could defend her actions, but I silently kept my elation to myself because I did not want to be on either of their hit-list.

Before the verbal match could go on however, I heard creaking and looked to see Principal Fall open her door and walking toward us. My grandmother just stood there, hands on hips while Mrs. Mills retreated her glances to the floor. Mrs. Fall narrowed eyes at Mrs. Mills and shook her head before turning to my grandmother with the life drained from her face. "The girls and parents will meet me first thing in the morning. Jolene can go for now and the girls' parents are on their way to pick them up."

With almost nothing left to say, my grandmother helped me out of my seat and led me out the door. Before leaving herself, however, she span around to them and said, "This harassing of my granddaughter ends now. If you're not going to protect her, then she won't be back next year. Got it?"

The ground moved when she said that and she led me to the car and we headed home.