Mary Davies
I walked into the cafeteria, it was noisy as usual. At the back of the cafeteria is where people like me sit, it was tagged the losers table. A. K. A the nerds table. At right side is the cheerleaders table, it consists of the school’s queen bees and the school’s rich kids. Opposite the table we have the gangsters, each of them is said to belong to a particular bikers club, some of them are secret drug addicts and gamblers.
On the left side, we have the four tables belonging to the jocks. The school’s athletes; Football, basketball, wrestling, archery, swimming and so many others. We have the tech savvies, wing men, teachers pets, dorks and mean girls filling other places.
I inhaled a deep breath, praying and hoping I don’t get noticed. I didn’t want to come here. But Principal Prescott saw me staying alone in the class and he made me come to the cafeteria.
Suddenly, I felt eyes on me, his eyes pierced into mine. Flashes of what happened between us made me close my eyes for a nanosecond. I still find it hard to get past the way he and Jeremy stared at me in the hallway this morning. I have never felt so disgusted with myself. They both looked at me with distaste, as if I was disgusting and repulsive to them. And it really crushed me badly.
Jeremy knows about it, thoughts of who else he might have told made my heart sink.
I joined the queue of the students waiting to get something to eat. Suddenly I felt a presence behind me. I could not recognize the boy behind me, but the jersey he was wearing made me realize he was in the football team.
“Such a whore.” The boy said behind me, he ran his hands through his hair.
“I am available too, I fuck well.” He whispered in a low voice. My heart began to race as I heard his words. I choked down a sob that threatened to escape my throat. I was about to speed walk out of the cafeteria when I heard her. I turned around slowly.
“Listen up everybody.” She yelled, climbing the table. Queen stared at me and laughed out loud my. My mind was feeling and my thoughts were in complete disarray. My thoughts were clustered, I wanted to scrub the disgusting feeling I felt on my body. What if she knows too and is about to announce to the whole school.
“We have a maid in our midst, a dirty maid. One who cleans up after her boss, washes bathrooms and other menial jobs.” Queen shouted, snickering.
I felt a bit relieved, at least she doesn’t know yet.
“And guess who is it? It is no one other thing than our scholarship student, Mary Davies.”
I felt embarrassed, yes. I was poor. My mother has no money like their parents does. But having every one of them look at me like I was a nobody made me feel ashamed of my background. It was not my fault I was born without a silver spoon, they should count themselves lucky they had rich parents.
“She is a housemaid? What the heck! She should not be allowed to stay here.” I heard a voice say.
“A pauper, I can’t believe I am in the same school with a pauper.” Another voice said.
“She is absolutely a loser. I would rather die than be poor.”
“Her sight alone disgusts me, look at what she is wearing. Those rags make me want to puke.”
“As from today everyone.” Queen said, clapping her hands to get everyone’s attention.
“She is an outcast. Anyone who is found with her would be an outcast too. No one should be found talking to her.”
“Now! It is time to party!” She yelled out.
“Housemaid! Housemaid!” Everyone began to chant, drumming on the table.
Before I could even push myself to run, I felt something wet on my head, then it dripped down to my neck. A hamburger followed, hitting me right on the face. Then everyone began throwing their foods at me. I wish the floor could open and swallow me.
Suddenly, I felt a hand pull me off by my arms. I was dragged out blindly out of the cafeteria. Warm splashy tears rolled down my cheeks.
“Hey, it is okay. You will be fine.” A strange voice said. I raised my head up to find a strange boy staring at me.
“Who are you?” I asked, wiping the tears in my eyes.
“Hi, my name is Donald.” He replied.
“I am a new student here. I just moved in here to Beverly Dale.”
“What is your name, and why do you let them treat you that way. You need to stand up for yourself.”
“I wish I could, but I can’t.” I replied.
“What is stopping you?”
“Look at me, I am powerlessness. I have no money. I am nothing. I just want to survive senior year and go off to college.” I whispered. I have tried my possible best to keep my head’s down, but I keep getting noticed.
“No one should make you feel inferior without your consent.” He whispered softly.
“That was said by Eleanor Roosevelt.” The sound of footsteps made me stop talking, I raised my head up and my body freezes immediately, my eyes met with his. His facial expression changed immediately to disgust and hate.
He hates me so much.
“I will ruin you completely.” His words resurfaced, and began to echo in my ears. The venom in his voice, the hate and disgust. I could still feel it exuding from him.
I was not a match to him and not to anyone in this school. I was a plain nobody. It would not be difficult for him to ruin someone like me. He eyes me and Donald, then he walked away.
“Do you know him?” Donald asked.
“Uh hmm, Yes. I leave in his house. My mum works as a maid there. ” There was no point in lying to him. He must have overheard everything that was said in the cafeteria.
“If you don’t mind, my dad is about to open a grocery store here in Beverly Dale. I can tell him about you, so he can employ your mum.”
I was a little bit shocked by his offer. This offer could put a stop to a lot of things.
I was about to respond to him, when my phone beeped. I pulled it out of my pocket, it was a message from a strange number.
‘I don’t want to see you with that boy, stay away from him or face the consequences. I can ruin you both.’
***