the bullies

“Ahh, there’s my favorite girl,” the slimy voice said from behind her.

“How you doing, Jessa?”

Jessa hid a shudder, determined to show no reaction. But how did he manage to make her name sound like a dirty sex act?

She continued to move down the line, smiling her thanks as food was portioned out onto her plate. Some days she longed to use some of her cash supply and stay in a motel for the night. Just a cheap one. Somewhere that she could be alone. Where there wasn’t a room full of other women, snoring and farting and where she didn’t have to put up with weasels like Ronald hassling her.

Right now, she’d give anything to be back in the diner with Damien. She just couldn’t get him out of her mind, those deep, brown eyes, his sexy voice and his wide shoulders. How would it feel to have him touch her? Kiss her?

“Aren’t you gonna to talk to me? Cat got your tongue? Or is it frozen ‘cuz you’re such a frigid bitch.” That last bit was whispered in her ear.

Ignore him, ignore him.

She turned away, walking over to sit at one of the long bench seats in the eating area of the shelter kitchen.

Ronald sat next to her, so close that his stench made her gag. And she thought she’d grown used to the smell of unwashed bodies. Her stomach clenched and she swallowed heavily, fighting back nausea. She placed her hand over her tummy, trying to calm her queasiness. She hadn’t had lunch and she needed to eat. For the baby more than herself. However, it seemed that pregnancy made her more sensitive to smell and Ronald was fast turning her off her food.

“Please move away from me.” He was just a bully. Don’t react and he’ll go away.

“Now Jessa, is that any way to speak to a friend.” He leaned in as he spoke to her. He ran his fingers up her arm. “Play your cards right and you and I could be very good friends.”

There was a thump as someone sat on his other side and Jessa glanced away from her food to see Cady leaning forward. Cady was a regular at the shelter, who kept mostly to herself. Cady was small like she was, but she was tough. She’d never let anyone push her around.

“You know, Ronnie, you might wanna try a breath mint now and then, because you’re literally talking shit,” Cady told him before digging into her food.

Quiet laughter rose from the people at the table as Ronald grew purple with rage. He glared at the other people sitting around them until they shut up, looking uncomfortable.

“You’re gonna regret that, you little bitch,” he hissed at Cady.

“Not as much as your mother regretted having you,” Cady replied. “You know, if you were twice as smart you’d still be stupid.”

Jessa wished she had a quick mouth like Cady, but she’d been raised not to fight back. Not to show any emotions. And Victor had only reinforced those lessons. She didn’t have a clue how to fight back other than being silent. Maybe she needed to learn some of Cady’s attitude.

Fury lit Ronald’s face, making a vein pop out on his forehead as his hands clenched into fists. He was so angry, she felt sure he was going to hit Cady. Obviously, everyone else did too as the whole table remained quiet, watching.

“Right, ten more minutes everyone,” one of the shelter volunteers called out, breaking the spell.

Ronald stood and, giving Cady a last glare, stormed off, leaving his uneaten tray of food behind.

“Waste not, want not.” An older man, with a long, gray beard, slid into his seat and started to dig in.

Jessa forced herself to eat. Last time she’d taken a good look in the mirror, she had noticed how prominent her cheekbones were. The baby needed nutrition, and so did she.

When she was finished, she picked up her tray and took them to the kitchen window before making her way into the sleeping quarters.

“You’ve got to stick up for yourself with people like Ronald,” Cady said, falling into step beside her.

“I know. But I figured if I ignored him he would just give up.”

Cady snorted. “How’s that working out for ya?”

“Not great.”

“You’re different from everyone else here. You’re softer, you say please and thank you. You stand out, and being in this place, you don’t wanna stand out.”

“It’s kind of you to worry about me.”

Cady let out a frustrated breath. “There you go again. I’m not worried about you. We’re not friends. We’re not goin’ to go out and get manicures and facials and whatever else you used to do with your friends. I’m here to survive and I’m just tryin’ to give you some advice so you survive too. You need to toughen up.”

Jessa stopped, grabbing Cady’s arm. “I thought I was doing a pretty good job of surviving.” She hadn’t caved, hadn’t fallen into a ball of hopeless despair and just given up.

Cady looked her up and down. “Gotta admit, you’ve done better than I thought. First time I saw you, I felt sure you weren’t gonna last the week. But you got to fight back. People like Ronald, they don’t play by any rules and you can’t either.”

Jessa thought for a long moment. “You’re right. So teach me.”

Cady put her hands on her hips. “What am I? Some social worker?”

“No, but you’re a good person and you like me.”

“We’re not friends,” Cady repeated as she walked into the women’s sleeping area of the shelter.

Jessa let out a small smile. “But you’ll help me?”

“Yeah, all right.”