Chapter 5

Liliana

The days are longer now that I have my very own warden. The only time I have to myself are my walks home from school. However, the voice that sounds behind me says it all; I'm not going to have a peaceful walk home today.

"Hello, pauper."

"Jarek."

"Are you waiting for anybody in particular?"

I sit outside the school after the last bell every day, waiting for all the students to be gone. For the last few weeks, others have been picking on me after seeing Jarek bully me, and they tend to harass me on my walk home.

The last person I want to be talking to is the bully who started it all. It's bad enough that I have to ride to school with him, but I treasure my peaceful walks home, and now, he's here. I glance up at him from where I sit in the grass. He's blocking the sun from my eyes, and for just a moment, one could mistake him for an angel.

"I'm not waiting for anyone," I respond back.

"You could have fooled me. Nobody just sits by themselves on the grass at school." He studies me briefly then asks, "Do you have a secret boyfriend, pauper?"

"What? No!"

"Then what are you doing here all by yourself?"

I sigh. "Because I'm tired of other students harassing me on my walk home. So, I wait until I know they're gone."

"Now, why would anybody want to harass you?" he asks this with the most serious look on his face.

Is he kidding me right now?

"Ever since you started bullying me, others have as well." I stand up and brush my backside off.

"I don't bully you!" he growls then adds, "You're my assistant."

My jaw drops, and I am rendered speechless. He actually thinks that I'm his assistant. "Uh, I'm sorry, but you're a bully, Jarek." I should keep my mouth shut, but he needs to be slapped with reality if he honestly feels that he doesn't bully me.

"What did you just say?" He steps right up in my face, but I don't back down.

"S-See, this right here," I point to what he's doing, "This is considered bullying."

"Nah, if I was bullying you, then I would do so much more than what I do." He smirks.

"I would never allow you to do anything that you may be insinuating, Jarek."

"Don't jump the gun, Sumner, you're not my type," his eyes sweep over me, and I feel so dirty as they do. "I don't like charity cases, and that's exactly what you are. You will never be anything more than that to anybody."

I feel my eyes prick with tears, but I'll be damned if I let him see them. "You don't have to be an ass, Jarek! I've never done anything to you!" I hurry past him, praying he doesn't follow me, and for once, those prayers are answered.

                                                                    ***

I will never know why Jarek has suddenly taken an interest in me, but I need to figure out how to shake him. He needs a new interest, so he can leave me the hell alone. I'm a loner for a reason; I don't trust anybody. Growing up in the foster system teaches you this, amongst other things.

My parents died in a car accident when I was five and since I had no other family, I've been stuck in the system, never truly having a real home. It hasn't been all that bad, but I just never really fit in anywhere, and have never been able to get close enough to anyone. There was one guy that I considered my best friend, another foster kid, but that was three years ago, and then he ran away, never to be seen or heard from again.

I left for school early just so I could walk by myself today and not start me day off with HIM. Unfortunately, even though I wasn't with him, I still thought of him and that's disturbing.

I've just gotten to school and to my locker after the nice quiet walk by myself, when Jarek startles me. His voice gives me shivers as he huddles in close and whispers, "Someone has been a very bad girl."

I knew I would get his wrath when I left for school early so I wouldn't have to ride with him. I just wanted a little peace this morning to enjoy my special day; I deserve that, don't I?

I sigh, "Can you please just give me a day off today? It's my birthday, and I just want to enjoy it."

"Well, all you had to do was ask, pauper. Instead, you acted like a child and ignored my calls. You're lucky that I'm still willing to give you this." He hands me a small square box with pretty birthday wrapping on it.

I haven't received a birthday present since my parents died. This little gesture hits me right in the heart, and I genuinely smile at my bully. "Thank you, Jarek."

"You haven't even opened it. How do you know you will even like it?"

"It's not the gift itself but the thought and the gesture. This is my first gift in twelve years." Before I lose my nerve, I throw my arms around him and give him a quick hug.

It's not quick enough, though, because he shoves me away, causing me to fall back into the lockers. "Don't ever touch me without permission."

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything—"

He cuts me off, "Just open your gift, will you!"

With trembling hands, I rip open the wrapping paper and then open the box and see a small note that says, 'Happy Birthday, Liliana.' Under the piece of paper lies a beautiful silver ID bracelet, but I gasp when I examine it closely. 'Property of Jarek Falcon' is engraved under my name, 'Liliana Sumner.' The underside of the bracelet has an inscription that says, 'To my pauper on her birthday.'

When I glance back at Jarek, he's wearing a knowing smirk, "Now everyone knows that you belong to me, and they will not bully you."  

Dropping the piece of jewelry as though it burned me, I slam my locker closed and run. I don't stop until I'm back outside. It's now pouring rain, but I don't care how wet I'm going to get; I just need to get away. I turn when I hear the doors open behind me and see my tormentor following. He calls out my name, but I ignore him and take off again. I hear him calling out to me, but I continue running. The rain is pelting down on me, making it hard to see anything before me.

A hand grabs my arm, and I swing around, slamming into Jarek's chest. He's soaked from head to toe and looks angry as hell, "What are you trying to do. Get yourself sick?"

"I'm nobody's property, Jarek, least of all yours!" I yell over the pouring rain.

"That's where you're wrong, Liliana! As long as you are my assistant, I own you!" he growls.

"Then I quit!" I try yanking my arm away, but he has it in a tight grip.

"Let's talk about this inside; we're getting soaked!" he suggests and tries pulling me back toward the school.

"I'm not going anywhere with you, Jarek!" I yell, pulling back.

"Cut the shit, pauper! We will both get sick, and then you will really be sorry!"

"Stop threatening me and stop being a bully to me; I am a human being!" I slip on the grass and fall, taking Jarek down with me.

"See what you've done now? You haven't even seen me bully you yet, little pauper! You belong to me, Liliana, don't forget that!"

"No, I don't belong to anybody. I'm nobody's slave and never will be!"

Jarek stops suddenly and smiles maliciously at me, "Oh, but you are, little pauper."

"You are completely insane!" I stare wide-eyed at him, and then I bring my knee up, knocking him away from me when it lands right between his legs.

Scrambling to my feet, I slip and slide when I run across the grass, but I keep going because, for some reason, Jarek is still following me. I can hear the traffic up ahead and know I must stop because it's a busy intersection. I'm hoping that Jarek will get tired and turn back, so when I stop to catch my breath, I'm stunned when I see that he's only a few meters away. I don't think; I turn and run right out into the middle of traffic, and the last thing I hear is Jarek screaming, "LILIANA!"