Topic 10: Sticks and Stones
This machine can barely function
685 words | Astro-twins 'verse
Thanks to whipchick for the beta | Title and cut from Modern Fables by Julia Deans
Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me, sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me. It became like a mantra. As she marched through the school hall, she could feel her throat closing up, her eyes starting to burn.
Sticks and stones will break my bones.
She slipped into a deserted classroom and let her body do what it needed to. She hated it. Crying was so pathetic, and her sniffling and sobbing really didn’t help her feel better. She thought breaking a bone might not hurt as much as this, or at least be about the same on the scale of things.
She tried to pull herself together. Words will never hurt me, she thought, wrapping it around her like a shield, a barrier.
She cleaned herself up as much as she could, pulled herself to her full height and walked out. She found Mike standing there waiting for her.
“Are you okay?” he asked, looking worried, putting his hands on her shoulders.
“I'm fine,” she said, trying to brush him off, adjusting her backpack on her shoulders.
His frown deepened and he didn’t let her go.
She tried to smile, but couldn’t meet his eyes. “Just some stupid boys,” she said, “I’ll be fine, sticks and stones right? I have a class to go to, I don’t need another detention on my hands.”
He pursed his lips together but finally let her go, falling into step beside her as she made her way to class.
“Don’t you have a class to go to as well?” she asked, “at the other side of school?”
He shrugged. “Not important,” he said.
“No,” she said, stopping, “it is, go to class, I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said, trying to direct him with her hands, even though he was taller than her. Usually he humoured her, but today he stood fast. “Mike,” she tried again, but before she could say anything more she heard it.
“Freak!” someone yelled behind her and just off to her left. She felt something snap inside her and the next thing she knew she was fighting to get to the voice; a snide boy who looked like he could break her in half.
She realised Mike was the one holding her back and redoubled her efforts. “Let me go!” she said, “sticks and stones! I want to break their bones! Let me go!”
“Kim, no, he’ll kill you,” Mike said, pulling her back, and she felt the hot tears falling again, so she settled for burying her face in Mike’s chest. God this is going to do nothing but fuel the damn rumours.
“Sticks and stones would never do this to me,” she said, knowing how wretched she sounded.
“I know,” he said, pulling her away. Once they were alone, he handed her tissues and watched her calm down and pull herself together yet again.
“People suck,” she grumbled.
“I know,” he said again, “you just have to ignore them.”
“I know,” she said, “but that’s a stupid saying, sticks and stones and words, it’s people that are the problem.”
“Three more months,” he said, “three more months and you never have to see any of these people again.”
“That’s when you move, too,” she said quietly.
“Is that what this is about?” he asked, the frown back on his brow. He was definitely getting frown lines before her.
“No,” she said defensively, then, “maybe? I don’t know, it’s all happening at once, how is anyone supposed to function?”
“Kimmy,” he said.
“I know, I know,” she said, sighing, “I’ll be fine.”
“No, you're going home.”
She started to protest but he stopped her, “Go home and rest, tell the nurse you're feeling sick, I’ll stay here and hold the fort.”
She smiled, a real smile this time. “How do other people survive without such helpful twin brothers?”
“They don’t,” he said, “they resort to name calling, now come on, let’s get you home.”
He offered her his hand and she took it, rumours be damned.
685 words | Astro-twins 'verse
Thanks to whipchick for the beta | Title and cut from Modern Fables by Julia Deans
Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me, sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me. It became like a mantra. As she marched through the school hall, she could feel her throat closing up, her eyes starting to burn.
Sticks and stones will break my bones.
She slipped into a deserted classroom and let her body do what it needed to. She hated it. Crying was so pathetic, and her sniffling and sobbing really didn’t help her feel better. She thought breaking a bone might not hurt as much as this, or at least be about the same on the scale of things.
She tried to pull herself together. Words will never hurt me, she thought, wrapping it around her like a shield, a barrier.
She cleaned herself up as much as she could, pulled herself to her full height and walked out. She found Mike standing there waiting for her.
“Are you okay?” he asked, looking worried, putting his hands on her shoulders.
“I'm fine,” she said, trying to brush him off, adjusting her backpack on her shoulders.
His frown deepened and he didn’t let her go.
She tried to smile, but couldn’t meet his eyes. “Just some stupid boys,” she said, “I’ll be fine, sticks and stones right? I have a class to go to, I don’t need another detention on my hands.”
He pursed his lips together but finally let her go, falling into step beside her as she made her way to class.
“Don’t you have a class to go to as well?” she asked, “at the other side of school?”
He shrugged. “Not important,” he said.
“No,” she said, stopping, “it is, go to class, I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said, trying to direct him with her hands, even though he was taller than her. Usually he humoured her, but today he stood fast. “Mike,” she tried again, but before she could say anything more she heard it.
“Freak!” someone yelled behind her and just off to her left. She felt something snap inside her and the next thing she knew she was fighting to get to the voice; a snide boy who looked like he could break her in half.
She realised Mike was the one holding her back and redoubled her efforts. “Let me go!” she said, “sticks and stones! I want to break their bones! Let me go!”
“Kim, no, he’ll kill you,” Mike said, pulling her back, and she felt the hot tears falling again, so she settled for burying her face in Mike’s chest. God this is going to do nothing but fuel the damn rumours.
“Sticks and stones would never do this to me,” she said, knowing how wretched she sounded.
“I know,” he said, pulling her away. Once they were alone, he handed her tissues and watched her calm down and pull herself together yet again.
“People suck,” she grumbled.
“I know,” he said again, “you just have to ignore them.”
“I know,” she said, “but that’s a stupid saying, sticks and stones and words, it’s people that are the problem.”
“Three more months,” he said, “three more months and you never have to see any of these people again.”
“That’s when you move, too,” she said quietly.
“Is that what this is about?” he asked, the frown back on his brow. He was definitely getting frown lines before her.
“No,” she said defensively, then, “maybe? I don’t know, it’s all happening at once, how is anyone supposed to function?”
“Kimmy,” he said.
“I know, I know,” she said, sighing, “I’ll be fine.”
“No, you're going home.”
She started to protest but he stopped her, “Go home and rest, tell the nurse you're feeling sick, I’ll stay here and hold the fort.”
She smiled, a real smile this time. “How do other people survive without such helpful twin brothers?”
“They don’t,” he said, “they resort to name calling, now come on, let’s get you home.”
He offered her his hand and she took it, rumours be damned.