“Greta! Bless my soul. What’s happened to you?” As soon as Remi opened the door to find her friend hugging her stomach, and curled up in a fetal position on the floor, she almost fainted. Blood from cuts around the girl’s mouth and cheek had soaked into the front of her blouse, and her pitiful moaning almost broke Remi’s heart.
“Let me help you inside.” As the poor creature struggled to gain her feet, Remi put her arm around her waist and tugged. Once Greta, wobbling, stood upright, they moved in the direction of her sitting room.
“No. I’m too dirty. There’s blood. I want to go to the toilet so I can clean myself up. My parents can’t see me like this.”
“Of course they must. I’m going to call them right now.”
“No! Please. I couldn’t stand it. Dad would go to the school’s head and make a big stink. And Mum will cry for days. I know. Promise me.”
Remi’s heart dropped to a puddle at her feet. Though she instinctively knew the answer, she still questioned Greta. “Who did this to you? And don’t bother fibbing. You must tell me the truth.”
Greta’s tear-filled eyes slid away from Remi’s and she had her answer.
“Cassie Edwards and her rotten pals are to blame, aren’t they?”
“Not all of the girls. Just Katrina and Leslie; Pam wasn’t there.”
Greta’s bleeding mouth, grotesque from swelling, trembled as she tried to speak coherently.
Gathering her gently into tender arms, Remi let her cry, and she did so as if her heart was broken. Feeling her emotions giving way, Remi found the tears pouring down her own cheeks. Her heart hurt, all clenched tightly inside her chest and anger nipped at the back of her conscience. Oh boy, if I had that Cassie Edwards here now, she’d get some of her own treatment.
Finally, Greta pulled away and stiffened her backbone, her face blotchy from tears and red-hot anger. “God forgive me, Remi, but I hate that mean-hearted cow and her herd. After school, I changed from my uniform so I could go shopping. They stopped me because they wanted me to give them my blouse. Threatened to tear if off of me if I didn’t.”
Face scrunched up in disbelief, Remi’s voice rose. “They did this to you for a blouse? Why in the world would they want your blouse? How ridiculous!”
“They said I was putting on airs because it was new and too pretty for the likes of me.”
Remi realized it was one of a bunch of blouses she’d given Greta–from a stack of older clothes she’d sorted through. Turquoise silk and as pretty as anything selling today, the garment hid the fat rolls well and looked attractive. Not now though. Now it was torn and dirty and had lost its charm. “We’re going back to the school right now to report this behavior, Greta. Don’t you see, those black-hearted witches can’t be allowed to get away with this rottenness? It isn’t fair. If you like, I’ll drive you and even come into the head’s office with you. You won’t have to do it alone.”
All the while Remi spoke, tears overflowed Greta’s eyes and her head wrenched from side to side. “No! Please. I came to you because I trusted you to help me. I can’t squeal. If I do, they’ll really hurt me. They promised.”
“So you’re willing to let them bully you, beat you up and pretend it never happened?”
“Yes!”
“Oh, Greta…”
“Bugger them. I’ll show them I don’t care. No matter what they call me or do to me, I will lose weight. Even if they make fun of me every day, I will meet my goal. It’s all I have, Remi—”
“You have me, Greta. We’ll do this together. Fine, if you want me to stay silent, you’ll have to make me one promise. From now on I drive you to and from school. I don’t want you walking home alone anymore, giving them opportunities to attack you again. You must wait for me at the door, okay?”
Choked, beyond words, Greta nodded. Her grasping hands reached for Remi’s and she clung for dear life. “I don’t know what I ever did to deserve you, but I’ve thanked God every day since you came into my miserable life. Remi, no matter what those cold-hearted bitches do to me, as long as I have our friendship, their meanness means less than nothing.”
“Aw, sweetheart.”
“And you’ll be pleased to know that I did stand up to them. Even when they tried to tear off my blouse, I didn’t let them. In fact, I think Cassie might even be sporting a few bruises.”
“Okay! Now that makes me happy. Good for you, my pet. You’ve made me proud.”