Alexander State High's cafeteria, much like the rest of the school, was luxurious in a sterile, modern way. The same too-bright light reflected off the same perfectly polished tiles. The room was divided into four sections by a pair of pillars, as if a particularly geometrically-obsessed architect had designed it.

At the furthest end from the entryway, a pair of school employees manned a cash register and a long line of heated glass casings. As the lunch break was nearly over, there were only a few students that still sat at the tables.The general air of dismalness set Jane's already nervous mind on edge.

Beatrice had evidently called a meeting with her friends. A small group of glamorous-looking teenagers were seated together off to one side, their clothes obviously branded and new. They looked up as the pair entered, crowded together in a corner.

Beatrice waved, as if she were simply coming back from a class. Jane lowered her head, doing her best not to make eye-contact with any members of the group. Her stomach was doing flip-flops. What was happening? What did Beatrice want from her?

The group parted, allowing just enough space for two people. Beatrice took a seat first, patting the spot next to her. There was only enough of a gap for Jane to squeeze her narrow hips into.

Jane lowered herself onto the bench slowly, as if it might bite her.

"Guys, this is beanstalk. Say hello." Beatrice still hadn't looked at her.

There was a brief moment of silence as they examined her closely.

"Her hair's so ugly. Do you think it's real?" a girl in a pink jacket sneered. Her braces glinted as she spoke.

Jane's fists tightened in her lap.

"No way," a dark skinned boy replied, "She's too broke for a salon."

A spattering of giggles erupted from the group.

The boy sitting next to Jane waved a hand near his own nose.

"Too broke for soap, obviously."

"Hey beanstalk, you even talk?"

"Maybe she's dumb."

"Poor and dumb? I bet it runs in her family."

"Does she even have a family? Or maybe she lives under a bridge, turning..."

The group continued in this vane for several more minutes, each member taking a turn jeering at Jane, every line more personal and insulting than the last.

Her eyes watered. She wanted to scream.

"Guys, be nice, she's with me," Beatrice said, breaking up their torment.

With that, the conversation's topic changed immediately, as if they had completely forgotten about Jane.

They continued talking amongst themselves, ignoring Jane, who tried to make herself as small as possible. Perhaps that was all they had wanted. A target to throw a few cruel jokes towards.

She began to think they had grown bored of her when Beatrice spoke.

"Joss, hold her down," Beatrice said casually, as one hand brushed her bangs to the side.

The boy next to Jane gripped the back of her head and forced it to the table with a dull thud.

Jane cried out wordlessly. She couldn't control it anymore. Tears began to run down her face. She hated herself for it.

Head on its side, Jane could see Beatrice looking her in the eyes at last.

Other members of the group stood up and positioned themselves behind the pair, obscuring Jane from view. What few students and staff left in the cafeteria wouldn't notice anything.

"Poor beanstalk," Beatrice whispered, smiling once more. "Just remember, you heard nothing at all, okay?"

Jane's nose ran, a small dribble of mucus dripped down her cheek. The pressure of the boy's hand on her head was crushing.

Beatrice seemed to take her uneven breathing and tears as an affirmative. "Let her go."

The boy, Joss, released Jane wordlessly. Jane bolted upright, her vision blurry. She elbowed him away, almost tripping over her seat.

Panicked, she pushed the girl behind her, desperately trying to escape. The strap of her bag tangled in her arm. She shouted wordlessly again, spit flying from her mouth. She pushed another person away, trying her best to clear a path.

The group offered no resistance, allowing her to struggle her way through them.

After what felt like an eternity of pushing, she managed to break free.

Immediately, she lurched into a wobbly run. One of the cafeteria staff yelled something about no running at her as she passed under the entryway, her bag rhythmically bounced against her hip with every footfall.

Behind her, she could hear the laughter of the group echo through the hall.

Rain beat against the asphalt of the parking lot. Jane blinked, dazed. Her neck hurt. Her nose was running. She was still crying.

She realized she had been standing under the entryway for several minutes, waiting for a bus. There would be no bus. Even the earliest one would not come for several more hours. Despite the gloomy weather, it was still early afternoon.

The rain roared louder, as if it, too, were taunting her. Or sympathizing. Jane wanted to go home.

"You okay?" Ryder said.

Jane stiffened in surprise, eyes wide. She hadn't noticed him standing there. Up close, he was even more impressive. His verdant eyes clashed pleasingly with his crimson jacket. Even in the humidity, his hair remained perfectly styled.

He smells like evergreens, Jane thought absently. Evergreens and Beatrice's cigarettes.

"Uh... hello?" he said, eyebrows raised in concern.

Jane realized she hadn't said anything.

Why was he, of all people, here? Did Beatrice send him? He was working with her and her mysterious group, after all. But why? To finish her off? To taunt her? Her stomach lurched.

No, she thought. Hasn't she had enough? What more could Beatrice want from her? Jane gritted her teeth.

"I have to go," she said, mustering the last of her courage. One more word and her voice would have cracked.

Steeling herself, she shielded her bag as best as she could, and stepped into the downpour.

Immediately, she regretted her decision. Even though she was wearing her jacket, the storm chilled her to the core. The rain soaked through her clothes almost instantly, leaving the wind to steal whatever warmth she had left. Half way through the parking lot, she debated turning around and finding somewhere hidden to wait out the afternoon.

Her neck twinged with pain. No, she wouldn't go back. She didn't even dare turn around, in case Ryder was still standing in the doorway.

Gray clouds overhead seemed to both move rapidly and stay motionless, hovering over the town like a watching presence.

A lone car sped through the street as Jane crossed it, narrowly missing her with a spray of water. She broke into a run, her shoes squelching against the sidewalk. The rain and wind seemed to push against her. Every step felt heavy and rocky.

Unlike earlier in the day, the streets were completely devoid of traffic. Or people. The storm had convinced most of Alexander township's residents to stay inside, safe and warm.

Jane's lungs burned. She couldn't tell whether it was rainwater or sweat running down her face. Absently, she noticed she had just passed the post office. How long had she been running?

Her phone buzzed. She couldn't take it out in the downpour. She couldn't stop running.

Beatrice's cold, smiling face flashed in her mind. She winced.

More soggy steps. The sounds of the weather drowned out the sound of her pounding the pavement. Somewhere between the park and the grocery, Jane had begun to scream. It seemed to reverberate through her chest, shuddering through her bones. Much like the sound of her running, the roar of the storm drowned it all out.

Somewhere in the back of her head, a smug voice remarked on how ridiculous she must look. A soaked, rail-thin teenage girl screaming and sprinting in the rain.

She ignored it. She was sick of voices chastising her. Wasn't your mind supposed to be on your side?

She was so cold that she barely felt the burning in her legs, or the stitch in her side. Her feet slipped. She fell to one knee, just barely catching herself.

Breathing hard, she kneeled on the pavement. She held that position for what felt like an eternity, afraid that even a tiny movement would collapse her entirely. What the hell was she doing? She felt like an idiot. A wet, bruised idiot.

Head raised, the rain continued to pour. She recognized this particular patch of greener, and the bus stop, just barely visible in the distance. Another block and she would be home.

She stood up, feet more unsteady than ever. Her knees ached. The rest of the walk home passed in a blur, her mind turning to autopilot.

She left her squelching shoes on the patio. The clock near the front door said it was nearly two in the afternoon.

Funny, it had felt like an eternity since she was standing in the parking lot.

She realized she was dripping a small puddle on the floor.

Hastily, Jane stripped her clothes off. Her phone was thankfully unaffected by the rain.

Checking her notifications, she saw that Victoria had left her several messages. She didn't feel like checking them quite yet.

She padded to the shower, her mother's door still shut in the hallway. Jane wondered if she had even woken up today.

She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her hair was a mess, somehow both matted and sticking out at odd angles. Glancing down, she could see the beginnings of a bruise forming on her knees. The backs of her ankles were blistered.

She felt awful.

She heard her mother's door open.

"Jane?"

Jane leaned forward over the sink.

"I'm in the bathroom," she said.

"It's too early for you to be home, isn't it?"

Jane's fingers gripped the porcelain. They were turning white.

"They let me out early. Felt sick."

"Are you okay? What happened?" Her mother sounded concerned. And hung over.

"I'm fine," Jane injected fake levity in her voice. "Just ate something bad."

"Are you sure?"

Please leave me alone. Please. "Yep!" Jane replied as cheerfully as possible.

This seemed to satisfy her mother. Without a reply, Jane could hear her heavy footsteps trudge towards the kitchen, no doubt in search of a cure for her hangover.

Jane realized she was still gripping the sink. With an effort, she released her grasp. Thankfully, her neck was unbruised. Her mother would suspect nothing.

She sighed, and swept the floral shower curtain to the side. Another freezing shower.