Wicked princess

And the worst part is…I can’t even fault them for what they’re doing. 

Because I created this…created them. 

Or rather, she did. 

Finally, the torture ends. 

“Tell anyone we did this to you, and it will be ten times worse next time,” Amber hisses. 

It hurts so bad, I can’t even speak. 

Caitlyn grabs my crutches. “I’d be nice and give these back, but you’re a wicked little bitch who doesn’t deserve shit.” 

She passes my crutches to another girl. “Burn them.” Crouching down, she spits in my face. “Don’t ever breathe in our direction again, got it?”

Tears spring to my eyes and I nod. 

I feel so humiliated, so dejected. 

So worthless. 

Cackling, Amber snaps a picture of me on her phone. “Oh, how the mighty have fallen.”  

“They did what?” my father booms as he strides into the hospital room. 

The same one I was discharged from three days ago. 

How’s that for irony?

On the upside, most of the damage is in the form of bruises that make my face and body look like a paint by numbers portrait. 

Well, apart from the broken rib that throbs with every breath I take. 

“They fucking jumped her,” Jace explains, growing more irate by the second. 

“Remind me again what the jail time is for hiring a hitman to take out a group of high school skanks?” Cole grunts. 

Sawyer rubs his back. “I knew Bianca wasn’t always pleasant, but ganging up and jumping her in a bathroom is just…” 

“Beyond fucked up.” Expression full of disgust, Dylan looks at me. “Want me to give them a taste of their own medicine?”

As much as I appreciate her offer, I don’t believe two wrongs make a right. 

Something tells me I can’t say the same about my former self. 

Jace clenches his fists. “We can’t let them get away with this.” 

 “We need to call the police.” Cole’s green eyes flash with rage. “Have those little bitches arrested.” 

Dad takes out his phone. “Oh, trust me, son, when I’m through with them—” 

 I quickly halt him before he makes the phone call. “I don’t want you to call the police.”

As nice as it is to hear them all getting along for once, this isn’t what I want. 

Five sets of eyes blink in confusion. 

Jace looks at me like I’ve sprouted another head. “Why not?” 

I take a deep breath and let it out. “Because I deserved it.” 

That does nothing to clear up their confusion. 

“Bianca,” Sawyer says softly. “No one deserves this.” 

She’s wrong. “I’d agree, but while they were…you know, beating me up. I had a flashback.” I wipe my damp palms on my skirt. “I—uh. I was really mean to them.” Tears clog my vision because I feel like such a horrible person. “I made their lives miserable and I think they attacked me today to protect themselves and make sure I knew they wouldn’t stand for it anymore.” 

And I can’t blame them one iota. 

Sawyer and Dylan exchange a glance. 

The fact that no one jumps to my defense tells me all I need to know. 

The old Bianca was rotten to the core. 

Unfortunately for me, I’m the one paying for her behavior. 

My stomach rolls with my next thought. God only knows how many enemies I have at school. 

Finally, Jace speaks, “Bianca, I get what you’re saying, but we still have to do something. What they did was…extreme.” 

Cole nods in agreement. “I don’t care how much of a bitch you were to them in the past, it doesn’t warrant them attacking you the way they did. For fuck’s sake, you need crutches to get around. You couldn’t defend yourself even if you wanted to.” 

“Which is exactly why they did it,” Dylan whispers, appearing deep in thought. “They wanted to strike while she was down.” 

Sawyer huffs out an irritated breath. “Which means this wasn’t an impulsive mistake that got out of hand.” Her face scrunches up. “It was calculated.” 

Cole rubs his forehead. “Man, who knew girls could be so damn vindictive.”

Sawyer and Dylan give him a look as if to say, ‘Duh.’

Dad holds up his phone. “I’m going to have them all arrested for assault and put behind bars.” Sadness flickers in his eyes. “Sweetheart, I know I haven’t always…” His voice trails off and he tries again. “I need to make sure you’re safe and those girls pay for what they did to you.” 

Jace’s expression softens and for once he’s not looking at our father like he’s dirt on the bottom of his shoes. 

“Hold on,” I say as the thought occurs to me. “I think I have a better solution.” 

If Caitlyn and the rest of the cheerleaders want me gone and the entire school has a preconceived notion of me because of how I was…maybe, it’s best I go someplace new. 

This way, this Bianca can have a fresh start and not be judged for what she did and how she treated people in the past. 

“I want to change schools.” 

Jace and Dad exchange a perplexed glance.

“Why?” Cole questions. “All your friend—” I can see the exact moment it dawns on him. “Right.”

Dad shakes his head. “Absolutely not. Royal Hearts Academy is a very prestigious school. One that looks spectacular on college applications. I’m not letting these girls ruin your future.” 

Jace shrugs. “Plus, the only school you’d be able to transfer to is Royal Manor High.” 

“And trust me, you don’t want to go there. That place is full of gangs and thugs from the bad side of town.” Cole narrows his eyes. “Not to mention their football team sucks balls.” 

It’s all I can do not to roll my eyes. 

“I was at RHA for four hours and got jumped in the bathroom,” I remind them. “Besides, going someplace new would give me a fresh start—”

“No,” Dad argues. “It’s out of the question.” 

Agitated, I fall against the hospital bed. It’s clear he’s not going to budge without a fight, and I’ve had enough fighting for one day. 

“I still don’t want them arrested—” I start to say until I remember something Caitlyn said to me. “The accident…” 

I can’t even bring myself to say the words. 

Jace’s brows pinch. “What’s wrong?”

The muscles in my back tighten as I force in a shaky breath. “Did someone die?”

Jace exhales sharply and takes a step in my direction, approaching me like I’m a bomb that’s about to go off at any minute. “Where did you hear that?”