There's a Fine Line Between Bullying and Crossing the Line

 

Adam

 

We were all at lunch hanging around when Erin decided to ask Tessa if she wanted to sit next to each other. I had no problem with it; it was a better chance to make fun of her. Erin got up with her whipped boyfriend Jason, and grabbed my forearm bringing me up along. She and Jason walked ahead of me and once we reached the table, I was in front of Tessa's face. Tessa wasn't bad looking, nope she wasn't hot and sexy like most of the girls I dated--and slept with--but she had her own way of being beautiful and gorgeous. She had semi-layered blonde hair and light blue eyes.

 

Tessa was at lunch by herself. She wasn't a complete loser, she had friends. They all ditched her after they all had this fight, one day at lunch three months ago. On the wooden lunch table was a small plastic bag of carrots that were unopened. Tessa reached into the bag and took one carrot out, glancing at it and brought it up to her lips--which I generously followed with my eyes--but before she could eat it, my a*****e side came out.

 

"Hey Tessa, I see you're cutting back on food. You are sticking to one thing everyday?" Erin shot me a death glare which I know I'll pay when we get home. Tessa set the carrot back in the bag and threw it away in the trashcan that was behind her in the corner. She turned back around and gave Erin and Jason a weak but friendly smile but didn't glance at me at all, not even meeting my eyes. "Why are you not eating? You won't be able to resist the temptation of food so just eat!"

 

Erin punched me in the arm and gave me another glare, "Sorry about him. I told you he's an a*s."

 

Tessa grinned that lit her whole face and I said, "You guys were talking about me? Ah, Tessa I knew you couldn't resist me." She rolled her eyes and her grin faltered into a frown.

 

"I don't have time for you, okay?" She glared at me, grabbing her bag and walking out of the cafeteria.

 

"Go after her!" Erin hissed in my ear. "Now!"

 

I nodded, leaving the cafeteria and walking down the hallway. I saw her zoom pass a few lockers and into the girls bathroom. I walked in totally self-confident of what I'm about to do. "Tessa?" I asked, opening the door to the women’s bathroom. I heard banging coming from the last stall at the end of the bathroom and rustling of clothes.

 

"What the hell are you doing in here?" Tessa snapped, coming out of the stalls. Her light brown Abercrombie shirt had ridden up, exposing her stomach. It was ghostly pale and I could see her ribcage. How her stomach was shaped, made it seem like she sucked her stomach in. But she didn't. You could tell.

 

"You’re really f*****g skinny." I blurted out. She widened her blue eyes.

 

"I have a high metabolism. I eat a lot and gain nothing." She said defensively. I nodded my head not sure whether I believed her or not. "Stop staring at my stomach!"

 

I diverted my gaze to her eyes, they were beautiful. Were. Keyword. Her eyes were pale; they have been for a long time. Back in second grade, she used to be really happy. She was the most girlish girl I have ever met in my life, that all stopped when we hit sixth grade and she started wearing skinny jeans and graphic tee's. Erin took her place as the most girlish girl in my life.

 

"Are you just gonna stand there and not say anything?" Tessa asked, snapping her fingers in my eyes.

 

"You have beautiful skin." I replied. She did, not one zit on her face.

 

"And you don't." She smirked.

 

I had to smile at that, reaching my hand up to my face and started rubbing around, feeling tiny bumps forming on my forehead. "It came from football, all that sweat and I didn't wash my face. I-"

 

"was too tired." She finished for me. I nodded and she smiled.

 

"How is your skin so clear?" I asked. It was amazing how not one girl had come into the bathroom to pee.

 

"You don't need to know that." Tessa replied, crisply.

 

"Well why not?" I pressed.

 

"If you knew the truth, you would regret everything you have done to me." She said curtly. Tessa dropped her gaze from my eyes and pushed pass me, opening the door. I stood there not knowing what to do or what to say. I knew I had to break the code on Tessa. She was a mystery. A big, dark, depressing mystery.

Author's Note

ignore grammar/spelling mistakes