~ Friends ~

(Warning: This story may contain sensitive material. Includes themes and mentions of: Bullying, Self harm and Sexual assault. You have been warned)

It was a dreary white charged sky that morning. Nothing out of the ordinary for grey suburban London. The secondary school playground buzzed with the playful banter and dramatic gestures of uniformed teenagers. By the gate, alone stood a young fifteen year old cat. She blew bubble gum with a bored expression upon her face, her pointy kitty ears plugged into small headphones which led to her Ipod shuffle. She was observant despite this and watched as more young boys and girls congregated around her, flooding in through the entrance to start the day. The wild, cute little pigtails sprouting from random parts of her head bobbed up and down as she tapped her trainers to the beat. Bright neon Nike air max. A stark juxtaposition with her monochrome school uniform.

She held up her ipod to change the music when something caught her eye. Or more accurately, someone. Walking slowly through the sea of grey and black uniforms her eyes fixated on another young girl. She stood out from the rest despite her posture and mannerisms. Holding some large textbooks to her chest tightly, reserved and quiet. She didn’t want to attract attention, but her long, silver-white hair blew in the light breeze almost hypnotically and perfect as if in a movie. Her white fringe covered her eyes obscuring her face but the cat knew she knew she was pretty somehow still. She was a panda bear, a rare species and despite being a little bit tubby she was the most mysteriously beautiful girl the cat had ever laid her eyes upon. She needed to meet her.

The school bell rang snapping the cat out of her trance. With a small grin, she slung her Nike “just do it” bag over her shoulder and walked towards the looming brick building.

The classroom was half empty and already five minutes had gone by without a teacher in sight. The cat sat quietly at her desk, cheek in her paw as she tapped her pen on it. The classroom was small and cramped, and despite the walls being a bleak white broken up by the odd educational poster or single frosted hospital-’esque window it was depressingly dim inside. Suddenly noise erupted from behind the walls before the single door at the front of the room  swung open. She staggered inside, the girl with the silver-white hair, she dropped her text books on the floor as laughter cackled from the corridor behind. The cats ears perked up seeing her so close. In behind the panda stepped two other girls. Instantly recognizable as Becky and Shaniqua. The “bitch duo” of set four. Becky was a short, fat, chav weasel of a girl. Immediately annoying in appearance in presence. Shaniqua was tall and had the most unfortunate looking face for a skunk lacky. Both had their eyebrows drawn on crudely with makeup pencil, their eyelids splashed with a hooker blue as their hair scraped back into their skulls, jutting out pompous little pony tails. They stank of smoke.

“Wot r u a fuckin emo or summin?” Becky cackled “get up u dutty sket!”
The cat looked on in dismay from the corner of the classroom where she sat, unable to interject the situation.
”Didn’t u hear her Blud! Get up!” Shaniqua shouted. The cat looked at the girl. Knees on the floor, shaking as she picked up her books. She caught a glimpse of her eyes under her thick white fringe. Tearful and sad lined with thick mascara which was beginning to leak. 
“I bet she cuts herself under those wrist bands innit!?” Shaniqua commented.
Becky trotted forward grabbing the pandas hair and yanking her up. She yelped in pain. Nobody in the class said a word but just watched. Some even smiling sadistically. The cat looked on in disbelief.
“Why was u talkin to my man for?” Becky demanded, shouting in her ear.
“I...I.. wasn’t..” The panda replied weakly in a soft but desperate, damaged voice
“Don’t lie to me u little emo bitch I saw u chattin him up! Lettin him feel u up n shit! Don’t lie to me!” she tightened her grip on the pandas delicate hair, shaking her with each word. Shaniqua put her paw to her mouth holding in her foul laughter.
“I didn’t let him! He...” The panda started sobbing before she could finish her sentence. Becky interrupted anyway
“U think I don’t know bruv?? U think cuz ur the new girl and u have big tits u can get any man? Psssh!” “Yhh I bet they sag to the floor as well bruv! LOLZ” Shaniqua added snorting with obnoxious laughter.
Giggles and sniggers could be heard around the class. The cat looked around stunned by the lack of pity for the helpless girl. Becky let go of her harshly, her hair gliding silently down beside her quivering body. Walking by her side she raised her shoe, kicking the poor panda in the gut! She squealed in pain falling to her side. 
“Don’t U EVER talk to my man again u freak emo bitch! Or i’ll get my gyaldem to shank u in more places than ur wrists! Watch!”.. Shaniqua had no comment. Becky raised her shoe again.
She lowered her voice into a harsh, quiet tone, leaning over her
“I heard wot happened to ur mummy as well.. No wonder ur a shitty emo..”
She spat on the floor raising her foot higher

“Leave her alone!!”
Behind them from the corner of the class came a loud screech of a chair moving. The cat girl stood up looking at the bullies dead on with a serious expression.
“wot???” Becky replied swinging around scowling. She suddenly smiled evilly upon noticing her. “You can’t be serious bruv!” She laughed “The fuckin skank who bunks off school to suck off every butterz man in England is gonna do sumin?” Everyone knows ur the next biggest sket to this weak emo bitch! don’t eveeen tryy!”
“She hasn’t done anything wrong innit! Just alow it!” The cat shouted pleadingly.
“Just watch me!” Becky claimed sadistically. She turned out to face the panda lying on the floor gasping for air.

Within a second the cat leaped onto her desk and started sprinting over the classroom across the tables towards them knocking over pencils and papers in a flurry. “Wot the!?” Shaniqua blurted before her face was met with a bright neon Nike air max. Her jaw distorted in slow motion as a tooth flew out, followed by a speck of blood. She slammed against the wall falling down. The cat landed swiftly right in front of Becky looking down at her fat annoying face with a naughty smile. The panda looked up at the pair facing off. She gazed at her unlikely saviour with an expression of bewilderment before the two clashed together. The class ritualistic chants of “GYALDEM BEEF!!!” and “CAT FIGHT!!!” fading into the hair pulling, nail scratching, blood curdling fight. 

The panda walked quietly down the school corridor. It was calm now and most people were out for lunch. She sighed carrying her books still with a slight pain in her stomach, her fringe still covering her eyes. She noticed a figure sitting on a small chair down the hall and proceeded with a slight caution.
“Yo!” A familiar voice chirped. The cat sat outside the main office. Her face bruised and patched up with a couple plasters.
“H..hi..” The panda replied nervously looking down at her “Thank you for er..” 
The cat interrupted with a smirk. “It’s cool bruv! She had it coming for time lol might get suspended again but whatevs... I would av done summin sooner but to be honest like, Those girls fuckin' terrify me too! haha!” She took a gulp from a can of energy drink. “You’re new here innit? What’s your name?”
The Panda hesitated for a second.. 
“it’s Luna..” she replied quietly. Her voice was soft but had a chirpy east London cockney twang to it which the cat hadn’t noticed before. She brushed her fringe to the side revealing a warm yet striking mascara framed eye “Luna Paws..”
The cat had her own moment of silence as she looked at her. She really was very beautiful. She even blushed a little bit.
“Yo That’s a bare cute name!” she remarked back with a gleaming toothy smile. She held out her paw to shake Luna’s
“I’m Tilisha! But everyone calls me Minx! Nice to meet you Luu!”