Where is room 102? I'm lost again. I wish this floor plan came with an automatic you are here arrow. This looks like the apprenticeship type area. I had no idea how big this school is, but now that I've met a few kids, no surprise. They're from all over the county, some even have to ride the school bus for over an hour to get here. I guess I'm lucky we live in town. Well sort of. Just outside of town.

Zena turned around. The only thing at the end of this hall was an exit door, and she didn't want to end up outside walking around the whole building to get back in. The room she wanted had to be up one of the other halls branching off the main lobby. She saw the office ahead when three girls approached, surrounding her.

"You really should be in class. You'll have to report to the principal's office. You're truant."

The brash voice of the girl reminded her of herself. Her hair was dyed black, and she was wearing all black. Pure Goth girl. The two with her were clones or would have been if they were as skinny as her. She could see mousy brown roots where her hair had grown out, and her eyes were dark brown. Her fingernails were long with black polish. One hand was clenched in a tight fist.

"Who are you?" Zena demanded.

"None of your business, if you don't come with me, you'll be sorry."

She was a couple inches taller than Zena, and the two with her were taller yet. Warning chills went down her back. This must be Anya.

"On second thought, you're coming in here with me Lacey. I think you need a new hairdo."

"Anya, you don't get it. I'm not Lacey. I'm Zena. I'm not going anywhere with you."

The two with her reached out to grab her arms, and she wrenched them free. Anya had a pair of scissors in her hand, and Zena screamed at the top of her voice.

"I'm not coming with you. Get that weapon away from me. Help! Heeelp!"

Zena kicked out hitting Anya's hand sending the sharp twin blades skittering across the floor. She knew noisy protest was her worst nightmare when she was trying to intimidate someone. Her own bully tactics were being used against her, and it didn't sit well. She steeled herself and pushed the shaking fright aside. There was no way she was giving in.

"She's going to stab me," Zena yelled again.

The doors down the hall were opening, and Anya pulled her hand back. One hand grabbed her shirt, while the other two grabbed her arms again,

Zena lurched forward, dragging both of them with her and head butted Anya in the boobs, protecting her face from the approaching blow.

"What the hell is going on here?" The principal stormed out of his office. "Zena, what's going on?"

Crap! Am I in trouble?

"She tried to stab me," Anya lied, "There's the scissors." She pointed to them.

"She's lying." Zena said, out of breath, but free of her tormentors.

"We all saw it," Anya's two friends insisted with one voice.

"Besides, she's lying. She's Lacey. There's no Zena in this school," the girl on Anya's right insisted.

"Anya, you will go to your next class now. You have detention and so do Izzy and Molly. You should be in class by now, the bell has rung. You have no reason to be here. This is Zena Henderson. She's new this year. I won't have your feud with Lacey continue." Mr. Dalton commanded.

Thank God. He didn't believe them.

Anya glared at him, furious to be called out. Her next words were hissed at Zena.

"You and Lacey better stay away from me. I'll get you for this. No one ever tells me what to do. You'll pay for this Dalton."

She flipped a rude gesture at him and ran her fingernails down Zena's arm leaving set of livid scratches behind. Whirling around to walk away exactly three feet behind Anya, Izzy and Molly strutted like they owned the world.

"Don't skip detention ladies, or you will be suspended." Mr. Dalton's stern warning followed them as they disappeared into the stairwell.

"I'm sorry Zena, we'll just take you down to the nurse's office. She'll disinfect those for you. I'll make sure your teacher knows this isn't your fault. Do you want to have her charged?"

Zena's shoulders sagged in relief as the principal picked up the scissors. When he stood up, she shook her head. No way was she going to escalate the tension. She was still trembling inside, and she needed somewhere to sit and get herself back under control. Being on the other side of the bully equation was an eye opener. She used every trick she'd learned in acting class to school her face. No way was she going to let tears she didn't want spill onto her cheeks.

"Anya doesn't know it, but a large grant from the Pettigrew foundation has provided new surveillance cameras. We've probably got her recorded. If you don't charge her, we will. It has to stop. Her attitude is not acceptable and now we have the means to catch her in the act."

"I don't want to make her madder." Zena knew she sounded pitiful. "How long has this been going on? Between Lacey and her?"

"Too long. Ask Lacey. I hope you've met her already?"

"You could have warned me I had a look alike this morning." Bitterness sliced through her voice.

No wonder he was so curious this morning.

"I thought it best if you met on your own terms. Here's the nurse." He pushed the swinging door open.

"Miss Agger, this is Zena Henderson. Clean up those scratches on her arm but take pictures first. I need them for evidence."

Tiny beads of blood welled up along the scraped skin by the time Zena took a seat on the bed beside the desk inside the white walled room.

"I'll take them right now." The nurse pulled a camera out of a drawer in her desk. "This isn't the usual football injury. What happened?"

"Anya." The principals curt one word response had the petite nurse rolling her eyes.

"This time we have her on film I hope?" Miss Agger flipped her bangs out of her eyes as she snapped pictures, including a couple of close up images showing the depth of the injury.

"We have her on the camera down from the office."

"I'll send you the pictures as soon as I download them onto the computer. I'm taking care of this first." The nurse shooed the barrel chested principal out of her office and lowered the privacy shade on her door. She turned the dead bolt and tested the door to make sure it was locked.

"Okay Zena, you can fall apart now, no one is going to see."

How did she know? I won't cry. The scratches burn like the devil. What does that bitch have under those claws? I'm staying in school until Dad comes to pick me up. I'll bet Anya will be waiting for me and Lacey when we leave the school. At least she didn't get my pack. I've still got my laptop.

"I'm not going to let her have the pleasure. I'm not falling apart. I won't let her get to me." Zena said the words like a mantra.

"I wouldn't tell anyone if you did. You aren't the first one to run into Anya. She's been this way since she was in grade school."

"Why?"

"No one can figure it out. She doesn't hang out with anyone except Izzy and Molly. This war on Lacey has gone on for years. Lacey is fast and strong. Lucky too, she usually makes sure she's part of a crowd wherever she goes. You'd best do the same."

"I'm going to get to the bottom of it. I'm meeting Lacey after school, and I think I'm going to get my Dad to take us to her mother's office."

"I'd talk to them about a restraining order, dear. I'm surprised Lacey's parents haven't put one in place already." The nurse put a tray together with gauze and sterile saline solution. "I'm sorry, this is going to hurt. We'll clean this up with water first, and then I'm putting antiseptic cream on and a dressing over it. Do you want to stay here for the rest of the afternoon or are you going to try to get to your last class?"

"I'm not going to let Anya and her gang keep me from doing my thing. She scares me, but I beat her this time. I will again." Zena's own determination was coming back.

"Alright then, I'll get this done, you can relax for a bit until the bell goes." Nurse Agger started swabbing the blood away, gently cleaning the first of four six inch scratches on Zena's left forearm.

"Damn those hurt." Zena's tears finally escaped.