chapter two, mother fucking mulan

"cyberbullying is no laughing matter. sending a cruel message to someone online can be just as hurtful as saying it to their face. i'm not gonna name names, but the other day a mother called me up because her son was crying after some kids online made fun of his facial deformity." councillor blatt said making luna shut her eyes in annoyance at how obvious she has made who the speech was about.

luna looked over to eli giving him a reassuring smile telling him it's gonna be okay and to ignore all the kids whispering about it.

"if you're sick of getting bullied, my karate dojo's looking for recruits." miguel said looking toward eli with a smile.

"yeah, right. you hear that, eli? a little karate training, and you're gonna kick some major ass." Demetri said sarcastically making luna look at him strangely as she believed miguel.

"i'm serious, demetri." miguel said looking over at the dark haired boy. "my sensei's the real deal. i'm sure i could get you all discounts."

"maybe, i'm usually busy after school." luna said, she was always working after school, although she had about two hours before each shift, she likes to spend that time with her mum or doing school work.

"i'm sure we can find a way for you to join." miguel said smiling at her.

"as enticing as that sounds, i think we'd rather spend our afternoons playing crucible control than getting hit in the face." demetri replied looking at eli, subtly saying that's was they do after school usually.

"one last thing. while we're all looking forward to the halloween dance, let's make sure our costumes are culturally sensitive." the councillor continued causing the group to look back in her direction. "for example, instead of 'sexy nurse', maybe try 'gender neutral hospital employee.'"

luna looked around the room catching eye of kody, he noticed that she looked his way causing him to turn back to his friends.

"what's up with you?" cory said causing kody to look at her.

"nothing um just thinking about the halloween dance." he said looking at his phone again.

"sure." cory rolled her eyes, looking over at where kody was looking. "you like her, don't you?"

kody looked at cory strangely turning to look at where cory was looking, seeing luna laughing at something demetri said. "no, what, what makes you think that?"

"um, i don't know." she said sarcastically, throwing her hands up slightly. "maybe how you're always staring at her, just talk to her."

kody just sighed grabbing his phone and putting it in his pocket as the bell went. "i don't like her, cory."

cory just looked at her dumbfounded. "think what you wanna think kody. i'm calling it right now, y'all are soulmates."

kody smiled slightly laughing at how dumb cory sounded.

"i love your costume, luna." a perky voice said as luna walked through the doors to the gym. luna looked over to see penelope smiling at her sarcastically in alice from alice in wonderland costume. "where's it from? the salvation army?"

luna looked down at the floor frowning slightly. "just leave me alone."

"i was just complimenting you." penelope replied raising her eyebrows at her. luna just ignored her walking off and towards the group of boys standing around the punch table.

"woah, are you mulan?" miguel asked, gaping at her looking at the outfit she put together, which consisted of a sage green long sleeve body suit, dark blue corset, red bow around the waste and a short yellow skirt with her usual white converse.

"uh yeah." luna replied.

"ok, are we ready? let's ask the dragon queens to dance." miguel looked at the girls.

"slow your roll. we got time." demetri said.

one of the girls got asked to dance and she said yes causing luna to chuckle slightly. "lost one."

"no... shit! we just lost one to doctor who." miguel said in disbelief.

"why don't you just go over to her and ask her to dance?" cory questioned kody looking over at him as he slowly sipped his punch. "you've never had trouble getting girls before."

"she's with those boys and its just awkward." kody replied watching as she talked to the skeleton standing next to her which he figured to be the new boy.

"please tell me your joking, that's never stopped you before." cory sighed, fixing up the dress that went with her halo. "spider man always got the girl he was pining over, your dressed as spiderman so"

"i have to go to the bathroom." eli spoke up as he looked at the two boys.

"yeah, me too." demetri agreed, putting his cup on the table. "that punch is going right through me."

"you alright here by yourself?'" miguel asked luna.

she gave him a strange look. "i'll be fine by myself."

"alright, be back soon." miguel said smiling at her before walking off with the other two boys.

"nows the perfect time to ask her to dance, her friends left and she's alone." cory said, looking at the brunette looking at her phone.

"yeah okay i'm gonna ask her." kody said looking at her before beginning to walk over.

lunas phone chimed in her hand so she opened it to see a message from her mum.

mum
hey honey, i got prescribed
some new medication. could
you please pick it up for me? i
need it in the morning, if your
busy at the dance i could pick
it up.

luna
no it's okay, i can get it. wasn't
doing anything anyways.

luna walked out of the gym quickly leaving the school so she could walk to the pharmacy not realising the now upset boy watching her leave.

"so, that's it? no more karate?" demetri said looking at miguel

"i was actually thinking of joining." luna said looking up from her textbook.

"i guess so." miguel said sadly. "it would've been cool if you joined."

"yeah." luna said back, writing down some more notes for biology.

"it's probably for the best." demetri said trying to make miguel feel better. "it was starting to boost your confidence."

"isn't that a good thing?" miguel said confused.

"no." demetri replied. "what has confidence ever gotten anybody except for a black eye and their backpack thrown in the trash?"

"confidence is a key thing to have in life." a voice said making all four of the teenagers look up.

"well confidence isn't an easy thing to have." luna replied.

"i mean, it kinda is." cory said looking at the younger girl "all you gotta do is feel good about yourself and block out all the negative comments."

luna looked at her strangely. "not everyone feels good about themselves."

"then feel good about yourself and problem solved." she said before walking away.

"well, i thought it was kinda cool how you stood up to kyler." eli said looking at miguel.

"are you insane?" demetri said causing luna to look at him weirdly. "let me ask you. what is the best superpower anyone could have?"

"time manipulation." luna replied.

"super strength." miguel said.

"wrong." demetri said pointing at the two. "invisibility. a distant second would be super speed to run away fast."

"run away from who?" kyler said leaning down next to eli.

"whom." brucks said appearing behind kyler "it's the object of a preposition. remember english class."

they all began to grab their stuff quickly and miguel quickly spoke up. "we were just leaving."

luna grabbed her notebook from the table and quickly moved next to demetri.

"hey, where you going?" kyler said grabbing eli before leaning down to his level. "oh, look at this freak. oh shit! what kind of girl would ever kiss this shit?"

luna looked over to miguel hoping he would do something. "leave him alone, kyler."

kyler pushed eli away from him towards luna and demetri before walking closer to miguel. "what'd you say? you haven't had enough, 'rhea?"

kyler grabbed the notebook from luna's hands before ripping out the notes she was just previously writing. "you know, i really need these notes for the upcoming test."

"damn, my mums gonna be proud of me for this." brucks said laughing taking the notes and reading them. "damn i didn't know any of this shit."

kyler grabbed lunas face pulling her closer to him "i better get an a on this test or your dead."

"okay." she said before kyler shoved her back making her rub her jaw from how hard kyler was holding her.

miguel and eli began to walk out and demetri and luna turned to follow their direction.

kyler grabbed demetris backpack taking it. "hey, you don't want this shit."

"no, come on. not the trash." demetri begged, luna turned around and stood to wait for demetri knowing she couldn't do anything. "i just threw a..." kyler dropped the bag in the trash "...yoghurt in there."

"now it's double dip." kyler said laughing, brucks and kyler began to walk away laughing. demetri reached his hand in the bin and took out the bag walking off with luna.

haillie speaks

i'm gonna miss this luna so
much but i can't wait for her to
learn how to kick ass