Lee Maverick knew life is never fair--but like--damn.
Lee has never been the popular girl in school, with identity issues, a blunt, socially awkward personality (that often hinders her from being sociable, which concludes with her settling for a lack of a social life), and a middle-class adoptive father who owns the only dojo in town and tries to make ends meet, honestly, Lee never had a fighting chance.
Leave it to the world to tell her how she's different with her big, puffy hair, her ruby red eyes that bring uncanny fears into anyone who is about a ten-feet-pole radius of her, and again, her very blunt and socially awkward personality that results in many people running with a tale between their legs, as they rather talk to a smashed can on the side of the road than her very, very awkward ass.
Middle school was pretty brutal--being the only biracial kid in class with one parent while the other rich, privileged kids in the room brought mommy and daddy to parent-teacher conferences and school events--man, life shows Lee again and again how much of an outside she is, and to make matters worse, high school isn't too pleasant either--far from it, in fact, and that leads us to now.
Now--of course-- as in Lee Maverick being surrounded by a group of delinquents and bullies from her high school class, laughing as one of them--the ring leader--Slade--along with his metal bat and sort-of-girlfriend- (i.e. when they want to hook-up or make each other jealous) Ántonia, who's laughing with her girlfriends and pointing a pink, bubble-gum lollipop at Lee's face. She's waving the lollipop as if it's some sword, pushing the sucker very (and Lee means very) close to Lee's face.
"Hey puffball," Antonia said, grinning as the friends hanging behind her laughed at the nickname. Go for the hair--figures. "Why do you keep pushing me, hm?"
Lee sighs, looking over the group with a blank expression as she clutches her red book bag strap tightly in her hand. The bag is torn, worn out from the many years of use, but her adoptive father gave it to her years ago, so she rather hold on to it then throw it away.
"...meaning?" Lee said, her voice always maintaining the same soft, flat tone as always.
"Are you like, stupid?" It's one of their lackeys that swings her arm around Antonia's shoulder, her orbs eyeing Lee like a bug. Racheal—Lee's old best friend—yeah, she realized Lee was pretty much the loser of the class (maybe even school) and decided it was best to join hands with the popular crew as a lackey—honestly, Lee can't blame her—Lee is pretty much of a lost cause. "She means why is it every time we ask you to do something you refuse? Do you know what we can do to you?"
Lee rubs the back of her neck, her ruby eyes stuck to the floor as she thinks of an answer.
"To answer your first question--it's because I don't want to, it seems....?" Lee said. "And to your second...nothing...I don't know, maybe threaten to make me pay more taxes in the future? Since Antonia has really rich parents, could be possible...I'd need a hint."
There is a sudden push--a forearm to her neck and her back pushed against the low, weak railings of the school's highest floor--the rooftop. Lee knew following the group to the rooftop to "talk" is a reckless idea from the jump, but she'd hope maybe if she actually listened to their demands for once and talked things out, she'd maybe--maybe be able to solve things between herself and her...bullies (not too sure who they are, to be honest)? Honestly, it isn't like she can't fight back--if anything, by the time things end, she'd be the one in the most trouble, but her father told her to never resort to using her skills on regular people and she will keep her promise, always.
"You like pissing me off, don't you?" Antonia said, her lollipop long forgotten as her eyes--a light baby pink--and her hair, a sandy, golden blonde, reflects under the bright sun. "Every time I try to have some fun with you, it's like you don't get that I'm trying to laugh the fuck out of you! You just freaking take it, like a sack of fucking potatoes--do you have any emotions? At all?!"
Lee blinks at Anontia, nodding her head, but not saying anything else.
"I do...feel things..." Lee said. "Very often, I just have a sturdy face is all."
"Sturdy, you say?" Antonia said, poking her sticky gummy lollipop further into Lee's cheek. Freaking gross. "Sturdy, this bitch says?"
Antonia scoffs, sucking her teeth as she glares down at Lee--the few inches she has on Lee's shorter statue look as if Antonia is mocking her. She probably is, if Lee were to be honest.
"I'll show you sturdy!" Antonia said, reaching her palm out towards Slade with a large grin on her pretty face. "Bat."
Slade nervously eyes Antonia's opened palm, his expression wary as he looks at her.
"Babe, maybe we should chill..." Slade said. "This might be taking it-."
"Shut up and give it to me, you fuck!" Antonia said, holding her hand out. Her usual soft, pink eyes a wide-eyed mess filled with furry while she bares her pearly white teeth at Slade. "Give it! Now! Gosh, why do I even involved myself with you if you're not willing to even follow simple directions?!"
Slade gulps, slowly handing over his bat. Anontia prettily smiles, nodding her head as she turns back to Lee, bat ready in her hand like she's ready to swing.
"You ready for a homerun?" Antonia asked, a pretty smile on her angelic face. "Let's first try to hit the first ball!"
Antonia grins, raising the bat to her shoulder, closing her eyes and letting out a breath, and finally snapping her eyes open, grinning as she swings the bag so hard near Lee's direction, Lee can feel the impact of the bat hitting the air.
Lee flinches, hurriedly side-stepping as Antonia misses her face by a millimeter, tripping over because of the strength of her swing and banging her hip into the fence. Lee flinches at the impact, reaching a hand to ask if Antonia is okay, but Antonia only grins bigger, taking the large bat and aiming for Lee's face again.
"Strike one!" Antonia sings. "Strike two-!"
Lee dodges again, backing away as far as she can, but the heel of her old, worn out shoe cracks, twisting her ankle and making her stagger near the low, loose rooftop railing.
Antonia--maybe she doesn't notice or maybe she doesn't care, raises the bat against her shoulder, smiling with her pearly teeth as she swings and aims for Lee's face again.
"Strike three-!" Antonia said, swinging the bat as hard as she can to knock it against Lee's cheek, but Lee staggers side ways, barely dodging the bat, but ramming hard into the loose railing, tripping over her own two feet as her fingers lose grip, her legs graze against rust and metal, and her feet feel weightless.
By the time Lee Maverick realizes that she has accidents tripped over the school's rooftop railing, her eyes wander up, meeting briefly with a pair of glimmering pink ones and a expression that looks far too happy to see Lee fall, before everything goes black.