[setsuna22]

Dead.

All of them were dead.
The women, the children, the men.
Yulia.
She rummaged though the camp, turning over bodies and searching teepees.
She found Yulia lying under a tree. She lay on her back, no physical mark of death on her. That is when Lena, through her tears, noticed the trail of blood seeping out from under her back. The coward had shot her from behind. Sobbing, Lena took the knife she carried in her pocket, a gift from Yulia, and shore off all of her hair, letting the golden red locks fall to the ground, the curly locks tinting with Yulia's blood. She heard the sound of horses in the distance. Sliding next to Yulia, she bent, placing one last kiss on her mouth, a tear falling onto Yulia's lifeless cheek.
“I promise.” Lena whispered as she dragged the knife slowly across her wrists, her body beyond pain. Lena lay down beside Yulia, their blood mixing in the grass. Soon the only sound was the blowing wind, and the mournful sound of a pack of wolves howling.
~Four days later~
Lena pushed the last white plastic disk through the hole, fastening her last button. Today was the first day she would be going back to school. Over the past four days, Lena had come to a lot of conclusions in her life. She needed to get rid of Sergi, she needed to find herself, and that she cared very deeply for Yulia Volkova. Coming home that day with Yana had been one of the hardest things she ever done. She had felt so safe and protected with Yulia around. She had trouble sleeping that night when she finally got into her own bed. It was unbearable and lonely without Yulia beside her. She had finally called Yulia at three in the morning who picked up on the first ring and talked to Lena until she felt her body relax and ready to go to sleep. Her body still ached, but the vicious black bruises had begun to fade. The only thing lingering was the pain she felt in her heart and mind. And she didn't know if that would ever go away.
Yulia was getting out of her car and was getting ready to walk up the sidewalk when Lena came out the front door of her apartment. She gave a friendly wave and Yulia took a deep breath.
“Hi.” Lena said as she got closer, the backpack swinging from her hip. Instead of the plaid skirt Lena usually wore, she had on a long black shirt, not comfortable showing off her legs, afraid that the hem would somehow flip up revealing the still fading bruises.
“Are you feeling okay?” Yulia asked as she gave Lena a gentle hug. Lena returned the hug, lingering in the younger girl’s arms for several seconds, reveling in the comfort Yulia somehow managed to bring her.
“I'm fine. Yana said I should go back to school today unless I wanted to be dealing with the police. We better get going so we’re not late.”
Yulia gave a half nod of agreement and drew from Lena's arms. Walking to the cherry red mustang, Yulia almost went to open the door for Lena but remembered that they were going to school and not on a date, that they were only new friends and not lovers. The drive through the Moscow traffic was quick, neither one talking much as each girl dealt with their own personal thoughts. Yulia pulled into the parking lot and lightly jumped from the car with Lena at her side as they headed through the huge parking lot to the school. As they got nearer to the school, the crowd of students became thicker and each girl realized that they were staring at the two of them. Yulia gave Lena a questioning look, who simply shrugged as if to say “I don’t know what’s going on either.” They climbed the steps that led into the school and near the top of the steps, a group of girls stood standing. When a blonde girl caught sight of Lena and Yulia, she actually pointed and laughed.
“What the hell is going on?” Yulia muttered under her breath. No sooner than the words were out of her mouth, a jock came brushing past them. He stopped in front of the girls and smiled at Lena.
“I heard that you went lezzie, Lena. I guess Sergi wasn’t enough of a man. Maybe you should try me.” The boy grabbed his crotch rudely and laughed as Lena's face went pale.
“Fuck off!” Yulia said violently as she grabbed Lena by the arm, who was frozen and walked around the boy. Several snickers and muttered phrases coming from behind them made Yulia's ears burn. In the school, they got the same stares as Yulia and Lena went into the girls’ bathroom where it was still too early for the presence of the usual throng of girls who applied their makeup in the mirrors.
“Are you okay?” Yulia asked, as she yanked a paper towel from the dispenser and ran cold water over it, mutely handing it to Lena who pressed it to her forehead.
“I'll be fine. I am just sorry.”
“For what?” Yulia asked incredulously.
“For dragging you into this. For having people label you something that you aren’t. It’s just fucked up, even for Sergi.”
Yulia gave a delicate shrug.
“I don't give a damn, people are sheep, let them assume what they want.”
“I don't know how I can keep going here. I can't do this!” Lena said in a morose voice. She had been here for less than ten minutes and already she felt as if she was drowning in quicksand, and no matter how hard she struggled, she would only be pulled down faster.
“Look.” Yulia said as she put her hands on Lena's shoulders, making her look at her.
“You survived that bastard once. I won't let him destroy you again. Okay?”
Lena gave a half nod, hoping that she looked stronger than she actually felt. Her hands slipped around Yulia without a thought, resting her head against the girl’s chest, as Yulia calmly ran her fingers through the ends of Lena's hair.
The bell rang.
“You ready?”
Yulia pulled back and offered Lena her hand. Her strength. Her heart, not that Lena knew that. And without a second’s hesitation, Lena took it.
By the end of the day, Lena was ready to have a nervous breakdown. Besides getting piles of homework from all of her teachers, students had stared at her. Some had even commented to her face, calling her the most horrible names they could. (Even one word they call lesbians - one that even I refuse to write.) The only peace she had gotten was when she met Yulia for lunch, even though she could barely eat. Lena sagged in relief when the last bell rang, setting her free. She gathered her books and headed to her locker to collect all of her books. She was walking down the hall when she felt a chill creep up her spine, making her freeze.
“Well, if it isn’t little Ms. Bitch” Sergi's voice said. Lena felt herself stop breathing. She kept walking until she reached her locker. Students were around; he wouldn't do anything to her. Hands grabbed her roughly and turned her around to face a raging Sergi.
“What the fuck do you think your playing at, huh?” His hands crushed into her arms as he slammed her into the locker. Stars exploded in her head as she looked at him with wide frightened eyes. She couldn't speak.
“Just who the hell do you think you are, Lena?” his voice grew even more hostile as he screamed, students now stopping to watch.
“SHE' S A FUCKING GIRL! MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE OF A MAN AND SHOWED YOU WHAT IT WAS LIKE! MAYBE THEN YOU WOULDN’T BE SUCH A STUPID BITCH!” Lena flinched and a smug smile grew across Sergi's face as he drew back his hand and slapped her sharply across the face. Lena staggered, her mind numb as she turned everything off inside her. He was going to kill her. She wasn’t afraid but she would miss Yulia.
There was a pause and Sergi turned around when he felt someone tap his shoulder. The last thing he saw was a small fist flying straight at his nose.
Yulia had waited by the doorway for a few minutes, but as she did a sense of dread began to grow inside of her. She had just pushed her way through the crowd when Sergi had slapped Lena and everything that was rage, anger, and hate expelled from her body breaking Sergi's nose. He howled in pain clenching his bloody nose.
“You,” Yulia spat out. “Are a fucking coward!” She turned away from him as blood dripped between his fingers, gently touching Lena's cheek as she huddled against the lockers trembling.
“Are you all right?” Yulia asked, her voice soft. Lena only nodded. Yulia's fingers pressed gently against her face, examining the swelling flesh. She had forgotten all about Sergi until Lena screamed. Yulia turned just in time to see Sergi crumble to the ground. Several people gasped and cheered. Lena had one hand covering her mouth.
“What happened?” Yulia asked in total conferment.
“I...saw him come towards you and.... I... kicked him...in…“ She trailed off seeing Sergi wither on the floor. Amazed that she was still alive, she felt a rush of power go through her body, and for once she wasn’t helpless.
A boy came over to Yulia as he looked at the asshole lying on the floor.
“She kicked him in the balls! If she hadn't, he would have done the same thing to you as he did to Lena.”
Yulia stared at her friend. Lena was shaking slightly. It was only natural that Yulia offer her hand to Lena who took it without question, sliding into her protective arms as a teacher pushed through the crowds demanding to know what happened. The truth had come out about Lena and what Sergi had done to her, and now everyone was going to know it.

Yulia couldn't believe this. This was total bullshit. Both she and Lena sat slumped in the chairs in the principal's office. Sergi sat across the room slumped in a chair, an ice pack on his crotch and his nose taped into place. Blood was soaked into his white shirt as Mr. Shapalov screamed.
“Fighting will not be tolerated in my school, Ms. Volkova or Ms. Katina, and because of it, my son now has to suffer irreparable nasal or reproductive damage.” Lena stared at the floor. No one was going to believe them about Sergi. She felt as if everyone in the entire world was against her, except Yulia. She was going to pay for punching Sergi. She didn't know how but she could feel the poison building in his body.
“ I am suspending you both for two weeks, and am even contemplating expulsion.”
Yulia felt the tension inside her. She could care less about getting expelled.
“So,” she said coldly. “What about your son?”
The man paused, amazed that the girl had the audacity to interrupt him.
“Ms. Volkova, I will deal with my son and my student as I see fit. Do you understand me?”
She shot out of her chair, turning it over as she slammed a fist down on the desk.
“Yes, you will let your son to go on fucking hurting people just as he will because his Father is the headmaster. Well, let me fucking ask you something. Do you know what your son does when he's not around you?”
Lena paled as she whispered softly in mortification.
“Yulia, please...”
“Your son beats women. Mainly Lena.” The dark haired man sputtered several times and looked at Yulia with a slack jaw.
“So you go right ahead and suspend us. Hell, expel us. I dare you. Because your son is going to get his ass found in jail where he'll finally learn what it’s like to fear for your life when he finds himself as someone's prison bitch.”