My name is Corie, and I attend an all-girls' school. My parents are wealthy. Not just wealthy, but the stupid rich kind of wealthy. I remember them but only vaguely. In truth thinking back, I recall seeing a glimpse of my father walking into his office when I was ten, and that was the last time I actually seen him. I remember my mother slapping me hard on her way out of the house saying, "Get out of my way you stupid bitch. I don't pay you to be underfoot." I remembered her cruel words vividly.
I was raised by private schools. While I was at home, I had a bed and the hired help fed me. I guess thinking about it, it would be like living in a hotel with a complimentary three meals a day. My school was just another expense, a regular bill to be paid like any other.
I know I am an only child. I have over heard my mom on the phone bragging about how great I was doing in school, but it had that feeling that she was talking about someone else.
I had the same classmates all the way from preschool up until the twelfth grade. There was one classmate in particular, Beth Gourt, who most saw as a bully. However, I had never seen her that way. To me I guess I seen her as my best friend. Beth and her clique would constantly hit me, pull my hair, abuse me, and humiliate me. Everyone always told me to keep away from her, but I just couldn't. In my entire life, she was truly the only person that ever paid me any attention.
I still remember the exact day and time. It was Wednesday April 14, 2004, 1:57 in the afternoon. I remember looking at my watch walking into the restroom after my last class for the day. However, the reason I remember that day so well is because that was the day I caught Beth in a moment of weakness. I wasted no time in taking the opportunity to finally talk to her, actually talk. She was sitting in the bathroom in a fetal position in the corner. Her arms were crossed over her knees, and her head was tucked between her knees and arms.
I have always been the meek, shy girl, obviously the one that's easily passed over or forgotten. I don't know what came over me.
"Beth?" I asked timidly. She raised her head and looked at me, tears staining her eyes. "I know you've never liked me, and you have no reason to trust me, but you should know that you can tell me anything. It'll stay between us, I promise. Will you please tell me what's wrong?"
"Cori."
That was the moment I fell in love. She actually knew my name. It was that mouth-goes-dry, sweaty hands, weak knees, butterflies-in-my-belly kind of love. I guess perhaps I had always been in love with her., But it was in that moment, hearing my name on her breath-from her lips, I knew. I needed her in my life no matter the cost.
"Corie, you stupid white cunt! What the fuck?! Are you here to gloat? Well, get it out."
"I would never do that, Beth? I swear I won't tell a soul you're in here crying."
She stood up., There was pure anger in her light, chocolate-milk-skinned face. I had seen her mad millions of times, but this was that true, aggressive, and unadulterated anger. She punched me in the eye. My face had been a catcher's mitt of her MLB fastball type of punches for years, this is the worst of all, maybe combined.
"What the fuck do you want from me, you skanky-ass, white bitch?"
