Blog Tour: Battle Of The Bullies By Fenix Blue [Excerpt + Giveaway]

Excerpt from Anonymous

I can’t be late.

If I’m late, they won’t let me in. I’ll be disqualified. This is the year  I win. I can’t be disqualified. 

I glance in the mirror and adjust my heather gray hood, slide on my  black sunglasses, tug on my gloves, and step out of the car. According to  my navigation system, this vacant house is my destination, and I have  arrived. Eight cars are already here. 

The white FOR SALE sign in the lawn gives me some comfort that  we may be safe here, but this annual meeting is risky. Having all of us  in one place tonight could mean revealing our identities to outsiders.  Anonymity is our strongest weapon. We can never lose it. 

I glance at the cars, trying to match them to possible members in  my mind. One license plate reads QT PIE. How can we be a secret  organization with our cars on display like this? How can we remain secret  if members refuse to be discreet? 

My phone says 9:59 p.m. I throw it in the back seat where it slides  under my AP Physics book. I have to be inside this house by 10:01 p.m.  Forget force, mass, or acceleration. I need to run. 

Ten steps. I climb ten more giant steps, sliding into the room as the  clock hand clicks into place. 

10:01. 

A girl locks the door behind me. 

An envelope with my pseudonym written on it is on my chair. I am  the ninth girl to sit down. I resist the urge to sit at the head of the table,  but inside I know this is where I deserve to sit. 

One year of effort comes down to this moment. I did my best. Ten  people dropped out of school because of me. No one at this table should  be able to beat that stat. 

Last year, tears fell because of me! Terror reigned because of me! Break  ups, friendships lost, hearts broken….all due to me! But will it be enough  to be Number One? 

An Excerpt from Eris

The locker room is silent after the varsity girls whip us for the fifth time since we’ve been practicing together. The silence allows me to channel  my big sister Ebony’s zen energy. I decide to give an Ebony-type  motivational speech when one of my teammates says she’s thinking about  

quitting and trying out for either dance or cheerleading. Is she kidding? I’ve seen my baby sister Emani dance and it ain’t easy  to do. My teammate can’t even make it through practice without her  asthma medicine. There is no way she could do dance at C.I.A. Emani  says those girls practice longer than we do. 

I want to tell her that, but instead I stick to the Ebony-style  motivational speech. 

“Do you guys think those varsity girls were always that good? They  were not. All of them used to be us. The difference is that they have not  quit. We have. Some of you quit before we even go on the court. You  think you’ve failed so you fail. Well, I’m no failure. I’m a winner. If you  think you can win, shout yes!” 

Two of my teammates shout yes. The rest sit silently watching the  varsity girls enter the locker room as they sing their usual victory chant.  Maybe I should have asked Ebony to write a speech for me because my  teammates are more focused on the varsity’s chant than they were on my  “motivational” speech. 

“1-1-2-2-3-3. No one beats varsity. 1-1-2-2-3-3. No one beats varsity.  1-1-2-2-3-3. No one beats varsity.” 

I hate their chant. 

“No one but me,” I say under my breath as I slam my gym locker  closed. 

An Excerpt from Ebony

This week, my anonymous school survey seems to be a complete  success. I’ve walked around the school visiting homerooms, telling them  my story. Most of them somewhat know about my old school’s bombings.  I answer their questions and offer a few of my best ideas for making  changes at this school. School safety may be my platform. I haven’t fully  decided. 

The students have responded to my one-question survey in large  numbers. The only question I asked is this: “If you could change one  thing about this school, what would it be?” Replies can be anonymous,  and are confidential. 

Long lunch lines—Why do upperclassmen go first? —Anonymous 

Theft—They stole my inhaler. I could have died from an asthma attack. —Anonymous

Lies—I have never had plastic surgery—I am not even done growing yet. Why would I need  

liposuction or any kind of work done on my lips, nose, or assets? No more lies, please. —Anonymous 

Fees—I had to pay for books that someone else ruined! —Anonymous. 

Rumors—They planted roaches in my locker, and everyone saw them crawl out. I was humiliated. I may not be live in a mansion, but we don’t have ROACHES! —Anonymous 

Favoritism—I may not be a millionaire’s kid or have a famous last name, but I deserve the same education—even from student teachers. —Anonymous 

Teasing—Everyone says I smell bad! —Anonymous 

Confidentiality—They told everyone I had to cut my hair because I had lice. I’m sure I didn’t tell anyone but the nurse about that!  

She should be fired! —Anonymous 

Peer Pressure!!! —Anonymous 

Bullying—Check the internet . . . you’re  on there, too. Sorry. —Anonymous 

Gangs . . . oops, I mean the Dimes. —Anonymous 

As I look through the rest of the surveys, one name continuously  appears: Dimes.