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Fox at Bay (Alan23 x Sweetred)

Paul had not realized that Mrs Fox had dropped her bag, or he would have recovered it and kept it safely behind the counter. In fact, after the humiliation she had just gone through, he had not expected ever to see her in the shop again. It seemed a strange thing, he mused, for one woman to deliberately force another to show her underwear, though perhaps that could be explained by a rivalry between the two women, which he had to admit was extremely flattering. Though why Mrs Fox had not made any effort to hold her skirt down or otherwise resist her tormentor was puzzling.

When she returned, though, this question was answered to some extent. It was obvious that poor Mrs Fox was one of those unfortunate women who are natural "victims." Often they end up being battered by their husbands (though to be fair, though he knew her to be divorced, he hadn't heard of anything like that going on when she'd been married,) and sinking into a feeling of being totally worthless, as if they deserved what they got. He remembered other times he'd seen Mrs Fox browbeaten by other women, and, for that matter, Xianna fox bullied by other girls, and a feeling of sympathy came over him. It must, he guessed, be extremely unpleasant to be constantly picked on.

Therefore, when Angela had recovered her bag, and yet seemed too frozen to the spot, he was desperately wracking his brains for a way to make her feel better. The one thing he did know was that sometimes speaking to another person sometimes helped, when one is troubled.

Deliberately making no reference to what had driven her from the shop, he smiled and said, "So you like coffee, eh? Well, as it happens I was just about to have one myself." He pointed to the door leading to the back of the shop, where he retired between customers. "Why don't I make us a mug each, and we can have a rest, eh? I'm just about run off my feet."

He was hoping that once relaxed, she'd start talking, tell him about her problems.

*****

John Hartfield sat back in the chair facing the Head's desk. It had not been a pleasant interview, and John was very much regretting that Mrs Cole was away. He could, he knew, twist her around his little finger. Mr Hopkins had a nose for bullshit, and was a much harder proposition. He had already extracted a promise from John that he would attend school regularly in future, or face the consequences.

This, in itself, John felt was fair enough. After all it was Mr Hopkins' job to enforce discipline. What he didn't like, however, were lies being told about himself.

Mr Hopkins shuffled his papers. John Hartfield was a puzzle. While he was obliged to investigate what Snowflaik Leary had told him, he viewed her story (and, in fact, anything she said) with suspicion. He had not believed for a second her story about John and Xianna going off together.

The thing was, most other students charged with a misdemeanor would have reacted in a number of predictable ways. Either frantic denial, or mumbling apology. John, however, seemed to be talking the interview with a kind of cynical calm, as if he were well in control. And now, at a time when any other student would be keen to scuttle away, grateful to escape a detention, John seemed not only inclined to linger, but actually to be enjoying the discussion.

"Was there anything else, John?" He asked.

"Well, yes, sir," John replied. "It's just that it's really flattering you think I'm a Marvel super hero!"

Mr Hopkins looked at him, slack-jawed. "What on earth do you mean?" he asked. "Are you being cheeky, because - "

"No, sir," John replied, totally respectfully, yet with a twinkle in his dark eyes that revealed he was well in control of the situation. "It's just that - well, you remember the time you put out the announcement over the PA for me to report to you?"

"Yes? What of it?"

"Well, sir, you'll note I arrived here about five minutes later." He smiled. "So, if was off somewhere 'having relations' as you put it, with Xianna Fox, I'd have had to have really good hearing, wouldn't I, to have heard it from her house, or wherever I'm supposed to have been? And to get back here, to your office, a few minutes later, I'd have had to have some kind of Ninja super-power, wouldn't I? So obviously I'm a super-hero out of a comic. Unless..." he spread his hands and adopted a casual tone. "Unless you accept the other, much less interesting idea, which is that I was here all the time, and that Mrs Burnett saw me outside the Art Block a few minutes before you made your announcement, and that I hadn't gone off holding hands with anyone, least of all Xianna Fox, who I hardly know."

He suddenly set his jaw hard, his eyes flashing.

"But then you'd have to accept, sir, that whoever said that thing about me was lying, wouldn't you? And I think I know who it was, even though you're not allowed to tell me. Mind you sir, I don't want to tell you your job, but maybe you can ask around, ask the other teachers, and see if they say I hang with Xianna Fox or not." His voice was calm, confident, as if he were the teacher, and Mr Hopkins the chastised student. "Course, you might feel obliged to apologize to me afterwards, when you find out I'm the one telling the truth. Can i go now, sir?"

*****

"We goin' to the park tonight?" asked Jarred Wilkins, one of the gang who habitually hung around with Snowflaik. "I got some good dope."

"I'll smoke yer dope," replied Kenni Dinmore. "An' I'll hang with you anytime. But I ain;t goin' nowhere that bitch Snowflaik Leary is."

"Yeah, I see what yer mean," Jarred replied. "Goin' to the head and snaking on John Hartfield, like that. Cow!"

Snowflaik was about to be reminded of a lesson she'd forgotten. That in a tough inner-city school, bullying will be tolerated by one's peers - but that telling tales to authority wouldn't be. From now on, she'd have a lot fewer friends!
 
Angela just stood there, looking at Paul, who had just invited her for a cup of coffee, in the back room, where she had been made a fool of in front of him, just half an hour ago. Her mouth fell open, and she couldn't say a word. All that came out of her throat were some squeaking noises and her face, which actually had gotten a little of its normal colour back, turned bright red again, as her hand was feverishly plucking away at her jacket. And her other hand turned white from the force with which she had a hold on her bag.

Angela tried to concentrate and focus, but was failing miserably at first. She had to close her eyes for a few seconds, and try and clear her mind. She tried not to come accross as a complete idiot, with her eyes closed, but it did help her recover some of her nerves and made it possible for her to at least stop the squeaking sounds from her throat.

She saw the smile on his face, and the first thing she thought was, he is laughing at me, and now he wants to invite me back there to make even more fun of her. She was trying to find an excuse to leave, but was so in doubt. Could she trust him, oh why couldn't she tell. She had already been humiliated so bad today, and the day before. She couldn't take another humiliation. But there was something in his smile, she saw when she looked up at him, something that showed that he wasn't making fun of her. Ohh dear Jesus, she thought... please let me be able to act normal for once. Just let me answer and let him be kind, and... and...

She heard him repeat his invitation, and again tried to hold it together, as she brushed her free hand through her hair twice in a row, before taking the hem of her jacket and pulling at it. She the replied "Uhm... I... I... Uhm... I mmmmean... Are ...You ... sure .... ?" She found that taking a pause during the words did manage her to at least sound a little normal this time. Had she had at least one hand free, she would have crossed her fingers to hope that he meant it, and that they could finally have a normal conversation in the back. Well, normal... Angela realized she hadn't really been alone with a man even just to talk to him in private, since her failed marriage. Which send a chill down her spine, and filled her with a new load of fear.

As she looked up at Paul again, and saw the sincerity in his eyes, she nodded, and said uhm... O..Okay...

**********


Snowflaik, realized that she had been stupid, but she had been so pissed at John, for ruining her prank. She hadn't thought the whole thing through well enough. Well, if he was going to be like that, he could go up a tree, together with that snobby bitch and her mother. She didn't need him, and certainly didn't need those so called friends. She had plenty of friends left.

It did spoil the good mood she had been in though, as she was walking home. She just had to get her good feelings back, and was thinking how she could get that done. She lit another cigarette and was deep in thoughts, when she realized she was not taking the route home, but that she had been wandering too deep in her thoughts and that she was now in the street where Xianna lived with her stupid mum. She didn't exactely know which house they lived in, so she decided to walk up to the alleyway halfway into the street, and wait there for either one of those two to come home.
 
Paul could see how nervous Mrs Fox was. Her constant playing with her hair, the shutting and opening of her eyes, the plucking at her jacket. And the blush. He didn't think he'd ever seen a female over sixteen blush as much as Mrs Fox did.

"Yes, of course I'm sure," he replied, smiling. "Look, this isn't something, urm, you know, sleazy. You can see the place where we'll be sitting from the store. I promise I won't... well, try to take advantage of you, or anything. It's just - well, I get pretty bored, here, doing nothing but baking and serving people. And taking my break alone. It'd be nice to have someone to talk to, is all."

And then, something occurred to him, and he realized what a fool he'd been. It might not have been that she suspected him of anything untoward at all. Her hesitation might have been for an entirely different reason, one that did not reflect badly upon him at all.

He had seen, earlier, how Mrs Leary had bullied Mrs Fox, and the latter was obviously helpless to do anything about it. He knew, too, that Sianelle Leary had a thing about him. Was Mrs Fox, he speculated, hesitating simply because she was worried that drinking coffee with him would annoy her enemy, and cause her to have to suffer even more humiliation. And, if course,by inviting her, the unfortunate redhead would now be in the awkward position of either having to accept - and risk upsetting Sianelle Leary (with obvious consequences) or suffering the shame of admitting she did not dare, because she was frightened of the other woman.

Look, I know you're frightened of Sianell Leary," he blurted out. "But I won't tell her we had a coffee, I promise."

*****

It felt quite relaxing to just lie on the bed. Xianna felt she deserved some relaxation, after the horrible two days she had had, and (probably) even more horrible days to come. Mum was sure to discover her wet skirt, and the fact that her panties were missing, and would want to know why. And then, one of two things would happen. Either mum would know what had happened, and that she was powerless to stop it, then Xianne would have to endure another evening of how mum wasn't frightened of that Sianelle Leary, how she'd sort her out one of these days, just you see, relax honey, your mom can protect you - which, since both of them knew it wasn't true, would bring its own special form of embarrassment. Or, even worse, mum would get angry, and storm over to the Leary house again - and suffer yet another humiliation.

So Xianne tried desperately to put both of these things out of her mind, and there was only one way to do that. She hadn't meant to, and in fact never planned to, for she knew it was rude and disgusting, and good girls didn't. But, lying on the bed, and finding thoughts of John Hartfield drifting into her mind, it just... happened. And, once she started, there was no way she could stop.

In her imagination, her and John Hartfield walked hand in hand, kissed, laughed together. And then...

She rubbed and rubbed, until her clit and finger were sore. And then, somehow, she found herself using the pillow, her breath coming in hitches and sighs as her, and the imaginary John Hartfield, consummated their love.
 
Angela felt a chill run down her spine when Paul mentioned Mrs. Leary's name again. She was just trying to put what had happened behind her. Had just gotten the feeling that Paul was really sincere about having a coffee with her, and now that dreadful woman was on her mind again. Where she was just starting to feel a little bit more at ease a minute ago, the mentioning of her name, made her pull feverishly at the hem of her jacket again.

Angela closed her eyes, and tried to push the negative thoughts away again. "uhmmm... I uhmmm okay" she said as she opened her eyes again, and unconsciously pushed her glasses back.

When Paul opened the door, she saw a small room, with a tiny kitchen, a coffee maker, and two not too comfortable wooden chairs. She saw Paul gesture her to come in and take a seat, which is exactly what she did. Angela was so used to make up excuses for things that had happened whenever she was bullied, that she tried to explain to Paul what had happened, when she said "Uhmm... You know... uhm it's uhm not uhm she did not uhm I am not uhm scared of that uhm woman".

Angela heard her own incoherent story, and tried to focus more on what she was trying to tell paul. "I uhm mean that she uhm just wanted to uhm check for that uhm elderly uhm friend of hers, that's uhm all she did uhm. I am not uhm scared of her uhm... She uhm was just lucky that I uhm didn't get a uhm chance to reply..."

Angela looked up at Paul with a smile on her face, as she had finished her excuse. Of course she realized it was a lousy story, and she knew Xianna would have questioned her with her eyes would she had told her this same story. She was just very glad that Xianna hadn't been here to witness her humiliation again. And she was also glad that Xianna wasn't here now, so she wouldn't see how silly Angela looked being around a man she really started liking more and more.

When Paul handed her a mug of coffee, their hands softly touched, and it send a warm feeling through Angela's body. A feeling she hadn't felt since she had started dating Xianna's father. She knew what it was, and she knew she was really starting to get a crush on Paul. He wasn't just a good looking man, but he was so friendly, it frightened her.

Paul stood opposite of Angela, with his mug in his hand, while Angela just sat there. She was not used to being with a man alone, and just sat there, taking a small sip of the coffee, burning her tongue.

Angela felt more and more at ease as Paul asked her some questions about her life, her work, her likes. It felt good that he let the whole incident rest and didn't mention it. Just when she was about to ask him some questions too, the bell rang, and 2 men in business suits entered. Paul looked up, saw customer had come in, and walked back into the shop. Angela opened her purse, took out a piece of paper and a pen, and wrote "Dear Paul, thanks for the coffee. I really enjoyed talking to you. If you would like to have another drink with me sometime, please call me at ..." She put the note under the mug and stood up, and walked back into the store too. She whispered to Paul "Thank you very much for the coffee Paul, I have to go anyway now... " Then, not knowing what else to say, she whispered a soft "Bye." and left the store.

****

Snowflaik had been standing there for at least 30 minutes already, when she got another cigarette from her pack and lit it. She was looking up and down the street, but still didn't know where Xianna and her mother lived.

Then, at the end of the street, she saw a redhead woman walk into the street. As the woman came closer, she could see a smile on the woman's face, which actually added to her own anger. Why was that bitch smiling, when she was in a bad mood. Snowflaik duck back into the alley, waiting for the woman to pass. She had seen it definately was Xianna's mother.

As the woman had passed the alley, Snowflaik sneaked out and started walking after Angela. She was only a few steps behind Angela, and saw she was taking her bag off her shoulder. When Angela had the bag in her hands, and started rummaging through it, Snowflaik moved quick, taking large steps and pushed her way past Angela, she gave her a shove, which brought Angela off balance and then Snowflaik gave her another push with one hand, which caused Angela to fall over, and she landed on her butt in the bushes.

With her free hand, Snowflaik had grabbed Angela's bag, and stood there over Angela now, with the bag in her hand. "Hi," Snowflaik said with a grin "you know who I am?" She asked. As Angela didn't respond, but looked confused at Snowflaik, Snowflaik opened the bag, and went through it, saying "Now what do we have here?" She asked as she went through the contents. She didn't come across anything in particular, but that wasn't what she was looking for anyway. She did however find a key chain, with even the address written on it. So now, she knew where Angela and Xianna were living.

"Ohh it's all rubbish isn't it?" Snowflaik said, "well, you know what we do with rubbish don't you" She continued, as she really slowly took the bag in two hands, and started to turn it over.

She held the bag over Angela, and all contents from the bag fell out of the bag, on Angela, and beside Angela in the bushes.

When the bag was empty, Snowflaik shook the bag, saying "Now we have to make sure all rubbish is gone don't we?" She looked Angela straight in her eyes, and saw the tears in Angela's eyes. When Snowflaik was sure the bag was empty, she dropped the bag, and let it fall in Angela's lap. Then she turned around, and walked away laughing.

When she was a few steps away, she turned around again, and shouted at Angela "Ohh you don't mind if I let you clean your mess up do you? And ehh say hi to your sweet little girl. And my mum sends you her greetings too."

Snowflaik then took the few steps back to Angela, bend forward, and whispered. "Listen bitch, if you tell anyone about this, and get me or my mum in trouble, we know where to find you." She winked at Angela as she stood straight again, and then walked away laughing out loud.
 
Paul Dennisson read Angela's note, a small smile decorating his lips. Rather than toss it away, he slipped it carefully into his wallet.

At first, he had simply felt sorry for her. It must he knew, have been very difficult to be in her position. A woman consistently being bullied by other women, unable to defend herself and stand up for her rights, or even protect her daughter. He had not been fooled by her denial of being frightened by Sianelle Leary. She had looked like a frightened deer caught in headlights when the two women had been together.

And yet, strangely, rather than make him contemptuous of her, it actually increased his attraction for her. There is something about a helpless damsel that brings out the protective in certain men, and the way she had blushed up and started fussing with her jacket whenever he'd looked at her had been... well, kind of hot! And her total helplessness, the way other women bullied her was, though he felt a bit guilty for feeling this, also pretty sexy. It made you want to slay dragons for her, and rescue her from the tower of the wicked witch!

Not to mention that in her own right, she was extremely attractive, with that pretty face and stunning body. Sure, some of the latter was due to the Spanx that Sianelle had exposed earlier, but he guessed that even without them she was slim and willowy. If she were his, he decided, he would look after her, protect her, boost her ego. Make her feel good.

But, alas she had not left her phone number, so he couldn't call her. Nonetheless, she knew where he was. He was sure he'd see her again. And, when he did, he'd watch her carefully, to see if she was genuinely attracted to him or had just needed, temporarily, the kindness of a stranger.

*****

Xianna was exhausted. For two hours she had been lying on her bed, fantasizing about John, and suiting her actions to her thoughts. Being a virgin, and not a girl to read suggestive literature, her imaginings had not been especially original, but the passion had been there with a vengeance. But now, here she was back in reality. If only she were a confident, in-control girl instead of the weak, bullied, shy dweeb with the useless mother that she was in reality. Then John might be hers for real, instead of just a fond fantasy. But no, she'd been made to look ridiculous in front of him too often for that hope to have any chance of coming true.

And now, reality was back with a vengeance. For she heard the key turn in the lock, and the tread of mum's feet in the hall. She peeped around her door, looking down, and her heart fell further. Mum's face was red, and there was even a suggestion of tears in her eyes. Her glasses were askew, and her skirt was all crumpled, and she was tugging at her jacket as she always did when she was upset. Had Sianelle Leary been bullying her again?

Xianna sighed. Did anyone ever have such a weak, pathetic mother. Angrily, she stormed downstairs, and stood with her hands on her hips.

"For heaven's sake, Mum," she moaned. "What happened this time?"
 
Angela had gotten up after she had been sure that girl had gone. She had been on her knees, gathering her stuff, putting it back in her bag, while she felt so damn humiliated. She was pushed aside, pushed over and threatened by one single girl, even younger then her own daughter. Why did this happen to her, and why did they always have to pick her?

When she walked in the door, she heard Xianna storm downstairs, and when she just stood there, hands on her hips, with an annoyed look on her face, asking Angela what had happened this time.

Angela smiled at Xianna, fighting the tears, and said "Hi Honey.... Why what should have happened?" She asked pretending nothing had happened. "I was over at the bakery, you know the one where that dear Mr. Dennisson works? Well, and you see, he is such a nice man, I asked him if we could have a cup of coffee together sometime. And guess what, he took me up on my offer, and we had a coffee in the backroom of the bakery. He is so sweet and nice. And did I mention he looks so sexy?" Angela said, more to cheer herself up then to tell Xianna what had happened. She wouldn't tell her about Snowflaik or her mother. When that woman did something to her she could well, not really, but she could life with. But that daughter of hers, what she had done, and then threaten her! The nerve of that girl.

She could see in Xianna's face, that she hardly believed what she had just told her. "Oh honey, you can ask Paul you know, at the bakery if you don't believe me." She said with a smile.

"But mum, then why are your clothes all wrinkled and are your glasses askew?" Xianna asked.

"Oh honey, I hadn't finished yet. I was so happy, and lost in thoughts, that I forgot where I walked. And there was this loose tile on the pavement which I tripped over." Angela said trying to fake a laugh over it.

"But tell me Honey," Angela changed the subject, " how was your day today? Where is your skirt ? And what were you up to before I came in?"


******

Snowflaik was laughing all the way home. When she got home, and saw her mum on the couch, drinking her tequila, she just sat down opposite her mum.

"Hey mum, what's up? How you doing ?" She asked

And Sianelle told Snowflaik about what she had done to Angela in the shop. And how she had her laugh today.

Snowflaik laughed together with her mum, and then started telling her story of the day. First about what she had done to Xianna, how she had let her walk in her naked butt through school. And how she had made her skirt soaking wet.

And when Snowflaik started telling her mum that she had been in a bad mood, and that she had pushed over that Fox' woman to brighten her bad mood.

"I even told her to piss off and not to tell anyone about any of this," Snowflaik said to her mum.
 
Listening to Snowflaik, Sianelle found herself feeling better and better. It really had been the perfect day! Between them, they'd managed to make the Unfoxy Foxes (for that is what she'd taken to calling them in her mind) look like utter idiots more times than she could count. She'd seen Angela rushing out of Mr Hopkins' office, obviously afraid, forced her to show her stupid granny underwear in front of Paul (so they'd be no more potential rivalry there, she was sure,) and then, as a crowning achievement, Snowflaik had also managed to totally humiliate the older Fox woman. Snowflaik really was a chip off the old block, all right.

And, even on top of that, Snowflaik had also managed to get the younger Fox girl stripped almost naked.

Sianelle was so pleased about them putting those snobby Fox bitches in their place, she even overlooked the fact that Snowflaik had got herself a piercing, without permission. After all, the girl deserved something for her trouble. She even allowed her a small shot of tequila and a fag, as a reward.

*****

Xianna gave a guilty start. Since it was still in school hours, it was no surprise that mum was asking about where her school stuff was. As to what she had been up to before mum came in - well, that was something she was certainly not going to discuss.

The trouble was, lying was not Xianna's strong point. As soon as Angela asked her the questions, she felt her face going red.

"Urm, I was... er... r-reading," she stammered. "See, I got sent home early because I had a cold, and I... er, was catching up on my English for Mrs B-Burnett. My skirt... "

Damn it, how could she get out of this one? Even mum was not stupid enough to believe it could have accidentally got wet all over.

"Urm, well, I spilled coke on it, so I soaked it," she finished. But she could see Angela looking sceptically at her.

At any other time, Xianna would have hastened to change the subject, but when she tried with "So tell me about this Paul then," she did it so inexpertly and so transparently that Angela kept looking at her. Xianna gave a sigh, and found herself getting angrier and angrier at her mother. It was so not fair. With any other mother, this could not have happened. Any other mother would have gone to the school and got the bullying stopped - not run out of the office like a scalded cat because she was scared of the bully's mother! Something about the unfairness of life made Xianna's temper snap.

"Oh what's the use of telling you," she shrieked. "You can't do anything about it. You're too scared of Snowflaik's mum. Any other woman would be able to protect her daughter, but not a useless wimpy coward like you! You're hopeless. That Snowflaik Leary bitch can go on soaking my skirt and stealing my blouse and panties anytime she likes, and there's nothing you can do about it, so let's just drop it!"

And then, with a start, she realized her temper had caused her to say the very thing she had not wanted to say!
 
Angela had seen the minute Xianna had stormed down the stairs something was bothering her. Angela could read her daughter, and knew she was making up a story when she started.

But when she heard Xianna tell her she was a coward and that she was useless, she broke. She knew Xianna was right, and she knew she was terrified of that Leary woman, and as she had found out only minutes ago, she was even scared of that woman's daughter. But her daughter telling her that. and then to add to it, call her a useless coward, simply was too much for Angela. She had to do something about this. She had to show Xianna that she could protect her and that she could put an end to all this.

It wasn't normal for a girl to have her clothes ripped off and have her panties and blouse stolen, was it? That was going beyond bullying, that was simple harassment. Angela wanted to hold her daughter, comfort her, show her she was not useless and was not the loser her daughter said she was.

"Oh honey, tell me what happened then? Why did she steal your blouse and how could she steal your panties off of you? tell me. Angela said, as she tried to approach Xianna, but she noticed Xianna was really very upset and mad at her right now. Best she could do was leave her to calm down now. No matter how hard it was to ignore her remarks, as they were hard and really felt like a slap in her face. She felt tears run down her cheeks, knowing it hurt her to see her daughter get hurt and the her getting hurt by her daughter's words.

Angela walked passed Xianna, the tears running down her cheeks, she passed Xianna and ran upstairs. She had to think about what to do. She took the thread by that Leary girl very seriously. What if she would go to the police, the girl and her mother would certainly take it out on Xianna. And that was the last thing Angela wanted. But she also wanted the woman and her daughter to leave her daughter alone. Xianna did not deserve this, she needed to be a happy girl.

She was going to have to face that dreadful woman and her daughter. That was all she could do. But she didn't want to do it together with Xianna, she did not want Xianna there. So about an hour later, Angela came out of her bedroom, after she had redone her make-up and freshened up her face. And she went to Xianna's room. She noticed Xianna had her door closed, but she knew she was in her room.

Angela knocked on Xianna's bedroom door and said to the closed door "Honey, I am going to do some grocery shopping. I will be back later okay?"

Since she got no reply, she went downstairs, took her jacket, and walked out the door. With every step which brought her closer to the Leary home, she grew more and more nervous. And she kept plucking at her jacket, and the doubts if this was the correct thing to do slowly crept into her mind. And then, before she even realized, she walked into the street she had been made such a fool just one night ago. But she was determined to work it out. She had, what else could she do. Moving house again, wasn't an option. Somehow people always knew how to find her and Xianna to be easy victims.

She reached the house of the Leary's in deep thoughts. And stood still in front of the house. She all of a sudden wasn't sure if she should really do this right now, or if she should think it over a little more maybe. She was deep in thoughts, and didn't realize the women who had been laughing at her, and cheering for Sianelle the night before, saw her standing there.

Angela stood there for at least a full minute, before she did chicken out again, turned on the heels of her shoes, and slowly walked away again. "I uhm I think I better do this later. Maybe it will end now that they know we're unable to do anything to them. So why bother them, they'll leave us alone now anyway probably." Angela set in her mind. To convince herself it was over. But she felt it wouldn't be over. But the courage she had had when she left home, had completely gone with every step she had walked to the Leary home. "And if it doesn't get better, I can always talk to them again then." she thought.
 
Carefully hidden, the young eyes watched.

The owner of the eyes was a skilled stalker. Given their young age, this ability was phenomenal indeed. The eyes, unseen by their quarry, watched Angela Fox emerge from her house, clopping on her high heels, a nervous yet determined expression upon her face. They watched as Angela continually pushed at her hair, tugged sharply on her jacket, continually pushed her slipping glasses back up along the bridge of her nose. This was a frightened woman, one with the attitude of an animal going to the slaughter.

She had emerged from her own door walking quickly and determinedly, yet, as her journey continued, her walk slowed perceptibly. The further she got from home, the less eager she seemed to reach her destination. The watching eyes perceived a definite shake in her limbs, and at least once her legs were shaking so much her shoe came off and she was forced to scuttle back and retrieve it, her face red with embarrassment.

The eyes watched, as Angela Fox reached the door of the Leary house, gave her jacket a final series of sharp tugs, and raised her shivering hand to knock. Only for that hand to fall away again. This action was repeated a number of times, the raising of the hand, the allowing it to drop, and then a further series of jacket tugs, as if deliberately putting off the moment.

And finally, she had given up completely, and, with a humiliated expression upon her face, turned for home. The unseen eyes saw her biting her lip, and a look that suggested she was about to cry.

At no point did she perceive anyone was watching her.

*****

Sianelle Leary was alone in the house, having sent Snowflaik down to the off-license for more tequila. She had taken the opportunity to play her "special game," fingering herself while watching a DVD of American WWE Wrestling, until with a satisfied sigh she had reached her climax. After this activity, she had gone up to her room, to break into her emergency supply of cigarettes, for she had smoked the last after her "game,"

Having pulled the pack from her dressing table drawer, she glanced out of the window, wondering if Snowflaik had returned. Of her daughter there was no sign, but she did see a familiar face. That pathetic Angela Fox, walking along so slowly it was as if she was wading through treacle. She topped at Sianelle's door, tugged at her jacket, raised her fist to knock, then dropped it. Sianelle stifled a laugh, as Angela made a number of attempts to give a confident knock, only for her courage to fail her and her hand to drop back to her side. Finally, after a minute or so, the pathetic cow gave up the attempt, and walked away, looking totally beaten.

Sianelle fell back onto the bed, helpless with laughter!
 
Angela walked away with her head bowed down. This was a reality check where she had thought being strong enough to confront Sianelle, she had failed hard. And this time, she had done it all on her own.

She didn't know anymore. She just didn't know. On evey attempt she took to protect her daughter, who she loved so very much, she failed miserably, and got not just her daughter, but herself into more problems than before. What should she do, maybe the only option was to move, and not just move to another neighbourhood, or to another street, maybe she should move to the other side of the country. She was sure she would be able to find a job there too.

But then again, she couldn't just move with Xianna. They were not that well rich, and Xianna's dad didn't really pay any alimony. Pff it had been too much of a struggle to get him to pay anything. it was the same story, and basically it came down to the same thing. The judges told him to pay, he said he would. He didn't and just threatened Angela he would let the government take away Xianna from her, if she would complain or anything. So that was no choice either. She had lead it go, not wanting to fight, well she had wanted to, but she had been to scared to fight.

As Angela walked along, she suddenly saw a girl turn the corner not far from herself. She immediately recognized the girl as Snowflaik. Just seeing that girl send a chill down her spine again. Her hands dropped to her sides, and fiddled with the hem of her jacket.

This is sick she thought, I am scared of a 15 y/o girl. That cannot be normal." Angela thought. But she didn't want to face this girl again today, so she looked around. But there didn't seem any routes for her to escape from meeting this girl. "Oh God what can I do" Angela quietly said to herself. As she looked around feverishly and hand brushed through her red hair.

The girl closing in on her, seemed not to notice it was her standing there. But Angela was sure she would notice it was her soon enough.

Angela made a quick decision, opened the gate to the house on her left, stepped through and just duck away behind the hedge. Waiting for the girl to pass her, she sat there with her knees in the dirt.

*************

Snowflaik felt really good, her bad mood for being put on her spot by John, was gone. Her mum had loved what she had done, and she had even gotten a smoke from mum and even better, mum had allowed her to get a sip of mums' tequila. Mum had allowed her to finish the bottle. If she promised her mum to get her a new one.

Well, why not. It would give Snowflaik another change at another few sips. So Snowflaik had gone to the liquor store again, and was now on her way back. She was busy trying to get the bottle cap off, without damaging the bottle. or the label. Hah Mum had given her a sip to drink, but that didn't mean mum approved. She could turn like a leaf on a tree if she had her moods.

Snowflaik saw the redhead approaching her. But she didn't feel like pulling a prank at her again. So she pretended not to see but then she had seen the hesitation in the pace the woman was walking.

She saw the woman look around, brush her hand through her hair, and plucking the hem of her jacket. and she could almost see the panic on her face. Then, with a quick movement, she saw the woman duck away behind a hedge in the garden of one of the houses.

Snowflaik thought about calling for her when she passed that garden, but decided to leave her be for now, and she just passed the garden but couldn't resist looking inside the garden...
 
It was the best laugh Sianna had had in yonks. Poor Angela Fox, bullied by both mother and daughter. And now, she had to slink home in shame and admit to her equally pathetic daughter how she'd been too afraid even to knock on the door. What a weakling! And maybe she'd even meet Snowflaik on the way home, and suffer even more.

This was fun, no doubt about it. Already she was thinking up all sorts of ideas of ways to totally press home her advantage and make Angela Fox look an even bigger idiot. Somehow, the sight of the blushing, helpless woman made her feel even more inclined to do things to her. The sense of power was amazing. Already she had another idea in mind...

*****

The watching eyes had missed nothing.

They had seen the defeated woman walk back in the direction of her own house, only to stop suddenly, and freeze. At first, the eyes thought they had been seen. But then, Snowflaik Leary appeared. This, then, was the explanation.

John Hartfield stayed out of sight, keeping completely still, watching the small drama playing out before him. He was just around the corner, peering around the wall. He saw Angela see Snowflaik, and the panicked look on the adult woman's face. He saw her suddenly come to a quick decision, and, with fear pervading her every move, suddenly open the nearest gate and duck inside. The next second, her red hair vanished from view.

"The poor woman," he thought. Being so obviously terrified of Sianelle Leary was bad enough. But to be scared even of Sianelle's young daughter must have been humiliation to the max. No wonder she was unable to defend her daughter. He watched as Snowflaik passed by, pausing only to look over the hedge, and give a satisfied smile. Obviously forcing the adult woman to scuttle away and hide was enough of a triumph for her, right now.

He waited, counting slowly to twenty. By then, Snowflaik was out of sight, walking briskly. Wherever she was going, it was obviously for a reason, and she was in a hurry, which probably accounted for the fact she hadn't bothered to stop and torment Angela. Angela, though, had not emerged from her hiding place, and obviously thought that Snowflaik had seen her, was deliberately playing with her, and would double back and catch her.

John walked unhurriedly up to the garden where Angela was crouching, and athletically vaulted over the hedge, coming to rest besides the startled Angela. The crouching down had made her skirt ride up, and it was obviously how panicked she was by the fact that the lower part of the legs of her Spanx were peeking out, and she hadn't even noticed. She was shaking, and her breath was coming in hitches. She opened her mouth to scream, and then hastily stifled it, though she still looked terrified.

"Don't worry, Angie," John laughed. "She's gone." He saw that Angela was unable to frame any reply. "It's OK," he went on, in a soothing voice. "I know you're frightened of her. You'd have been safe this time though, I wouldn't have let her hurt you." And seeing the look on Angela's face, and realizing how humiliating the whole situation must have been for her, having to run away and hide from a girl who couldn't have been more than 15 or 16, and having to rely on protection from another kid the same age, "It's all right. I promise not to tell Xianna."
 
Angela looked up at John, who she hadn't seen coming. "Oh no, not another one," she thought, scared as she was this tall boy was next in line to do something to her that would embarrass her.

He was kneeling beside her, and looked at her with concern, and she looked back at him, blushing immensely, for he had found her hiding on her hands and knees, like a child playing hide and seek.

"The uhm... no... I uhm... I'm not s..s..scared of her... who... do y..y..you mean a...anyway?" She tried. "I uhm was uhm looking for uhm... dropped uhm... dropped my uhm... keys... Yes.. I uhm dropped my keys... and uhm was looking for them..." Angela continued. She knew the excuse was lame, and Xianna would see right through it. But this strange boy, she didn't know, knew about Xianna. He said he wouldn't tell Xianna didn't he? He must be one of the boys from her class then, probably looking to pick on her again...

His soft tone, and sweet smile, didn't make him look like one of the people who were always picking on her daughter. In a way, he looked like someone who could be trusted. But how could she tell, he was just a boy of Xianna's age, and she had found out that kids that age can be hard and tough and really mean. But somehow he didn't seem like that. There was something in his face, and his voice that made Angela feel more at ease. But at the same time, it triggered her guard as well.

As he stood up again, she could see how tall he really was. He was taller then Angela, and he was thin, really thin. Well, how could a boy that thin and tall say that he would have protected her. Of course Angela didn't know the respect Snowflaik had for this boy. And that she would have ran away if she had seen him coming.

As the boy stood over her, he reached his hand out to Angela, wanting to help her up. Angela just looked at the hand, and hesitantly reached out and put her hand in the boys hand. The touch of his hand was like electricity went through her. "Oh stop it Angela, he's just a boy," She scolded in her mind.

When Angela had gotten to her feet again, she clapped her hands to get the dirt of them, and then she brushed her knees with her hands, to get the loose dirt off her knees as well. She still didn't notice her skirt had ridden up a little and showed the bottom lining of her spanx. She then, corrected her glasses, which were also askew on her face , and looked up at John again, showing her blushing face. Her hand went through her hair, brushing it twice, before she dropped her hands and with one hand in her pocket, she said. "Uhm... oohh.. ahhh. my uhm keys uhm are here... How silly of me..."

"T.. Thank you for helping me up..." She said to John, as she gave him a little blushing shy smile, "I uhmm... have to uhm.. go..." She passed John, and walked along the pavement in the direction she had been going before too. Maybe 3 doors further, she crossed the street, and walked up to the gate of her own home. With her knees and hands black from the dirt, and her skirt still pulled a little up at the back, she entered her home...

************

Snowflaik was laughing while walking home, and when she got home, and mum told her that the Fox woman had been at the door, but that she had been too afraid to knock, her laugh became louder. And of course she told Sianelle that she had seen her walking. "And guess what that stupid cow then did? " Snowflaik asked her mother.

"She ran away?" Sianelle asked.

"No mum, she went into the garden of one of the houses there, and hid behind the hedge there." Snowflaik burst out laughing. "Can you imagine mum, how silly and stupid she must have looked behind the hedge ?"
 
Xianna was downstairs in the kitchen, making coffee. and indulging in a pleasant dream about it being the kitchen of her own house, and John just coming in from work. They'd kiss, and talk over their day, and then later they'd go to bed, and...

...and the happy dream was interrupted by the sound of the key in the lock.

"Just in time," she said, out loud, as Angela's footsteps made their way towards the kitchen. "We're out of milk."

She looked up as Angela entered, a smile on her face. But an obviously forced smile, that Xianna had seen before. It was the expression she always used when she was upset or feeling insecure... and which she obviously hoped would make everyone think she was at ease and in control, when anyone (especially Xianna) could tell she wasn't. She then saw that her mother was entirely unburdened by the groceries she had gone out to get. "Here we go again," she thought.

She took in her mother's appearance. The crumpled, smudged suit, the glasses slipping off, the deep red blush on the face.

"Oh, for heaven's sake," she sighed. "What happened this time? Don't tell me you got bullied by Sianelle Leary again! What did she do this time, drag you through a hedge? You've got grass and leaves all over you. Look at the state of you!"

Just for a second, is was if the traditional roles had become reversed, and that Xianne was the mother and Angels the daughter. The guilty way she hung her head only confirmed this. As Angela turned away, Xianna saw that her skirt had worked up at the back, and that through the rear-slit the lower part of Angela's Spanx were showing. She blushed. Did any girl have a mother who made such a spectacle of herself?

"Please don't tell me you walked through the streets like that," she continued. "Look, you're showing those stupid knickers of yours at the back - the whole neighborhood will have seen them!"
 
Angela looked at Xianna for a second, not realizing what she had said. Then, as if she was struck by lightning, her hands went to her back, and she could feel the skirt had worked up. This made the blush on her face even more red. She looked sheepish at Xianna, the smile now gone off her face.

Angela was out of excuses. She absolutely didn't know what to say anymore. She was shocked. John must have noticed, she was absolutely sure about it.

"I uhm.." Angela said, repeating the same story she had told John earlier. "I dropped my keys, and uhm found them uhm... across the street, under the hedge uhm of the Connors.

Angela could see that Xianna didn't believe a word she was saying. But she couldn't tell her that she was scared of Snowflaik now could she.

Angela then asked Xianna "Who's John?". She could see the startled reaction from Xianna and wanted to ask more, but she also realized the relationship between her and Xianna was already not that good today, so she let it go. Angela had had her portion of problems and fears and didn't want to worry anymore.

John and Paul were both on her own mind. Trying to chase away the thoughts about the 2 women, she thought about the 2 men, well... men... One man and one boy... And she had to admit that she felt warm and thinking about the two men did make her feel good about herself too...
 
As usual, Xianna had followed a very special plan in getting to school. She had particular streets marked out, where she knew none of the kinds who bullied her lived, or used to get themselves to school. Her route was about three times as long as the shortest way would have been, but she was happy to trade convenience for security. Once she got to school, she always hid in the library, since that was always supervised, and she could at least could enjoy the first part of the day in safety. She always very cleverly times things so that she arrived at school before most of the bullies, and could scuttle along and get safe before they arrived.

Today, however, as she emerged from the side-street that led to the rear entry gate (which meant the shortest trip to the library) she found that someone was already using the path that was normally deserted. In the distance she could make out a tall, lean figure, leaning against the wall smoking a cigarette. Her heart sank. At best, it would be one of the kids who didn't bully her, but they'd still know she'd had to make a long trip to school to avoid bullying, and that was pretty humiliating in itself. But even worse, it might be one of the kids who did bully her. She wondered if she should backtrack, but she would have to go to school eventually, or risk detention - and that would mean being kept in with all the bullies and hard cases, which was not something she relished!

And then the guy looked at her and waved. She cursed under her breath. She'd been seen. And then she bit of the curse, and felt her heart leap.

It was John Hartfield. And he was coming towards her, and smiling.

"Oh, hi, Xianna," he said. This in itself was strange. The other kids normally called her "Toothy" or other even more insulting names. "Strange seeing you here. I thought it was one of the teachers going to catch me smoking."

Xianna desperately wracked her brains for some sophisticated remark, anything to try and get across she was not a total dweeb. She found herself wishing her breasts were bigger, that her legs weren't so skinny, that in walking to school her socks hadn't slipped down her legs and gathered above her shoes, making her look a total mess. Most of all, she wished that she hadn't inherited her mother's tendency to blush bright red whenever she encountered a guy for whom she felt any attraction.

"Oh, hi, J-John, I, er... I... h-how are you?" she got out at last.

It was a strange, and disconcerting feeling, to be speaking (or trying to, at least) to the boy whom she had spent the whole night thinking about, her hand going guiltily under her nightgown, until she'd had to bite on her pillow to stop her cries of delight waking her mother. She stooped, hastily pulling up her socks (which immediately, to her embarrassment, slipped down again, making her look an even bigger dweeb, and her blush to get even worse.) and desperately trying to control her blush.

"Did you do something to your hair," he asked, smiling. "It looks really cute."

Xianna found her heart fluttering. She rarely received compliments, least of all from a guy she was interested in.

"N-N-No, it's the same way it always is," she got out at last, pushing at it. "I...I... er... " She hastily began pushing her school blouse back into the waist of her skirt. Though, as usual, she had tucked it into her panties in an effort to keep it riding up, it was still spilling out as usual, making her look a disheveled mess. She bit her lip.

"I hope you got home OK, yesterday," he went on, falling into step beside her. She thought her heart would actually jump out through her chest. A boy she liked was actually walking with her. "Did you call your mum to come and get you, only I never saw you all afternoon."

Xianna bit her lip again. Did John not know that calling her mother would have done her little good, since unlike other mothers, Angela was unable to protect her? Was he deliberately making fun? But there didn't seem to be any mockery in his tone.

"N-No, mum was at work, I think," she lied. Suddenly a thought occurred to her, and she didn't know whether she totally loved the thought or hated it. It was that John had waited for her deliberately to escort her to school and protect her. On the one hand, that was amazingly sweet, but against that it meant he was doing it out of sympathy rather than because he liked her. Not to mention how mortifying it was to have to be protected by a kid younger than herself.

And then, his hand brushed hers. Just for a second. Had it been deliberate, she wondered, or accidental? Her blush got even darker.

"Is it OK if I walk with you to the library?" John asked. "Only I get kinda bored hanging around, and most of the kids here are so stupid. It's sort of nice to be able to talk with someone who's intelligent. Like, I hope your boyfriend doesn't mind. You do, like, have a boyfriend, out of school, yeah?"

Even someone as naive as Xianna knew the real meaning of that question.

The correct answer of course, was, "No - dweeby girls with stick out teeth and skinny legs who can't defend themselves against bullies don't have boyfriends. Especially when that girl has a ridiculous cowardly mother who makes a fool of herself at school." But she didn't say that, of course.

"N-No, I'm sort of... like, between them right now," she said. She discreetly gave the waist of her skirt another upwards hitch, to make sure the top of her panties weren't showing. "Like, most guys I meet are so stupid."

Oh, if only she could stop blushing, she cursed inwardly.
 
Angela woke up the next morning, feeling aroused from her dreams. She had dreamed of Paul and it had been a very erotic dream, in which she had made love to Paul in her bed.

She had taken a shower to loose the warm feelings, and sank back into reality worrying about what the day would bring her. With her day off behind her, she had to get back to work again today. After she had made breakfast for Xianna and herself, and she had seen Xianna leave for school, she had gotten her bag, and went to the busstop to take the bus downtown.

It was quite busy at the busstop. And she waited a bit on the side of the busstop, to avoid being pushed around by the other people there. After the bus arrived, she was the last one to enter the bus, and took the last seat next to an elderly man in a suit. She gave him a quick smile and sat down.

At the next stop, a few more people entered the bus, and one of the men entering the bus looked around and walked over to where Angela was sitting. Angela didn't pay too much attention to him, she was to busy thinking about the things she had have to catch up on at work. Normally when she had a day off, none of the other secretaries really took into helping her out, they usually left more work on her desk then she would get at a normal workday. Angela didn't notice the man who was standing next to her was looking at her. His eyes were all over her, lingering longer then normal on her chest.

Then at the next stop, Angela saw an elderly woman step into the bus, and she offered her seat to the elderly woman. Angela had to move a little more to the back of the bus, to get a good spot to stand. She didn't notice the man who had been standing next to her, followed her to the back of the bus. The man moved till he was behind Angela, and as the bus started to drive away again, he bumped into Angela. Angela looked around at the man, and saw him smile at her. Then as the bus had to stop at the traffic lights, the man again bumped into Angela. But when the bus started to drive off again, the man still stood pressed against her. Again she looked at the man, and he just gave her a smile.

While the bus was driving along, she could feel the man brushing his crotch against her back. Did she feel that right? Did that man have a hard-on pressing against her butt? She turned around and opened her mouth to tell him to stop. The man put his finger to his mouth, and said "Sshhtt, you better shut up, or I'll tell people you were feeling me up, understood!" Angela looked at the man, and then down to his crotch, where she could see the bulge of his hard on in his pants. "Now turn around again ma'am" he said, as he put his hand on her shoulder.

Angela did as the man had said, and just then the bus stopped at the next stop. Angela moved quickly and got off the bus, leaving the man behind. She watched the bus drive off again, and saw the man laughing at her.

Then Angela looked around to see where she had gotten off. It was still a good 5 miles to the office, but she didn't feel like getting on a bus again. That was exactly the reason she hardly ever took the bus. The metro was such a better way of getting to the office. It only meant she would need to walk a little more. Which is what she didn't feel like today. And now, here she was, still 5 miles from work and now she had to walk even further then normal, because she didn't want to get on another bus again.

********

Snowflaik had gone to school a little earlier today, she wanted to wait at the gates for that Xianna girl, give that girl another surprise maybe.

As she stood there, she saw Xianna come walking. But she wasn't alone. Snowflaik could see there was someone with her.

"Oh great!" Snowflaik said to herself, when she saw that the person walking with Xianna was John. Snowflaik didn't want to face John today, but he was also interfering with her plans now. "Damn you John, whay made you into such a dumb ass all of a sudden," Snowflaik thought. She knew she couldn't pull anything on Xianna now that John was with her. So she walked away from the gate, around the corner of the library. She saw Xianna and John walk towards the library, and peeked around the corner of the building.

She noticed Xianna was blushing and Xianna showed obvious signs of affection for John. "Damn you bitch, you don't deserve a boyfriend, and I guess I'll have to think of something to make you realize that he is way out of your league now." Snowflaik thought, as she watched Xianna and John talk a little more at the entrance of the library.
 
For once, Xianna was happy as she sat through Frau Wach's boring German class. Her heart was thumping, and she was singing inside. So what if she was the weak, bullied girl with the skinny legs and protruding teeth who everybody bullied? Hadn't John Hartfield walked her to the library? Hadn't he, in fact, especially waited for her? Could John Hartfield even be as much in love with her as she was with him?

For someone as lonely as Xianna, it didn't matter a damn that she had barely spoken to John before yesterday. As far as she was concerned she at last - well, kind of, anyway - had a boyfriend. She was already planning their future together. The details of their wedding. Where they would live. Possible names for children. She had it bad!

Of course, Xianna realized that there were still problems to be overcome. Naive as she was, she was not entirely stupid. She knew that love affairs could grow cold (after all, her own parents had been very much in love, once, when she had been a young child.) She had read enough romantic novels to know that misunderstandings, arguments, obstacles were the stuff of life. She would have to really work on improving herself, making sure that John wanted to stay around. She'd have to try and get over that embarrassing tendency to blush every time he spoke to her, for a start. She hoped she might grow out of it, but thinking about her mother (who also turned bright scarlet whenever she was in the vicinity of any man who showed her the slightest interest) she knew she couldn't rely on that!

She would also have to find a better way of keeping herself neat and tidy - if she was planning, at some stage, strip off in front of him, she could hardly be seen with her blouse tucked into her panties. That was fine for six year old girls, whose mothers took this precaution to keep them looking properly groomed, but hardly appropriate for a grown woman with a boyfriend (for this is how she now thought of herself)... perhaps, she mused, she might try some kind of body adhesive, or a tiny safety pin, so that she could attach the blouse to her skirt.

She doodled on an open page of her exercise book. Xianna Fox Hartfield. Xianna Fox Hartfield. Over and over again, in various kinds of handwriting, with different flourishes and additions.

*****

John Hartfield, the object of Xianna's happy thoughts, also went to his English class with a certain degree of satisfaction, though in his case it was of an entirely different kind to that which Xianna was experiencing. Thoughts of the future, weddings, mortgages and children were many miles from his thoughts. That was not to say he was not thinking of Xianna. In fact, she might even have been pleased to know what he was thinking. The way she had blushed when he had walked her to the library, the way she had kept furtively hitching up her sagging socks and fixing her blouse told him all he needed to know. This Fox, at least, was well and truly cornered. She could be his at any time he wanted.

But for a perfectionist and egotist like John Hartfield, this was far too easy. Any guy could score the affection of a girl especially one as lonely and desperate as Xianna Fox. What he was also backing himself to do (and which few guys would have attempted) was what he called "the full litter." Daughter and mother, both. He'd seen the way Angela fix had also blushed when he'd sat with her the night before, the way she'd simpered and played with her hair. Here, he knew, was a woman as desperate as her daughter.

And there was a weakness he could exploit. Just like her daughter, Angela Fox was a woman that other women seemed to instinctively bully and mock. Her mind was ripe for the comfort of a guy who would protect her, soothe her, boost her ego. And he was just the man to do it.

His own dream was not of white lace and nurseries. It was of the Fox family bed (which, in his imagination, was an exotic four-poster,) and him in it, with Xianna on one side and Angela on the other!
 
Angela walked the remaining distance to work, feeling terrible. She had a feeling the last couple of days things had gotten worse with people bullying her, and not just her, but also her daughter. That is what made it even worse.

She thought back at the events that happened the day before, where this boy, what was his name again, she didn't even remember if he had told her. But that boy had said she didn't have to worry. He wouldn't have let that Snowflaik do anything to her then. Damn how low did she sank, needing protection from a young boy, because a girl her daughters age was after her. No wait, she wasn't even Xianna's age, she was younger then her daughter. A daughter she was not even able to protect. It made her sad to realize her vulnerability was obviously showing, even to strangers.

She reached her office building, and went up to the 10th floor with the elevator. She was hoping for a normal day, without any of the incidents like the last couple of days, as she stepped out of the elevator at the floor she works.

Angela first settled in, hanging her coat, getting a cup of coffee from the coffee corner, and looked through the pile of paperwork on her desk, left there by her colleagues during her day off. Angela's desk, is located around the corner from the elevators, in a secluded corner of the floor.

While Angela was working on the paperwork, Jane from the mailroom appeared, pushing a cart with boxes, enveloppes, and other mail items. Jane was a temporary mailroom employee, because the regular girl working there, was on maturnity leave. Today was Jane's last day, and this morning when she had gone to work, she had decided to at least have some fun on her last working day.

Angela didn't notice Jane coming around the corner, so she also didn't notice the smirk on Jane's face. Jane took a pile of envelopes from her cart, and walked up to Angela's desk. There was a mailbin on one corner of Angela's desk, where she'd normally put the mail. But today, Jane said "I've got your mail here!". Angela was concentrated on replying to an email from her boss' director, and didn't respond to Jane's remark.

"Hey I am talking to you!" Jane tried again, a little louder.

Still Angela didn't even look up at Jane.

"Yo bitch I'm talking to you," Jane bit at Angela, as she threw the envelopes across the desk at Angela.

Angela finally looked up at Jane, with reddening cheeks "HEY..." Angela cried out, "What are you doing?"

"Shut it bitch," Jane snapped back at Angela, "I told you here is your mail. You think you are too good for just a mailroom girl? Well you're not! bitch."

"N..No... I don't think that at all.." Angela replied.

"Well, sure you do stupid cunt, with your snobby attitude, can't even say thank you to me." Jane replied again, as she walked around the desk.

"I... I... I'm... sorry... t..thank You miss," Angela stuttered back, as she brushed her hand through her hair one finger tapped nervously at the desk.

The girl took a handful of Angela's hair, pulling her head back, and bent down, so her face was really close to Angela. "Listen bitch, I bet you don't even know my name now do you?" She whispered, as she held Angela's hair.

"N...Noo.. Ow ow ow ow..., " Angela cried, "P... please.... let go... OUCH!"

"I'll give you something to remember my name by bitch" Jane said, as she bent forward a little more, and pressed her lips on Angela's lips. Angela was completely dumbfoudned and felt paralysed, as she felt Jane pushing her tongue against her lips. Jane got back up, raised her hand and slapped Angela hard on her cheek, making Angela's glasses to fly off her face, and land on the floor next to her desk.

"What kind of ungrateful bitch are you? I kiss you and you squint your lips?" Jane bit to Angela.

Angela's cheek stung really bad, making it even more red then it already was. She looked up at Jane with tears in her eyes. "L... L...let m... my hair ggo" she cried softly.

"No bitch, you kiss me back or I pull harder!" Jane said again, as she pressed her lips on Angela's mouth again. She again pushed her tongue against Angela's lips, and as Angela still didn't open her mouth, Jane tugged her hair roughly. That forced Angela's lips to open up, and immediately she felt the strange tongue in her mouth. Jane's tongue sought out Angela's tongue and moved around it, and was all over Angela's mouth. Their saliva mixing with the tears running down Angela's face.

After what seemed to Angela like hours, but were only maybe 30 seconds to a minute, Jane got back up, let go of Angela's hair, and said "Mmmm.. You taste good bitch! But next time, be a little more acceptable if someone tries to kiss you will you. Hahahaha and next time, you'll know I'm Jane, I am sure of that." And Jane walked around the corner, laughing out loud, leaving Angela with her hair messed up, tears running down her face, red cheeks, and in the middle of the mail Jane had thrown at her.


**************


Snowflaik was kind of hoping to get a chance to get at Xianna during the day, but it was close to lunchtime already, and she hadn't seen en opening yet.

Inside her head, she cursed at John, for interfering with her plans. Her plan this morning had been soo good. And now she hadn't had a chance to carry out her plan. She was going to have to try again after school.
 
As the day went on, Xianna became more and more excited. She did not see John, though she kept a careful look out for him, but that was to be expected, since at a school, where everyone has to be where the timetable commands, seeing a friend outside of break time is always a matter of luck.

Every chance she got, she retired to a quiet corner, where she'd pull up her socks, check her blouse was properly tucked and neat and that the elastic of her panties hadn't ridden up above the waist of her skirt. She wanted to look absolutely perfect, just in case she did see her man. And she was already thinking of him as "her man!"

*****

It was the custom of the school to take two roll calls. One first thing in the morning, before all trooping along to assembly, and the other last thing, before everyone went home. The idea was, of course, to stop students simply turning up, getting marked off the roll, then vanishing. Unfortunately this was, in some ways, counter-productive, in that it gave the school authorities a misplaced sense of security. Some students - among them John Hartfield - had worked out that with this system in place, teachers tended to trust to it and relax vigilance. This meant that as long as a student was present to answer his or her name at first call, and then again at the second, the time between was theirs to do as they liked. Get ticked off at both calls and, as fare as the system knew, you were there all day. No-one noticed if you spent the time between calls doing things you weren't supposed to be doing!

And in John's case, this meant working towards what he called "The Fox Project." He had already ingratiated himself with Xianna, and planned to be there to "accidentally" encounter her and walk her home. During his brief encounter that morning, he had wormed out of her where her mother worked. So, once he'd been registered as present, it was an easy enough matter to sneak out of school, and hop on a bus. He had the whole school day to further his project.

Half an hour later, he was at the large, imposing, marble-walled building where Angela Fox worked. There was a security guard, but for someone of John's sneakiness that was an obstacle easily surmounted. He simply waited until a delivery came to the rear door that led down to the stores, picked up a crate and joined the guys making the delivery. As he'd planned, the delivery guys thought he was part of the staff, and the staff in the store thought he was part of the delivery team. As soon as no-one was looking, he made himself scarce and took the lift to the ninth floor, where he knew Angela worked.

Once inside, he was safe. No-one ever bothered to challenge you for not having ID. Everyone assumed that if you were inside, you had a right to be there. No-one took any notice of him as he walked by.

The first person he really noticed was a plump blond who wore a nametag designating her as "Jane Armstrong, Records." Jane was wearing a self-satisfied smirk, and had lipstick stains around her mouth. Someone, he registered, had had some loving that day!

It was easy enough to find the way to the section where Angela Fox worked. Her desk was just around from the lift, in a fairly secluded section. He heard her rather than saw her. The sound of stifled sobs, as if something horrible had happened to her. At first, he thought it was delayed reaction to the various humiliations she had suffered the day before, and the whispers he caught as she talked to herself - things like "hateful bullying bitch" tended to confirm this.

He ducked back round the corner and took a look at her. And then, he revised his opinion. memories of her humiliations at the hands of the Learys, senior and junior, might have caused her to cry and talk to herself, but they couldn't have caused the mail to become scattered all over the floor, or turned Angela's normally perfectly arranged hair into a bird's nest, or her blouse to come untucked so that it was hanging out under the hem of her jacket, or her lipstick to become smudged. It was then that he remembered "Jane Armstrong, Records" and put two and two together. He genuinely felt sorry for Angela - it seemed that even at work, any other woman could do whatever they wished to her, and she was powerless to do anything about it - but this sorted his plans to the letter.

He walked up to her, and coughed slightly to make her look up. He was gratified to see several expressions flit across her pretty face. There was surprise, of course, a "what are you doing here" look, and the embarrassment that seemed to be a permanent condition for Angela, but also a kind of appreciative look mingled in, such as a woman gives when she encounters a guy to whom she is attracted.

"Hi, Angie," he said, smiling. "I was kind of at a loose end, so I thought I'd come and check you were OK after what happened to you yesterday.
 
Angela looked up at the figure appearing in front of her, and was shocked to see John stand before her. "I... I... Wha..." Angela started to stutter. She wanted to ask him what he was doing here, how he knew where she worked and then she suddenly realized how this had to look. The envelopes scattered around her on the floor, her glasses on the floor next to the desk, and who knows what her hair and face look like. But undoubtedly they are a mess too.

Again Angela tried to say something to John, who she saw smiling at her. But he wasn't smiling like people usually smiled at her, or better, about her. He showed a sincere and comforting smile.

"Wh.. what are y....you d...doing here?" She asked, as she ran her hand through her hair. She still felt her cheek sting from the slap of Jane's hand. And felt really unease, as she was questioning herself what the boy's business was at her desk.

"I... I'm fine", Angela lied to John, "J... just had a bad night, it was so warm last night" She stuttered again. Then Angela hesitated, why was she telling this schoolboy about her bad night, and why was she making up excuses to him. She felt weird about this boy. Why was he not in school? why did he make this trip? Why would a boy his age, he couldn't be older then 17, and Angela doubted even if he would be that old.

"A...You.. You are in Xianna's school a...aren't you?" She asked. And not waiting for his answer, she gave him a shy smile.

And then she jumped up from her chair as if stung by a bee. She walked (almost ran) past John around the corner, passed the lift and fled into the ladies rooms. When she saw her own face with the little make up she wore smeared out, lipstick around her mouth, eyes red, cheeks red and her hair a mess, she started to cry again. "Oh dear God, why hadn't I realized what a mess I am." She scolded at herself.

She got some paper towels and cleared the make up from her face. Removed the lipstick, and she washed her face as if it was covered in dirt. Then she tried to put her hair straight again with her hands, having left her brush in her purse at her desk.

She then stared at herself in the mirror. And started speaking out loud to herself "What is wrong with you? Why are you so pathetic? Why do you let yourself get pushed around like that? Well, it's not like there's a lot I can do about it now can I, Xianna is right," she continued... "Xianna is right when she says I'm a coward."

She tried to get her nerves back and just stood there for another 5 minutes, just looking at herself. Then she looked all over for her glasses, but couldn't find them anywhere. Where had she put them? Then she realized they were still at the floor by her desk.

Swallowing hard, and silently hoping the boy was still there, she walked back. Hoping to find out what the boy was doing here...

***************

Snowflaik had a seat by the window, which overlooked the school yard. She had seen John leave which made her smile. She hoped he wouldn't be back today, so she could try and payback that girl for well, just for being at school.

When the first recess came, Snowflaik was called up again. Mr. Hopkins wanted to speak to her about the day before. Snowflaik had forgotten about her lies the day before, and realized she was in even more trouble now as she walked up the stairs.

When she reached Mr. Hopkins office, she knocked on the door. And a few seconds later, she was called into the office. Mr Hopkins was sitting behind his desk and didn't look up as Snowflaik entered.

"Sit Miss Leary" he simply said, but Snowflaik could hear he wasn't in a good mood. So she walked to the armchair at the desk an sat down.

Mr Hopkins just sat there writing something down on some papers, for at least 5 more minutes. Before turning his attention to Snowflaik, he just looked at her. He actually managed to stare at Snowflaiks eyes long enough, to make her look down at her feet. Which is exactly where he wanted her.

"I am not too happy with your actions yesterday Miss Leary," He started. "Lying to me about Miss Fox and Mr Hartfield?" He continued.

"Bu..." Snowflaik started, when MR Hopkins interrupted her by saying "Did I ask you to say something Miss Leary?" Snowflaik again looked at her feet, and shook her head silently.

"Good... As I said, I am not happy that you lied about Miss Fox and Mr Hartfeld yesterday. And I will talk to you mother about this. And I think I will be able to convince her to give you proper punishment too. However, I am not going to let this pass, as this is not the first time you lied, now is it Miss Leary?"

Snowflaik was looking at her shoes and again shook her head. "I want you to think about a proper punishment too Miss Leary, and then I want you to report to my office at 4pm this afternoon. I will call your mother and explain that you will be home later, and give her the reason for keeping you here. Is that understood Miss Leary ?"

Snowflaik said nothing, and just nodded, cursing inside her head.

"I asked is that understood Miss Leary?" Mr Hopkins again asked.

"Yes Sir" Snowflaik whispered, looking up at Mr Hopkins. He saw the fire in her eyes, and saw she was trying to hide how furious she was at that moment.

"Good Miss Leary, You are dismissed then." He smiled at her.

As Snowflaik was walked to the door, and had the doorknob in her hand, Mr Hopkins said "Oh and Snowflaik? Don't get any stupid ideas about taking this out on someone else in my school. Or I'll have to call your mother with a bad notice to tell her you are expelled...."
 
Wise beyond his years, John already knew why Angela had run away so suddenly. And he also knew she'd be back. He spent the time tidying up her papers, and filing away various bits of useful information as he did so (he had a magpie mind, and had often found randomly gained information came in handy in furthering his little schemes) and putting Angels's desk to rights.

He was right. About five minutes after she left, she returned, with her make-up fixed, her hair tidy, her tights pulled up smoothly, and the worst of the wrinkles shaken out form her skirt. She was still blushing, though, which was all to the good, and told him volumes.

"Yes, I'm from Xianna's school," he replied, calmly and urbanely, as if the conversation had never been interrupted. "As to what I'm doing here, I told you. I came to see if you were all right, after what happened yesterday. I guess it must be pretty horrible, the way Snowflaik Leary and her mum bully you all the time, and you not being able to defend yourself."

He waved to her desk.

"I tried to tidy it up for you. I don't know what happened, but it looks like a whirlwind went through." He had, in fact, made a good guess that even here, at work, poor Angela was also being bullied, but he didn't let on. He was testing his theory, that unless she was sure he knew, she'd deny that she was being persecuted, just to protect her own self-esteem. "Anyway, I'm glad I came by," he went on. "It's always good to see you, especially when you're looking so pretty."

He'd timed his compliment carefully. Now, to see how she reacted!

*****

The phone call came just as Sianelle was settling down to watch "Emmerdale," and was not too welcome. It had started well enough (hearing Mr Hopkins' voice was always welcome) but he'd ignored her attempts to flirt (she used the phrase "be friendly" to herself) and been all business. He told her all about Snowflaik's lies, and that she was to be punished. And he'd ignored all of Sianelle's subtle threats and pleadings. Snowflaik was to be punished, and that was that. And, what was more, as well as being punished she had to lay off the Fox girl.

By the time she slammed the phone down, Sianelle was fuming. How dare they punish her girl. It was that Fox girls fault, for.. for... well, she couldn't quite think of it right now, but she was sure Snowflaik had her reasons. Snowflaik was a good girl. It was discrimination, that's what it was. And now Snowflaik couldn't even get revenge. It was unfair.

Unless...

And then by the sort of logic that always comes to those who are sure they are in the right, the answer came. It wasn't really Xianna Fox's fault at all. Not really. It was just she'd been badly brought up. No father to give her discipline, that was the trouble (the obvious flaw in this argument when advanced by Sianelle Leary of all people did not occur to her!)... Angela Fox was such a stupid weakling, she wouldn't discipline her daughter properly.

Well, Sianelle knew her rights. She would make sure that punishment went to the one who really deserved it. And if the dweeb's daughter was there to see it, so much the better. Snowflaik could not do anything directly to Xianna Fox, but she could act as a spy, make sure they knew where Angela went, and she, Sianelle, could arrange to bump into her. The school could stop Snowflaik putting Xianna in her place, but there was nothing they could do to Sianelle. She'd left school yonks ago. She was already smiling as she made her plans.
 
When Angela saw that John was still standing at her desk, she felt relieved and ashamed at the same time. Relieved that someone friendly was still there, ashamed because she realized she couldn't hide and make up excuses again.

When John acknowledged that he was in the same school as Xianna, she knew it. But it made her wonder why he wasn't in school and why he was here. Just to check up on me and how I'm doing he says, Angela thought.

"T...T... Thank you for c...c...cleaning up the mess..." Angela stuttered, "I ummm... I...," Angela tried to make up an excuse for the mess around her desk, but couldn't think of anything.

Did she hear it right? Did he just call her pretty? Where did that come from, why was a boy his age interested in an woman her age... That couldn't be. It must be a mistake. Angela thought, but her cheeks were blushing at the remark, and she managed to get a shy smile across her face.

Angela felt his eyes on her, and was afraid to look back at him. She walked to her desk, not knowing what to say, or how to act. She walked around, and picked up her glasses from the desk. She rearranged the envelopes John had put on her desk, without noticing them, and without realizing her hands were pushing the envelopes around her desk.

Angela felt weird inside. On one side, she really loved the attention and the friendliness John displayed and mentioned. But on the other hand it felt wrong. So wrong. He was a boy and she was so much older. She could be his mother. And there he was, telling her she is pretty and flirting with her.

Carefully and trying no to be noticed, Angela slowly let her eyes check out the boy in front of her desk, as she asked "S...Sh... Shouldn't you be in school?"

Her eyes took him in and she felt an affection for the boy, similar to the affection she had felt in the backroom of the bakery the day before. He could be the one person who would be able to protect her and Xianna from the Leary's. But he was only a teenager. She couldn't let hers and more important Xianna's well being depend on a school boy could she...

*************

After Snowflaik had talked to her mum, she was furious and felt upset. Mum told her she had to stop bullying the Foxes. Both of them, her mum had said.

Apparently mum had received a call from that stupid Mr. Hopkins. And he had given mum a warning that he was going to kick her from school, if mum didn't get control and made sure she wouldn't bully Xianna again.

So what if she was kicked from school. Not like she cared... But mum had told her to keep straight, because those bastards from child protection were keeping an eye on them. And that was the last thing Snowflaik wanted, to be taken from home.

Now mum had gotten some idea to get even with the Foxes. She had a plan, but wouldn't tell her what it was. She just needed her to spy on the two, and check out what they did and where they went.

Well, That younger Fox was at school. She looked so stupid. Snowflaik had the feeling something was going on between her and John Hartfield. She had told her mum about him, and mum wanted her to ignore him. Just to watch out that he wasn't around when mum planned her revenge.

Well, Snowflaik had seen John leave school, after the 2nd roll call. and she hadn't seen him back. She had not even seen Xianna today. Well, she had, but that was before school started. She had been together with John... Snowflaik was going to try and find out all she could about the foxes. She knew where they lived already, and would sort out the rest too...
 
Though he kept a perfectly straight face, John felt a wave of satisfaction go through him at Angela's reaction. When all was said and done, he was after all much younger than Angela Fox, and despite his obvious psychological dominance over her, there had been the risk she'd laugh at his assumptions - which would have broken the fragile mental hold he had over her, and wrecked his plan right there and then. Now, he congratulated himself, the worst was over. He'd passed that test, and he was in control.

"Yeah, you're right," he said, smiling. "I should be. But you needn't worry about that. I'll take the lumps if I get caught. I thought it was worth the risk. See, I had to... I... I wanted..." He was feigning embarrassment, which was another big risk. Angela, who was a martyr to that emotion, might well have been able to pick the real thing from an act. Better not to push that one too far! He hastily assumed a much more confident voice. "Look, I wanted to check you were OK. I heard the way that Leary cow pulled your skirt down in a public street, and in front of Xianna, too. And I saw what happened yesterday morning, when all the kids were calling after you, and making fun. And then how you had to hide because Snowflaik was after you to bully you some more. I just thought you might be a bit upset, so I came along to check up on you."

While he had been speaking, he had been carefully studying her reactions, in a subtle enough way that he was sure she could not pick his interest. And he was liking what he was seeing. Her obvious nervousness, the way she was fiddling with the papers on her desk as a displacement activity, the way she'd rushed to the bathroom to gussy herself up, the fact that the blush on her pretty face was getting darker by the minute. It was like flirting with Xianna, but an even greater ego-rush, for here was an adult woman just as much in thrall to him as her daughter had been. Reminding her of her recent humiliations had been a clever move, he reflected, for it drove a further wedge into her confidence, making her need a friend even more. And also subtly hinted that she needed protection and comfort - protection and comfort he could give!

"And I'm glad I did come," he added. "I'd sooner look at a pretty face like yours than a group of stupid schoolkids and ugly teachers."

And now was the time to test his hold over her, the acid test.

"Anyway, there's no point in standing here at your desk, talking," he went on, smoothly. "I know a good coffee shop a block away." He took her arm and exerted the gentlest of pressure, as if to walk her towards the lifts. Any other adult - in fact, most kids - would have resisted. If she went along, he knew, he had her. "You are free, I take it?"
 
Angela was still pushing around the papers on her desk. She didn't realize or notice John was looking at her while she did so. She wasn't even aware of her nervous actions. All hat was on her mind, was how she could save the situation, and how she could convince John nothing was wrong, or nothing had happened.

Angela was struck by the kindness and politeness that John showed her though. It really did something to her, but she also didn't know what to think of him, and was afraid of the feelings she was starting to get for this boy. It scared her immensly. She felt more and more at ease with the young man who was so very nice to her.

When the realization sunk in that there was not excuses she could think off, she knew she was going to have to open up to this boy. But he was only a young boy, even though his actions made her think different, he was still just a boy Xianna's age.

It had been long ago since she was last encountered with the kindness John showed. Of course that did something to her. She had enjoyed the coffee with Paul at the bakery, but this time, with the words this boy said to her, she felt different. She didn't realize or understand what she felt. But she really liked the positive feelings John gave her.

"I uhhh... W... What are you doing?" Angela asked when she felt John tug gently at her arm. She glanced at her clock and saw that it was close to lunch time.

"Oh God, what is he up to?" Angela asked herself. What should she do, follow him, or let him leave. She realized she had to decide now. If she declined, it would be over. She was sure, his offer to protect her and especially Xianna would no longer be valid. But what if she accepted? He's just a boy... and his remarks, what are his intentions. What if she goes with him, where will it end...

So many questions run through Angela's mind, making it impossible to think straight. Before she realizes it, they are in the lift, and they were on their way down...


*******************


Snowflaik was looking around during the first break of the day, but she couldn't spot John or Xianna during that break. She had seen him leave, so she didn't really expect to see him. But she knew Xianna should be around somewhere.

During the lunch break, Snowflaik spotted Xianna, when she entered the cafeteria Xianna was in line at the sandwich counter. Snowflaik knew she couldn't do anything. It was so tempting, to grab one of the sandwiches or maybe one of the yoghurts, rip the top off, and just poor the contents out over her. But she couldn't do anything like that. All she could do, was watch, observe and learn.

She was watching Xianna close. Got in the same line Xianna was in, and pushed aside a few other students, until there was only one more between her and Xianna.

Snowflaik noticed the glow on Xianna's cheeks and wondered what it was. It was different from when the girl was embarrassed.

Xianna took one of the sandwiches, and after she had paid, she walked to the only empty table in the room. After Snowflaik had paid for her sandwich and looked around, one of her friends signaled her to come. But Snowflaik just shook her head, and looked further. When Snowflaik notices Xianna sitting alone, she walked up to the same table, sat down and said "Hey, don't mind me sitting here do you?"

Snowflaik tried to use her most friendly voice, as she sat down, and gave Xianna a little smile...
 
At first, John contented himself with simply walking alongside Angela, making light conversation, secure that she was totally in his control. Then, as they emerged from the lift, he allowed their hands to brush, once, twice, as they walked. On the third brush, he took her hand in his and smiled, and said "It's OK, Angie," as if it were her that were looking to hold hands and were to afraid... and, as he'd known she would, she went along with the flow and made no move to let go. At one point, as they were waiting to cross the road, he reached across with his other hand and pushed a stray lock of hair back from her forehead. Yes, he was in control, all right.

The coffee shop was deserted, the main lunch rush not yet having started. He led her to a booth and sat down, and expressed his preference for a flat white, making it obvious that he expected her to pay. A fair enough assumption, since, after all, he was merely a school student and she was in paid employment.

*****

Damn it, it wasn't fair, was the first thought that went through Xianna's mind. Now, even at lunch, Snowflaik Leary was going to bully her. Usually, she could at least get to eat in peace, since Snowflaik spent that time down at the bottom of the playing field, sharing stolen liquor and cigarettes with her clique. She sighed inside. Well, now that Angela had proven totally unable to protect her, she should have guessed that the bullying and humiliation would step up even more. The even worse thought struck her that John might walk in and witness her humiliation.

She found herself shaking as she forced out the obligatory "Y-Yes, I... I mean, n-no, I d-d-don't mind..." and spilled her yoghurt as she ripped the top from it. Damn it, even when Snowflaik was not (or at least, not yet) doing anything hostile, she was still scared of her. From being beautiful, her day had suddenly plunged into terror.
 
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