“Look what we have here,” Patty croaked, seeming to appear out of nowhere.
Sophia didn’t acknowledge her or her two flunkies. She hated being naked in front of anyone, especially the girls at school. But she couldn’t ignore Patty, because when she reached for her gym shirt, Patty grabbed her wrist and thrust it up in the air.
“Get off.” Sophia tugged, but Patty’s grip was firm on her arm.
“Opal.” Patty snickered with her friend. “Do you remember that book we found in the library about the girl on the auction block? Looks like someone is stripped down so that everyone can see what a fine field nigger she’d make.”
Heat spread across Sophia’s face. She abhorred that word, and Patty was the first person to ever hurl it directly at her. For a few seconds, she felt like the wind had been knocked out of her.
“Let me go.” Sophia tugged, which made Patty hold on even tighter.
“How much would you pay for her? Look at these strong biceps. She’d do good work,” Patty sang. “She already has experience working with livestock. Can’t you smell it on her?”
Opal laughed. “I’d pay fifteen cents for her.”
“I’d pay a quarter,” said the girl who played small forward.
“Come on, now. This redhead must be worth more than that. Somebody give me fifty cents,” Patty said, smirking.
“Go to hell, Patty,” Sophia shot as Patty pulled her wrist above her head, exposing the patch of red hair beneath her armpit.
“Look at this beastly hair. Told you she was a savage.”
“I wonder what’s growing in her underwear.” Opal clapped her hands.
“I’ve often wondered the same thing. Why don’t we take a look-see?” Patty pressed her elbow into Sophia’s stomach, pinning her against the locker. “Do it,” she urged Opal.
Do what? Sophia’s stomach dropped as she tried to flail her legs, but Opal put her hands on Sophia’s knees to steady her.
“Stop it,” Sophia called out. Opal’s fingers felt clammy against her skin.
“I’m not playing.” Sophia tried wrenching her arm free, but Patty was taller and stronger, and Opal had her pinned against the locker.
“I said do it,” Patty said with a sadistic grin. “My daddy always told me to stay away from the nigger boys here on campus. Said they had tails.”
“You think she has a tail too?” Opal said, wide-eyed.
“I’ll give you a dollar if you find out,” the third girl called out as Sophia thrust her torso and stomped her feet, trying with everything in her to wiggle away.
“Get the hell off of me,” Sophia growled, and squirmed, but the girls just laughed.
“I was told that they had superhuman strength, but maybe that’s just the boys.” Patty tightened her grip as Opal grabbed the edge of her panties and started pulling them down her thighs. Sophia bucked her torso, but it didn’t stop Opal from exposing a thick shock of red hair on her pubes.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Sophia cried, still jerking her body.
“I told you she was an animal.” Patty smirked. “Only animals have flaming red hair.”
“Maybe she’s the devil’s daughter?” Opal cracked. “Look at those red welts on her arms. They look like fire.”
“They shouldn’t let animals into the school,” Patty said.
Then the door to the locker room slammed open.
“What in the hell is going on here?” It was Margaret.
Opal let Sophia’s knees go, and Sophia reached for her panties, dragging them up to her navel, shaking like a desert rat plunged into a bucket filled with ice water.
“Patty, get your hands off of her. Now!” Margaret’s voice was loud and demanding. All the laughter stopped, and it was then that Sophia saw two other girls in the corner, watching the action. Had they been there the whole time and done nothing to help her?
