The next day was a Sunday. So my parents and I went to church.
I wore my favourite Red Dress. I knew it clashed with my eyes but I really didn't care. I was just really excited to show my father.
I know it's really childish but I love it when compliments my outfits. It just makes my day so I went to his room and did the little girl twirl to show how big my dress was.
If he wasn't so old and I wasn't grown I swear he'd have carried me and spun me around like he did when I was little. I miss those days.
Church was okay, I guess. The pastor just talked about kindness and how much Jesus loves us. Nothing I hadn't heard before.
Okay.
I know that wasn't exactly a Christian thing to say but, after church was really what I was looking forward to because any time my father was around we'd go to a restaurant or cafe and order takeout.
Then, we'd go home and I'd eat until I couldn't consume any more.
Sunday was really perfect it was one of the few days that year I was perfectly happy without anything going wrong anyway. I know that's more than most people could ask for.
I just wanted to tell you about it.
Anyway, the happiness disappeared Sunday night when I realised I'd have to go to hell (school) the next day.
I hate Mondays so much.
~~~~~~~
The next morning, I did my normal routine.
I wore a beige cropped sweater and a pair of baggy shorts and a matching Jean belt. I wore my brown sandals. I think I've grown too attached to them and they're getting old.
My father dropped me off at school. My bike was in his trunk for when I was to come home from school.
The first person I saw when I entered the school building was Juan. He was walking towards me. Nope. I ran through the first door I saw.
That was a big mistake.
I saw Mace and who I assumed and prayed was his girlfriend because he was devouring the girls face. Fine. Maybe 'devouring' is a strong word, but I wasn't wrong.
The girl was Korean and really pretty. Her hair was shoulder length and dyed bright blue-green. She looked like she could be a member of blackpink. An anime character in the making. I felt like I had met her somewhere before. I was surprised I couldn't remember where cause I never forgot a face.
It was like they were two hungry lions trying to eat each other. Ew.
The way they held each other. The way they kept on going without stopping.
Who had the lung capacity for that?
Oh my gosh. She's unbuttoning his shirt. And now his pants? Gross.
I had to get out of there.
I didn't realize how much I was staring at them. I snapped out of it but, when I tried to leave the class room, my blind clumsy stupid butt walked into the door. I hit my head and fell down.
"Green?" Mace Smith said.
"Present," I said. Present. Really?
Thankfully, Mace found it funny. He laughed "You're a weird girl, G."
His girlfriend however did not. "G? You know this bitch?" Bitch? Now I remember where I know her from.
Sophia Choi. She was the one who started bullying me. It made sense she was Mace's girlfriend. She was really manipulative. She was also prone to violence. I remember once in kindergarten we were finger painting. She got so mad that my painting was better than hers. She took my still wet painting and slapped it into my face. She was about to slap me when I blocked her hand. Then she dipped my hand in paint and put it on her face. Of course my teacher didn't see anything that happened. So, I got in trouble. I couldn't believe I forgot about her. We never spoke again but, it was after incident that my life became horrible.
I was about to say something but Mace beat me to it.
"She's not a bitch, Sophia," he said, sounding really tired. Which was weird cause he had a lot of energy like three minutes before.
"So it's Sophia now?" she said. "I can't believe you're taking her side."
"I'm not taking her side," Mace said, looking even more frustrated. "I just don't think you should call people you don't know bitches to their face."
"I don't believe this," Choi said, storming out of the room.
"I have to go apologize to her," he said to me.
"For what?" I asked, genuinely confused.
"I don't even know any more," he said.
I felt so sorry for him but, I felt really uncomfortable because his pants were unzipped and shirt was still unbuttoned. "While you try to figure it out can you please zip up your pants?"
"Sorry," he said. He turned away then, zipped it up.
I started to help him button up his shirt. "Sorry I interrupted your um... kissing thing," I said. When he didn't respond, I looked up to see why. He just looked back at me and stared at me.
"What are you doing?" I asked, feeling a little weird.
"Thank you," he said in a weird low voice. What was it with boys and that voice.
"You're welcome," I said, confused. I really didn't know what he was thanking me for.
He just stared at me.
Looking back, I wish I had just left because, what happened next started what I like to call "A Series of Unfortunate Events".
Just as I got to Mace's last shirt button, I looked up at him to see if he was still staring at me. Our faces were just centimeters apart cause he was sitting on a table.
Just then, a girl walked in and saw us. She had red hair and brown eyes. She wore a short dress with little floral pattern.
"No way," she said and immediately took our picture while we were still in our awkward position.
"Emma," Mace Smith said. "It's not what it looks like."
"Save it," she said, amusement in her voice. "I can't wait to show Sophie." She started texting someone. No way.
"Whoa whoa whoa," I said, not in the mood for any more drama. "What do you think you are doing?"
"Shut up," she said. Oh. "You're such a slut." OH.
There was no way in hell I was going to let her call me a slut.
"Listen you b...." Mace covered my mouth before I could say anything else. I licked his hand. I know that was childish but, I hated being shut down. "What the hell, dude?"
"It's not worth it, Green," Mace said, sounding really tired all of a sudden.
I decided to give in. I wasn't really in the mood to fight anyway.
"Fine," I said, giving Emma the side eye.
~~~~~~~
People had been looking at me weird all day. I had already forgotten about what happened with Emma so, I just decided it was all in my head.
During biology, Gabby asked me if I could exchange her my partner cause she had something "extremely important". I doubted it was that important but, Gabby and I were just starting to get along so, I let her.
"You're in big trouble, Green," Gabby said, sounding really serious. What? What could I have possibly done now?
She showed me a message on our school's facebook group. I joined the group but, I was never on it.
It was a picture of Mace Smith and I. Oh my. It was the picture that Emma girl took. I can't believe she posted it. Why would she do that?
There was a caption.
Emmy(●´з')♡: Guess what everyone? Macy's got a new whore.
"That witch!" I yelled before I could stop myself.
"Green Miller...," our teacher started. I cut him off before he could finish.
"I'm sorry," I said. He went back to teaching.
"When the hell did this happen?" Gabby asked.
"This morning," I said. "But nothing happened. I was only helping him button up his shirt after his weird girlfriend threw a fit."
"So," Gabby said. "Did you guys kiss?"
"What? No. Gross."
~~~~~~~
At lunch, I was about to sit down alone when Gabby came to sit with me.
I looked at her. "Shouldn't you be with your friends?"
"I am with my friend," she said, smiling.
I smiled back.
I was expecting us to just eat my lunch in peace and silence. I realize now that after all that had happened to me, I should have known that that was very wishful thinking.
Mace Smith also came to sit with me.
"Yo."
"Yo? Are you kidding me?" I said, really annoyed. "Have you not seen the picture of us? Do you think that it's a good idea to sit down beside me?"
"I really don't care what Emma does," Mace said. "You obviously need a friend."
I looked from him to Gabby, who waved at him. "Hello," she said.
Mace smiled.
"This isn't going to be a thing now, is it?" I asked.
They looked at each other.
"Well, now that we know you don't like this," Gabby started.
"Then we have to make this a thing," Mace finished.
I giggled. "You guys are clowns."
"Oh," Mace said. "She laughs."
Gabby smiled. Then we all burst out laughing. I missed this. Laughing for no reason.
As we were laughing, Sophie came up to us with Emma by her side, smirking.
"This is what it has come to? Talking to your whore in front of my face?" she yelled. The whole cafeteria was looking at us now.
"Calm down, Sophia," Mace said, in a quiet voice.
"I will not calm down," she was still yelling. "I can't believe you'd cheat on me with this cheap slut."
By that time I had had enough. "Can you please stop?" I said, trying to be as reasonable as possible. "Mace is obviously not cheating on you with me. If he were we won't be sitting together."
"Oh shut up," she said, slapping me and pouring her ice coffee on me. Not again.
Gabby immediately got up like she was ready to fight.
"Sophia!" Mace said, charging towards her.
I held him back with the hand that wasn't in a fist. I had had enough of bullying. I wasn't going to let it happen to me again and if stooping to Sophia's level was how I was going to do it, then so be it.
"Not now," I said, angrier than I had ever been.
Sophia had started something that I was going to make sure she didn't finish.