Janet slowly walked down the lane towards her school. One could easily say that she was totally lost in her delusional world of imagination. She moved like a puppet that we trigger with a key. That's when she heard someone call her name out loud from behind. She looked back to see who it was, though she was quite sure already that it'd be Jack, her friend from school. Jack had always been that one person in Janet's life, apart from Chubs who cared for her honestly.
Jack came running to her just as he saw her stop and smile at him. Janet waved a hi to him as he came near but Jack went on his knees without waving a hi back. He was tying Janet's loose shoelaces. He got up as soon as he was done and then said his hi in return adding a "be careful" message along with that. Janet gave him her most appealing smile in return. And ,needless to say, that was more than enough to satisfy Jack.
Janet stretched out her hand to him and Jack readily joined his hands with hers after a chuckle that shows his cute dimples. And they together walked to school hand in hand. Jack and Janet had been best friends since elementary school and they had stuck together ever since then. They go to school together daily and return back home together as well.
Today, as well, they were returning from school together. But then, they have to part in two ways as they both approach their respective homes. Janet waved her bye and started walking towards home. Jack too waved back but he rather seemed as if he didn't want to part with her. He waited, before going in his way, till she went out of sight as she walked away.
However, some others were waiting for Janet at the crossover. They were none other than the infamous bullies of her class. They target timid students who are then coercively made to do homework for them in their stead. Janet saw them from distance and decided to walk away. But before she could go any further away, they seized the straps of her bag and pulled her back. She turned to them and stood there looking down as if she accepted defeat showing her readiness to do whatever they are about to ask her to do.
The leader of the bullies, Samson, said after giving a loud and sly laugh along with the other members, " They call you Janet, right? Well, we all belong to the same class. And what does that make us? Friends? I heard friends should help out each other. So you help these friends of yours to complete some pending work, okay? I wanted to give you some more time but what can I do? The teachers are too competitive lately. So you'll complete this all in a day and bring the books back to us tomorrow itself. What do you say? "His voice grew harsher as he kept blabbering gibberish and threatening her.
Meanwhile, Janet silently kept listening to him all this while like an obedient child and kept nodding her head in agreement from time to time. Samson patted on her head and left while the other bullies brushed their shoulders against Janet's making her sway back and forth and finally fall on her knees, as they left following their leader.
Janet, left behind panic-stricken , sat in the middle of the crossover and began weeping, shedding little tears that rolled down her tomato red cheeks. She felt this overwhelming ringing sound breaking the delicate membranes of her ears and then penetrating in to her head without any notice. She just didn't know what to do then and she sat there helplessly, with her eyes tightly closed and her fist clenched so tightly so that it'd break her nails at some point near.
* Tring Tring * Chubs answered the doorbell and Janet was taken in. Janet had dirt all over her uniform and she looked pathetic in that state. But Chubs didn't fail to notice that something was definitely fishy about the expression that she had on her face as she entered the house after throwing her bag to the couch. Chubs was pretty sure that the Janet she knew would never do such a thing nor come back home this late in the evening.
Before Chubs could check on the girl or ask about the whereabouts, Susan came in throwing a tantrum. She kept blabbering and shouting at Chubs after giving Janet a deadly glare for she thought that Janet was hanging out with her friends before coming home. Susan went on murmuring," What do I do with this girl? What if someone sees her in this state? Who will the blame be put on ? Me ,right? You're the one who's letting her do all this insane stuff. Do you hear me, Mrs. James? "
Meanwhile, Janet seemed to be arrogantly not listening but instead winking at Machado who was watching all the scene from it's perch on the stairs. Susan noticed this and got irritated. She rushed to where Janet stood but Janet still looked away unaffected. She raised her hand to slap her. Chubs came running to stop her but that happened unexpectedly, to everyone's surprise.
With a swift movement , Janet dodged that slap that came off-guard and seized her hand up high. With an even more evil smirk, Janet asked," I have good reflexes ,right? Stepmom? " Susan pushed her hand away arrogantly. Susan was startled by this immediate act of Janet who was timid and non-reactive all this while. Before Susan could react, Chubs dragged her to her room and calmed her down, cooking up some quick-witted excuses to cover up for Janet.
Chubs finally came out, closing the door behind her. Janet still had that unfamiliar look on her face which Chubs couldn't quite understand at all." I did well, right? Chubs? Next time she picks on you , do tell me , okay? I'll be your white knight and I'll protect you? Alright, Chubs?" Janet kept murmuring like a drunk person as Chubs carried her up the stairs to her room.
After a while, Chubs succeeded putting her to sleep and came down. She rushed to the maids' room in such a hurry that almost got the maids damn worried. She kept throwing out things from her bag and finally took her phone in hand. She quickly dialed a number that was saved 'doc' in the contact's list. As soon as that call got through, Chubs said with a weak and stuttering voice," Doctor, I think you should come over soon. It came back. Janet's PTSD( Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) ! "