Jane followed Jake towards his secret place inside the campus which was the school's topmost floor or the rooftop itself.
But when they arrived, Gab was already there. He was lying on the bench near the entrance, hiding on the shade given by the wall and a small roof.
"Didn't you tell me that no one knows about this place?" She tried to ask making Jake to scratch the back of his head awkwardly.
"Well, brother and I kind of make this as our go to place when we feel troubled with something. Only us have the access to this area since only us have the spare key aside from the maintenance." He tried to explain.
Their voice had awakened Gab who was trying to catch some sleep during lunch-time.
"Why are you here?!" Gab harshly asked the moment he saw Jane with Jake.
"Jake, I guess I better go." She said before she would cause trouble for him.
"Go! I don't want to see you here!" Gab added making Jake to be disappointed with his brother's attitude towards Jane.
Jane didn't wait for Jake to react and she hurriedly headed to the door and opened it. She didn't dare to look back and left the place in a hurry.
Jake wanted to stop her but it was already too late. Jane had left.
"That was mean brother!" He said.
"So what? She has no rights to be here!" Gab argued.
"Why? I found this place first so I have every rights to whom I will invite here! I invited her out of friendship yet you shooed her away like she's carrying a deadly virus!"
"Friends? Are you even listening to yourself? Do you want to be friends with that--"
"With what brother?! What do you want to call Jane?" Jake exhaled deeply as he continued, "She's also human like us. And she has a name. Her name is Jane. Not Freak that everyone in school has been calling her." He said.
"I don't care! I don't want you to be around that b*tch. She's a bad influence to you! As your older brother, you better listen to me!" He commanded him stubbornly.
"No! Bad influence, is it? Then you better quit the football club as those so called teammates of yours are the true bad influence, not Jane. Your mind has been clearly clouded by those bullies."
"Enough! I'm still your older brother. You better obey me. That's an order!" He ordered.
"No brother! As long as you won't change your attitude towards Jane, I won't listen to you. You're starting to sound like Grandpa, brother."
"What did you say?!" Gab was about to grab Jake by the neck but Jake was fast to avoid it.
"You're just like General, Brother. And I'm starting to hate you for that!" Jake said.
"You!" Grab angrily said.
But Jake immediately left to follow Jane hoping he could catch up on the stairs.
However, Jane was no longer on the stairs.
He started looking for her but she was already gone.
Jane on the other hand had found a safe place at the back of the school building near the school garden.
She sought refuge underneath the century old Acacia tree as she sat down in one of its protruding roots.
No one visited this area as rumors of this tree being haunted had circulated in the whole school. Funny how the people in this country easily believed in those stories when they didn't have the capabilities to verify the truth.
She could feel some energy as she sat down but it's not enough to scare her.
The energy she felt was like that of life energy that the tree was giving out to her.
But stating that it was a host of supernatural beings was far from that.
If their definition of a supernatural being was like those other worldly creatures who had magic or were spirits, then could she be classified as one, too?
Jane took out her bento box out from her bag and she opened the lid.
Having her lunch underneath the huge acacia tree was not bad at all. In fact, she liked it here. And she had decided to have her lunch in this place as long as she could.
After she was done, Jane packed up her bento box and she went back inside the school building.
For the rest of the afternoon, Jane didn't encounter any bullying since Stephanie and her group were absent all through out the afternoon.
When all of her classes were over she packed up her bag to leave but she happened to bump into Gab on the hallway. Gab angrily grabbed her by the collar and slammed her back on the wall.
Jane closed her eyes not because of the pain but because of the violent thoughts that she saw in Gab's mind the moment his hand touched her skin.
"Listen Freak! Stay away from my brother!" He whispered to Jane as he didn't want to disclose his relationship with Jake.
"Why should I listen to you?" She lazily asked.
"Because I can make your life more than h*ll if you won't listen to me." He answered in a whisper again.
"Okay. However, it's not up to me to decide." She calmly said as she held his arm firmly and slowly made him to let her go.
She was only stating the truth when she said that. It was Jake who offered friendship, therefore, it was Jake's right to take it back. Friends or no friends, she was fine either ways.
Jane wanted to enjoy the rest of her time in this institution. As much as she could, she wanted to avoid violence.
"Are you challenging me?" He asked but Jane's response to that was only, "Am I?"
"You!"
"So you'll turn into a bully now? Ha! What will people think especially when they found out that you're a grandson --" 'of a General of Country P's army yet you chose to bully a woman?'
She wanted to say that but Gab covered her mouth to stop him.
"Oh my! I didn't know Gab is close to that Freak!"
"I know right?"
"How? I didn't see this coming at all!"
They heard the students gossiping about them and so Jane used this opportunity to escape.
Though he was using force in covering her mouth, she used her upper body to jerk him away.
"Mmm!"
She struggled to free herself because of the disparity between their strength.
'Oh! How I miss my old body!' She thought.
Back then, it was easy for her to defeat her enemies even if she didn't use magic because she had a lot of energy to fuel her muscles in physical combat.
Now, it was different. Compared to her previous body, Jane's body was like as light as a sponge.
Though she was absorbing energy since she came and had become strong than the average woman of this world her strength is not enough to defeat him.
A physically fit man with toned body because of working out and playing football.
However a thought came into her mind.
Every strong man had a common weak region.
Without warning, Jane kneed Gab on the groin making everyone to close their eyes as they could also feel his pain.
"Argh!!!" Gab screamed in pain as he covered his groin area.
"Stop acting like I had popped your balls out of your sc*t*m!" She said and walked away.
Jane didn't exert much force when she did that. She was also sure that she didn't make him lose the ability to produce an heir later on.
But she really didn't expect for him to react like a sissy.
"Oh my! So cruel!" The students who had been watching the scene exclaimed.
"Stop her!" Gab yelled but no one dared to move.
They immediately carried Gab to the infirmary to apply first aid for the pain that he was feeling.
Jane didn't mind what would happen next after that.
If Jake would come at her for hurting his brother, then, she would admit it with the context of self-defense.
It was clear that he was harassing her and she was only defending herself.
And the fact that she's a woman, she had the upper gain when questioned.
Yeah, she realized what she did was wrong but seeing the anger thoughts that Gab had towards her made her act in reflex.
It was clear that Gab would hit her. And she won't just sit there and watch him do that.
Jane went home into her room feeling satisfied with what she had accomplished so far.
As soon as she got in, she immediately prepared dinner for herself and went to bed afterwards.
For the rest of the week, her life had become peaceful. She was able to enroll peacefully for the next semester too after she got all of her grades.
As for Stephanie and her gang? She had only seen Stephanie but with new members.
She didn't know where Rachel, Sara and Carol were. Their group was the least of her concern.
Stephanie still looked at her with a poisonous gaze but that's all. They unexpectedly didn't do anything stupid.
However, she never dared lower her guard down when it came to them.
As for Gab, she had not seen him after that Monday afternoon incident.
Not that she cared, she was not actually sorry about that.
Later on, she found out that they were in a friendly competition with the other university in neighboring town. And since the official classes had ended last week, a lot had come to support their match.
Jake also didn't showed up and bother her for the rest of the days which she felt a little upset about because she thought that he was not being true to the friendship.
But another side of her thought that something must have happened to him that's why he was absent.
She wanted to call him but she just realized she didn't have his phone number.
And they were not that close to visit him in the male dorm.
So she decided to just let it be. She would just say 'hi' if he showed up next time.
Her former Professors had also approached her to ask for some pointers with the help of Director Lopez.
Jane wanted to refuse at first but with Director Lopez's persuasion, she had finally become cool with it.
But she won't be lying if she would say it felt awkward for her to talk to them in a casual way.
This was the first time that Jane was welcomed by them despite her appearance in which by the way she had slowly adjusted everyday.
In one of their session a day before the week end came, Director Lopez joined them.
"Miss Sanchez, can I ask you something?" Professor Perez asked.
"Sure, what is it?"
"Do you even consider changing a career path instead when you graduate?" He asked making Jane to frown.
"What do you mean Professor?" She asked.
"Why don't you become a part of the academe after you graduate?"
His question definitely caught Jane off-guard. It was more of like a suggestion rather than a plane question.
"That's a lovely idea! I would love you to be a part of the school faculty and train you to be my successor if Chairman would allow it." Director Lopez agreed to the suggestion.
Jane honestly didn't know how to respond to that. However, she decided to be true to herself and answer them from the heart.
"Oh wow! Thank you for that Director. Professor. But I don't think I am fit for the academe. I mean...how can my students respect me if I look like this? And besides, I don't think I have that talent."
"Appearance doesn't matter in teaching, Miss Sanchez. And besides, pardon my language but you looked finer as the day progressed. But it's fine. You still have five months more to think about it." Professor Perez said.
"Completely agree with that. Your skin have improved a lot in just a week." Director Lopez then paused as he sought some support from the rest.
"And about the skill, it will come to you naturally. It's okay to work in a corporate world but nothing is more satisfying than being a part of someone's success." Director Lopez said passionately.
Jame didn't know how to respond to that.
"Geez! Let's not pressure her with that. It's still early. Speaking of which, I heard that an incoming foreign instructor will be coming to teach here in our university next semester." Professor Avelino, her other instructor interrupted as he tried to change the topic.
"Well, oh yes. Though he is a foreigner, according to him, he had spent his childhood here before he lived overseas. Don't worry, he will be coming Monday to formally introduce himself to the rest of the faculty before the semestrial break." Director Lopez shared.
"He seens to be a great guy for Madam Chair to personally hire him here." Professor Perez said.
"Well, Madam Chair has her reasons." He said not wanting to be a gossip-buddy.
Jane listened to them. She already had a clue about whom they're talking about.
"Can we at least know his name?" Professor Avelino asked.
"Edric McWilliams."
Speaking of that name, she would be coming over to his house to tutor little Celeste with her lessons.
The thought of seeing the little girl again made her to smile warmly in her heart.