In one glimpse, the attention of my classmates shifted to us. They were curious about what's going on. I suddenly felt uneasiness and my hands started to tremble. I tried to hide my right hand on the pocket of my skirt while my left hand held my handkerchief intently but I'm still not good at concealing.
I was not used to this kind of attention. I was invisible but not invisible when it comes to academics.
Gelou then approached me and suddenly slapped me hard. I suddenly felt the numbness of my right cheek and no doubt I touched it with my trembling hand. I suddenly felt that I was looked like I was running out of blood and I could not react immediately. I just realized that Amber was in front of me and she retaliated by slapping Gelou that gave rise to others gasped. My classmates groaned because of the scene we are creating.
"How dare you to do that? You have no right to hurt, Andrea," Amber let out. I do not know what to feel or think and am confused about what I did wrong. I have no idea why Gelou came to the point of hurting me physically. Amber, as expected, was my best friend in my worse.
"How dare you as well, Amber?" Shantal interfered. "This is all about Andrea. Only to Andrea. She's a snake."
How could I be a snake if I was a human being? I silently chuckled bitterly. Now, I get the point. I understand now where their anger came from. It's because of her imaginary obsession.
"You are out of this business, Amber," Gelou said as she pushed Amber and she was almost out of balance but I caught her right away and Skyline helped me.
But her stupid mind was deliberately hard and she still wanted to slap me again but I quickly grabbed her hand to stop her. I did not immediately let go of her hand and no doubt with full force, I slapped her hand on her cheek. I heard her snorted but I just gave her a smirk. I looked at my classmates and they were gasped in awe that I did it knowing how pathetic and weak I am.
"If I were a snake, I would have bitten you for a long time and poisoned you with my venom," I said emphatically.
"You, bitch. You dare to do that while you are likened to a snake and you are no longer ashamed," she burst out after realizing what I did. Without further words, Gelou took another step and whispered in my ears. "Tell me the truth, what's between you and Asher? Did I warned you to stay away from Asher because he was mine?"
Though I had previously figured out Gelou's rationale, I seemed to lose power as I heard it from her mouth. Most of all, I just can't believe I have the guts to act this way.
Well, I get the impression she really likes Asher because she won't act like this, even if everyone knows her track record with men. We appeared to be filming and staging a scene in front of onlookers if I were to analyse. Amber approached me when Gelou took a step back, asking whether I grasped what she had said and if I was all right.
"He's mine," Gelou said in an emphatic tone and based on her expression, she's saying how possessing she was.
A familiar voice intruded, "I belonged to someone else."
It appeared that the wind had shifted. The previous silence, which had been broken by accented rants and strewn chillies, had been replaced by an uneasy mixture of accented shouts and strewn chillies.
Shantal and Gelou also seem to have come to their senses and adjusted themselves as if nothing had been done while Amber was indifferent. She wanted to rush to Gelou to push her but I grabbed her wrist to stop her.
"Do not daydream. That's not made you charming," Ken shut back Robin with his remark.
There are four representatives from the student council entered, Asher, Ken, Robin and Josh, in the classroom. The three boys are Asher's friends and the same part of the student body, friendship goal.
Asher stood up in front and roamed his eyes around telling everyone that we need to hear him out. The three also fell silent immediately and the mischievous personalities disappeared. My classmates also behaved earnestly.
"First of all, I just don't know what's going on but I just want to warn you all that I won't hesitate to bring to you the guidance office once I witnessed how inappropriate your behaviour is," he said and let his playful smile. A smile he rarely shows but once he did it means he saw something. Shantal and Gelou looked at me looking so pale and then shifted back to Asher.
"Andrea," Amber whispered and nudge me slightly using her elbow. I nudge her, as well and with that simple gesture, we both understand each other.
"Sorry for the interruption," Josh said. Gone with his playful side. "We are informed late that's why we were sorry for not informing ahead of time. We do have our orientation about our work immersion in the school auditorium. All Grade 12 students must attend. No excuses. The orientation starts in 30 minutes."
My classmates' complaint because I can't blame them for how boring it was to listen to the sleepy speech of the speaker.
"But don't worry, the whole day classes will be suspended exclusively for Grade 12 students," Josh added but some did not agree especially those academic conscious.
My classmates screamed that they weren't ready for a series of quizzes because they probably didn't get to review but unlike my other classmates who reviewed, they absolutely blew the time they reviewed and just ended up with nothing. They seemed to forget the scene they witnessed.
As for me, I don't know whether to be happy or not. I don't care. because I care more about my sore cheek as well as my speculations in my running in my mind that Asher and his friends saw what happened. If so, a second chance was given to witness that I was involved again in the fight. I was more afraid of the guidance office and it will be my third time. I could no longer face any consequences.
Aside from the orientation, I didn't any longer understood because my mind was occupied if ever I will go to the guidance office. Another disappointment from my family.
Why did trouble approach me? I'm not doing anything wrong.
After a minute, Asher and his friend slash student council officers went out. But before Asher's last step on the doorway, Asher took his glance at me and our gaze met then look away. This time I was sure that it was from me because I felt it.
"Oh my gosh! I'm got to die. He spares some glance to me," Gelou shrieked and assumed that the glance was from her but I just shrugged back.
I was about to fix my bag when Gelou held my hand. I raised an eyebrow on her. "You see how Asher glance at me? He glances at me so it's better to back off. We are not yet done, Andrea. Watch your moves or else I will let you see the beauty of expulsion."
Hearing the word expulsion made my tongue twisted and my expression soften. I want to finish high school peacefully. Gelou, then, set free my hand from her hold and turned her back while flipping her hair.
I sighed and fix my bag. Amber returned to me after getting her bag on her desk.
What a start to the day!
As I watched my classmates try to fix their belongings, I yawned. They took out their notes and books and stacked them back in their backpacks even before our session started today.
"It's nice to tie the brains of the two. They are acting like they owned someone, they are not even beautiful. They don't reach the level of my charm. They don't know the real beauty. I want to strangle them both," Amber said feeling annoyed while passes the annoyance to the innocent chocolate that has not been opened.
"Don't you feel sorry for the food you're holding? Why not eat it?" I said instead of commenting on her rants.
"This chocolate," she paused and opened the chocolate. "I just saw this chocolate in my bag earlier."
She offered me the chocolate but I declined. "So, what's the score between you and Mr President?"
I didn't answer her question. Instead, I went out of the classroom to go to the school auditorium. I also saw some familiar faces from the same grade as mine but different strands going to the school auditorium.
No matter how much I diverted the topic, Amber still made a way to insert what's going on between Asher and me.
I gave up and told her the whole story from asking me to eat, Frida's friend turned to be his sister until today. While telling the story, a mischievous smile escape from her lips as if at any moment she would explode with excitement for which there was no reason to feel excited. She even thinks outside the box. She's an example of what we call overthinking and assuming.
"Nothing," I answered but she didn't believe in me. " He like someone else. You know that."
"Okay, well, coming from you!" From her voice, I can't distinguish if she understands what I am trying to say or not.
But I didn't realize that we were both in the front of the auditorium. Little did I know that Asher was the first one to show in front of my view when we entered and to my surprise, we almost collided.