Bich Quyen once thought that the time spent sitting under the roof of a secondary school would be a beautiful memory in her life. She could never have imagined it. Not only was it not the most beautiful dream, but it was a horrible nightmare she could never get out of her whole life. She couldn't remember how it all started, nor did she know who started it. The only things she could remember were the peering glances of each member of the class, along with insults to her.
After a long period of suspension, Nguyen Tung Lam has gone back to school. Bich Quyen can't remember how many days he hasn't come to class, but it seems to have been two weeks. The principal also said that the two-week suspension was light compared to what he had done. She didn't know what the other guy did to Tung Lam. The two sides clashed, or rather, Lam beat the other guy to the point of being hospitalized with three stitches. He had just come to class, saw Bich Quyen sitting in the corner of the classroom reading a book, approached her, and slammed the table.
- What's up?
She closed the book and looked up at the person in front of her.
- Useless, can you still sit here?
He narrowed his eyes, scornful as he spoke each word.
Bich Quyen did not understand. Looking back, did she do something wrong? Why can not she sit here? She didn't say much, stood up, and walked away. It's break time now. She wanted to go down to the canteen to buy some coffee to drink. She stayed up late last night. But Lam didn't let her go; he stood in front of her and gave her a push. Bich Quyen was pushed suddenly, did not have time to react, and fell to the ground. She frowned and stood up, "Is this trying to find something?"
- Are you crazy?
When there was nothing, he suddenly became mad. Was he crazy or not? She brushed off the dirt on her uniform pants and carried the books out of the classroom. Bich Quyen was completely unaware that the person standing behind her was looking at her with utter contempt. The next class is self-study. Bich Quyen didn't want to go to class, so she informed the headteacher, who told her to sign up for a place at the library. To tell the truth, the librarian of the school library knows Bich Quyen very well. The sixth-grader, who comes for self-study, will quietly sign up for a place at the library to read books. Sometimes, the librarian wondered, "Didn't this girl have any friends?". To the extent that every time she goes to self-study, she will come down here and sit alone in a corner like this?
In fact, Bich Quyen is not without friends. In addition to the friends she had known since elementary school, in class, she also made a new friend named Do Huong Linh, and that friend was the only person she made friends with when she was in secondary school. It's funny to say that, as a class president but also a person who likes to make friends, no one would have thought that there would be a time when Dang Bich Quyen would be so lonely. And she didn't care anymore. She sighed softly, quietly sitting down to do her homework. The first-semester exam is coming, and Bich Quyen doesn't think she has much time to think about other things. Moreover, she also needs to participate in the school's English exam. If she keeps these thoughts in her head, Bich Quyen is afraid that she will not be able to complete the assigned work well.
The sound of the school drum made her startle. Looking at the clock, it turned out that it was time to end school. She gathered her books and returned to class. As always, Dang Bich Quyen is always the last to come back to class. One of the jobs of the class president is to check the class, see if there is anything left in the class, report it to the senior mistress, and also bring down the notebook and return it to the Youth Union room of the school. She opened the closed door, looked around, and then froze. Her schoolbag was thrown in the trash and had water on it. What the hell? Who does these things? Bich Quyen approached, picked up her bag to check it again. Aside from getting dirty and wet, there's nothing taken away. She sighed as if she knew in her heart who did these things. Putting everything in place, Quyen brought a tired mood back home. Little did she know, this was just the beginning of a tragedy that would befall her during these four years of middle school.
- You think it's okay for you to sit in this class?
Early the next morning, as soon as she entered the classroom, she was stopped by Lam outside. He looked at Quyen's heavy appearance, satisfied. If it weren't for her inability to open her mouth to beg for her classmate, she wouldn't have deserved this. But who knows, being the class president but not being able to protect the members of the class? It's worth it to be like this.
Bich Quyen sighed. She didn't say anything, just slipped inside. Last night, she studied late at night. She didn't sleep enough, so now she's very uncomfortable, and she doesn't want anyone to bother her. Tung Lam saw himself being ignored, tilted his teeth, and pulled her bag back. No one had ever dared ignore him like that before. When Bich Quyen was pulled, her whole body lost momentum and she fell to the ground. She looked up wearily, confusion in her eyes.
- Release.
At this point, she could barely speak. An uncomfortable mood and sleepiness were waiting to make Quyen irritable. She stood up, neither forcefully nor lightly pushing Lam back.
- I don't want to argue with you. If you have something to say or ask, wait until I'm sober. "
She stopped looking at him and went back to her seat. It was so exhausting that it felt like the whole person wanted to collapse. Quyen could not resist the sleepiness, resting her head on the table. Nguyen Tung Lam looked at the sleeping person, so angry that he gritted his teeth. It seems that yesterday's lesson did not help Bich Quyen understand the position she is in. He whispered something to himself, then returned to his seat.
Bich Quyen has never felt so tired as now. Studying, the work of a class officer and even the school's work made her want to fall. She couldn't continue to abuse herself anymore. Quyen has made up her mind that after the first-semester exam, she will ask the homeroom teacher's permission to leave the position of class president.
- Quyen, the teacher has already entered.
Tuan sat next to her, gently shaking his best friend. Just now, when he came to class, he saw her sleeping on the table. Seeing her like that, he was really worried. Bich Quyen is a person who always tries her best, even beyond her own tolerance. Once she worked, she always wanted to get the best results for her efforts. So is work, and so is learning. He remembers that in elementary school, Quyen had participated in the school's competition for excellent students in English and literature. Exam review days were the days when he went to the city library to study with her and help her look up documents. At that time, she studied so much that her whole body became thin as if only her skin was left.
- One day, all that remains is a skeleton.
Tuan reprimanded his friend but only received a smile from her with the sentence.
- Don't worry, I'm fat like this. There will be meat for sure.
It was like that before, and it's still like that now. Who will look after her at this rate? Is it possible that when she got married, her husband also took care of her?
Bich Quyen was shaken, startled awake. She rubbed her temples, breathing heavily. How the hell did she wake up with a headache when she fell asleep? It's not possible! She reassured herself that the exam was coming and she couldn't let herself get sick.
- Tuan, will you come down to the canteen to buy me a cup of cold tea later?
- Cold tea?
He looked at her and then back outside. The winter weather is cold. Just stepping outside is freezing cold, but Bich Quyen still drinks cold tea. Doesn't she know how to take care of her own health? Bich Quyen saw Manh Tuan like that and blinked her eyes. She just wanted to drink cold tea. What's wrong?
- It's just more than ten degrees. Do you still want cold tea?
- Cold tea keeps me awake. If you don't buy it, let me buy it.