"You look so messy, Caitlin."
Caitlin snorted, she didn't have to turn to see who had just commented on her appearance.
Of course, it was the girl in the black hood who earlier this morning had introduced herself by the name Elena.
"Can I ask you once? If possible, please don't disturb me today, because I'm in a bad mood. I'm not in the mood to talk to anyone." Caitlin firmly rejected Elena's presence.
For today alone, she really didn't want to be disturbed.
But unfortunately, Elena did not want to hear. "Why is your mood bad? Did something happen at your school or work?"
Caitlin walked to the bus stop and then sat on the bus stop seat, ignoring Elena's questions, she didn't want to go straight home like this. Her heart was in a terrible state because of one and many things that had happened today, she didn't want her grandmother to see her in bad condition, so Caitlin chose to sit first on the bus stop seat while cooling her hot head.
By now, it was evening, Caitlin was used to coming home after seven o'clock every day. Because after school, she will usually work in several places to be able to support her daily living expenses with her grandmother.
Caitlin knows that as an 18-year-old teenager, Caitlin shouldn't have to worry about everything related to the burdens of her life. She should only focus on school and study hard so that later she becomes a successful person who doesn't have to worry about what to eat every day.
Caitlin didn't want to be like this, but circumstances forced her. Who should Caitlin complain to? Of course, there is no figure to complain to.
Usually, Caitlin didn't want to be too busy her day, the girl was used to being normal and not making everything a burden on her mind. But, for some reason, today seemed too much for her to live with until the girl was dizzy and her heart condition was getting worse on its own, especially the problems at school ... that incident was the only thing that bothered Caitlin the most.
Even tonight, she couldn't forget what Laura had done to her.
The night breeze was so calm and luckily, it managed to cool a bit of Caitlin's head. Luckily, the bus stop was quiet tonight and only Caitlin was here ... and, my God, Caitlin forgot that there was one other person with her right now.
Caitlin turned to the right to see the figure of the girl in the black hood who was sitting next to her quietly, looking out at the empty highway but occasionally passing by several vehicles.
Caitlin's lips were itching to ask her a question because the girls were silent. After thinking about it, Caitlin finally actually asked the question. "Why are you just keeping quiet? It's a shame you don't talk to me like before."
Elena didn't turn around, but Caitlin could see a small smile tugging at her sweet lips—oh yeah, Elena no longer wore a cloth covering her face, so now Caitlin could see her entire face, but she still wore a black hood to cover her head.
"You're the one who asked me to be quiet, and you haven't answered my last question either, so I think your heart is in a terrible state. I appreciate it by giving you time to find peace, so I'm just keeping quiet."
Caitlin nodded slightly. In her heart, she thought that Elena had a little conscience too to calm her down because all this time, Caitlin knew that the girl was quite pushy because she kept asking her to cooperate with her by offering a form of happiness that she said Caitlin couldn't get here.
"Thanks for giving me time," Caitlin replied sincerely, she felt relatively calm because she hadn't heard anyone around her.
"You said your name was Elena, didn't you?" Caitlin suddenly spoke again, asking the girl beside her a question.
"Yes, my name is Elena."
"Elena, I don't know how old you are, but if you look closely, you look a few years older than me because your face looks more mature. But, I want to ask, did you ever have a bad experience in school?"
This time Elena turned her head, she was pretty surprised by Caitlin's question, but the girl tried to remain calm. "You mean that bad experience from friends?" the girl asked to be sure, and Caitlin nodded.
They both looked at each other for a moment, Caitlin waiting for Elena to answer and Elena watching Caitlin while thinking. But, instead of giving the girl an answer, Elena gave Caitlin another question.
"Caitlin, were you the victim of violence at school from your friends?"
Caitlin's eyes widened, not expecting Elena to immediately guess just from one short question that Caitlin gave her. However, hearing that question made Caitlin burst out laughing, her type of laugh was not a happy laugh but a sad laugh to laugh at herself.
Caitlin smiled bitterly, as someone she didn't even know, Elena could already guess that her life was indeed pathetic. "Is it very obvious that I am a victim of bullying? Is it possible that my face really fits to look like a victim of school violence? You must be looking at me with pity now. I'm a pitiful person, right, Elena?"
"Not!" Elena hastily interrupted, "That's not what I meant, Caitlin! Really, I don't think so."
"Calm down, why are you panicking so much?" asked Caitlin.
"I just don't want to make your mood worse," said Elena honestly.
"I'm in a bad mood, but it's not because of you, so don't worry," Caitlin replied calmly.
She was really feeling bad now, but that didn't mean her feelings got any worse just because of Elena's earlier question. It wasn't Elena's fault, just the thought of Caitlin who couldn't stop thinking she was a terrible person.
Caitlin wondered why the girl looked so panicked and didn't want Caitlin to get mad at her.
Next to her, Elena took a deep breath, she was already so afraid of making Caitlin angry with her. It's nothing. Elena just doesn't like seeing other people sad about it. This girl does have a soft heart like a princess, her parents have always taught Elena always to respect everyone she meets. Even though she was born into a rich family, Elena is not arrogant.
"Caitlin, do you still want to hear my answer to your question earlier?" asked Elena again, realizing that she hadn't really answered the girl's question.
"If I may, I'd like to hear it."
Elena took a deep breath before finally answering. "Honestly, I never had a bad experience in school. It can be said that all the children are kind to me, and even they are quite shy. I used to have many friends, but there were only two boys who were closest to me and became my best friends."
"Wow, your school days must have been enjoyable," Caitlin replied, unable to hide the jealousy in her heart.
"If I'm being honest, my school days were enjoyable. However, I'm not saying all this because I want to show it off to you, I just want to answer your question."
"It doesn't matter, Elena, I know that."
"But, Caitlin… I never liked school violence. I always try to get rid of that at the school where I study, I wouldn't say I like how these pretentious people trample other children who are not even innocent. If I were you, I might have complained and tried to do whatever it took to get justice. Have you never tried to do that? At least for yourself, to let go of all the bad luck they've given you?"
Caitlin looked away from Elena's face to look down at her shoes. "It's too easy to say, but I would never be able to do that," Caitlin replied sadly, telling her what really happened without hiding anything.
"Why can not?" But here, Elena became the party who was very curious and eager to encourage Caitlin to repay all the deeds that the girl had received.
Still looking down, Caitlin replied, "I'm a girl who comes from a simple family, I don't have parents anymore and only live with my old grandmother. Of course, I don't have more power to fight the children of the school owner.
"They have more power, they are also feared by all the children at school, no one will dare to help me or just complain to the teachers, because they were all afraid of the same fate as me, so most of them chose to seek safe by pretending not to care every time the kids started abusing me.
"In this world, nothing is more powerful than money and power. If we do not have both, we must also be ready to be trampled by those in power. We will have no chance to fight back or take revenge because no matter how hard I try to restore my pride, I will never be able to succeed. I will always fail because after all I really can't fight them all."
Danar once said that Caitlin was a very strong girl, even though she sometimes cried a lot, but Caitlin never stopped living her life because of her grandmother. It was her grandmother who made the girl able to survive until now.
When Caitlin told all these things to Elena, she didn't cry. Even though she couldn't lie, a part of her heart hurt so much after telling her all about it because Caitlin felt a little embarrassed that she had to tell someone else about her sad side.
But somehow, she felt relieved after she managed to tell Elena that. Someone she had just seen a month ago hadn't even had the chance to be formally acquainted with her and they didn't know each other very well. Surprisingly, Caitlin felt very comfortable talking to her even though she didn't know whether or not Elena was a good person.
"Caitlin, don't you remember that I often offer you a form of happiness that you've probably never felt before? Maybe I won't be able to bring your parents back to life, but later I will be able to give you something better, I can make your life better, I promise to do that ."
Elena didn't say that just to comfort Caitlin. She sincerely offered that happiness so Caitlin's life could be better.