In the cafeteria, I saw Mr rude sitting at his normal spot with his two lackeys, Alex and Jude. I walked up to them with Lily right behind me.
"S.B, what do you want?" He asked with a bored expression.
I gulped. "I want...to say something...to you," I stuttered.
He chuckled. "When did you suddenly turn into a stammerer?"
Good question! Why the hell was I stammering? Jude and Alex burst out laughing.
"I wanted to say..."
I was cut off by the strained and crazy shout of "now" by one of the students. I felt something hit me right at the side of my face. I looked at the object and it was an empty can of juice. Another came flying towards me and more. Everyone in the cafeteria was throwing an empty can at me. Now, it wasn't paper but juice?
Another can landed on my neck but it wasn't fully empty and its content spilled right on my face. I turned sideways to shield my face from more of those attacks.
Lily yelled, "Rex, make them stop!"
"Are you yelling at me?" He asked with a cocky smirk.
Lily quickly rephrased her words. "I meant, please make them stop."
"Throw this at her then," he said, handing an open juice to her.
"What?" Lily was taken aback.
"You heard me. If you want them to stop, throw it at her," he repeated.
"No, I won't," she said, her voice a little high pitched.
Within the twinkle of, she grabbed it from his outstretched hands and emptied the content on him. In that moment, everyone seized fire as gasps echoed round the room. Mr rude was so shocked that his eyes bulged. I didn't even see that coming.
"I'm sick and tired of your pranks. You don't know what harm you inflict on others by your dirty pranks. It's sickening," she screamed at him.
Mr rude roughly grabbed unto Lily's arm. "How dare you!" He said between clenched teeth.
"Let go of her." I rushed forward, pulling Lily away from him until she stood behind me.
He laughed. "Your friend has over stepped her boundaries. Just consider her an ex-student from now onwards."
I knew he would surely say that so I wasn't surprised. Lily had been the one advising me just yesterday to hold it in and yet, she didn't take that advice of hers.
"Please, don't do anything rash," I pleaded.
Mr rude looked surprised. "Are you really pleading on her behalf?'
"Yes, so please don't expel her," I said in a meek voice.
"S.B, you surprise me," he said, shaking his head in amusement and then quickly put on a stern face. "I won't. I will make sure she is out of this school, do you understand me?"
Lily folded her fist beside her before angrily yelling, "that is the only thing you are good at anyways, so go ahead. I won't regret ever defending my best friend from an obnoxious jerk like you who takes pride in hurting others."
What the hell is wrong with Lily? Is she out of her mind talking back and cursing at him like that? Mr rude squinted his eyes at her until they formed a slit but before he could say anything, I turned to face Lily.
"Stop it," I said in annoyance. "You will get expelled."
"I know that and I don't care," she said without spearing me a glance. Her eyes painstakingly glaring at Mr rude instead.
"Hey! You are more stubborn that S.B," he said pointing his index finger at Lily. "You don't care? I was only bluffing before but now, consider it done," he said before turning around.
I rushed to him and held unto the edge of his sleeve. "Please, don't." I pleaded, shaking my head.
Mr rude turned to look at the hand grabbing unto his sleeve and then his eyes trailed up to look at me with such fierce gaze. For a second, I thought he would push me away but he didn't. If I'm not mistaken, his eyes soften as we stared at each other.
"Syd, don't beg him." Lily spoke again.
I have had enough. I turned angrily at her without breaking the hold on Mr rude's sleeve, afraid he might slip away if I let go.
"What is wrong with you? Will you just keep quiet!" I screamed at her.
Before I snapped my head back to look at Mr rude, I saw Lily's startled expression. If we weren't facing a drastic situation, I would have taken a quick picture of her because that expression was priceless.
"I'm ready to do anything. Please, don't expel her," I said to Mr rude who hadn't taken his eyes off me since I held unto his sleeve.
He broke into a mischievous smile. "You said anything, right?"
"Yes, anything," I strongly affirmed.
"Okay. How about being my slave for a month?"
Boom!
It sounded as if a mighty bomb exploded right inside my ears. Be his slave! That means getting to do all his bidding. Was I ready to live a life of helluva again? And this time not for a week, for a full freaking month! But if I don't, Lily would get expelled.
"Don't do it Syd. Don't accept it," Lily dissuaded me immediately.
Lily didn't have to. I wasn't ready to be someone's slave, let alone being the slave of the one person that made my life a living hell since I started this school. I just can't.
Mr rude clicked his tongue. "Pity. You call yourself her best friend but you can't accept my simple offer to save her."
He was right. I'm not her best friend after all.