"Take back what you just said." Seth turned around in a split second, eyes widened in shock at Amaya's reckless behavior. Hailey ma'am struggled beneath her, attempting to flip Amaya off her, but her efforts were futile. "I'm a black belt too, Mrs. Hailey," Amaya threatened, her voice low and menacing, as the tension in the room reached a breaking point.
Seth's heart raced as he watched Amaya's fierce determination. "Amaya, what are you doing? Get off!" he shouted, panic creeping into his voice. Hailey ma'am struggled beneath her, her breath quickening as she fought to regain control. "Enough!" Hailey ma'am gasped, her voice strained and desperate. "Do you really think this will solve anything? You're only making it worse!" The tension in the room escalated, thick and electric, as if the air itself was charged with impending chaos. Seth felt the weight of the moment pressing down on him.
"Worse? You don't even know half of it!" Amaya snapped, her fingers tightening around Hailey ma'am's neck, her knuckles turning white with the force. "Seth, tell her to take back what she just said!" Amaya demanded, her voice low and fierce, her eyes blazing with an intensity. Seth tightened his jaw, his gaze sharp and piercing as he directed it at Amaya. "Did she say something wrong to take back?" he questioned, his tone laced with disbelief.
Amaya's grip loosened slightly, her eyes widening in shock at Seth's unexpected response. "I taught you to fight, didn't I?" Seth asked, his voice softening just a touch as he turned away, licking his lips nervously. Amaya rose from her position atop Hailey ma'am, her chest heaving with rush as she approached Seth. "Turn around, Sid," she whispered, her voice almost a soft whisper of a child. Seth's eyes widened at the sound of his old nickname, a rush of memories flooding back. He turned around in shock, only to be met with a swift punch to the face.
"If you dare to regret the decision you made where I'm involved, I'll fucking kill you first and die with you later!" Amaya shouted, her grip on his collar fierce, her eyes flashing with a mix of anger and desperation. The tension in the room crackled like electricity, the air thick with unspoken emotions.
"Anyone can regret anything, but you can't, Sid! You have no right to regret!" Amaya's voice cracked, her anger changing into a raw, desperate plea. Her eyes, usually so fierce, shimmered with unshed tears, fighting to stay strong. She tightened her grip around Seth's collar, leaning closer, her voice dropped to a whisper, heavy with emotion, revealing just how deeply this affected her, "If you do, I swear I'll break inside... I can't handle that." Her expression was a mix of fear and determination.
Elli, Sophia, and Fred swung open the office door, and the scene before them was chaotic. Amaya had a firm grip on Seth's collar, her face a mask of frustration, while Hailey ma'am remained on the couch, sipping water and touching her neck. Amaya squeezed her eyes shut, attempting to dry her tears, and Seth mirrored her distress. Both of them turned their heads toward the door, their expressions darkening at the sight of Fred standing there. "Do you really want to die first?!?!" Fred flinched as Amaya and Seth charged at him, shouting in unison.
"What did I do now?!?" he exclaimed, panic creeping into his voice. "How about I break your other leg and remind you what you did!" Seth retorted, anger flaring in his eyes. "How about we start with breaking your other hand first, Seth?" Elli interjected, her tone sharp as she stepped between them, pushing Seth away to shield Fred from his fury.
Amaya straightened, her eyes flicking between her friends, confusion etched on her face. "What does that mean?" she demanded, reaching for Seth's left hand. As she did, he winced loudly in pain, causing her to jump back in surprise. "What the heck!?" Amaya shouted, her heart racing as she focused on Seth's hand, her brows knitting together in concern. "Why did you shout? Is your hand okay?" she asked, worried lacing in her voice. "I just bumped into the door earlier, it's nothing," Seth lied, shooting a glare at Elli, his expression a mix of annoyance and guilt.
Hailey ma'am stood up from her couch, her neck slightly reddened from Amaya's fierce grip, a clear sign of the escalating tension in the room that was before. Sophia's eyes darkened, a storm brewing within her as they locked onto Hailey ma'am. "Amaya, don't think I'll let you off the hook after this just because your mom married my brother. I'll –"
"Say that again and I'll make sure it's your last word," Amaya threatened, her voice low and menacing, cutting Hailey ma'am off mid-sentence. The air crackled with intensity, an unspoken challenge hanging between them again. "Ama, Seth, let's go," Elli whispered urgently, her tone laced with urgency as she motioned for them to move ahead. Sophia and Seth exchanged glances and nodded their heads. Together with Amaya, Seth helped Fred walk forward, with Sophia trailing closely behind.
Once they were out of earshot, Elli turned back, her gaze piercing through the air like a dagger. "I thought you cared about Ama, but today you proved me wrong with your decision. None of our classmates will attend class until the boys' suspension is lifted. I hope your choice to uphold the school's reputation doesn't turn into a nightmare for your own dear students, Mrs. Hailey." With that, she slammed the door behind her, the sound reverberating through the room, leaving Hailey ma'am alone in the silence, the weight of her choices pressing down on her like a heavy fog.
The fight between the teacher and a student in Grade Twelve Section A quickly became the talk of the school, with the suspension of the entire section until the day of the exam. The students from Section A were instructed to call their parents to discuss the situation, and during the assembly, the principal used the incident to highlight the students' behavior as a poor example, warning everyone about the consequences.
When it came time for the meeting, a few parents arrived, while the majority chose to stay away. Those who did show up were quick to defend their children, insisting that it was the teacher's fault for raising his hand first, shifting the blame away from their kids.
"Zeya, I heard a lot of commotion about your school. What's going on?" Zeya's mom asked, slipping off her heels and rubbing her tired feet. Zeya let out a heavy sigh, her fingers scrolling through her phone as she replied, "Well, PT sir ordered Fred to stand at the front, but he didn't want to because it wasn't his turn. So, when he refused, it really hurt PT sir's pride. He ended up hitting Fred with a stick, and it broke his leg! Then Fred's friends couldn't just stand by and watch; they stood up against the teachers, and it got so heated that everyone involved ended up getting suspended." Zeya summarized everything her mom needed to know, hiding the details about the teacher being hospitalized for a week.
Her mom shook her head in disbelief, her expression a mix of concern and frustration. "How can such a teacher still be at the school? This is unacceptable!" she exclaimed, before heading towards her room to freshen up, leaving Zeya to process the whirlwind of emotions and events that had unfolded at school.
Zeya lay on her couch, staring up at the ceiling with a furrowed brow, lost in thought. Her lips parted slightly as she whispered, "It was boys who got suspended. Why did girls have to skip the class too?" The disappointment in her voice was palpable as she glanced at her phone, the lock screen lighting up with a picture of Amaya playing guitar—a picture she had downloaded from Sophia's account. A flicker of sadness crossed her face, her eyes narrowing as she muttered, "Everyone accepted the friend request except you…" she thought, a twinge of disappointment gnawing at her.
*Ding*
Zeya's expression shifted to one of curiosity mixed with hope as she saw a message from Elli. Despite their recent chats, she felt a pang of hesitation about bringing up Amaya. But as she read Elli's message, her eyes widened in disbelief, and a smile broke across her face. "They are coming tomorrow!?" she exclaimed, excitement bubbling over. Her fingers flew across the keyboard as she hurriedly typed back, unsure if it was a prank or real, but her excitement quickly faded when Elli replied, "It's a prank." Zeya's face fell, her shoulders slumping in disappointment, "Of course it would be a prank. It's been just three weeks since that incident…" she muttered, sending a rolling eyes emoji to Elli.
With a sigh, she tossed her phone aside, frustration etched on her features. She hugged her pillow tightly, burying her face in its soft embrace. "I don't know why I feel like crying…" she murmured, her voice muffled against the fabric, seeking comfort as a wave of emotion washed over her, mixing confusion, longing, and a deep sense of loss.
"Zeya, save us a spot! We'll join you after submitting this project!" Demi called out before going back to finishing her project with Somiya. Zeya smiled faintly, but as she stepped out of the classroom, a wave of boredom washed over her. She clutched her notecopy, feeling the weight of the day pressing down on her.
When she entered the library, the noise was overwhelming. Students filled the tables, their laughter and chatter blending into a chaotic hum. She sighed softly, her heart sinking as she made her way through the maze of tables, searching for a quiet corner to escape the noise. Just as she was about to sit at the second last table, a sleeping figure caught her eye.
As she approached the figure, a spark of hope lit within her, and her expression shifted dramatically. A big smile broke across her face, her voice rising with surprise and joy as she exclaimed, "Amaya!" The unexpected encounter filled her with a rush of excitement, her heart racing in her chest. But as Amaya's deep ocean eyes opened, they were distant and cold, yet Zeya didn't care about her expression; she was just thrilled to see her again.