Roman sat upright in his chair, his eyes darting from one girl to the next, a clear expression of displeasure etched across his face. The intensity of his gaze conveyed unmistakable anger, causing the girls to instinctively put distance between themselves and him, using the table as a barrier. With his arms folded across his chest, his annoyance remained palpable.
The girls trembled under his intense stare, each one avoiding eye contact out of fear. However, despite her trembling, Theresa found the courage to speak up. "Mr. Roman," she began, her voice steady but tinged with fear, "our leader here should be removed from her post. She's been careless and has misplaced important materials." Her eyes shot a pointed glare in my direction.
Inwardly, I hoped they would succeed in removing me from the position I never wanted. Little did they know that I had no interest in leading them and had no affection for any of them. They could fail for all I care!
Theresa continued to list my failures,"In nothing less than a week, she has succeeded in throwing away not just my book but others as well"
"The only person who is going to suffer is us because we will need our written notes in the future and she has misplaced everything"
As she spoke, I glanced around the office, disinterested in their accusations. I felt a sense of relief at the thought that I might not have to deal with them anymore. My gaze fell on the door, which was still open, and I could see some students gathering outside, their anger directed at me. Did their materials go missing as well?
Good job, Carol.
I managed to maintain a composed exterior, but internally, I felt a sense of satisfaction. I should have been worried about being disliked, but I felt calm. If anyone was to blame, it should be Mr. Roman for forcing this unwanted responsibility upon me.
When Theresa finally fell silent, the room was filled with an uneasy stillness. Even I remained silent, hoping against hope that I would be relieved of my duties.
I couldn't help but imagine the relief I would feel if that were to happen. I could finally sleep peacefully, without having to arrive early, deliver materials, or clean unnecessarily. I wouldn't have to wipe shoes or perform countless other menial tasks.
But Roman interrupted my thoughts. He glanced at his watch before addressing the girls in a chilling tone, "Class is starting in some minute's time; anyone not in the class before me would be paying the detention room a visit," in the next seconds, the girls pushed their way through the door to head for the hall where the class would begin.
I remained in his office, watching him rise from his seat with elegance and walk towards the door where I was standing. "Why didn't you relieve me of my duty? Just take a look, I'm doing an awful job" I inquired, my eyes resting on his side profile as he had halted in front of me.
He then slowly turned his gaze to look at me, where a frown had marred his face, "Don't bother coming to class if you don't find those books" He ordered and walked out of the office, leaving me standing in awkwardness in his space.
I don't understand. Would any sane person not remove me from this post after noticing how I was flopping it?
But then Roman Golden wasn't sane. He would find all means for him to torture me.
I was left standing in his office, feeling frustrated and abandoned. I began to search desperately for the missing materials, aware of the looming consequences of not attending class. As time slipped away, my emotions shifted from annoyance to frustration and anger. I was seething that I was being forced to endure this instead of attending the classes my family had worked hard to pay for.
Why was this happening to me?
****
I could feel the sweat trickling down my face, my body drenched and clammy as I frantically searched for the missing books. A thought crossed my mind - maybe the books weren't misplaced, but deliberately hidden to punish me. I vividly recalled bringing them into the office just as they were handed in, and leaving with them after Mr. Roman had finished reviewing them. So how did they end up missing? I pondered, placing my hands on my hips in frustration.
After searching the entire office, I sank to the ground and leaned against the cupboard, surveying the chaos with a mixture of disbelief and exasperation. I tried to summon tears, but they wouldn't even come. I chuckled.
How was I going to clean this mess all by myself?
I was filled with self-doubt as the sound of the door opening caught my attention. Mr. Roman strode into the room, and I quickly rose to my feet. A wave of fear washed over me as I watched him survey the mess I had inadvertently created. His expression darkened, and I couldn't help but feel sorry for him; the deep furrow in his brow hinted at the potential for wrinkles to mar his otherwise handsome face.
His gaze then turned toward me, and he straightened his posture. "Your subjects are waiting outside for you; make sure to address their concerns to the best of your ability," he informed me sternly. I nodded in response and hastily left his office, determined to avoid any questions about the mess. I had no intention of returning to clean it up, even if summoned.
As I made my way outside, I realized that the class had already ended. Students were dispersing from the hall, and I scanned the crowd in vain for Coco.
"There she is," a voice exclaimed, and I turned to see Theresa and her friends approaching, accompanied by other students. "Have you found the missing books?" she demanded, her voice as forceful as before.
I shook my head, bracing myself for another outburst. To my surprise, Theresa flashed me a smile, leaving me puzzled.
"Then, did you see them?" I asked quickly, trying to decipher the expressions on their faces.
Drawing closer, Theresa casually draped her arm around my shoulder. "No, we haven't. We've decided to let it go if you agree to get us new books," she stated, her tone resolute.
"New books?" I queried, arching my eyebrows. She had managed to persuade the other students, who now seemed to be on board with her terms.
"Yes, new books. The ones you misplaced were brand new," she clarified.
I gazed at her silently for a moment before consenting to her request. If purchasing new books could alleviate my stress, then I was willing to consider it. But as I examined the price tags, my jaw dropped. Theresa and the others had led me to a bookstore and were adamantly refusing to accept a transfer payment to get the books themselves and had instead brought me here. When I entered the outrageously expensive building for buying books, stationery and other materials, I had it at the back of my mind that I was brought here to spend a fortune.
But how pricey could they be? Wasn't it just ordinary notebooks?
"You see dear, unlike you, we don't use crappy materials for study. Our books must be of high quality and this bookstore offers the best quality at a low price"
Low price? Are you joking? I questioned inwardly as I stared at the price tags while
Theresa continued blabbing about how rich they were and that they couldn't be caught using low-quality materials like I was.
"I'll just continue looking for the books" I voiced out, gulping softly. I couldn't buy these books. If I did, for at least five of them, my pocket was bound to get dry. I would have no money left.
"Looking for what?" Theresa bellowed as she had heard my voice. "We cannot let you keep looking for what is lost. We need our books now" She angrily said. Theresa continued to glare at me, and when she noticed that I wasn't going to move to pay for the books, she snatched the card around my neck, causing the rope to break.
"You even use cheap ropes" She laughed at me. She signaled to two of her friends, and they suddenly gripped my arms. I struggled to get out of their hold but my efforts were futile.
"Theresa, stop," I called out to her as she began walking towards the counter. She had already picked expensive notebooks and was going to pay for them using my card. I gritted my teeth as I watched her heels clanking against the marble tiles as she neared the counter. She placed the books one by one on the counter and began tapping my card on the payment system. It would make a beep sound and indicate a green light that it was ready to be packed.
With every beep sound it made, Theresa would turn to smile at me.
She did it at least four times and on the fifth, the light blazed red.
My face drained of all colors.