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Honestly, I wasn't too surprised by the silence when I walked into the classroom, but I wasn't expecting it either. As I stepped through the door, all eyes turned to me. i looked back checking if there was something i wasn't picking up or noticing... Turns out it wasn't a coincidence, they were staring at me...At me!
'Why are they looking at me like I'm some alien who crash-landed here?'
Ignoring the eerie silence, I made my way inside. My day was already bad, and I didn't need this to make it worse.
"That stupid nightmare," I muttered under my breath.
Just as I headed to my seat, a familiar voice called out,
"Vale!"
It was Adrien. I turned toward him, but before he could finish whatever he was about to say, Derrick stepped in, cutting him off. Their strange exchange left me puzzled. Derrick shot Adrien a warning look and kept giving me stern looks, but nevertheless i kept on a straight face, avoiding whatever charade they're doing, I was too drained to care. My focus was elsewhere.
I glanced at the empty seat next to mine. Liora's seat. My chest tightened. Every day, the sight of that vacant chair reminded me of how easily she let me go. How effortlessly she betrayed me.
I fought back the tears threatening to spill as my gaze shifted to Liora sitting across the room… with Brielle. They were giggling, whispering, and playfully nudging each other like they'd been best friends forever.
' You're happy, aren't you?' I thought bitterly.
Liora didn't even look my way. She knew I was here, everyone had stared when I walked in..but she acted like I was invisible. Like I was nothing, one would think that I and Liora had enemies for ages,
"That used to be us, Liora," I whispered to myself, staring at the friendship bracelet on my wrist.I wasn't ready to take it off. Not yet.
Part of me clung to the hope that she'd come to her senses and we'd fix this and till then i will still have faith in our friendship, maybe it wasn't so easy to turn your back on me Liora, She was my best friend—no, a sister I never had, the one person I thought would never leave me. I pray you'll find your way back here...Had I done something wrong? Did I miss something? We'd always found our way back to each other even after fights. But this time… we hadn't even fought.
I am trying my best to understand all her perspectives and every reason to why she is doing this and to stay as positive as ever but I can't help the thoughts that keep invading my mind,
'What if it was really it?,'
'Was it really this easy to let me go?,'
'What if she is done with me?,'
'All of our promises?,'
'Is it easy?..'
'To forget all the memories we shared?,'
'To let our friendship down?,
'To think you don't want me anymore?,'
'To forget all our laughs and tears?,'
'Where did I go wrong?,'
'Did you just get bored of me?,'
'Things you said you'd never do are WHAT you're doing now?,'
'What made you change like this?,'
My thoughts spiraled as I tried to make sense of it all. Was she tired of me? Had she shared my secrets with
Brielle? My heart ached with unanswered questions.
There were so many questions I wanted to ask Liora because she just changed overnight, still looking at lila and aliya, i sniffled and blinked my tears away.
'sigh!'
Before I could dwell any further, I took a shaky breath and headed to my seat, shaking off the hurt and killing lump in my throat, keeping my face as blank as possible. But just as I was about to sit, a sharp pain shot through my ankle, and I crashed to the floor flat on my face!!.
Pain radiated from my leg, hurting like it was broken....It took me few seconds and i realized I'd slipped on a puddle of oil—intentionally placed there. A piercing screeching laugh cut through the air.
Brielle??!!
she screamed and laughed hilariously and shouted and barely squeezed words from her mouth at her engrossed laugh, she spoke some words that would have gotten me off my knees if I wasn't face flat on the floor right now.
"I didn't think it would actually work!" she cackled "Liora ,you're a genius!"
'...Liora?...so you could do this to me?'
My heart sank further as I looked up to see the horrifying laugh of Liora's that I thought I'd never see exist, she was laughing at me squarely. Liora was standing there… laughing. She was taking pictures of me....Of me?.... Not a shred of guilt or regret crossed her face.
'Do you hate me that much, Liora?'
If I wasn't the one in this experience I would've doubted we knew eachother talk less of been besties, even an ex bestie won't do such a thing to someone, there's just a lot of hatred amd despise she has for me.
'What did I even do?'
Lila's voice rang out again. "Everyone, look! Vale fell! Honestly, how stupid can you be not to look at where you're going? Alya was right—you really are a dummy."
I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to cry, seeing that stupid laugh swelling in her throat.. i didn't want to say anything....not like i had something to say, i didn't.... and even if i did, i would just get laughed at again , who would acknowledge me?..
The classroom roared with laughter as I lay there, unable to move. My leg throbbed, my pride shattered.
I tried getting up but it was of no use.. it felt like my leg was being slaughtered into pieces .. And the fact that there was oil partially on me,I couldn't take it anymore more, i silently wept and kept my head back down, all of this was too much to bear.
'Why me?'
All the fake promises Liora made " i will never leave you", "I'll be beside you every time", "we'll never let each other go till death do us apart" ALL THOSE WERE LIES FUCKING STUPID LIES, Liora just watched laughing like a wild beast, she was even the mastermind behind this.. how could all our memories just fade away she'd just let me go easily.. did all those mean nothing to her, i thought i knew her....
"Won't you stand up?".
i heard a voice breaking my deep thoughts I hadn't realised a figure near to me, i brought my head back up looking up at him as he was looking down at me, his hands outstretched gesturing me to take it as he slighted moved unconfortably with pity and sadness in his eyes making me realize that i was still on the floor which apparently i forgot or let's say I couldn't care less..
i stared at his hands Adrien's voice broke through the chaos in my head again.
"Vale?"
I looked up to him staring vaguely at me, His eyes were filled with pity, but something deeper lingered—sadness, maybe even regret, I didn't know. I hesitated, then took his hand.
"Thank you," I whispered as he helped me up.
Back in my seat, I kept my head down, willing the tears to stop.I finally had the courage to look up when the laughter and echoes had died down, I automatically looked at Adrien who was already staring at me strongly, not shifting his gaze one second looked up, His gaze was intense, his mouth quimpered, hesitating to speak.
'The...heck?!'
he was still standing there looking at me and I stared back not getting the message, he hadn't even moved or gotten back to his seat.
'This is Sus?'
Yes I fell, you helped me get up, I thanked you, was there suppose to be more to it?, what else is left?, has he never seen a girl been pranked before?.
'just stop staring?...ah!?'
i felt so annoyed, maybe he's probably looking at me because of my half-oiled clothes..or because I fell.... but.....he's not that kind of person to judge or be bad....i looked at him again with questioning eyes ...
But now it seems like he wanted to tell me something but he couldn't ..It felt like i could read his mind through his eyes.. i saw pain,regret and hesitation in his eyes .. obviously i can't read minds so it's my mind playing with me again...
"Morning, class!" The moment was interrupted by Miss Anderson's arrival. she chirped, her excitement cutting through the tension and snatching everyone's attention While Adrien who was struggling to leave my sight looked at miss Anderson too, she gestured him to take his seat but he looked back at me and then took his seat then he gave a look of "prepare".
'What....the...heck is going on today?'
She continued with an announcement,
"So today... I have something I'd like to say and i expect all ears especially the 'ladies'...." prolonging the word "ladies" and paused for some while,
Apparently she's more than excited today maybe she's has a really hard test coming up or.... It could be her new crush .. she's really young though for a teacher she's 22 years of age .. very young... She continued.....
"There's some one new coming into this class and he's really hot...cute ...oh my Goddddd.... So he's coming here and he's a student" she was then rudely interrupted by someone.
"hum .. excuse me ma please get to the point we all know he's a student" Derrick said that out of pure jealousy she hissed in anger and continued
."Derrick never ever in your life interrupt me again ..... Sorry class i was just trying to say that he's really famous and he's coming here so please treat him well, I'll see you guys after break now Derrick follow me" with that she left the class with Derrick sadly following behind her.
I could only hear faint whispers and movements of miss Anderson's mouth because my mind was elsewhere.
"obviously he's going to fall head over heels for me.. i am so beautiful no can can stand me" i vividly heard Lila saying with her disgusting voice.She sounded so sure....like she can see the future.. even if he falls in love with her i can't be surprised because she will obviously manipulate him with her rotten lies.
When Brielle's voice rang out again i was very irritated just by the voice of hers The humiliation, the betrayal—it was all too much. mocking me, I couldn't take it anymore.I stood up, needing an excuse to leave, but the laughter started again.
Confused, I glanced down and saw it. Red droplets trailing from my chair to where I stood, I instinctively felt my pink pants wet....WET!!...
' Am...I?"
My heart raced.Is this for real it was wet with a red wide stain, i just wanted my ground to open up and swallow me whole..
Before I could panic further, Brielle's shrill voice pierced the air.
"see you hahahahaha hahahaha you fell for it i didn't think anyone is stupid enough to not feel that whole thing, the paint reached the back of your knees, you didn't even notice? How dumb can you be?!"
On hearing that wench i was both relieved and boiling at least I'm happy that it's not real blood...But something inside me snapped. Before I knew it, my reflex just acted really sharp, The classroom fell silent, gasps echoing through the air.
Brielle stumbled and headed straight down face flat like she was unconscious...yes i slapped her she couldn't calculate what happened for some minutes....i felt so filled .. like i did something right she fell flat onto the same oily floor she had set up for me. It look like she was a lunatic, while Liora was trying to help her stand up.
I didn't wait for the questions or stares. I stormed out of the classroom, my heart pounding.
'Why me?'