WARNING‼️:This chapter contains subjects of bullying, and abuse.
Read with caution.
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Coco's pov
Sidney kept on avoiding me for the rest of the day and we had like three classes together,
she'll leave immediately the teacher left and wait till the next teacher was about to enter the class before she followed, if she sees me in the hall, she'll quickly make up an excuse and say she had something to do.
" Is sid okay? She seems a bit off today." Tyler asked me as we left geography class and headed to the cafeteria for lunch.
" I don't know." I shrugged.
" Cutie." I heard Nathan call, we both turned around.
" Hey. Sup Tyler." He greeted.
" Cool." Tyler said, they shook and fist bumped.
" Right on time." I said, smiling.
" What can I say, I take my job very seriously." Nathan sighed, Taking my books from me as we navigated our way through the sea of students walking through the hallway.
Just then, I spotted Sid.
" Sid!!!." I called and she started walking faster ignoring me.
" Oh no, you don't." I said, walking to catch up with her.
"I'll meet you guys at the cafeteria." I said to the boys.
" Okay." Tyler says.
" Are they okay?" I heard Nathan say.
" No idea."
" Cut it out, Sid, stop being immature." I said when I caught up to her. She didn't answer, just kept walking fast.
" What is all this? Did I do something to upset you?"
" You didn't." She said, curtly.
" Then why don't you want to talk to me. Is it because of what happened last night? Why have you been avoiding me?" I asked. She slowed down.
" Because.... because..." She started, " I'm embarrassed."
" What? Why?"
" Don't be like that, Coco. You saw what kiki did yesterday and I just... stood there and...." She sniffed.
I sighed, holding her hand and pulling her with me to the garden.
Mt. Olives garden, situated at the back of the classrooms just beside the school library was a beautiful relaxation spot with a large variety of flowers and fancy little bushes. There was a fountain at the middle of the garden that always had sparkling water, different types of
flower- loving insects flew around, adding to the beauty of the garden. The garden had little concrete benches around for people to sit on and a short brown picket fence surrounding it.
Sid and I currently sat on one of the benches as she cried her eyes out.
"It's alright. Don't cry." I said, patting her back. I suck at touchey-feely stuffs like this.
Am I supposed to hug her?
She cleared her throat and wiped her face with a kerchief.
" Thank you... I'm sorry.. I'm a mess.." she said, her voice surprisingly more high pitched from all the crying.
" It's okay. You needed that." I said with a small smile.
For about two minutes, there was silence as we both stared into nothing.
She suddenly spoke,
".. I've always been bullied by everyone for how I looked. I hated it, I just wanted to be normal like everyone else.....I didn't want to stay at home again so my uncle Raymond pulled some strings...he worked hard and was able to raise enough money to send me to Mt olives. when I got in, I was so happy, I thought I would start over, you know, make new friends and finally be able to fit in but.... things only got worse." Sid swallowed hard, tears freely running down her cheeks again.
" Hey... it's okay." I held her hands. She sniffed, more tears...
" You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." I said, softly.
" No, it's fine." She said, taking a deep breath.
" I thought the only thing I could be bullied about was how I look— my weight, my hair and all..." She chuckled, dryly.
"... turns out, not being as wealthy as everyone else was also something I would get bullied for.
The students were mean. The seniors were meaner and I couldn't tell anyone..."
" Why?" I asked as calmly as I could.
" Once, in my freshman year, I reported a senior, the girl got suspended.
I was told to see the guidance counselor, he helped and I felt better and optimistic but then, the girls parents were able to somehow prove that their daughter was innocent and she ended up blaming it on me.
I don't think the school management believed her though, I didn't get punished but...no one wanted to talk to me...." She paused and wiped her face.
" ....I hated myself, I looked terrible. Horrible and —"
" Stop! Stop it Sid, I won't listen to you talk bad about yourself. You're beautiful. Whether now or in the past." I said.
" You don't get it." She sniffed before dipping her hand into her backpack and bringing out her phone. She scrolled through before giving it to me to see.
It was a photo of a younger looking sid,I think around 14-15 years old, with a big smile that revealed her metal braces, her red hair was tied up with a big pink bow her big glasses carefully placed in the middle of her chubby cheeks, her freckles on full display. She wore a matching pink dress. Overall, she looked... pretty.
" I know. I looked like a big sack of potatoes. I weighed about. . I was...fat.
" No, sid. You were beautiful and..... adorable." I said smiling at the picture. She looked so innocent and carefree.
Sid chuckled,
"My uncle Raymond took that photo.That was three years ago, I was fifteen.
I survived though," she continues." The name calling died down eventually.
I Lost weight and just kept trying to get through highschool. But then kiki happened." She said, holding my hand tighter.
I just listened.
" Somehow, she made everyone start calling me
' braces'. I begged her to stop cause I felt I was in a good place now and I don't want things to go back to how they were. She seems to have the whole school at her palms so if she tells them to stop, they will.
After much begging and pleading, she agreed. Under the condition that I would do all her assignments and projects, including math." She said.
But sid dislikes math.
" Well, I agreed and it worked. No one called me that again, at least not to my face.
Last night, she was... scolding me for making her fail math." Sid said, fresh tears flowing down.
" Oh Sid.." I cooed. She flung her arms around me and cried profusely.
I just held her, patting her back gently.
I had to figure out a way to stop whatever this was with Kiara, but how?
" I'm sorry I'm sorry...I ruined your shirt, I'm just.. it's so embarrassing to even say all this ....I don't even like remembering it..." She sniffed, releasing her hold.
" It's okay. And there's nothing to be embarrassed about. Kiara Jones is a jerk. All of those seniors are." I said and she smiled a bit.
" I'm sorry for bothering you with my problems, I know you are a good person, Coco and I'm thankful for that." She says.
I wish it was true though, that I was a good person.
" You know, ever since my Dad died and we have to move, I haven't stayed long enough in any school to make new friends." I said.
" Why? Did you keep moving alot?" She asked and I saw flashes of memories. Memories I much rather forget.
" Nope. Not really. " I quickly shook it off. " I guess I just didn't want to have any friends?" I said.
"Oh."
" Yeah. But then I came to Mt olives and on my very first day, you wouldn't stop bothering me. It was like you were everywhere. You were annoying. Well, you still are." I said and we both laughed.
" Still, it was nice to talk to someone. I wasn't alone." I said.
" You were the first person I talked to who didn't look at me... repulsively, for the first time in a long while. I was happy. I had hope cause since you're new, you know nothing about...my past.
But then when you saw what happened yesterday.." she says.
" I understand now." I said.
" Thank you, for... everything, Coco. And I'm sorry about your Dad." She says with a genuine smile, her hazel eyes twinkling behind her glasses.
I nodded,
" It's okay. That's what friends are for." I smiled and she squealed, hugging me.
I chuckled, closing my eyes as I hugged her back.
And I knew that minute that I had made a true friend.
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We had both missed the next class immediately after recess.
Tyler had collected my notebook from Nathan and gave it to me before the biology class.
" Colette Millers. If you're listening, your presence is needed at the principal's office." An announcement came from the speakers at the end of the day.
We had just finished our last class.
" Principal's office. Are you in trouble?" Tyler asked.
" I hope not." I said.
" Good luck." Sid says as I walked away.
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" What?!" I said, staring at the red piece of paper on her desk.
" I'm surprised it took you this long, miss Colette, with your track record." She said, pushing her glasses up her nose.
" What the heck is that supposed to mean, principal Clara?" I said.
"You better watch your tone, or you'll be getting something worse than detention." She snapped.
" This isn't fair. I was late once, just one time and it was my first class too, he didn't even let me explain." I complained.
" First impressions are very important, Miss Colette." She says,
I rolled my eyes.
" Besides, Mr. Pierce said you were particularly disrespectful." She said, her eyes not leaving the paper she was reading even for a second.
" No, I wasn't!" I exclaimed.
" Well even if you weren't I myself would give you detention right now for being rude, ill mannered and wasting my time. Take your slip and get your candid ass out of my office, now." She gritted out, finally looking at me.
How professional
I scoffed, taking the paper and closing the door behind me loudly.
I spotted Nathan outside the office as I walked out, he followed me,
" You okay? Sid and Tyler said—"
" I'm fine." I said and he pursed his lips.
" Your bag." He said.
" I've got it. Don't worry." I said walking to the dorm.