It's another school day, which means I'll be spending the entire eight hours alone with my unreliable classmates. I can already sense the nasty looks they're giving me today, especially Maribeth's group. Their judgmental eyes are fixated on me.
I know very well that they harbor evil thoughts in their minds, as usual. Their behavior won't change; they'll remain exactly the way they are. They should be grateful that I refuse to stoop down to their level.
I started my day by taking a few notes, patiently waiting for the break. Andrew, on the other hand, stayed in his seat, silent as ever. I have no idea what's going on in his mind, but one thing is clear – we're not okay.
He used to be the type of person who would talk to me often, but it's been two months since he even acknowledged my existence. I don't bother anymore. What's the point?
If someone doesn't want me around, I won't force myself. I'm done with that kind of thing.
After three consecutive subjects, most of our classmates left the classroom. Only Maribeth's minions remained. Due to my laziness, I didn't plan on going to the canteen, which left me surrounded by this circle of negativity.
It would've been bearable if they didn't smell like wet mud. Perhaps I should give them some advice on how to maintain proper hygiene. They seriously give me a headache.
"What's wrong with all of you?" I asked, unable to contain my curiosity. Five of them crossed their arms, and it seemed like I had done something wrong to them.
"Thinking you're some saint, thinking you're a good person, but your stench is overwhelming! Seriously! You might be pretty, but you're also flirtatious. What? You had the audacity to reject Andrew and now you're after the heir of the hacienda? You're going after someone older than you," Maribeth accused, her words filled with venom.
I stood up and looked her up and down. "I'm not the type of person to lower my standards just to point out someone's stupidity, but you're different. You're testing my patience. Can you stop pointing your finger at me? Because while one of your fingers is pointing at me, three are pointing right back at you. Flirt? Now, take a mirror and look at yourself," I retorted.
She seemed unable to believe what I had just said. The accusations she hurled at me were nothing more than her projecting her own insecurities onto me. I had to make her taste her own medicine.
"You have some nerve!" she exclaimed, pushing me with such force that I almost stumbled.
"You're bringing yourself closer to your own downfall!" she threatened.
I noticed Andrew standing by the door, seemingly watching the situation unfold. So, he doesn't care anymore. Fine by me.
Fortunately, the break ended, and our classmates started coming back. I acted as if nothing happened, but I won't let things end like this.
She didn't expect to push me as if I had done something wrong to her. Well, I won't seek revenge. I'll let karma do its job.
When it was time to go home, I took matters into my own hands. I spoke to the guidance counselor and confronted the five bullies.
I showed them my bruises. "They accused me of something I never did. I have no idea why they're so angry. They pushed me as if I could fight back. We're inside the school premises, and fights and violence are strictly prohibited," I explained. The five girls were there, and my friends stood beside me.
"Liar! You did that to yourself," Maribeth denied, trying to twist the truth.
"Why would I purposely give bruises to my own skin? I'm not insane. Many people have witnessed how you've been bullying me, especially in your group, at the canteen," I confronted them, leaving no room for escape.
Maribeth, acting like an innocent puppy, turned to Teacher Fernandez. "Teacher, what they're saying isn't true. I would never do such a thing."
The audacity of this girl to lie and act as if she is the victim here. If only I could put some salt on her tongue, maybe her lying mouth would be cleansed.
Mrs. Fernandez sighed, looking troubled. I hoped she would take my side. "Maribeth, many people have seen what you did, and there have been multiple complaints about you being a bully. Ms. Miranda beat you to report it, but there are numerous complaints against you. Here's the paper; you need to show it to your guardian, all five of you. We need to discipline all of you, or else expulsion will be the consequence."
The five girls stood there, unable to utter a word. Meanwhile, I remained silent, whispering to myself. I couldn't let myself laugh at this moment; otherwise, I might face sanctions as well, and that's a big no.
As we walked towards the exit gate, we burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"That girl's face was priceless! Such an epic fail," Kyla said, triggering laughter from everyone as she recounted the events that unfolded during lunch.
"She's so audacious! Can't we just strangle her? She's gone too far! I forgave her when she stole Andrew from me, and now she's hurting our friend?" Alice added.
"If only it wasn't wrong to hit a girl," Lance chimed in.
"I don't know why Andrew even fell for her," I pondered aloud.
Speaking of Andrew, I didn't mention to them what happened earlier – how Maribeth pushed me while he watched. I didn't want to ruin their perception of Andrew.
"Well, karma is karma... I didn't like their accusations against me. I mean, it's true that I spend time with Logan, but it's because of work. I'm a maid in their mansion, not his love interest," I explained, shedding light on my current role in the Lopez family.
"Maribeth is the real flirt and troublemaker. She has the audacity to project her own issues onto me – a girl who used to be her mother's customer under the bridge," Kyla added, sparking another round of laughter.
"To be honest, I don't care about their lives or what they want to do. But it's a different story when they involve me. If they really think I'm just like any other target they can easily bully, they're mistaken."
"That's our friend – a fighter! And for the record, they're just insecure about your beauty," Kyla added, showing her support.
We decided to head home instead of strolling around. We all had things to do to prepare for our midterm examinations.
After dropping me off, Alice bid her farewell and went home to start reviewing. As I entered my room, I immediately focused on my notes. They looked fine, and it seemed like I could study for my exams tomorrow.
I was in the midst of studying when my phone rang. Checking the caller ID, I noticed it was an unregistered number. Curiosity piqued, I answered the call.
"Hello? Who's this?" I asked, prepared to record the conversation in case it was a threat from Maribeth. However, it turned out to be someone unexpected – Logan.
I was slightly taken aback. Just imagine how shocking it was for me to receive a call from him. Although he had my number, he only took it as a precaution in case he couldn't contact me through social media, especially since I was taking a break from those platforms.
"I'm more than fine," I simply replied, not wanting to make a big deal out of it. After all, I can handle myself very well.
"That's good to hear. I also heard about what happened at your school earlier. It's unfortunate that some people resort to violence to resolve their issues," Logan expressed his concern.
I took a moment to collect my thoughts. "It was handled appropriately. They are facing consequences for their actions. They called me names and labeled me with things I don't deserve, but I shouldn't be offended. However, I reached my limit and decided to confront them."
"I know," he said.
"And about Andrew, you shouldn't have confronted or scolded him," I asserted.
"You're defending him? What he did to you was completely wrong. I thought you were friends," Logan questioned.
I sighed. "He has distanced himself from me ever since I rejected his proposal to court me. So, he avoided me on his own accord, and I hold no personal grudge against him. It's not my fault that it bruised his ego, and it's not his obligation to defend me earlier. It's his choice and his life..."
"He was planning to court you?" Logan couldn't believe it.
"Yes, and your brother is too impulsive for my taste. Just so you know, I'm not easily won over, and we hadn't even known each other for a month when he started flirting with me."
"You made the right decision. My brother can be quite impulsive," Logan agreed, acknowledging his brother's tendencies.
Our conversation continued as we discussed various topics. It was a pleasant surprise to have such an unexpected conversation with him.
As the call came to an end, we said our goodbyes. It was a day full of ups and downs, but now it was time to focus on my studies and leave the drama behind.