by Chloe Smith
"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!" I yelled.
Percy came out the bathroom with a towel around his neck, his hair tied back, and like Clinton, he was shirtless. "What's going on?" He asked after he'd looked at Clinton looking dumbfounded on the floor while looking up at me who had breakfast all over me, but I was glaring down at him, heaving in anger.
"This-this scum is the lowest!" I pointed an accusing finger at Clinton.
"I-" Clinton started.
"Shut up!" I spat.
"I mean, what's that all over you?" Percy gestured towards the stuff all over me.
"It's all his fault." Mt finger was still on Clinton.
"But I-" Clinton started again.
"I can't believe he could stoop so low that he would-"
"IT WASN'T ME!" Clinton exploded. I looked at him. He ran a hand through his hair. "God. I wouldn't go this far!"
"I'll believe that as soon as you can pick the stars out the sky." I said coldly before turning and exiting, not giving another look back at either one.
The aching in my chest grew bigger, and my anger drained away. I was filled with despair. Why did I think it was going to be easy? Why did I believe it could just disappear so easily?
Things like this could never disappear. It would always come.
Chapter 33
"What happened?" Crap, I shouldn't have went back to my dorm. Now I had Gaya worried, curious and freaking out.
"Just some stuff." I said, walking right past her into the bathroom. She followed me as I started stripping and turning on the shower.
"What do you mean, 'just some stuff'?" She said, looking like a little blond squirrel as she scurried everywhere around me. "Is that…egg…on your shoulder? And syrup and-"
"Gaya! I really don't need this right now."
I didn't have to turn around to face her to see that she was wringing her hands wondering what she could do to help.
"I'm going to get in the shower. When I get out….I want to be alone." I didn't look. Didn't want to look because…I already knew. Knew the face she would be making and I really didn't want to see that.
I got in the shower, positioning myself under the hot water, but I didn't feel it. Matter of fact, I didn't feel anything.
My mind was numb. For some reason, the worst horrors and fears I had when I first came just rushed back to me, but instead of making me panic like then, it made me feel hollow. I would never fit in here, no matter how long I stayed here.
Gela and those other Clinton fans were right to call me Commoner. I didn't deserve to be called that name that some called me, no matter how pathetic it sounded. I mean, who came up with the name "Fiery Queen"?
It seemed like hours when I finally got out, but it had only been fifteen minutes. That the clock on my desk had to tell me. I took out my spare uniform and slipped it on, not bothering to put my hair up in the usual ponytail. I grabbed my backpack and trudged straight to homeroom class. I had long since lost my appetite.
All the way there, I kept my head down, kept it trained a few feet in front of me. Even though I was spared the glares, the whispers were still around me.
Even in homeroom…
"Ms. Suarez?" I looked up at the genuinely kind voice and noticed it had been Mrs. Sarah.
When I went up to her, she spoke, "I saw a few…disturbing things earlier…" I looked away. "As you know, bullying is prohibited here at St Ferdinand. If there's anyone who is bullying, please, come tell me or one of the staff and we'll put a stop to it right away." I nodded my face still turned away.
I trudged to my seat, sitting down. I kept my head down, my eyes not focusing on anything, my ears didn't comprehend anything.
Sometime later, Gaya sat down next to me. Her eyes were on me. I could feel them.
But I didn't acknowledge her.
"A-Are you okay Monica?" She asked softly, sounding almost as fragile as I was. But I didn't say anything to her. Instead I turned my head away from her, a lot like I had done to the teacher.
I could almost feel her heart clench as much as mine did. I could imagine her hand coming to cover her heart, wanting to clench at that thing. Caged in beneath skin and bone.
God…I was hurting her, but I couldn't stop myself.
Sometime later, I felt rather than saw two more pairs of eyes on me, and I knew they belonged to Clinton and Percy. Maybe they were behind me laughing. I could care less.
The day seemed to go just as horribly as the morning.
At lunch time, we didn't sit at the same table we usually sat at, considering there was still junk all over it. As well as some more added words here and there. We took it to the outside table I remember coming to months ago. Where I decided to keep going to St Ferdinand and stop fighting it.
Now, as we sat here, it was silent. No one said a word. I didn't look at neither of them.
Someone dropped off a letter with me from Hilary, saying the limo would come by to pick me up after school to take me to her place., but beside that, the irritating fountain was the only sound that filled the silence on the brisk first day of October.
When the bell rang, I left without a word.
Chapter 34
As soon as I entered, Denzel was looking at me funny. I didn't even look toward Percy. I hadn't meant to look at Denzel, but it was kind of hard when he was sitting right by me. I sighed as I sat down and looked forward. Five minutes into class, a note landed on my side of the desk. I only gave it a look before fixing my eyes back on the whiteboard.
Denzel nudged me with his elbow, but I still didn't react.
He took the paper back, scribbled something, and tossed it back onto my desk before nudging me pretty hard in the side.
I rolled my eyes and looked at him. he looked angry as he gestured vehemently at the piece of folded paper. I looked back at it, meant to give it another cursory glance until I saw the dark, angry writing on the front.
SNAP THE F**K OUT OF IT!
Oh snap. That…totally surprised me. Maybe some of it was due to the fact that he cussed.
It was also angry writing. I looked back at him, my eyes probably as wide as saucers.
He just pointed back at the piece of paper.
I unfolded it.
Who did it?
I sighed. I wasn't sure. Of course Clinton couldn't take the picture if he was too busy kissing me, but who says he didn't get someone to take it? And what about that redhead? She was plenty angry about it, but if I can remember correctly, she seemed too angry to even think. She just stomped away. If she wanted to blackmail me, she would have just taken the picture right then and there.
I don't know. I wrote.
I was about to send the paper to Denzel when Mr. Fisher called me to the front. At first I thought it was because he'd caught us. But he didn't ask for the paper. He handed me a slip to the principal's office.
"You may want to take your backpack with you. I don't think you'll be coming back this hour."
When I collected my stuff, Denzel handed me the note.
I took it and stuffed it into my pocket on the way out.
Chapter 35
"Ms. Suarez. You do understand that this school tolerates no chaos, correct." The papers in those aged hands were straightened, set down flat, smoothed to perfection, realigned so that they sat, perfectly stacked. The pens were all shined in their holder, pencils in a another clear holder placed right next to it on the grand oak desk were all sharpened and pointed, all facing down, their erasers nice and plump, and perfectly round. On the opposite side, and equally clear plaque sat at an angle. Engraved in black ink, Mrs. Ashley Morozov-Akers could be clearly seen through the desk name.
Morozov…why did that sound familiar? Did I see it on a billboard or something? Maybe it was a name of one of those dead people I was learning in History class…
I shook my head and answered her question with a, "Yes ma'am." And I just spelled out trouble, didn't I? I said in my head.
The principle raised one blonde eyebrow. "Is
that sarcasm I hear in your reply Ms. Suarez?"
"Of course not Mrs. Anders!" Of course it was! "I'm perfectly sincere!" Not.
My face was totally blank, considering I was filled with sarcasm inside. Come on, who wouldn't be angry that they're getting in trouble for getting bullied? Like it was my fault?
Excuse me if I don't just take my punishment like a good girl!
The principle regarded me with narrowed eyes. I knew she didn't buy it because her expression didn't change. "That's Principle Ashley to you."
So this was the way she wanted it to be? So be it. "Yes, Principle Ashley." I said, in my sweetest voice.
One aged hand slammed down on the desktop. "You have one more chance! This school will not tolerate disorder!" She raised her voice. I straightened my back and stared unwaveringly back at her as she continued. "This place is one that parents, the elite of the country send their children to be raised and educated properly! I will not allow chaos to reign even if I was paid a lifetime!"
I rolled my eyes. "Why does it always have to come down to money with everyone?"
Mrs. Principle gasped. "I'm tired of it!" I stood and stared at her. "Go ahead and kick me out! I know you've been itching to do that ever since the beginning of the year. Just because I'm not wealthy, and because I don't live in a mansion with maids cleaning my room every day does not mean I am disorder! Just because I don't carry a fat wallet doesn't mean I'm a commoner! I am an American! And the last time I checked, we weren't being ruled over or being cast out because we're considered Commoners! God, I hate that name! Commoner, Bah!
"You don't have to give me another chance, and you don't have to watch me closely until you find another fault with me because I can tell you're itching to find one. I'm tired of others looking at me because I grew up differently, learned how to earn my keep, and I clean my own room.
"No-ho-ho, you don't have to find another fault with my living, find another person picking on me to kick me out, I'll leave. And of my own freewill!"
When I had actually focused, it was to see Mrs. Principle frozen in both shock and surprise.
I was stunned to realize what I just said to this lady. And although it was an appraising speech, to an elder, it was wrong to yell at them. And it had been a mighty yell indeed.
Oh God! I looked back at this whole day and I couldn't take it anymore. Everything was so big around me, the size of the place made me feel so small. Every person I wronged and hurt today made me feel like I was growing smaller.
"Oh God!…Oh. I-I'm sorry. I'll go now. Oh God, I-" I just stopped my mouth and moved my feet.
I left the room, banging through the door, leaving the secretary's office, ran down the hall. The place was too big, I needed to find a small place. Somewhere….
I ducked into the nearest bathroom, locked myself in the smallest stall….and it still wasn't enough. I had to huddle myself into a ball in one of its corners.
Why did Nikko people always want large amounts space everywhere?
I drew my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them and I hid my face from the world.
No tears came. I didn't expect any to. I had cried so much already. Instead I shook, not a numb feeling encasing me like after I'd confronted Clinton, but just shivers all over my body, like I was freezing. But instead of the cold on my skin, it was inside me. Like the look Clinton had given me when I first met him as he threw that piece of lettuce on me.
Clinton. I shivered. He really hurt me with that letter. But as I thought about it, had he really put those pictures of us up? I mean…If I got this right he would have bragged about it when I confronted him…what was the point of hiding it? He would have liked to see me tortured about it….
I shook my head.
Gaya popped into my head next, and a major tremor shimmied down my spine. She was too nice, too much of a good friend for the way I treated her. Both her and Martin!
Martin. He really liked me, and yet I pushed him away. I didn't really talk to him, and I didn't know how he felt about the whole incident, which I was pretty sure he heard about…it was the only thing that seemed to circulate through the school in a matter of ten seconds.
But I was pretty sure that if I had paid attention to his face at lunchtime, it would have been angry, and like Denzel, he was probably dying to know who it was so they could get some revenge.
Denzel. Denzel, oh Denzel….I think he was my wake-up call. His words that made my eyes wide came back to me, and I actually smiled for the first time in two days.
Those words also stopped the shaking in my body. Gave me the resolve to go pack my stuff…but I trudged out the bathroom with a heavy heart.
Chapter 36
It always seemed like Gaya was in the room when I didn't want her to be there. I sighed and trudged to my side of the room. She just sat on the bed, her pose mirrored the one I had huddled myself in when I was in the bathroom, although her eyes didn't hide. They stared at me, followed my movements.
I tried to push her out of my attention as I started emptying my desk drawers.
Gaya stayed quiet. Now I wish she would at least move, or even yell at me. The silence was killing.
It was when I moved to my bed and started stripping it when Gaya finally said something. "You're changing rooms?" My cold heart clenched and went still, the cover's corners clutched in my fists. She thought I was trying to leave her.
"No." I could feel her relief at the words, but they were quickly doused by my next words. "I'm leaving the school."
A loud thank sounded, and I turned to see her angel statue that she usually had on her desk on the floor. Had she been holding it?
Her big mossy green eyes were wide in horror. "What? Why?" I hoped I was mistaken, but her eyes were watering up, like that of a person about to cry.
I had to look away.
"I was called to the Principal's office for what happened this morning. She thought I had done something to cause what happened."
"What happened earlier?"
That sarcastic feeling rose up in me again, and I snapped the cover by its corners. "It doesn't matter." I stalked to the bathroom to collect my things from there, and when I came back with them in my arms, I continued. "I'm glad to be leaving. I'm tired of everyone picking on the 'different' person. I want to go to a regular school where not every single one of my decisions and actions is watched carefully and deemed 'common'."
"and…what about your friends?" She asked.
And that was something I couldn't really face right now. I dropped my blanket, and ran out the door.
Unluckily for me, I ran into Martin.
"God! Give me a break!" I yelled, pushing Martin out the way and running as fast I could as far away as I could. This farewell to the school was getting to be unbearable.
And I was never one good at saying goodbye.
Chapter 37
She sat back on the shaded bench by the equines. It was a nice, shady and quiet spot where she could congratulate herself freely without no one noticing. In class, her attitude had to be restrained, but when she was by herself…she could smile freely. And do what she wanted.
She crossed one shapely leg on top of the other.
Her golden eyes watched as her perfectly manicured hand flipped her cell open, click menu, then pictures. The two locked in an embrace really made her angry, but the look on Commoner's face as she saw them all spread out on her eating table was worth it.
She had been the one to start throwing food at Commoner, but no one knew that. They just knew that it had been thrown, and they should throw something too.
It had gone so perfectly that she felt she had dreamed it.
She let out a tinkling laugh. She wished she had taken pictures of that girl's face when she'd dropped her breakfast.
But there was one thing that bothered her. The girl didn't even look depressed. She looked angry. Horrified, yes, but angry. Usually a girl who saw something like that that she had wanted private, she would have looked torme
nted, terrified, and…not looking like they wanted revenge.
She sighed. Oh well. Not everything could go the way you wanted it to go.
Pattering feet growing louder made her shrink deeper into the shadow of the tree.
And when they passed, she was very surprised to see her current subject of bullying running by. Was she getting chased?
She eased out of the trees a little to see the commoner keep running, but no one was following her. One misstep, and the girl tripped and fell. And when she did fall, she didn't stand up again.
