The bell rang once again, marking the end of another study session. Jonathan was busy packing his books and notes into his bag, The hustle and bustle of students rushing toward the door echoed across the classroom as he concentrated on organizing his things.
Across the room, Joshua was sitting on top of his locker, his legs swinging as he casually observed Jonathan's packing up.
Outside the classroom, Sophia leaned against the wall, peeking into the room every now and then. She seemed to be waiting for someone. Usually, her friends Lisa and Angela were right there with her, but today they were nowhere in sight. They had disappeared into the washroom during the last break.
"What am I even doing?" she thought, staring blankly at the floor. "Am I really into him? No... no, I just want to be friends...shouldn't he be the one making the effort to come to me? Why am I putting myself in this position because of him? "I need to play it cool from now on," she said.
With that, she made her way to the washroom to find Lisa and Angela.
Inside the washroom, the sound of running water bounced off the tiles as Angela and Lisa finished washing their faces. They stood at the mirrors, wiping away the remnants of the water on they faces, their hair damp and slightly out of place. The silence between them was peaceful, a brief pause before their usual banter kicked in.
Angela, always the inquisitive one, couldn't resist a playful grin as she glanced at Lisa. "You know," she said with a teasing tone, "I can't help but sense something fishy here. Are you sure our Queen, Sophia, isn't crushing on someone?"
Lisa's eyebrows shot up at the question, but she took a moment before answering. She ran her fingers through her wet hair as she thought about it....."I don't think so. Maybe she just wants to get closer to him for help with math class you know how she struggles with that."
Angela let out a sigh, clearly unimpressed with Lisa's response. "Please. That's just a cover-up if I have ever heard one. I can see the way she looks at him. It's so obvious."
Lisa shot her a knowing smile, shaking her head. "And you're always 'smelling' something. One day, your nose is going to get burned."
Angela smirked and rolled her eyes, but just as she was about to fire back with a witty comeback, a voice sliced through the air.
"Who are you guys gossiping about?"
Both of them froze.
The sudden question made their hearts skip a beat, and they quickly turned to see who had interrupted them. Sophia stood in the doorway, her expression wasn't looking good at all. though the slight narrowing of her eyes hinted that she was already aware of their conversation.
Lisa, ever the quick thinker, was the first to regain her composure. She flashed a smile , trying to play it cool. "Oh, nothing," she said casually. "Just chatting about that cream I mentioned this morning, she said she would like to try it....right, Angela?" She cleverly tossed the ball to Angela, who quickly nodded in agreement.
A smile crept on Sophia's face, sending shivers down their spines. Nothing good ever happens whenever she smiled like that...from
"Looks like I have been too lenient with you two lately. You're both going home on your own two legs today, I won't be dropping either of you off," she said with a stern face before walking out of the washroom... clearly annoyed.
Lisa's face turned crimson, and she gave Angela a sharp nudge, but it was too late. The damage was done. Her expression turned for the worst with frustration written all over her face.
Lisa and Angela exchanged a glance, noticing how Sophia's shoulders tensed and her pace quickened as she walked down the hallway. They both knew that their playful teasing had hit a nerve.
"You're always causing trouble! Look what you have done. Now I have to trek all the way home, and I don't even have any money to take a bus!" Lisa said in frustration.
"Stop acting like you are the victim here!" Angela's expression twisted in anger. "Why do you have to say that I am interested in your cream? Did I ever say I wanted to buy that crap?" she snapped, clearly annoyed, before walking out of the washroom.
"...Y..yo..you"...
Bang!!!
Lisa stomped her foot in anger before chasing after her.
Outside, the hallway buzzed with the sounds of students packing up and heading home. The sun was already going down. Jonathan was almost done with his things when Sophia walked into the classroom, she quickly scanned the room. When she spotted him, she looked up.
For a moment, their eyes locked. Jonathan opened his mouth, as if he was about to speak, but before he could get a word out, Joshua's voice broke the silence.
"Hey, are you going or not?" Joshua called from the other side of the classroom, already half-turned toward the door.
Sophia ignored them and headed straight for her locker, grabbing her bag before making her exit.
==================
Behind the school building, a guy was surrounded by five boys. His name was Kelvin, also known as "the fatty," he was in class 2A. He was indeed overweight, a stout boy with dark hair and a round face.
Kelvin had a reputation for his legendary appetite, he could devour a meal meant for three people in one go without batting an eye, and he always had a stash of snacks in his bag for emergency reasons.
However, there was a sad aspect of Kelvin's story, he was a punching bag for the school bullies.
Despite his size, he was a coward, which made him an easy target for the bullies.
The boys surrounding him were his classmates, part of the most notorious group of bullies at Springfield High School, known for beating up weaker students and extorting money from them, and Kelvin was currently their target.
At the center of the group was Gabriel, the apparent leader. He was a stubborn individual with poor grades in class, and his aunt's position as a school director often helped him get away with his misdeeds.
Owen, Tyler, Kelly, and Daniel were the other members of the group. "Bring out everything in your wallet" Gabriel said in a threatening tone. Kelvin quickly handed over his wallet, and Owen took it from him.
Owen went through the wallet and pulled out a few cash. "Is this all you have got?"he asked in annoyance.
"Yes"
Kelvin responded with tears streaming down his face,
Owen sneered at him. "Is too small." Before Kelvin could react, Owen threw a punch at his face.
Bang!..
The sound of a loud thud echoed through the air as Kelvin fell to the ground, a swollen bump soon formed on his face. The others quickly joined in, pummeling Kelvin with their fists and feet. He tried to defend himself, but he was no match for the five boys.
The sound of their laughter filled the air as they continued to beat Kelvin mercilessly.