Harry alighted from the limousine first, not turning his back until he reached his partners waiting for him. Jack, his brother slowed out, waiting for me, but I told him not to worry.

“Are you still fighting Harry?” Jack asked me. “My mom told me to keep my eyes on both of you.”

“Oh, no. We’re not fighting. He goes to meet his friends.”

“Meet his friends?”

I nodded.

“But you guys were in the same class. Why can’t he wait for you?”

“I told him not to.” I alighted from the car, glancing about. Jean doesn’t come to sight. I point my finger at a girl standing under a tree. “That slim girl’s waiting for me. That’s why I can’t follow your brother to the class.”

Disbelief glistened on his face as he turned and said, “Who knows if it’s true?”

I held his backpack, forcing him to wait. “Wait, and see the truth.” Thank God, he waited, watching me as I hurried to meet the unknown slim and tall girl. I stop then turned if Jack was still looking at me. He motioned me to speak with the slim girl. This is shit, I shrugged my shoulder and then motioned him to wait and see once more.

“Hi.” I smiled.

The slim girl looked at me. Her eyes were cold and proud as she narrowed them to me through her white eyeglass. She removed her eyeglass, and then her loamy pink lips moved fast. “What can I do for you?”

I hesitated first. Thank god, bars of chocolate had stained her mouth. “Did you have a mirror with you? Chocolate almost spoilt your pretty face. Please clean your mouth.”

“Thank you.” She wipes it off with her a green handkerchief.

“You’re welcome.” I smiled, turning to Jack.

Jack grinned in a second then pointed his hand to my side. I turned. The slim girl was walking away. I turned to Jack back then wave him bye, but he stayed still, wondering if the slim girl was my friend. I hurried to meet the slim girl and walked beside her cautiously. I smiled as she looks at me. I looked away, slowed down as she slowed down. She stopped and turned her proud head to me; I stopped, too, disguised as if am searching for someone. Jack was still gazing at us.

"What?" The slim girl folded her hands around her small breasts. I wondered why she was so proud.

"I'm looking for Jean. Do you know her?"

It's like am irritating her now; her face told me so. "I don't. And why the hell are you asking me?"

"I'm sorry." I turned, waving at Jack before the slim girl was pissed off. Jack points his finger at the girl again. I turned, hurrying to meet her, walking beside her.

"Why are you following me,' she said, still moving.

"I'm not following you. Maybe we're going the same way."

She slowed down, and I slowed down, too. "Don't follow me again." Anger filled her face as she walked fast now.

I don't care as long as Jack was watching me. I hurried to her. She runs; I run after her. We ran past a few trees before I looked back. Jack wasn't there anymore; the limousine too had gone. I stopped, leaned my back against a tree, gasping for air.

"Annie." A voice called my name. Jean was running to meet me. I pity her because if she falls, I don't have the strength to help her up. "Annie," she said as she made it to me. She sat on the green and yellow leaves, her big chest was moving up and down as if she runs a mile.

"Where have you been?" I asked

"I'm watching you from the cafeteria. Why are you running after a girl?" Her voice quavered like a restless sea.

"Do you see Jack, you know where he is now?"

"His friends came to him and he follow them. I don't know where they go." Her face was serious now. "Something happened. What is it, Annie?"

I'm disturbing my brain to drop a lie I would tell Jean when the slim girl stopped her lion-like steps before us But now, she came with five girls. Their lion-like faces scared me.

"That is her." The slim girl jabs her fingers towards me.

"Why are you chasing after her?" A girl, who seemed to be their leader asked.

"I don't chase after her." My voice dropped one by one like a snowflake.

"What do you just say?" The slim girl took two steps to me, staring into my eyes.

"Susan, calm down." Their leader said, and as if her voice carried power, Susan stepped back.

Their leader looked at me. A mirror glistened in her hand as she frown. "Why on earth are you chasing after my girl?"

I looked at Jean. "Who's is she?"

Fear appeared on Jean's face. "Let us go."

"This girl is irritating me. She's offending my nerve" Their leader grabbed my neck. "How dare you ignore my question?"

Oh, no. Fear and anger growled like a werewolf within me as I pushed her hand away. Her mirror fell. "How dare you grab my neck?" Thank God, my voice standstill, only Jean knew I was shaking.

"Bitch." She slapped me; I slapped her thrice.

The crowd encircled us, watching and hailing us as if we're on the boxing stage. Susan, the slim girl pounced on my stomach; I hit her fucking lips. Jean hurried to the middle when the five girls want to dart to me, begging them. Their leader pounced Jean down. Shit. I don't know where the strength came from, I pounced the girl back and she fell. The rest attacked me. No one came to settle us. Blows on my head, blood-stained my lips. The girl I grabbed suffered most. And before I know, the C2 group splitting us apart. A4 group was here, too. Jean helped me up.

Charles hurried to the girl's leaders who hasn't stood since. "Baby, what's happened... Oh... blood on your ankle?... Who is she?"

She pointed at me as Jean told me we should leave there. Charles grabbed my shoulder, I turned to him and he slapped me. Brian holds his hand before he can slap me. Charles's eyes yelled to slap me again. A4 group stood still, watching us. Only I saw the sparkling flames in Harry's eyes. Jean pulled my hands, and I felt all eyes on us as we walked away.

We went to where nobody can see us. Yes, we walked into the quiet library where I shed silent but painful tears. Jean sighed beside me, her head on the table. She's tired of consoling me.

"Is she Charles's girlfriend?" I asked Jean as I clean tears off my nose, sniffing.

Jean raised her head. "Yes. That was why I want us to leave them in the first place."

"I'm sorry for putting you in that shit."

"It's fine. I like the way you took revenge for me. You are a such good friend. It's okay, stop crying."

I wipe tears now, but it seemed they had lost their manner. They sprinkled on my mouth.

"I thought Charles won't attack you because he often defend you before the A4 group." Jean paused, listening as I sniffled. "Thank God the school securities didn't catch us there. Everything would have been worst. But why are you running after the girl?"

I need to lie or else she would know everything that happened at home. But Jean was a good friend, she worth knowing it, and so, I forced myself from crying at last. And then I narrated everything that happened at home to Jean. I told her what Harry told me in the car this morning, and why I asked her about Jack when she ran to meet me back then.

She was stunned. She gave me this-is-so-interesting sort of glare.

"Don't tell anyone and don't do like you know. I tell you because I trust you."

Jean hugged me and kissed my neck. "It seems you have fallen in love with Harry."

"How did you know?"

She smiled.

I beat her shoulder. "Talk witch."

She laughed; I laughed, too. And in that hour, I forget about everything that had happened. Then I remembered to ask her about her mathematics assignment. But when she showed me her answer, and proof of how it was a correct answer. I rewrite it, pitying Harry who had written my wrong answer.

Then I remembered I don't pay attention when Mr. Alistair, the mathematics teacher was teaching us. I was busy thinking about Harry at that time. I laughed when I remembered Harry wrote the wrong answer again.

"Why are you laughing?" Jean asked

"Did you remember I tell you Harry wrote my assignment?"

"Oh." She grinned. "He would eat you alive when you guys reach home."

"He dare not because of her mom. Come on, let's go summit it."

We walked out of the library and out of my pain. But I noticed my lips are still bleeding. Jean cleaned it again with her hand, she rubbed the blood on my cloth, laughed as she looked at my frowning face, and then run away as if she knew what I would do next.