"Are you sure this is what I’m going to wear? Isn’t this embarrassing? People might say I’m a fan of Amaury’s basketball team. You should’ve gotten Claude’s instead," she said.
"We didn’t see any other jersey there. Don’t be picky. If you want, just wear your bra and panties," Pamela joked.
"Fine, I’ll wear this then."
"But in fairness, it looks really good on you. Your fair skin stands out even more. Where did your mom crave for you?" Suzy asked.
"Paper," she joked back.
"Stop messing with me. Can you even eat paper?"
She smiled, "I’m just kidding. Honestly, I really don’t know."
"BRO, don’t you see that? She looks like your number one fan, doesn’t she?" Elton laughed, teasing him.
What was that girl trying to prove? Why was she wearing that jersey? She’s so embarrassing.
"Where are you going, Bro?" Gio asked when he saw him hurrying off.
Their mouths fell open in shock as he suddenly grabbed the girl and pulled her away.
"What’s your problem, Amaury?!"
They stopped far from the other students. "Why are you wearing that? What are you trying to say? That you’re one of my fans?"
The girl burst into laughter, making him frown. "You’re really full of yourself, aren’t you? What are you even talking about? Hey, I would never be a fan of yours! You didn’t even ask why I’m wearing this. Do you know why? Your girlfriend Claire, The Bully, poured water on me and smashed cake into my face. So, my friends borrowed clothes for me, but I didn’t know they’d grab this jersey. So next time, maybe ask first before dragging me away like a kid in front of everyone. What? You want me to take it off right here in front of you? Let’s swap shirts if you don’t want me wearing your jersey."
He took a deep breath. "They could’ve found something else for you to wear. Anything but that."
"You’re exhausting to talk to, Amaury! You’re really going to insist on this? It’s like I committed a huge sin by wearing this cursed jersey. There was nothing else to wear! What do you want me to do? Wear something see-through? Or put my wet uniform back on and risk—ugh! You’re smart, but you’re impossible to understand!" She was nearly in tears from explaining. "Fine, I need to go. Don’t worry, I’ll go straight home after class so you won’t have to see me walking around campus in this. Oh, and tell your girlfriend to fix her attitude, or I swear I’ll rip her hair out!" She turned and stormed off.
I know I was wrong, but how was I supposed to know? I thought she wore it on purpose to piss me off. Claire isn’t my girlfriend, but why do they keep fighting?
"WHAT happened? Are you okay? What did Amaury do to you?" Pamela asked as soon as she returned.
"It’s so tiring to explain things to someone who doesn’t understand," she replied.
"Did he hurt you?" Suzy asked.
"No. He just asked why I was wearing this jersey."
"He seriously asked that? Wow, he’s unbelievable," Kendra chimed in. "Why would he even do that? Did he say why?"
"I don’t know. I think he assumed I wore it on purpose to annoy him. This is a big deal around campus; people might think I’m a hardcore fan."
"Sorry about that, we really didn’t see anything else there. I mean, you couldn’t just wear a sleeveless top, and the others were cosplay costumes—you’d get laughed at," Kendra explained.
"It’s fine. Amaury’s just overly sensitive."
"At least he knows why you’re wearing it now, right?"
"Yeah, I told him it was his girlfriend’s fault, and that you guys borrowed this for me."
"Girlfriend? Is that official now?" Suzy asked.
"Huh? I don’t know, but it seems like there’s something between them," she replied. She didn’t want to tell her friends about the kiss she’d seen in the music room, or Amaury’s vague answer when she asked if he liked Claire. Even she was still confused about their relationship.
"You tricked me! I thought it was official!" Suzy said.
"It’s hard to imagine them being together anyway. Everyone knows Amaury doesn’t like Claire."
"With her horrible attitude, I wouldn’t put up with her either if I were a guy. There are plenty of girls out there!" Kendra scoffed.
"Do you think she’ll ever change? I mean, despite what she did to me, I kind of feel sorry for her. It’s like she’s going through something, maybe problems at home. You never know someone’s struggles unless you get to know them. Some people act out because it makes them feel better," Deanna said.
"I really admire you, Deanna. Even after everything she did, you still feel sorry for her. But maybe that’s it—she’s probably spoiled by her parents, and they just let her act that way," Pamela added.
"I don’t know. Sometimes I don’t want to fight back, but I can’t just let it slide either. If you let people walk all over you, they’ll never stop, and things will just get worse. You need to stand up for yourself in the right way. If you know you’re right, then fight for it. I learned all that from Grandma Delilah. Back in school, my classmates used to bully me, saying I was pitiful because I didn’t have a mom and dad. But my grandma was a fighter. She always stood up to them and taught me how to defend myself," she shared.
"It must be nice growing up with your grandparents. I never got to meet mine," Suzy said.
"It was, but of course, I still longed for my parents’ love. It’s sad they were gone so soon," she admitted.
"Let’s go inside, Ma’am’s here," Kendra interrupted.
They all entered the classroom together.
"Good morning, class! Where is Deanna Cervantes?" the teacher asked.
She immediately raised her hand. "Ma’am, I’m here!"
"The Dean of Accountancy is calling for you—right now," the teacher said. Dean of Accountancy? she thought. Is this about what happened with Claire earlier? Oh well, it’s her fault anyway.
"Alright, Ma’am, I’ll go now," she said.
"Deanna, don’t be nervous. You’ve got this!" Kendra whispered.
Her two other friends made fighting gestures. She smiled at them and left the room, heading to the office, which was in another building. I haven’t even been here a month, and the dean’s already calling me in. Why do I always attract trouble? Guess I’ll just prepare myself if I get suspended. Ugh, so stressful!
She knocked gently on the door before opening it. "Good morning, Sir!" she greeted with a small smile, though she was a bit nervous.
"Good morning, Miss Cervantes! Have a seat," he said.
She sat down in front of his desk.
"I called you here because I want you to be the Vice President of the Peer Counseling Club we’re establishing at the school. Hold on, let’s wait for the President to arrive," he added.
She breathed a sigh of relief. She thought it was about her fight with Claire in the cafeteria.
"Alright, Sir," she replied.
"I heard from one of your professors that you’re quite capable. Right now, we really need to form this club to help students dealing with depression, whether it’s because of school or family issues—oh, there’s Mr. Ashford. Have a seat," he said.
Him again?! she thought. I’d be much happier if it were Claude. Is there some invisible red thread tying us together? Why do we keep crossing paths? This is ruining my day!
"Since you’re both here," the dean continued, "as I mentioned to Miss Cervantes earlier, we need to form a peer counseling club. The Dean of Engineering and all the professors have agreed that you, Mr. Ashford, will be the President, and Miss Cervantes will be the Vice President. You’ll be responsible for finding other members. The club’s mission is to help students dealing with depression and anxiety. Any questions?"
"Sir, can I not be Vice President? Maybe Claire Daniels can take the spot instead?" she suggested.
"That’s not possible, Miss Cervantes. Everyone knows Ms. Daniels is a bully," he replied.
They know Claire’s a bully, but they let her get away with it? she wondered.
"You all know that? Then why let her act like that?"
"It’s complicated, but we believe that things will eventually change when someone stands up to her—like you did earlier in the cafeteria."
"You know about that?!" she exclaimed, shocked.
"Yes, we know everything. Hopefully, this club will help prevent situations like that in the future. That’s all for now. Let me know once you’ve found members so I can introduce you to the professor who will guide the club," he concluded.
She simply nodded. Amaury and Deanna left the office together.
"You know, I’m not thrilled about this either, but I hope you’ll start finding members for our club. Let me know once—"
"You let me know when you find some members," she cut him off. Ugh! Why does he have to be the President? With his attitude, I swear something’s wrong with him!