"Kyaaa! Finally, it's done!" one of the club members exclaimed.
"Go have some snacks first," Amaury suggested.
"Okay, Pres. Thank you!" they cheered before rushing out of the room.
"Deanna, let’s go get some snacks!" her friend Suzy invited.
"Alright, I’ll come with you," she agreed. Suzy came over to help her up.
"Are you sure you can walk?" Suzy asked, worried.
"Of course, I can," Deanna assured her, standing up carefully.
Amaury, Claude, and their friends silently watched her. She bit her lip to endure the pain in her foot. Damn it, why does it feel like I’m about to fall? No! I can do this.
"Are you really sure you can walk?" Pamela asked again.
"Yes, I can!" she insisted. "A...ahh!" she cried out when she stepped on her injured foot.
"Oh no, just stay here. Don’t come with us. We’ll take out some food for you," Kendra said. Deanna couldn’t argue and sat back down.
A few minutes later, Claude came back carrying a cold compress. "Here, you need this so your foot won’t swell too much." He gently took off her shoe and pressed the cold compress on her ankle. "I told you I should’ve taken you back to the mansion."
"Thanks, Claude. But I felt embarrassed to ask for help. People might think I’m being overly dramatic," she reasoned.
"You’re seriously more worried about what people will say than your own health? It was an accident. Of course, they’ll understand," Claude replied.
"But ever since I started at this school, I always end up going home early for one reason or another. It’s fine, I’ll feel better soon," she insisted. She didn’t want to go home since she’d end up missing more classes.
"Whether you like it or not, you’re going back to the mansion," Claude said stubbornly. Ugh, this guy is so annoying. I’ve already missed too many classes, and now this?
"Claude, I really don’t want to go home," she refused.
"Then how are you going to walk with that foot?"
"That’s why I’m resting. I’ll be able to walk later, even if I have to limp," she argued.
Claude sighed deeply. "Then I’ll carry you."
"If she doesn’t want to go, stop forcing her. Let her decide," Amaury interjected.
"Why do you even care? I wasn’t talking to you!" Claude snapped at his brother.
"She already said no. Why are you pushing it? Are you embarrassed in front of your friends because she’s rejecting your help?"
Claude’s temper exploded. "What did you say?!" He lunged at Amaury and punched him hard in the face. "Don’t interfere in my business when you know nothing about it!"
Their friends quickly pulled them apart. "Bro, stop it!"
"Enough! What the hell is wrong with you two? You’re fighting because of me? Claude, I already told you I don’t want to go home, but you kept pushing. And you, Amaury, you should’ve just kept out of it if you didn’t care about me!" Deanna yelled at both of them, unable to contain her frustration. "Get out! All of you!"
"But Deanna—" Claude started.
"Didn’t you hear me, Claude? I don’t want to see either of you right now!" she shouted. Ugh! I hate losing my temper, but my foot hurts like crazy—it’s worse than cramps!
Everyone left the room.
"What happened? Why did they all storm out?" Kendra asked curiously.
"I kicked them out. The brothers were fighting," Deanna explained.
"Seriously? Why were they fighting?" Pamela asked.
"I don’t know. Those two act like cats and dogs."
"And they weren’t even ashamed to fight in front of you and their friends," Kendra muttered.
"Here, eat something. You need to de-stress," Suzy said, handing Deanna a burger and some orange juice.
Deanna immediately took a bite. She didn’t realize how hungry she was.
"Do they fight like that at the mansion too?" Kendra asked.
"Hmm, not really. I’ve never seen them argue there. But they never talk to each other either. And with Grandma Estrella around, they wouldn’t dare—she’d scold them both," Deanna replied.
"That makes sense. Still, I wonder how they manage to live together and not talk. That must be hard," Kendra mused.
"This girl, worrying about stuff like that," Suzy teased, rolling her eyes.
"The tension between them is really intense. But I think I understand why, even if they never fully explain," Deanna said thoughtfully.
"Why? What happened?" Pamela asked.
"Didn’t you hear her? She doesn’t know the full story either," Kendra scolded Pamela.
"Well, she must know something. I’m curious!" Pamela argued.
"You’re such a gossip," Kendra laughed.
"I really don’t know much. I’m just piecing things together based on what I see. But you know what? I feel more sorry for Amaury than Claude," Deanna admitted.
"Why? I wouldn’t have guessed that," Kendra said.
"It’s hard to explain. Maybe someday I’ll figure it all out."
"Ugh, stop it! That’s such a cliffhanger!" Pamela groaned.
"Deanna, I’ve been meaning to say this... It seems like both brothers have feelings for you—" Suzy began, but Deanna nearly choked on her burger.
"Can you stop with your love stories? Neither of them likes me like that. Claude is just a friend. I’d never go for a playboy. And Amaury? I don’t like his personality," Deanna declared firmly.
"You’re saying that now, but once Cupid’s arrow strikes you, you might change your mind—even if one’s a playboy or the other’s got a bad attitude," Suzy teased.
"Whatever! I’m serious. I’ll never fall for either of them," Deanna insisted. Deep down, though, she thought of someone else—the boy from the old photo with her when she was little. Once I graduate college, I’ll find him.