The gasp from the students underscored the hallway's tranquility. Valentine trembled, how could he have heard what she was saying? Lina drew slowly away from her.
Valentine looked at her, surprised that she would leave her side now. Lina bent her head.
She continued drawing back as Josef drew further to her, until she was halted by the wall. Josef pressed his hand against the wall, looking into her eyes with wrath.
Valentine, in trouble, caught Patty's figure from the rear. She smiled mischievously and it dawned on her; Patty was listening to her all the while she was talking.
She must have told her boyfriend. She felt betrayal from two people she thought she had connected with. Indeed, it was a lonely world out there.
Her heart beat against her ribcage as the four devil doves circled around her.
Even though it was a moment of hostility, Josef masculine eyes were charming, and his masculine energy was dominating.
Valentine looked around nervously for a possible way of escape, but there was no way. She wished that somehow, anyhow, someone would come and save her from Josef.
She pinched closed her eyes and opened again, Josef eyes dropped to her cleavage. She traced down her face to her cleavage, it was visible enough and her top button wasn't buckled, her boobs were visible enough for Josef's eyes.
She dragged her shirt together and buttoned up. Josef chuckled.
"Don't you ever cross my path again. I will pardon you today because you're new. Do you understand me?"
Valentine couldn't even bring herself to speak.
"I said, do you understand me?!" He roared, Valentine Shuddered and her lips parted involuntarily.
"Yes!" She said abruptly.
"Very good." He stood upright, shrugged his shirt and made it fit the collar. "I'm tired of seeing this bitch already" he walked away from her and the four devil doves followed closely behind, marching like they were the most powerful humans in the universe.
Their presence marvelled and terrified everyone at once, especially when Josef was with them.
Valentine was still pressed against the wall. She was transfixed, ashamed and looked pitiful. She wanted to cry but she held back the tears.
She clasped her hands tightly, as her ears received the lessening murmurs. But she barged away before they could die out.
Lina felt sorry for her, but unfortunately, there was nothing she could do, or she would end up getting bullied a second time in one day. She watched her leave through the main door. The cluster elapsed and everyone found their way home.
****
Valentine took a bus home, after walking some miles away from school. It didn't even bother her when other students in their exotic cars passed along the road mocking her and laughing at her because she was moving on foot.
Josef had stinged her heart and made her sad. It was the first time that a guy had ever made her feel less of a human. She had never felt so lonely and helpless in her life.
Her mind was clustered with thoughts of sorrow itself, and it was going to take time for her to let it all go, even if she did, it would only be a part of it, but Josef had earned himself a spot in her hatred and red flag corner, one which she never used.
The happiness and good vibes that came with her that day disappeared. The world was bitter and terrible, and she was just about to realize it.
But she wouldn't want her father to see her in that state, so she put on a face closest to genuine happiness before going into the house.
Palemo sat on the sofa chair with a newspaper in his hands grip while the ceiling fan and the standing fan standing opposite the big screen TV which rested upon a moderately large wooden cupboard added to the room's ventilation, and the room received more from the two open windows loft with new curtains which swayed around as the wind blowed, and the air hushed, bringing with it the non disturbing sounds from the street's activities. They had gotten a nice apartment.
Palemo cropped down the top of the newspaper by the side as the banging of the door hit his ear. He smiled at Valentine's entrance.
"My Valentine is back"
"Good evening, Patera" she smiled, removing her shoes.
Palemo dropped his newspaper, removed his glasses and cleaned the lenses with a tiny cloth. "So, how was your first day? Do you like Liege College?" He asked excitedly, and fixed back the eye glasses to his eyes.
Valentine sighed, dropped her bag on a small table beside the door and slumped into a nearby sofa chair.
"Oh you're tired. Well, it is a normal thing. You will get used to it."
Valentine chuckled. "Get used to it? Hmm"
"What? Did something happen?" He got up from the chair and went to sit beside her, leaning her close to him. "Tell me, Val. What's wrong?"
"Oh come on, nothing. Like you said, it is a normal thing" she yawned.
"I cooked your favourite! Let me get it…" he stood up to leave, but Valentine opposed.
"No, don't worry. I don't have the appetite"
Palemo didn't want to assume that there was something wrong, but he couldn't help it. "Okay, then you need to rest… but are sure that every—"
"Do I look like I'm not Greek?" Valentine asked, in a bid to change the topic.
"What? Um, why are you asking me that?"
"More than one person said that I don't look like a Greek."
Palemo chuckled. "That's absurd."
"Why is your name Palemo?"
"Umm—"
She sat upright and faced him. "Yeah right, why's your name Palemo? That's definitely not a Greek name"
"Oh" he scratched his head. "First of all, I'm sorry for not telling you before…"
Valentine's face changed. It was a totally bad day altogether. "Wonderful, Mr Keftedakia has been hiding something away from me"
"No. I'm not hiding anything away from yo—"
"Please go straight to it!" She raised her voice at her father.
"Well, my dad was Italian"
Valentine shook her head disappointedly. "Great. Just great. My grandfather was Italian, and I didn't know." She got up.
"I'm sorry, Val. But you never asked anything like that until now"
"Do I need to ask? Seriously? What happened to the father telling the child family history. Is it something that a child needs to ask first before they know?"
"But is there any problem with that? Why are you making it sound like I have committed a serious crime?"
"Hell yeah! You have committed a serious crime." She snarled and walked out on him to her room and locked the door behind her.
Palemo perceived that something must have happened, but she wouldn't tell him. Forcing or disturbing her wouldn't be wise, so he left her alone.