Masked Girls

20. CHARITY CASE

Like most teenagers, I loved my phone - even if it constantly lacked in storage space, lagged at moments or constantly gave me stupid messages telling me that my apps had stopped.

However, I just felt like chucking it to the far end of the bedroom at the moment - to which there were three detailed explanations to why I'd take my anger out on such a valuable electronic device, complete with evidence and Deepness 100.

Firstly, I screwed up on my second Physics test of the year today and walked out of the room feeling like an idiot - while Julie discussed questions with her friends, brown eyes twinkling behind her thick ass black glasses - that smartass had probably gotten full marks again. Worst of all, it was Friday - and I was in no way agreeing with TGIF at the moment.

Secondly, I was on my period. Yes, for real. The cramps were there to confirm it, and Mom was trying to explain the concept of the female body to Sebastian, who claimed I was acting like a mad woman. Fair statement, I guess, but I wasn't going to let him think that.

Thirdly, my phone was magically generating ten billion messages by the second. Well, actually not magically - Julie had set up a group chat for the project and was frantically reminding us that we would all go online to do it tonight. We already heard that message, goddamnit.

Even despite already knowing Julie was living a grade-obsessed life where she was constantly calculating how she could get an extra half-mark, I couldn't help but continue to despise the way she managed to put on this 'good girl' image and make everyone believe she had both high IQ and EQ. How was anyone able to do it without getting annoyed with their own selves and even make others follow suit? None of the Intellectuals, not a single one of them, had Instagram - it was a strange cultish thing about removing all distractions and placing all emphasis and focus on grades. Yes, social media was really toxic and full of cyberbullying (as well as teacher-slamming) but to have an entire clique without social media? It was just a bit unbelievable in this day and age that the lot of them would submit to this strange unspoken rule.

Sitting alone in the solitude of my bedroom, my cup of hot green tea as my sole, loyal companion, I tried to do some homework in vain - I just was not in the mood for such a brain-draining activity that involved the vague mention of stretching my mind - correction, I mean graphs. With a sigh, I picked up my computer and entered the dreaded slides that were already bursting with comments, attempting to put in my part of the work.

It was so totally normal and non-creepy that Julie was stationing herself online and occasionally hopping to the pages I was tasked to do. It was also totally justified for her to be sending me long ass WhatsApp messages about what I could improve on - sarcasm intended.

Hey Selene, do you mind explaining more on the imagery and the significance of the colour red? Thank you so much !!

i already explained lol?

I see, could you still please add more explanation? Thank you!

Wow, really? Just because she's a smart know-it-all does not mean she gets to snub me and tell me that my literary skills are shit-

But your skills ARE shit, Selene, a small voice in my head said. Julie had a know-it-all attitude which I hated, but what I hated more was how she always happened to be right, even if I didn't like that she was correct at all.

The speaker, Selene Chan, is 'seeing red' due to her intense and raw anger towards a certain Juliette Quinton, who is being an annoying know-it-all who thinks that intellect equals the right to boss others around. Perhaps it is her right, in a world where logic is always put first, but it is still extremely annoying.