Compassion- Lookism

T h i r t y S i x

   
    Irene looked down at her cast. She felt nervous. It had only been a day since she was gone, but she was nervous nonetheless. She was going to face Vasco, Zoe and possibly Yui all over again. She was going to be seeing her other friends too, but this time she would be with a cast and black eye. Having a black eye was now her newest insecurity.

The morning was crisp with all the students turning the corners of their neighborhood's to get in the gates of their lower class high school. Irene kept her eyes down on the pathway in front of her as Daniel walked beside her with a yawn.

She was still trying to process how and who paid for her hospital expenses. It all seemed so surreal. She was bawling her eyes out just yesterday to be told that someone paid for it. Who had that kind of money to pay 21,000 dollars? It was giving millionaire, but Irene didn't know a single millionaire. She never even told anyone the expenses. She didn't have the time to before she was called. She didn't want to reach, but she had an idea on who, who she met just yesterday.

"Irene, stop worrying about it. Just be thankful." Daniel sighed, looking at his sisters eyes spaced out into thought. She didn't stop thinking about it all last night and this morning.

"I cant. Who has that kind of money to spend on other people? I didn't even tell anyone the cost." SHe said and glanced up at her beautiful brother.

"Just be happy it happened and move on. You got lucky and thats it." He said and linked arms with his sister as she looked back down at the ground again. "Mira and Zoe missed you yesterday. They kept asking me every hour how you were doing. Duke and Jiho too."

"Duke and Jiho too?" Irene repeated with the endnote raised a little in surprise.

"Yeah, they seemed pretty worried about you too." Daniel answered and pulled the front glass door open for Irene to walk in. She thanked him and they together walked down the hallways.

Everyone spun around as the whispers flew around like wild fire. They all looked at Irene's black eye as they walked together. Her white, blank cast was visible to everyone with her hand bandaged. She wore thick stockings to hide the bruises and scrapes on her legs.

Irene was nervous to face everyone, although her story was pretty solid.

"Irene! We missed you so much!" Zoe threw her arms around Irene. Irene stumbled back at the force to see Mira standing outside the classroom doors waiting for Irene and Daniel.

"Hi..." Irene smiled and put her uncasted arm around Zoe. Zoe smiled and pulled back to let Mira wrap hr warm arms around Irene. There they stood, shocked to see Irene's under eye bone socket bruised with dark purple and blue in a line curved around her eye.

"Aww. Are you okay?" Mira pouted with her lower lip puffed out like a child as she glanced down at her blank cast.

"Im fine. Sorry, about not telling you guys what happened." Irene smiled and glanced over at Zoe's uncomfortable face. She knew what happened and they both felt bad for lying to Mira. Mira probably wouldn't have lied to them about what happened to her, but since they were both keeping up this fake image they couldn't tell her nor the class. Very few people knew what happened and it would stay that way.

    Irene stepped into the class. Everyone whipped around at Daniel's presence and looked over to see Irene and her friends. She had a noticeable black eye with a new white cast. Irene held her head low as the girls walked in together.

    After the girls quieted down and went back to their normal routine of Zoe gossiping to Irene and Mira while Irene nodded with Mira. He hated to catch her at such a bad time, but he knew if he used someone like her photo the three guys would definitely be there. Irene wasn't listening much, but she heard Daniel and Zack talking to one of the rich kids in her class.