The trouble maker

Chapter - 22

I was not in the mood to go to school the next day, I bet no one would feel like going to school when they knew they were going bankrupt. I had shed a few tears last night, but I was determined not to cry like an irrelevant person, I set my mind to do something.

Mom and Dad went out in the morning saying they had something to do, it was probably the thing I had on mind, they were trying to find a solution just like I was. They said it would not be any better if I did not go to school, and I was on the same page with them, I need to go, I just could not make up my mind if I was going to tell my mates about it or not, I had a feeling that I should not because it was a family problem and I did not want to drag them into the mess, but if I did not tell them and they find out later, the situation would not be in my favour. But what can I do? Maybe I will tell them after everything falls into places. I know in my heart that it's going to be fine, or at least I hope for it.

I don't know if it was luck, but today Will was the only one who was present, all my other mates were absent, Ash was too tired to get up as she claimed, and Toni was busy with whatever he was busy with and Elly, well she would use any excuse to skip school. But it's not only my mates who were absent, seems like half of the students were absent since there won't even be any proper classes and all the hours passed away with the gossip of the trip which was soon to take place.

"The class is dismissed." I heard the teacher's voice as the class started walking out from the classroom, the lunch bell had rang, but I was too glued to my chair and did not even move an inch, I heard my stomach growl and touch my belly to try and prevent it from making a sound but it was failing, this was the result of not eating anything properly in the morning.

"Aren't you going to eat lunch?" I heard a familiar voice behind me, I looked back and saw Vernon with a big smile on his face, somehow it made me feel good to see even a little glimpse of smile underneath everything that was going on.

"Are you alone today? Are your mates all absent as my mates are?" He asked another question. I bit my lips, "Yes, they are." I stated. "Maybe they don't care much about our attendance as we do." He gave me another smile.

"So, you're eating alone today?" He asked, "Would you like to eat with me? I'm alone too anyway." I was glad he asked, I was never going to ask him but I did not want to eat alone though, and I don't have any idea where William might be, "Sure." I got up and walked with him towards the cafeteria.

It was hard not to notice student's whispering to themselves as we walked down the hallway, I walked smoothly as I always did with Vernon just right beside me, I was not interested in knowing what everyone was so surprised about, until we reached the cafeteria's floor and I heard something which set me on edge.

"I told you that woman's a flirt, she sure went inside every possible pant," one girl whispered loudly to her friend, there was a chance that there were talking about me, I looked at Vernon, the squint of his eyes told me he'd heard it too, and didn't know what to make of it.

By the time we sat down, the gaze of the students on me was unmistakably threatening, I tried to keep my expression unreadable but underneath it all, I was a frightful mess. Vernon said he had to get something so he left me sitting there alone for a moment.

As I was waiting patiently for his return, the glare of the students was hard on me, it was as if all the students knew we were going bankrupt. I noticed coterie of musicians of our school, one of them shaking his head as the other muttered something to him. For a split second, I was overcome by humiliation, but the heat from my house was too hot for me to care about the silly whispers in the school. As I moved to glare back at some students, I accidentally knocked down the water bottle beside me, I bend down to pick it up and as I was just bending, I felt a presence of someone sitting down next to me.

"That was fa-" I silenced immediately as I saw who was sitting next to me. Could a day get any worse?

"Who are you waiting for?" Alex asked, and the whispering got louder around us.

"Probably not you," I answered abruptly. I didn't have time for his games today, even though he was the most handsome and richest man in the room, his presence was the last thing I desire.

"Who are you waiting for?" He repeated his question, and this time his voice was demanding.

"Your father," I spitted.

Just as I spit those words, I saw Vernon walking up to us, I was relieved to see Vernon's face, I can get rid of Alex now but I had an uneasy feeling about Alex seeing me with another boy. Alex did not move his eyes away from me as Vernon interrupted him from behind, "Sorry she is already eating with me," Vernon stated as he came and sat down next to me, and now he was sitting face to face with Alex.

"Oh, it's you," Vernon said quietly, "If I knew it was you, I wouldn't have said sorry."

The thin air that surrounded us seems to get lost, and the aura was getting intense. It felt as if I was sitting next to two sworn enemies that wanted to murder each other for over a decade. Alex did not mutter any single word but his stare alone was so dangerous that it gave shivers down my spine.

Alex furiously stood up, drawing the attention of all the students in the cafeteria, I could feel the heat of hundreds of eyes on me, but the only pair of eyes that I cared about was coming to tower over me where I sat, "I'm warning you, Devona," He looked me in the eye, "Don't make yourself my enemy." He gave me a death glare and with that he walked away. Leaving me almost gasping for air.