Jae Ham
Reaching inside my pocket, I pull out my phone and dial Sage's number while roaming the empty hallway of the school. "You're really not coming?" I ask once she picks up my call.
"I'm already here," she says, making me swivel left and right, searching for her to no avail. "Stop looking for me. I'll show myself at the right time," she replies as if she can see what I'm doing.
"And when exactly is that?" I huff, barely wrestling down my roiling emotions. "The parents don't seem to be backing down. Especially Rayna's father. Are you sure you know what you're doing?"
"I don't have a choice," she says with a sigh. "I want to be firm with my decisions. Anything less is unacceptable. Gem, Cody, and Bianca told me it's okay to proceed with my plans. Frankly, I'm wondering about your own input on my intentions."
Suddenly, my feet halt, staying rooted to the tiles under my shoes. Did I mishear? Sage cares about my opinion? After ignoring each other for days, never in my wildest dreams did I envision us talking again, and under these circumstances.
"Do what you have to do," I say ardently. "I don't care how low you have to stoop."
Sage releases a heavy sigh. "Just so you know, I'm not going to enjoy this. But if the adults aren't going to solve this in a mature way, then I won't hesitate to end the predicament through a childish method. There is no point in arguing with someone who doesn't have an open mind. People with close minded mentality will never look at all the variables being presented, just the ones that benefit them."
Jun Wan
I spot Rayna sitting on a bench under a sturdy tree. She's hugging her legs, her face buried in her folded arms on her knees.
"Fuck off," she spits out when I take a seat across her.
"Is it true?" I ask, shaking off her hostility. "Did you hurt Bianca and the others?"
Rayna lifts her chin to throw me a look full of hatred. "So what if I did? They deserved everything that came to them." Vehemently, she wipes her tears away using the back of her hand. "It's not fair," she cries. "I was only minding my own business and suddenly I'm the laughing stock in the whole school. They stuffed my locker with rotten food. Dunked my gym clothes in the toilet. Vandalized my desk and belongings. They made me feel like I was set on fire, so I fought back with the same heat. They burned me. It's only fair I burn them too."
I place one elbow on the table between us. "So how does it make you feel?" I ask her calmly.
"Vindicated, of course!" Rayna glares at me. "The ends justify the means. I used to be a good person, for your information. Even the nicest people have their limits. Don't try to reach that limit because the nicest people are also the scariest assholes when they've had enough. Demons run when a good man goes to war."
"So what do you think will happen when we return to the library?" I venture. "What if Mr. Jae Ham comes up with strong evidence against you?"
"I don't give a damn," says Rayna hotly, but the fear in her eyes contradicts her statement. "Those Hams got what they deserved. Whatever endgame is waiting for me, my father will handle it."
"What does this mean for you then?" I inquire, my voice gentle. "Are you going to keep bullying the Hams afterward?"
Rayna clenches her jaw. "I don't know, okay?!? Quit asking me these stupid questions!"
"Rayna," I say carefully. "What if you had the option of being the better person, the bigger person? You don't have to accept their apologies but you can try to be civil. Or perhaps stay out of each other's way from now on?"
