Just Stop It

chapter 7 the aftermath

Julia was scrolling through her Facebook page when she saw the pictures that she is tagged with. Her friends were calling her nonstop when they saw the photo and commented on the photo. 

"Julia, Oh my God, so you two are now official," Glena commented. 

"Julia you're a liar. You said you don't like him," Leni wrote. 

"That's so ewww..get a room," others wrote.

"I wonder what Liam saw in her, she's not that HOT!" people she didn't know also wrote in the comment section. 

Then another picture was posted where Liam was also kissing another girl and with a comment that said, "Liam and Misty" is the right choice. 

By the time she was through reading the comment section she was crying. Did Liam ask his friends to take a picture of them kissing? Was the kiss deliberate? How could he humiliate her this way? 

She thought that the kiss they shared was special and it was a step up to a new friendship and that maybe something will come out of it. But then she's wrong. It was again to humiliate her, irritate her, and to prove that he can get any girls he set his sights on. Then maybe, she has misread the kiss they shared for one thing that was always clear he was never sincere when it comes to dealing with her. He was either showy of his so-called feelings or annoying of his intentions. One thing that was only real was the chocolates that he gave her. 

She was still crying when her mother showed up with Leni when she knocked on her bedroom door. Her mother instantly knew that something is wrong and not the good news that she was anticipating when Leni showed her the pictures. Her mother thought that she was finally giving love a chance in her life. She was always her cheerleader whenever a guy showed some attention to her. 

"Oh honey, I take it that you saw the pictures uploaded on Facebook?" her mother asked. She cried harder when her mother enclosed her in her arms. 

"I thought we will be celebrating?" Leni said as she sat down on her bed. 

"I didn't know about these pictures until now. Liam must have asked his friend to take the photos when he kissed me then uploaded them," she said while in tears. "He did it again to humiliate me, have you read the comments?"  She asked her friend.

"Yeah, but girls who want him for herself would always be like that you know, make harsh comments," Leni added. "Maybe you should just ignore them?" she suggested instead.

"Honey, why don't you call Liam and ask him to take the pictures, and maybe you two talk more about the kiss?" Her mother suggested. "He must have liked you enough to kiss you." She added. "Boys just don't kiss the girls they don't like." Her mother continued as she calmed her by running her hands down her back. 

"But mom, he's been like a pest these past few weeks, he would always make a show when he will give the chocolates during class," she said.

"We actually thought that he did it to make his ex jealous. She's in our Math class too," Leni shared the information to her mother. 

"Then he will always try to get Julia's attention by either joining us in the cafeteria or disrupting our library study sessions and it was cute of him although annoying at times," Leni said.

"Annoying most of the time," Julia added. 

"But you began to like him too right? That is what all these tears are all about," her mother said wisely. 

"I really thought the kiss we shared was sincere," Julia cried harder. 

"Then don't show him that you were affected. You come to school this Monday and pretend as if nothing happened like kissing guys are the natural thing that you often do. And it just so happened that it was Liam." Leni suggested and she even brightened at her own idea. 

Julia's mother winked at Leni's suggestion but there's nothing she can do right now except to make Julia stronger emotionally since dealing with Liam has put her in such an emotional turmoil.

"Honey, hush now, I suggest that you talk it out with Liam. But if you feel that it was just his many ways of getting your attention or announcing to the world that he likes you then maybe it is best that we have to let the school know that he has gone way out of line this time," her mother suggested. 

Bringing Liam to the principal's office must be the best solution, but on what ground?

"What will be his offense then?" Leni asked. "We couldn't accuse him of cyber bullying, or that he has an intent of harming her for everyone in the school can see that he is openly expressing his attraction to her," Leni stated. 

"Although that attraction is bordering on outrageous display of affection," Leni thoughtfully added. "Maybe he can be accused of just plain bullying. That's it! An emotional bullying although it is on the love side." Leni suggested.

"Yeah like giving expensive and imported chocolates to Julia, that's enough of a crime," her mother also suggested. 

"Mom...you are siding with Liam!" Julia exclaimed as she extracted herself from her embrace. 

"Okay you have half the day to think of what will be your course of action, then after that come downstairs and help us decorate the birthday cake. It has to be delivered tonight." her mother said.