Around fourth period, Penelope finally noticed how a lot of people had come up to her and greeted her whenever the raven-haired girl walked down the hallways trying to get to her classes. Confused but still kept on with the acting, Penelope smiled and greeted them back. It was only until lunch came when Penelope understood what was happening.
As soon as the lunch break came, some of her classmates came up to her and offered her to eat with them. Penelope had never wanted to run away before, but she wanted to now. The girl politely declined the offers and explained that she had already promised Mark that they would eat together, not caring whether the classmates knew who Mark was.
It was her fifth rejection that she heard the door burst opened and Mark came inside the class, grinning. "Princess, let's go."
Penelope giggled as she sent an apologetic smile to her classmates before turning to the older guy, nodded shyly. Mark, understood of the situation, quickly threw an arm around her shoulder and said to the rest of the younger students, "Sorry guys, but she promised to eat with me today."
The duo walked a little bit further away from the classroom before burst out laughing.
"I shouldn't have accepted the bet." The girl pouted. Penelope began to complain as soon as the both had calmed down, but keeping her voice low as to not spill anything to the gossip hunger students.
They were trying to reach the canteen as fast as possible but some students kept on making the plan even longer than it had to be. Penelope smiled and waved her hand as she passed some students who greeted her. Mark could not help but to chuckle as Penelope sent a signal to his eyes which screamed 'Drag me away from here!' Somehow, Mark had managed to pull her away from the ever-friendly students and the two arrived safely to the canteen.
Mark smirked, he too keeping his voice down, "I know this was going to happen, that's why I even suggested it in the first place." The two did not notice how the other students stared at them as they walked towards the line to grab their food.
"Do you know how much lunch offers I had received today? Five times and it's only the first day, what the hell?" Penelope whined as her hands began to flail around. She seemed too focus on her little complaining session to notice her surroundings. She continued, "it's exhausting and I still have my P.E lesson later."
"Already a popular girl now, are we?"
"Don't even start, you evil." Penelope pouted and Mark pulled her even closer in a side hug, chuckling.
Unknown to the two, Mark was actually also a very popular student, not that the boy ever noticed his influence. However, because of his cold and distant personality, no one was able to get close to the handsome boy. Imagine their surprise when the so-called Ice Prince walked inside the canteen with the new transfer student who was slowly gaining her own reputation as the Miss Perfect.
A smart, beautiful, and kind girl who always had a smile on her face.
Miss Perfect.
Penelope had hoped that the students would leave the two alone as they grabbed their food, trying to find an empty table in the room full of students. The girl grinned as she spotted one table far away from the other students, right in the corner of the room. Penelope sat at the empty table with Mark sat opposite of her and looked around.
"The good girl can't curse, can she?" Penelope asked, taking a bite of her spaghetti. It did taste a little weird but nothing she could not handle. Mark took a bite of his pizza before hummed, nodding his head.
"Of course not, Miss Good Girl."
Penelope groaned, "I really shouldn't have accepted the bet."
"It's only a month, Pennie. Surely you can do it."
"I am already exhausted with the attention and it's only the first day."
"Think about it as a practice to your already flawless acting skill, then."
"But-"
"There are people coming, act natural." Mark cut her off. From the corner of her eyes, she saw a group of girls around Mark's age walked towards their direction. The girl discreetly smirked before putting on her act. Penelope gaped at the boy in front of her. Mark threw a wink before clearing his throat, "Princess, it's obvious that hoodie is better than tracksuit."
Penelope gasped, offended. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me. Hoodie is better than-"
"Don't you dare finish it."
"Or what?"
Before the girl could throw an answer, someone cleared their throat, trying to catch the duo's attention. Penelope jumped a little on her seat before turning her head towards the source, tilting her head.
"Hello, may I help you?" The girl asked.
From the corner of her eyes, she could see that Mark bit his lower lip to stop him from laughing out loud, which made her almost laughed as well. It got harder to hold when the two were together. Mentally scolding herself, she raised her brows before smiling.
"Can we talk privately?" The girl in the front asked, crossing her arms in front of her. Hostility could be smelled rolling off from her. Penelope casted Mark a glance before nodding her head, standing up.
"I'll wait here." Mark smirked before pulling out his phone.
Penelope nodded before following the girls out. They had been walking for a few minutes and finally stopped in the middle of an empty hallway. The girl who acted like she was the leader turned around, glaring.
Penelope knew what would happen, she was going to be beaten up. Putting on an innocent act, she turned around, trying to find some hidden CCTVs, the girl almost laughed when she found none. What was this cliché situation? But, why would they even dislike her? The other girls pulled out their phones, probably to record the whole situation.
"What's your relationship with Mark?" The leader glared.
Ah.
Fourteen years old had already thinking about dating? How advanced.
Penelope wanted to laugh at the more cliché situation she was currently in. it was probably better if the girls felt threatened that Penelope was more popular than them, but no, the girls had to dislike Penelope because of Mark?
Oh my.
Remembering her bet, she answered, looking slightly scared, "He's my best friend."
Obviously thought that the answer was a lie, the leader slapped Penelope across the cheek. The other girls cheered, phones still out. The leader sneered, "Don't lie to me."
They slapped me?
So brave.
Let's see how you act later.
If she were never accepted the bet, they were dead.
"I'm not lying." Forcing out her tears with her power, Penelope asked. Her acting really was flawless; her eyes screamed terror and her lips trembled, looking so pitiful. "Why are you doing this to me?"
"Oh my, how weak our Miss Perfect is. Don't cry, your ugly face is even uglier now." The girl sneered. Her hand gripped Penelope's cheeks hard as she glared. The bully threatened as she pushed Penelope down, "I'm warning you now, stay away from Mark!"
The girls threw one last glare towards the pitiful girl on the floor before stomping away.
Penelope waited until the bitches were out of sight before huffing, she mocked, imitating the leader's voice, "I'm warning you now, stay away from Mark!" The girl wanted to scream or curse out loud, but she held herself back. Penelope could be patient if she wanted to be. It was only a month, after that, she could wreak havoc all she wanted.
The demigoddess pulled out her phone and decided to call Mark. After a few rings, he answered, "Where are you?"
"I'm not going back and I don't know where I am either."
"What?"
"They dragged me to an empty hallway with no CCTV." The girl answered as she laid there on the floor, not caring about the fact that her tracksuit could get dirty.
"Don't move."
Penelope hummed before she ended the call. The girl stared at the ceilings as she waited. Mentally cursing herself, she had realized that she could just avoid the attacks or maybe defend herself. How pathetic of her that she let a nobody touched her, even worse, slapped her.
"How stupid, Pennie." The girl tsk-ed.
"Why are you lying there, princess?" Mark asked as he stopped a few feet from the girl. Penelope scowled as soon as she met his eyes.
The girl pointed towards her cheek, "Got slapped from your crazy fangirl."
Mark widened his eyes before he crouched down, inspecting the wound. He asked, frowning, "Why didn't they have wounds?"
"The bet states that I have to be a good girl. Which good girl knows how to fight?"
"You can beat them back, you just have to be unnoticed."
Gaping, Penelope glared at the boy. He should have mentioned that earlier. Now, she regretted even more that she let the bitches walked away.
"Do you want their addresses?" Mark asked.
Penelope widened her eyes before nodding. Her brain had thought about several bloody presents she could give them. She smirked, her inner evil coming out. "I better prepare some gifts for them."