Chapter five
Getting Even
Koruna couldn’t see anything through the red liquid substance but she could hear the laughter and mockery. She sighed and removed her glasses, cleaned her eyes with her hand, she opened her eyes to see the crowd before her and felt their gaze filled with contempt. Koruna laughed humorlessly and shrugged like she wasn’t wet and red.
“Give up now and go back to where you came from, this was a warning shot.” Annie came from behind a group of girls and from their stance, one could tell she was the leader of that squad.
Koruna walked past her without glancing at her, she made it through the first door, and she was passing through the corridor when it looked like it was raining tissues around her. Koruna looked like she was bathed in tissue, students gathered to make fun and take videos/pictures of her. Bernie walked to her and smirked in victory.
“Don’t you regret coming here now?” Bernie looked at her satisfied.
Koruna gently removed the tissues from her face and body, she grinned at him while shaking her head.
“You are cute, I will give you that but this is all sooooo disappointing. Let your sister give you a quick lesson. This can only work on people like you, people who attach a lot of importance on how people look at them which I don’t. The only thing I feel is this mucky gummy feel, if your plan was to mock me and make me feel small and stupid… It did not work except the stupid part because I feel really stupid right now walking around with whatever juice that was and tissue, so there you go. You succeeded Barney.”
Koruna winked and tried to walk past him.
Bernie held her back and his nostrils flared.
“You are right, I should have known better than to use the tools of our trade for someone so unworthy, since you are apparently unbothered by everyone mocking you… maybe it is time for me to upgrade. I am going to have so much fun breaking you.”
Koruna laughed so loud that Bernie released her hand.
“Barney oh Barney… You have no idea what to do with me, don’t you? While this is just clownish, I am not going to let it go. You can think about all the ways to “break” me, just know this, whatever you do to me, I will have my pound of flesh and it would be worse than anything you can come up with. This is a promise and I always, always keep to my promises. Can you show me to the university’s admin’s office or do you have a toy car waiting somewhere to hit me?”
Bernie stared at her, Koruna stared right back as if waiting for him to respond.
“Ookay then, looks like someone has lost the ability to talk.” Koruna side stepped him and moved on.
Another boy of similar age with Bernie looked at him in confusion… “Why does she keep calling you Barney?”
Bernie realized he had an audience and shrugged. “She thinks she is funny.”
“Ooooh, she looks funny.” He noticed.
“That is because she is covered in concoction and tissue Matty.” Bernie sighed used to his questions.
“Why would she do that?” Matty continued.
“W..h… She is… Forget it.” Bernie walked away with Matty following behind.
Koruna found the admin office, the secretary was a middle aged plump woman in a dress suit and round rimmed glassed who stared at her in shock.
“Heyyy… We use similar glasses.” Koruna cheered which made her widen her eyes.
“Poor child, it is the Ballan twins again… Isn’t it?” She admonished.
“What is it? Their trademark?” Koruna asked in amusement.
“Poor dear, shouldn’t you change out of your clothes before you catch a cold.” She continued.
“It’s alright, believe it or not… I have worn worse and smelt worse.” Koruna smiled at her.
“What is your name dear?” She asked.
“I am Koruna, just Koruna.” Koruna answered.
The secretary’s demeanor changed towards her as she frowned and huffed.
“I see… No wonder you were give the welcome.” She stared at Koruna condescendingly.
“You know when you huff and puff at the same time, you look like the wolf in the red riding hood… Yeesss, especially when you do that.”
Koruna replied with a smile but a different one from the first time she came into the office.
She glared at her and threw a folder at her that had her time table, locker and map of the school.
Koruna bent to pick the folder… “Just so you know, the dress you are wearing makes you look … Never mind.”
She stared curiously at her but tried not to show it, “makes me look what?”
Koruna shook her head… “It would be rude of me to say.”
Koruna smirked and left the office but muttered loud enough so she could hear “It makes you look like a ….. Cow.”
She heard the woman curse behind her and smirked in satisfaction, she got to her locker to find another uniform, and she ignored it and found her class. It was mathematics, one of her favorite subjects.
She took a deep breath and walked into the class, everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at her. She had decided not to look at the mirror as she felt that changing out of this uniform could mean she lost and she would rather have her middle finger crushed by a tractor.
“It’s alright, I am sure red with a dash of white would be in season soon.” Koruna smirked.
The teacher was a petite man with a friendly look but Koruna learnt already that there was always more.
“You must be Koruna Ballan, are you okay?” He asked.
“Never been better.” Koruna replied.
“I would have asked you to introduce yourself to the class but something tells me that would be the last thing you’d want to do. Don’t you want to change into something drier?” He asked.
“Why?” Koruna grinned at him.
He shook his head at her, “I am your math teacher David, and you can sit at the back there.”
“Thank you.” Koruna passed some students and one of them yelled.
“Something stinks in here…”
“Maybe it is your IQ, it looks like it has been dead for days or even months... years” Koruna remarked without looking at the student.
The class went “Oooooo”, someone laughed and said
“Burrrnnnn Peter, Burrrrn.”
“Shut up!” Peter yelled back.
Mr. David restored the class back to order, Koruna sat and was able to relax for the first time since she came into the school. Lucky for her, her books were protected from the rain of hazing, expensive goods actually came with quality, Koruna marveled.
She shivered but ignored the way she felt until she felt something warm cover her. She looked to discover a girl shyly smiled at her and returned to her seat. Koruna raised her brow at her, she hid behind her long hair as she pretended to study.
Koruna accepted the kindness with a tint of doubt. She couldn’t see her face properly, Mr. David finished up and left the class. Koruna walked up to her and gave her the cardigan.
“Thanks but I would not want to get you into trouble.” Koruna said with a placating smile.
“Or is it because you don’t trust me.” She replied but she looked at Koruna properly.
Koruna smirked and noticed that she was biracial and had lovely blue eyes, she couldn’t know what to make of her.
“Same difference.” Koruna replied.
“Not really, I am also an illegitimate child… I did not get the Ballan welcoming you did but I am usually snubbed and ridiculed a lot, especially by Peter, the guy who did that bit during class.” She continued.
“So like minds??” Koruna tilted her head to the right as if trying to understand her.
“It is alright if you don’t want to be friends but is it alright if you talk to me once in a while?” She asked.
Koruna nodded… “That will be fine.”
“I am Mariam and you are Koruna. The whole school knows about you.” She smiled gently.
“I am guessing it has nothing to do with my flourishing personality.” Koruna sighed.
Mariam giggled; “I am sure it played a part.”
Koruna returned her cardigan but she refused it.
“Keep it, you need it more.” Mariam argued.
Koruna chuckled and folded the cardigan… “Are you sure?”
“What do you mean?”
Mariam blinked.
“You are good, I’ll give you that. Thing is I have a friend called Flora, she is a better liar and actress than you are. It is not your fault though, it is just how good she is.” Koruna shrugged and left the jacket on her desk.
Margaret stepped into the class with a frown and walked towards Mariam. Other girls followed and walked behind her, the class went silent at what was happening.
Koruna saw Mariam tense and began to understand the full picture.
“You had only one job but you just couldn’t do it, are you completely useless?”
Margaret said to Mariam while looking at Koruna as she tried to provoke her.
“I am very sorry, I tried.” Mariam voice broke as she shrunk smaller.
The girls that followed Margaret dragged Mariam and held her up for Margaret.
Margaret looked at Koruna as she slapped Mariam who screamed out in pain, Koruna sighed as she watched the debacle.
Margaret slapped Mariam again which led to a louder scream from Mariam. She tried to hit her again bur was stopped by Koruna.
“What is your problem? Why go this far? Were you unloved in your past life?” Koruna asked.
Margaret rolled her eyes…
“What?”
“I wasn’t talking to you. how deranged could you be to allow someone like her hit you? For what? To trap me? To be my friend then betray me?” Koruna raised her brow.
Mariam facial expression changed into something crueler and she visibly changed from a beautiful gentle beauty to an ice cold beautiful princess.
“You are good… very good. Kor? Can I call you that?” Mariam smirked as the girls released her and moved behind her.
“No, you may not.” Koruna shook her head at her like she was being a naughty child.
“Come on, we have shared a jacket. We could be soul sisters.” Mariam sat on her desk and crossed her legs.
“I like you, I can take good care of you… All you have to do is ask.” Mariam tempted.
“Just ask?” Koruna blinked.
“Mariam… You can’t…”
Margaret started but stopped talking at Mariam’s glare.
“Yes, just ask and there would be no more pranks, people can worship you if you want. Just beg me for help.” Mariam played with a strand of Koruna’s hair.
“Beg, I thought all I had to do was ask.” Koruna took her hair from her hand.
“Just a little please wouldn’t hurt, I promise.” Mariam moved closer to her, she touched Koruna’s nose with hers.
Koruna shifted… “No offense, but you are not my type.”
“I am everyone’s type, you will soon find out. What is the name of your friend again? Flora right?! Maybe she would be interested in being my friend.” Mariam stood up and smiled at her.
“Was that a threat?” Koruna froze.
“Yes Kor… I just threatened you.” Mariam giggled and blew a white substance at her.
Koruna tried to dodge but it was too late, she was already dizzy… she lost consciousness afterwards and the last words she heard was from Mariam.
“The show begins now Kor,”