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joulo ↭ paula
As Paula walked down the school hallway, bitter gazes and hushed whispers followed. It didn't make sense - she hadn't done anything wrong, she thought.
But it soon became clear that the envious glances from everyone made Paula feel uncomfortable and anxious. She had managed to have the Audeux band accompany her, something that nobody has accomplished before. She did not knew they were famous to begin with.
Suddenly, a girl in a revealing outfit walked towards them. ❝Joulo! ❞ she said as they hugged, then turned on Paula with a spiteful look. ❝ Who's she? ❞she snapped, as she looked at Paula with disgust.
❝ This is Paula,❞ Matthew bluntly said. He had never been fond of Jamie's rude behavior. ❝ Be nice! She's not like you,❞ he added, in which the others nods in agreement.
Jamie continued to give Paula the dirtiest looks while Joulo remained silent. ❝ Why is she hanging out with you guys? That's unusual,❞ she asked.
❝ Maybe because we prefer decent people,❞ Shawn replied in sarcasm, it was clear that he didn't Jamie.
❝ Joulo baby, tell them to be nice, ❞ whined Jamie, trying to save face.
❝ Can you walk me to class, please babe? ❞ Jamie flashed a smile and turned to Joulo impatiently trying to pull him away from them. Joulo nodded, and he accompanied Jamie to her class.
Paula was left alone with the remaining three boys. ❝ Ignore them, Pau-Pau. They're just being dumb, ❞ James reassured by patting her shoulder.
With a bright smile, Paula thanked her new friends for accompanying her to class. As they parted ways, Matthew thought to himself that maybe Joulo's toxic relationship was finally going to end.
❃ ❃ ❃
Paula, walked into the classroom, and everyone went crazy as they set their eyes on her. She stood there, not saying a word, and the class became even rowdy.
The teacher stepped in and said, ❝ Alright! Enough! We have a new student, her name is Paula, and she is welcome to this class. ❞ He smiled at her, and she smiled back, curiosity in her eyes.
❝ Settle down, class,❞ he continued. ❝ We will start the day by welcoming Paula to our class.❞
Whispers could be heard among the students as Paula stood at the front.
❝ Hey, did you hear that she actually sat beside the Audeux?❞ One of the students remarked. Another student replied, ❝ That's impossible! They never sit with girls. I tried once and got kicked out instantly.❞
The rude comments continued, ❝ She's ugly anyways, so I don't understand why they'd ever like her,❞ said one, while another added, ❝ Joulo already has a girlfriend. Besides, who wants a mute anyway?❞
Paula heard these remarks and tried to keep the smile on her face.
Just then, the teacher intervened ❝ Paula, can you please take a seat beside Belle? Belle, can you raise your hand?❞ He asked.
Paula looked for the raised hand in the room and saw a beautiful girl with blond hair raised her hand. Belle smiled at Paula, and Paula walked over to sit beside her.
Belle enthusiastically waved at Paula. ❝ Hi there, Paula! You're so adorable!❞ Paula smiled.
Trying to fet comfortable on her seat, she felt a bit awkward, but Belle quickly noticed and initiated to talk. ❝ I apologize for not introducing my friends. This is Karen,❞ she gestured to a girl with hazel eyes. ❝ And this is Aira," she indicated a shy girl nearby.
❝ We learned sign language for fun, so if you need any assistance, feel free to ask us." Karen nodded in agreement with a warm smile. Paula was touched. ❝ I'm grateful to meet people like you who can understand me as my grandmother does.❞
Belle added in, slightly embarrassed, ❝It's funny how we learned sign language on a whim and ended up meeting someone who is mute. But that's life! Let's have some fun!❞
Paula then explained, ❝ you don't need to do it. I can manage as I can still hear you, ❞ she said and the girls smiled and nodded.
Belle's enthusiastic. She mostly chatted with Paula and does not stop even if the teacher was looking. Paula soon realized that she will make some great friends who were not only kind but also understanding of her unique situation.
❝ I can't believe it! How did you manage to get Audeux to walk you to class? They're so famous!❞ Belle exclaimed, causing Paula's eyes to widen.
❝ That's why Aira here is pretty special,❞ Belle continued. ❝ Have you met Matthew before? He's her cousin.❞ Paula looked at Aira in surprise.
Karen then leaned forward, warning Paula about the dangers of getting too close to Joulo. ❝ Always be careful, Paula. If you get close to him, his fangirls will skewer you and eat you alive. You should never trust him, even if he's good-looking and rich,❞ Karen cautioned. Paula remained silent, shocked at the warning. She was talking to someone super dangerous, but soon her smile appeared.
❝Joulo must be scary, but I believe every person has a good side,❞ Paula said as she believed Joulo is not that kind of person.
❝ Dude, that's deep,❞ Belle said.
❝ Disgusting, never use the word 'dude.' It's not you,❞ Karen laughed. ❝ Shut up!❞ Belle whined, causing Paula to laugh at their friendly banter.
❝ Don't mind them,❞ Aira chimed in. ❝ They always fight. It's normal.❞
❃ ❃ ❃
Paula made new friends on her first day at school, and she felt grateful that the girls had shown her around and shared lunch with her.
As the day drew to a close, Belle cheered and clapped her hands. ❝ Wow schools over already! That's so quick! ❞ Belle exclaimed.
Karen then shared that she had to go for volleyball tryouts. Belle encouraged her to sign up and even asked Paula and Aira to join.
❝ I'm sorry Karen, I don't want to join either, ❞ Aira responded while looking at Paula.Paula shook her head in agreement. Karen frowned, but she accepted their decision.
❝ Okay Paula, I'll see you tomorrow! ❞ Belle hugged Paula, and they said their goodbyes.
As Paula walked toward the school gate, she felt grateful to have made new friends and looked forward to another day at school.
❃ ❃ ❃
Marielle was waiting outside the school waiting for Joulo and his friends to come out. Viv on the other hand, was the leader of another Joulo's fan clubs, and she was upset that Joulo was going out with someone else.
❝ Joulo's only going out with Jamie to get my attention,❞ Viv sneered, a smug look on her face, as she deliberately tried to provoke Marielle.
Marielle's face turned red with anger. ❝ You're delusional! Joulo wouldn't waste his time on someone like you,❞ she snapped back. Their voices raised to a screeching pitch as they insulted each other.
The fight then shifted from verbal to physical, with both girls wanting to have the most damage on each other.
Marielle's hand punched on Viv's jaw. In return, Viv grabbed Marielle's hair, trying to get her nails nails digging into her scalp.
It took some time before another student could intervene and separate them. Joulo wasn't even there to witness this little love triangle that he never knew existed.
As Paula stepped out of the school, she witnessed the chaos. She noticed Marielle giving her death glares as the other girl chuckles, ❝ Don't tell me that hideous creature is your friend, oh wait, I'd actually believe you two do look alike.❞
Paula avoided her gaze, not wanting to embarrass Marielle any further, and quickly walked past them, and went her way through the unfamiliar streets to find her way home.
❃ ❃ ❃
Axelle, the manager of the Audeux band continued his speech, ❝ There are more concerts planned ahead, and we need to catch up on our school work, so please make sure to prioritize your studies. You guys are lucky to have each other, and I hope you keep staying together and being the best band in the world. Don't let anyone take that away from you.❞
The members of the band gave a thunderous applause, and Joulo gave Axelle a small smile, which Axelle returned with a bigger grin.
As James, Matthew, and Shawn walked out of the studio, James couldn't help but look back at Axelle and Joulo, who were still standing together. He knew that Axelle was like a father figure to Joulo, and it was nice to see them having such a close relationship.
As they walked to their cars, James, Matthew, and Shawn couldn't help but laugh and jokingly blame Joulo for everything, including being the reason why they were so busy with concerts.
Joulo simply shrugged and said, ❝ It's not my fault that we're so popular. ❞
As they got into their cars, James turned to his bandmates and said, ❝ We should really appreciate Axelle for everything he does for us. He's like a father figure to us, and we're lucky to have him as our manager.❞ Matthew and Shawn nodded in agreement, and James drove off, feeling grateful for his bandmates and Axelle, who had become like a family to him.
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My vision for Axelle's character changed from being gay to that of a caring father figure for the boys. I felt it was necessary to shift his role for it will be relevant on the next chapters
The photos, drawings / fanarts and gifs used in this story aren't mine. Full credits to the owners.