As Maricar stepped inside the premises, students she passed by as she walk can't help to look at her. It was like she magnetize their eyes on her.
No one can turn down such a hot gossip. Everything happened last night where she can't control, pictures were taken and posted in the forum hours after the incident.
Maricar haven't seen those yet. Without the knowledge on the issue, she has no reason to browse in the forum.
Ryan, who was getting late, saw Maricar on the gate.
He chased her and greeted, “Hey, you're going to our Italian class later?”
Maricar nodded but uttered a different topic, “Don't strike while the rod is hot, Ryan. Everyone has eyes on me.”
With that warning, Ryan bid goodbye.
Yet after a few seconds, he went back and said, “Oh, say hi to Bianca for me.”
The volume of the gossips seemed to increase.
One student has posted an update in the forum, trying to contribute to the heated discussion in the platform.
‘I just saw #her at the gate trying to flirt with our British student. Even her friend's date, she's snaking him from her! She's fucked up.’
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Maricar was really clueless from what's happening in the forum. In her mind, what happened earlier was just a small interaction but it may give people some idea.
She was thankful Ryan didn't do something suspicious-looking, like sending Bianca breakfast. Or it will escalate to a bigger issue.
Issue after issue, she may trigger her dad some series of migraine. Maricar wanted to advice her dad to stay away from reading the forum, but dads like him couldn't care less.
Especially with a problematic daughter like her who may find a fight anytime and anywhere.
As Maricar reached her college building, Bianca was waiting at the entrance.
Bianca saw and ran towards Maricar, “Girl! Another issue for you.”
‘I knew it already.’
Maricar smiled, “Ryan wants to say hi and good morning to you.”
In an instant, Bianca's cheeks turned red. She forgot about the issue.
Not the one with Ryan, but the bigger issue posted earlier. Bianca thought her friend knee it already, so she dropped the idea of telling her when it fact she doesn't know a single thing.
She cupped her flustered face, “So that's what that guy said to you… but still! I know you don't care about your issues in the forum, your dad is the person you have to consider…”
Maricar, although bothered, tried to stay calm and nodded.
“Your father have seen everything, am I right?”
She glanced at the girl beside her, “My father wants to kick me out if another big issue happens.”
Bianca dropped her jaw, “What?! Where will you live then?”
‘My mom could help me, but I know she's not enthusiastic about the issues either. She may side with my dad.’
Maricar fixed her hair before answering, “I'll rent an apartment.”
“You're not going to live with me at the dorms?”
She gave Bianca a sarcastic look, “So you want to make the girls' dormitory a boxing ring? Is that what you want?”
Her friend laughed and pouted, “Fine…”
Maricar said goodbye and split ways with Bianca. She was still gonna take her elective class on Management before going to the Italian one.
It was a little bit late, the corridors are dead quiet as everyone are inside the rooms. The sound from Maricar's heels echoed.
She entered the designated room yet no professor was inside. Most of the students inside stopped and looked at her.
Some looked with disgust, some were concerned, some were just looking because she was late.
Maricar sat on the center aisle and quickly checked the forum before the professor appears, her usual time to do it.
She forgot to turn the phone into silent mode. One by one, notifications rushed in.
Once again, everyone looked at her. But Maricar cared less.
The first post on her feed, her eyebrow rose. Maricar didn't know how to react.
She thought only her father and the management knew about the incident last night.
Turns out someone has photographed what happened.
With a different story from what Maricar knew.
‘Who would have thought that our main villain likes to hook up with a man at the bar? And not just that, the guy she's flirting with is my friend's boyfriend! Such a slut. Look how many kisses she planted on him!’
[Photo]
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‘Is that @Ms.Marie?’
‘Oh my god! Is this her downfall? Deserved!’
‘How is she still in USL? She should be expelled!’
‘Her father is a designer, right? OMG, how can he have a daughter who is such a slut?’
‘Everyone, please respect her privacy, okay? Don't tell me you are not like her when going to a bar?’
Maricar blew air in anger and gritted her teeth. This was too much of her not to fight back.
It was her limit that people would criticize her ideas and actions. But no one should mess beyond it. People thought she doesn't bother being ranted on.
They abused her tolerance for it. Now Maricar's really angry, no one can calm her down if she doesn't get what she wants.
Maricar checked who was the OP, it was the same user on most of her issues.
She mumbled, “That social science girl again. Let's see her courage!”
As she stood up and headed outside, the professor was about to enter the room.
The professor asked, “Ms. Geron, where are you going? My class is about to start.”
“Mr. Hidalgo, just mark me absent.”
Maricar left without saying another thing, Mr. Hidalgo didn't care either and proceeded inside.
It was a five-minute walk to the College of Humanities, International Relations, and Social Sciences. She wasn't sure if that girl was there, but she won't let her go this time.
Maricar will find wherever that girl was.
She went to the main lobby of the building first, fortunately, Maricar saw her there. Talking and laughing with some girls on the waiting area.
As soon as she got close to the group, it was the only time they noticed her.
Maricar called the girl's name, “Chloe.”
Chloe look to the direction of Maricar yet she received a slap on the face.
Everyone was unable to react on what just happened. Maricar pulled Chloe's hair and dragged her outside of the building, screaming in pain and begging to let go.
She needs to learn her lesson.
“What's your problem, Marie?!”
Maricar slowly went up to her, with fiery eyes and a dark aura shrouding, “You thought you're a saint? A goddess? You're just a lame story maker, Chloe.”
Chloe laughed, “What? You're guilty of snaking my friend's boyfriend, bitch?”
“There's nothing worthy to snake on a pathetic man, Chloe. And I can't believe your friend doesn't know her boyfriend has been flirting with girls all night before me. Isn't that a shame?”
She was unable to speak with that. Chloe didn't consider it would backfire everything.
Students were around them. Looking and gossiping. They all heard what Maricar said, even Chloe's friend.
Maricar sneered and fixed Chloe's messed up hair, “Aren't you a professional fashion vlogger?”
Chloe slapped the hand on her hair.
“What about it? Don't try to cover up your issues!”
Maricar turned around to the students and yelled, “You're all following this bitch on social media for fashion content, am I right? Isn't it a shame that she can't even tell I was wearing the non-transferable lipstick she just advertised in that picture?”
It was her edge. The lipstick color was a bit darker from the kiss marks on the guy.
Maricar added, “What a fake news peddler! If I were you, I wouldn't believe this kind of seller!”
“Shut up!”
“You shut up!” Maricar finally bursted out.
She was waiting for it.
“I was putting you up all the time on your stupid assumptions over my life. You never thought I would fight back this hard, did you?”
They both battled stares, until Maricar smiled.
She looked at Chloe's friend and walked towards her.
Frightened with what she saw, her legs were shaking in fear.
Maricar smiled sweetly, “Next time, find a better friend who doesn't humiliate your boyfriend. And find a better boyfriend who doesn't sneak out to a bar without you then flirt with tons of girls inside.”
As she left the scene, Chloe charged towards her and gave her a slap. But Maricar instinctively stopped her hand and slapped her instead.
The crowd gasped, some screamed from the high-pitch noise. It was the climax of the fight.
“Don't you really get it, Chloe?”
Chloe tried to escape but Maricar just held her wrist tightly, “O-Ouch!”
“Hurts, doesn't it? It would hurt more if you try to fight back. It's not your revenge time.”
A faculty of the college who happened to pass by the commotion suddenly shouted, “What's going in here!?”
Instantly, students who were gossiping dispersed away. The faculty went to the two girls fighting.
Maricar let go of Chloe who was holding her right cheek. It was red from the two slaps she just received on the same side.
They were brought to the Office of Student Assistance and Affairs, waiting for the guidance counselor.
Chloe was crying, being consoled by her friend. Maricar, however, was calm and her arms were crossed. She was looking at the culprit with the eyes she showed Chloe earlier.
She doesn't care about this bad record on her name, she wants to teach someone a lesson whatever it takes.
The guidance counselor arrived, looking stressed. Her eyebrows were almost going to meet each other.
She was having her breakfast when she was called. It's a bad timing for a fight to happen.
Chloe broke the silence, “Mrs. Lamitan, we–”
The guidance counselor raised her hand to stop her.
Maricar crossed her legs and placed both of her hands on her knee. Mrs. Lamitan looked at her with a smile and said, “Ms. Geron, you may go home. You are automatically absent on all of your classes today.”
Chloe's friend was shocked in disbelief and reacted, “Ma'am, this is not fair! How come you release her when she assaulted my friend?”
Mrs. Lamitan glanced at her, “Your friend here will only receive her first warning and one hour of community service in the university while Ms. Geron's father asked me to let him discipline his child. I think that's not gonna be easy for her.”
Still can't accept the decision, Chloe joined her friend, “But ma'am, she should also be doing that university punishment thing! That's written in the handbook!”
“I didn't say she is requited from doing such punishment, Ms. Paraico. Since you wanted it to be fair, do you want me to call your father and let you go home, too?”
They both shut up and didn't pry further. Maricar, who was just listening to them, left and thanked the guidance counselor before going to the terminal.
She knows her fate at this point. The moment Maricar did that scandalous act, she already accepted her father's punishment.
As she steps inside the premises of his father's mansion, she knows Mr. Geron won't let her in.
Maricar sat on the bench in the terminal and waited for a bus. Her father won't give her free rides anymore.
A moment later, her phone rang.
Mr. Geron called. Maricar rolled her eyes.
Pierre who was walking to the same terminal was on a call with his superior.
Heading to the old campus for his competition, Pierre was a little late for the opening ceremony. However, he can't ignore his boss.
Mr. Tan, Pierre's boss, asked him to be part in a project that may give the young man a good start on his career.
It's a lucrative offer but Pierre's circumstances can't handle such work.
He smiled and said, “Mr. Tan, I would love to accept your offer. But my dorm would cut the power by 11 in the evening. I think I can't give the team much benefit.”
Pierre sat beside Maricar who has no intention of answering her phone.
Mr. Tan still tried to pursue his most promising team member, (Mr. Villanueva, this is a great opportunity for you to be a regular employee after you graduate. I already recommended you to the director on the possibility of giving you a position three ranks higher than what we hire. We really value your capabilities and skills in this project. If you want to accept this job, I suggest you to rent an apartment outside your campus for you to have time for yourself in this job.)
Pierre knew it's a chance for him to have a great job before he may graduate. But he is still not sure if there are apartments outside available.
Maricar sighed loudly, grabbing the attention of the young man beside her.
He doesn't recognize that the lady was the one who made his life a disaster that night. He must've forgot how she looked because of how he felt and how fast everything happened.
Pierre look at the phone ringing and tapped her shoulder. As she glanced at him with a frown on her face, he was thinking twice on reminding Maricar.
“Your phone.”
She looked at her gadget and pressed the volume down button. Maricar thought it was loud that it has interrupted his call.
Pierre was speechless.
‘This girl must be in a bad mood.’
He went back to his superior and asked, “Mr. Tan, you're going to start it next week, am I right?”
Mr. Tan grunted on the other line, (What's the problem?)
He saw a bus from a distance. It's time to go.
Pierre smiled and asked quickly, “Can I give you the answer three days later? I still have my competition today for three days. I don't have time to find a suitable place for me before it.”
He stood up, so is Maricar. They waited as the bus stopped in front of them. Pierre had high hopes to hear a positive response.
His wish was granted, the manager agreed and ended the call before the bus doors opened.
Maricar answered her father as the ringing wouldn't stop.
She annoyingly answered, “What?”
She saw a hand reaching for hers in front. Maricar didn't hesitate to take it as her father shouted through the phone.
(You are grounded, young lady!)
Pierre was confused as he looked what happened.
He was about to take his wallet at that time when she held his hand.
Both of them only realized when Maricar got on the bus. They froze, still holding each other's hands and staring at each other's eyes.