ANNA HELD A LARGE BOOK, with both hands-as it was heavy, and read it. Well, at least she tried.
She stood by the window of the busy hallway, peeking behind the books to see if the prince was around.
The earlier night, she overheard him telling Ella, over the phone, how much he loves to read books. When Ella excitedly told him that she did too, they were discussing about it almost the whole night.
And yes, today, in her hands was this big physics book she borrowed from the library to show the prince that she can read too.
Anna tried reading one more paragraph but she had no clue what she was reading. Something about dynamics? It made her head spin in boredom and frustration.
She can't do it anymore. Even if it's for the prince. Reading is too boring.
She slammed the book closed and headed to class instead.
She saw her friends sitting far away from their usual seats. These days, they had become distant.
She can't let that happen, she alone wasn't enough to attract attention on her own. She need minions. Different types of rumors had been spreading that made people give her weird looks.
But, before she can approach and try to make conversation, the professor entered.
Guess I have to do it during lunch break.
She saw a girl sitting in her seat,
"Move" Anna commands
.
The girl scowls at her and folds her arms in defiance. Anna grinds her teeth, she's really losing her touch. She had enough of being looked down on. This is never going to happen again.
If the professor wasn't already in the room, she would've pulled the girl by her hair and drug her out.
The other students were already settling down so she had to act fast.
She glances at the professor to see if he was looking and when she realized he was busy arranging papers, she took that chance to make her move.
Anna grabbed the girl's handbag and threw it in the back not caring what was in it or where it landed.
The girl gasped and stood up to face her, Anna, who had a smug grin on her face.
I'm always going to be the girl with power.
"What's going on there, settle down now." They heard the professor's voice.
"Sorry professor, my friend seems to have forgotten her seat and being a good friend, I'm showing her. It's actually there in the back, see your bag's there to prove it" Anna pointed to the table at the back where some nice students were picking up the bag for the poor girl.
"Bitch"
"Horrible"
She heard the class cursing her, defending the poor girl who can't meet Anna's eyes in embarrassment. She meekly makes her way to the back.
Anna rolled her eyes.
Get over it.
It's survival of the fittest. If she can't fight back, it's her damn fault. I'm just teaching her that.
'Like they used to teach you.' Gaga's voice echoed at the back of her mind.
And I've learnt. She replied her inner thought.
After class, Anna chased her friends who left class as soon as it was over,
"Hey, wait up" She calls, making the girls walk faster.
"What the hell" Anna finally caught up, now standing in front of them.
"We thought of going out" Vee said.
She knows what their actions are saying, they don't want her with them. Nonetheless, she had to try to push in anyway. She can't afford to lose them even if they don't click. She can't go back to the way it was before.
"Cool. Where?" she asked.
Heather sighed, "Look. It's best if we stay away from each other. You're wearing the same dress you wore last week."
Fuck. That's the lamest excuse. She could cry. Really. Are they 13?
"Bullsh*t. Just say the real reason you're ditching me"
"Fine" Heather snapped, "You always lie. You lie about the prince. It's low and embarrassing. Just admit that none of your crushes have ever liked you back and stop the nonsense. Gosh, it's embarrassing for us too as we used to hang out with you."
That hit her hard. Anna knew everything Heather said was true.
"People think that we do the same. So, it's best if we split now"
She knew that the people around were listening to what they were saying and whispering to each other. Old memories came back.
Standing alone, the other students laughing at her.
She wasn't that girl anymore. She isn't going to cling on something she can't have.
"Sure" she shrugged like she didn't care.
That must have surprised her fake friends by the way they were looking at her.
Expecting me to beg huh. Not going to happen.
She should probably do that or just leave but she isn't going to leave without a fight.
"Good luck to your new friendship. Let me give you some advice, Heather, don't call Vee a backbiter anymore since she's your bff now."
Heather paled and Vee gasped, looking at Heather in disbelief.
"And Vee, you'll stop thinking that Heather's mom sleeps around and that she does too. That's not nice since she's your new bff"
Heather turned at Vee, "My mom and I don't fu*king sleep around!" she shouts in outrage.
"What? You think that I'm a backbiter. We all know you are!"
Anna turned around with a laugh, leaving them to fight and get out of the building. People sent her a disgusted look, probably for ratting some secrets out.
That was too much but like she care.
Too bad, they just have to get used to me being the villain.
Boy, she was starving. She needed to get something good to eat.
............................................................
"Found you" Anna said as she spotted Hunter sitting under the shade and settled down beside him.
"Miss me?"
"Yeah, right. Where are your girlfriends?"
"Someone scared them away" he smiled.
Hmm. That's weird.
She had no idea what she was doing. Why she was searching for Hunter.
Maybe because he's the so-called villain and it makes her feel not so bad toor being judged around him.
"Heard the thing near the cafeteria?"
"Yeah that" News spread fast.
"Don't you think that's too much?"
"What? They deserve it" she said angrily. She thought he'd understand.
Hunter sighed,"You're trying too hard"
"Doing what. Talking?" she scowled.
"Trying to hide behind that mask"
Chills ran down her spine and her head snapped to his and found him unexpectedly calm.
"I'm not insecure"
Everyone told her that she's confident. Confidence is beautiful. And being confident makes her feel beautiful.
She stopped being the insecure girl long ago. He's just making it up she decided.
"You're not. You are a strong woman. But, you still have that vulnerability just like everybody else, no big deal. But, it's clear that you're trying way too hard to hide it"
Anna was speechless, her cheeks tinted pink as she realized that he's too good at reading her.
Way too good.
"You don't have to lash out at people to show your strength" he added like he was talking about the weather.
"Are you stalk- I mean observing me?"
"No. I was right, aren't I?" he leaned in close. Her heart was beating fast as she stared at his eyes. He knew too much. That makes her nervous. She had always been good at hiding her old self and she isn't ready to show it to anybody else after all these years.
"I didn't say that. You don't know shit about me"
"Okay" he grinned suddenly.
She glared at him in return, "You're annoying"
He shrugged in return.
She should probably run away. In dramatic anger so that he'll not talk about that in the future. Because that always works.
But, she's too tired, yet strangely she felt free.
Now, she'll be able to dream about Blake in peace. But, Blake wasn't really the one on her mind.
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