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CHAPTER 3- SUCH IS LIFE
Berkeley School
New York City
The Same Day
-Aerith-
"Hey, freaks!" one of the jocks shouted. Claudine and I both jumped at the sudden noise. We were sitting in the bleachers as we waited for gym class to start. The quarterback of the school was the one who shouted and he was now staring at us. He flexed all of his muscles in an attempt to intimidate. It had the other girls swooning but it just made me feel disgusted.
"Fuck off, Bryan," Claudine said.
I pinched her arm slightly and motioned her to stop. These were not the people we were supposed to be messing with. And how right I was. Bryan's jock friends immediately surrounded Claudine and me and hauled us upright. Then they proceeded to drag us outside.
"Time for a little game," Bryan whispered in a menacing tone.
They brought us outside where all their friends stood waiting. They forced us to sit on a chair while the jocks held us in place with their arms like steel clamped around ours. I struggled but to no avail. I even tried kicking one of them on the shin but he was able to dodge it.
"This ought to do the trick," I heard a new voice say. It was none other than Sarah. I groaned when I saw that she held a bottle of black hair dye in her hand.
"Please don't!" I cried.
I already knew what happened with hair dyes.
I, myself, have tried it a bunch of times before. I tried to color my hair so it won't stand out as much with hopes that it would actually stop people from picking on me. But whatever artificial color I placed on my hair, the next time I took a bath, it was rinsed off as though it was nothing but shampoo and my hair was back to its usual color. Not even a trace of the dye existed.
Magic? Probably not. Maybe a weird genetic defect just like the color of my eyes.
"No, please!" I tried one last time.
Then, the perfect, pretty girls proceeded to pour the dye over my head. For Claudine, they poured orange juice all over her. Claudine shrieked at the top of her lungs but the other people in the gym just looked away as though nothing was happening. They were too afraid to cross these aesthetically perfect people who basically got away with everything.
The bell rang and they left us alone with huge smirks on their faces.
"I hate them," Claudine whispered. "One day, I'd make them pay," she hissed. She looked like she was about to cry and also murder someone at the same time.
"Just let it go, C. No use harboring an emotion as strong as hate for people like those," I answered.
Such is life.
Everyone had problems and everyone had things they were going through. For me and Claudine, this was it. I'm guessing those people who were bullying us were so insecure about themselves that this was their only outlet. Or maybe they also had a lot of issues back home and this is how they're acting out.
It didn't make what they're doing right. I guess it just stops me from harboring hate or totally breaking down because I sort of understand them. It also stops me from becoming bitter towards life in general.
My friend sighed. "You're right. Let's just go home," she suggested. Now that the jocks were gone, we were free to move. "Yeah," I agreed. I stood up and Claudine handed me a box of tissues from her bag so that I could wipe the dye from my face. We had limited number of tissues but I tried to wipe away as much as I could.
"I'll ask my driver to pick us up," Claudine told me as she called her driver from her phone.
A few minutes later, a limo came and picked us up. I glared at my best friend. "Really, this one?" I asked sarcastically.
"Yep," she replied. She winked and blew me a kiss.
"Yeah this isn't really flashy or fancy at all." I nudged her and we both laughed. I climbed in while Claudine's driver went to retrieve my bike and then stashed it in the trunk.
Slowly, because of the huge amount of traffic, we made our way back to Claudine's manor.
"You know, C. Every single time I come here to your house, I'm still struck by its beauty and I still can't get over how rich you are." I laughed. She lived in a freaking mansion. It had high walls surrounding the main house and the lawn stretched as far as the eye could see. Inside, it was even more luxurious. Everything seemed to be shiny and expensive.
"Well, get over it already," Claudine replied jokingly. And then she sighed. "But you know the price of all of this, A," Claudine said and waved a hand to indicate all the lavish furniture around us.
Yeah, I knew.
Claudine was an orphan. She had everything she could ever want for but her only company is me. She had three old aunts who handled the trust fund her parents left her but she rarely saw them because they were very busy. I saw them twice all my life and they were very creepy. They looked at me as though they could see into my very soul and that sent shivers up my spine.
I sighed and hugged her. "But you know you have me, right?"
I've known Claudine for a really long time. I first met her when we were in kindergarten. She sat beside me and instantly became my friend. She stayed with me through thick and thin. Actually, I don't know how I would've made it this far without her.
"Hey, what is this? A pity party? Let's just go play some Kinect. After we shower, of course" Claudine suggested while wrinkling her nose at me. Then, she quickly pulled me to her room. I took a shower and afterwards, we played and danced on Kinect for hours.
-♔-
When it was already dark, I donned my hat over my hair again and then said goodbye to Claudine. I retrieved my bike and made my way back to my foster mother's house which was a short bike ride away from Claudine's place.
The moment I got home, I climbed onto bed and took my old, battered, white teddy bear from the stand beside my bed and hugged it tight. This bear was very special to me. I just couldn't sleep without it.
For a long time, I tossed and turned as sleep eluded me. My head was filled with thoughts and plans for the future.
It was my birthday tomorrow and I was going to be eighteen. My foster mother has been telling me to move out – her hints weren't subtle at all – and I know I should but my savings still won't be able to cover the deposit for the apartment I wanted to rent. I needed more time.
Claudine offered me to live with her but she's already done so much for me and I don't want to be that friend who leeched off her friend. Besides, her lifestyle was so much different from mine and I don't know where I'll fit in.
Also, there was the matter of college. Right now, I'd need to work three more jobs just to be able to afford living and college expenses. I could take a student loan but then that would just bury me in debt for the rest of my life. I really wanted to go to college but it seems I have to work first to save up and then maybe try college about two or three years from now.
I took another look at my teddy bear. "What am I supposed to do?" I whispered. It just stared at me with its beady eyes. I hugged it tighter as I recalled the time it was given to me.
-♔-
I was seven years old and it was Valentine's Day.
I came to school wearing the usual hand-me downs I got from my foster parents while other girls came to school wearing their best red dresses. The boys were dressed up nicely too. At first I thought it looked really funny but when gifts and chocolates got exchanged, suddenly it wasn't so funny anymore.
"Look, I got a card!" one of my classmates shouted and opened the card for everyone to see.
The words 'I think you're pretty. I like you.' was written inside the card.
I waited and waited but the day drew to a close and still, I received nothing. Worst yet, my classmate Sarah told me, "Poor you. No one likes Aerith. You're too weird and ugly. Not even a single card or chocolate for you," she taunted as she gobbled up all the chocolate she received from the boys. She also had lots of cards and flowers held up in her mean, little fingers.
Defeated, I just bowed my head and began my long walk home. I stopped by the park near my foster parents' house and sat at the swing.
Then I can't help it anymore and I began to cry.
"Why does nobody like me?" I sobbed. "Am I really too ugly?" I asked the frog that peeked at me from beneath the bushes.
I cried and cried that whole afternoon. I was so jealous of the other girls.
Suddenly, I heard leaves rustling. I looked at the nearby tree and saw a boy about my age who was wearing a black shirt and black pants hiding behind it.
"Hey! Who are you?" I shouted. He jumped and then looked behind him.
"Yeah, you. Who else, buddy?" I called out.
He looked confused for a second. He took a step back as though wanting to hide further but seemed to think the better of it and stepped forward instead. He started walking towards me. He had black hair and when he came close, I saw that his eyes looked grey.
"I shouldn't be here," he whispered, mostly to himself.
"Well then, go home! Your parents might be looking for you," I told him.
He shook his head. "Why are you crying?" he asked in a soft tone.
"Because it's Valentines and nobody likes me!" I shouted and then the tears fell once more.
"What is this Valentines?" he asked me curiously.
I lifted my head and scowled at him. "Are you like an alien or something? Everybody knows what Valentines' day is! It's the day of hearts or love. It's when boys give girls flowers or chocolates or cards. That tells the girl that the boy likes her!" I shouted and then gave him a look which I hoped told him how stupid he was.
"So you are crying because no one gave you anything?" he asked.
"Yes! Do you have to rub it in my face?" I answered and the boy laughed. Instantly, I felt my tears turn into anger. How dare he laugh at me? I felt my face flame and I stood up and prepared to lash out.
"No. But then again the day isn't at an end yet, right?" he asked.
Somewhat placated, I sat back on the swing. "Yes," I agreed.
I watched as the boy placed his hands behind his back and then brought it forward. Suddenly, he was holding out a teddy bear with violet irises and fur as white as snow towards me. I blinked and stared. It was so cute!
"Hey, where did that come from?" I asked, curious.
He just shrugged. "Magic." I looked at the bear. It was so fluffy and it had eyes the same color as mine.
"Come on, take it. It's for you," he urged.
With a small smile, I accepted his gift. I hugged it to my chest and kissed its cute, little nose. Suddenly, the day wasn't so bad. It was like the rain has stopped and the sun peeked out of the clouds together with a rainbow. I smiled at the boy as I hugged the bear tightly.
"Thank you," I said graciously.
"Now for the chocolates, I was thinking maybe we could share it?" He told me and then opened a box of chocolate hearts. For a brief moment, I wondered where it came from again. But hunger and curiosity quickly wiped that thought away.
"Yes! We could share!" I nodded to him. Then I grabbed a piece and ate it. "This is so delicious!" I exclaimed.
"I agree. This tastes exquisite. I've never had this before," he said as he looked at the chocolate curiously. He chewed slowly as though savoring it.
"Riiiiiight. Don't be offended but why do you talk like that?" I asked while munching on more chocolate hearts.
"Like what?"
"Like you're a grown up or something. You talk like an old person. You talk like a grandpa," I pointed out. The boy just shrugged.
"What's your name?" I asked him. For a brief moment, he looked panicked.
"I can't tell you," he replied with a long, heavy sigh. "I shouldn't be here," he repeated.
He looked at me again and I saw that the confusion was back. "Err. Okay, then. It's late and your parents might be looking for you. Anyway, thank you for the bear and for the chocolates, but I have to go home now. My foster parents will be looking for me," I told him as I slid off the swing.
"Goodbye. Til' we see each other again," the boy told me. He smiled and for the first time in my life, I got the butterflies.
I tilted my head to the side and looked at him. There's something different about him. He looked as though he was my age but he looked like none of the boys in my class. There was something about his eyes.
"When will I see you again?" I asked.
He gave me a small smile as he slid his hands inside his pockets. "Soon," he replied.
"Okay. Goodbye for now, then!" I flashed him one last smile and then turned around and walked home while clutching my new teddy bear.
"Goodbye..."
After a few steps, I looked back but he was already gone.
-♔-
My lips tilted upwards in a small smile as I recalled that particular memory.
I did not know back then that it would be my one and only Valentine's Day. After that year, I never received any gifts or chocolates again and no boy talked to me or even shown any interest. If one boy attempted to, bad things happened to him and then he quickly started avoiding me like the plague. And after some time, word got around about me and the terrible luck that fell on whoever tried to get close. Because of that no one approached me at all for they considered me cursed.
This is why Claudine is my only friend.
Funny how a small rumor about someone changes their whole lives.
With a heavy sigh, I just hugged the bear closer and then closed my eyes and went to sleep.
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Date posted: April 5, 2018 (GMT + 8)
Next update here on Wattpad: April 12, 2018
Chapters already available on Inkitt as of today: 20
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