Have you ever felt that feeling of dread mixed with fear and then dismay? Have you ever felt that heart twisting and gut-wrenching emotion? That emotion that is so strong, the bravest human could crack under it? No? Well, that was how I was feeling.
Standing in one of Bloomville High's infamous abandoned classrooms, eyes wide and mouth gaping, I silently willed the image in front of me to go away, disappear, but of course, it didn't. It remained there, winking at me, mocking me. Suddenly, the reason for the strange stares I was receiving down the hallway made sense.
Is this what humiliation felt like? The news must have spread, and the students must be talking about it, no doubt. I could see the reputation I had worked so hard to build, the importance I was forced to make, crumble before my eyes. I blinked hard, hoping it was a trick of the light, but it was not. It was real, very much real, and in the hands of a fuming Melanie.
"I said, explain!" She gritted out.
I gaped at her, still trying to register what I saw. My gaze involuntarily wondered to Jarod and Layla, who both looked confused and hurt. I licked my lips, a nervous act I had once curbed, and tried to say something, anything. No words came out.
"Is it true?" Layla whispered.
I looked back at the picture and nodded.
"I...I can explain-"I stuttered but didn't get far as Melanie interrupted.
"Forget it. I can't believe I found out about this from social media. Some friend you are." She sneered and left the classroom. I tried to call her back, to apologize, but the words never came out as I watched my friend angrily storm away.
Layla didn't say a word, but I quickly read the hurt in her eyes. It rolled out of her in massive waves, cutting a piece in my heart as they reached me. She remained in the room a second longer before she followed Mel, her sniffles creating painful little wounds.
Jarod remained. He hadn't said a word, and I couldn't bring myself to meet his eye, not to talk of asking him why like Layla and Mel, he wasn't gone.
"We are friends. I know you are private and closed up about your personal life, but you should have told us. You should have trusted us. It's not fair to us that we had to find out through our phones." He muttered the same feeling I had felt from Layla and Mel evident in him.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you guys." I cried, desperate to get him to stay. He shook his head as if trying to clear his thoughts. His shoulders sagged like he was in pain as he spoke.
"I have to think."
And with that, Jarod left me alone in the empty class. I spent minutes staring at the spot my friends were. I had always prided myself on being emotionally distant from others. I had always thought that if I had to leave my friends, I would do so without any emotion. Well, I had envisioned that. Now, I wasn't so sure.
Like a slap back to reality, I checked my phone to see a picture of mother looking wretched and hitting me with the heel of her shoe. From the picture, I could clearly see her malicious smile and my apparent fear. The image was staring back at me, daring me to deny it.
The lump in my throat felt too heavy to swallow. I just lost my reputation and friends, and the day was just starting. I was doomed.
*******
My classes consisted of whispers around me and pointed fingers. Everyone had seen the picture and were now talking about it. Lunch was no better. Mel, Jarod, and Layla sat at our usual table, but I couldn't bring myself to share it with them.
I found an empty table by the wall and sat to quietly eat my lunch. Loud whispers about me being fake, and me not being so 'perfect' anymore surrounded me. High school students really were merciless when it came to gossip. I ignored it for a while, but then it became harsher and bolder. One bitch even came to my face to laugh at me.
I had had enough and was about to leave when Dwayne pulled himself a chair and started eating like everything was fine. I gaped at him, and the whole cafeteria went dead quiet as we watched Dwayne munch happily on a pizza.
"This is so good. You want some?" he moaned, offering me a half-eaten slice. I couldn't prevent the disgust on my face as I declined his offer. He gave me a half shrug and continued eating. I was done gaping at him, and so I asked,
"What are you doing?"
Dwyane looked at me like I was stupid and swallowed his food before answering.
"I'm eating, duh."
The urge to let out a loud sigh came at me firmly, but I stopped it right on time and stared at Dwyane.
"Didn't you see the picture?" I asked, maybe he was still here with me due to ignorance.
"I did." He answered simply while I continued to glare at him. "So?"
I squinted my eyes at him, trying to determine what his game was. Did he have a bet with someone approaching me, or did someone set him up to come me?
Dwayne noticed my scrutinizing gaze on him and sighed, dropping his last pizza slice. He scanned my face while I studied his.
"I saw the picture of your mother beating you up. It might be fake, and it might be the real deal, but I don't really care. Whichever it is, I am here because you need a friend, and until those three get their heads out of their own asses to realize that, I'll be here for you. I know this kind of thing is hard to face, so don't worry, I'm not here as a silly prank or to satisfy my curiosity. Now, please let me eat my lunch in peace without you boring holes into my skull?"
He didn't wait for my reply and launched straight back into his food, and after much contemplation on my part, I continued with mine.
Her gleeful cackling alerted me of her presence before I saw her. Rebecca walked in the cafeteria, looking all smug. I didn't have to guess who was responsible for the photo leakage.
Her eyes zoomed on mine, and she smirked at me. She was oozing smugness and pride, a terrible combination for someone like her.
Like the incident when she was humiliated by everyone, she stood on the cafeteria table. This time though, she was reprimanded by the kitchen staff. She got down, but the smile on her face remained.
"Students of Bloomville High," she boomed, her voice capturing everyone's attention. Her eyes skimmed through the crowd, meeting everyone's and finally fixing on me.
"I present to you, the real Monalisa. Not the one standing amidst you, no! But the broken girl in each and everyone one of your phones. She has been lying to your faces. Perfect? Confident? Bold? Ha! Those were all acts. I had tried to tell you all, but you humiliated me, for what? To protect that lying bitch?"
She moved to my former table and lowered herself on my former seat. She cast a glance at my friends before directing it to the remaining students while my friends regarded her warily.
"For people who claimed to be her friends, how does it feel finding out your 'friend' secret online. She didn't even trust you, huh? It must be hard knowing you're friends with a total stranger." she queried, her smile cheeky.
Jarod let out a mean growl at her, and she stood up, her hands up in surrender. I heard another growl from the table I was seated in, and I turned to see Dwayne glaring menacingly at Rebecca. I shot him a look to back off, and he surprisingly did.
I wasn't surprised when I turned back to see Rebecca sneering at me. I detected her hatred towards me, and it made me almost smile.
I shot her an annoyed look to which she responded with an icy one. She leaned closer to me, and by habit, I tensed. Rebecca noticed as her eyes shone with gladness, and she invaded my personal space.
"How does it feel Mona, to be the least favorite in the school? To not have anyone stand up to fight for you? I hope you enjoy this as I'm just getting started. I will make you pay for all the embarrassment and pain you caused me." She whispered and leaned back to watch me.
I didn't give her a reaction except for the blank face I had on. The only sign that her words had gotten to me was the tight balling of my fists under the table.
"Still keeping the tough girl act? We'll see how long you can last before you eventually break!" she scowled before sauntering off.
The cafeteria and the judgemental students it was harboring started to suffocate me. I stood up to leave, lifting my chin high as I fled. I didn't drop it till I was in the restroom, where I slumped on the floor and began to quietly cry.
High school drama was the worst.