The School Festival part VI

Daniel:( Man I messed up big time there, I definitely should not have done that. Knowing how spiteful Sai is she will definitely try something to get back at me. What she's going to do is the question.)

Leaning on the wall next to a vending machine in a secluded corner of the school, Daniel pondered about the actions he had committed a few moments ago. Were they really for the best. He had spoken against someone so much higher than him on the social ladder, there were definitely going to be repercussions for what he had done, after all that's how the world worked. Every action has a consequence.

Throwing away the can of juice he finished, he slapped himself and with a new found determination declared

Daniel:" Now's not the time to be worrying about myself, the bonfire must continue. I can think about myself after that."

Immediately as he said that, his phone started ringing as he picked it up and answered.

Jasmine:" I just got all the necessary documents for the bonfire tonight. How's everything on your end?"

Daniel:" The materials should be ready by 5pm, that good enough for you?"

Jasmine:" Of course.....I'm surprised though, how did you manage to get all the materials we need in less than a day."

Smirking to himself, Daniel put on a proud stance as he declared

Daniel:" I am a genius after all and I have my ways."

Jasmine:" I hope you didn't threaten people to get you the materials."

Daniel:" What kind of person do you think I am?"

Jasmine:" To me you seem like the kind of person who would do whatever it takes to get what he wants."

Daniel:" What am I? A mafia member now?"

Jasmine:" Don't be ridiculous, you have to be intimidating to be in the mafia."

Daniel:" Well then I'm sure they would let you in any day then."

There was a short pause as both parties stood still, unsure of what to say next.

Jasmine:" Anyways I'll be arriving back in school in about 20 minutes, meet me in the committee meeting room, we have some leftover matters to discuss."

Daniel:" Alright."

Jasmine"..... Thanks Daniel for helping me out."

The slightly flustered voice permeated through his ears as his eyes instantly lit up. Was the cold calm and collected Jasmine finally warming up? These questions filled his brain as he stood there unable to speak. Regaining his composure he smiled and gave a short reply

Daniel:" Don't mention it."

Putting his phone back into his pocket, Daniel sighed as he rushed downstairs to check on the whether the materials he needed was ready. Rushing to the shed he saw three familiar faces.

Daniel:" How's the work going?"

Michael:" I will never forgive you for making me do this, I'm extremely exhausted moving logs all over the place."

Thomas:" You helped us out a lot though thanks for that." Carrying three logs out of the shed was Thomas, one of Daniels friend in the same group.

James:" Yeah seriously though, your request was so sudden. We barely had any time to prepare this, it's a miracle we managed to make it in time."

Daniel:" Thanks for this guys, i appreciate it."

James:" No need to get so sentimental about it, relax I'm just repaying a favour I owe you, that's all."

Daniel:" Someone here isn't being honest with himself I see."

Thomas and James, both in the schools camping club. Although they will be the clubs only members after their seniors leave the club. It wouldn't be very appropriate to call it a club anymore.

Thomas:" Well since the camping club will be disbanded next month, we might as well use all these spare materials we have for something."

Daniel:" What do you guys plan to do once the clubs gone."

Thomas:" Well we're gonna have way more spare time than usual so I might make more gaming videos."

James:" I'll have more time to watch political debates."

Daniel:" You know sometimes you two make me question whether this is really a camping club or not."

James&Thomas:" Of course it is!"

Michael:" Hello? You guys gonna help me or am I just going to continue working by myself."

Not even paying any attention to Michael the three continued their small talk

Michael:" STOP IGNORING ME."

As the four carried the materials to the main square where the bonfire was suppose to be at, they ran into Jasmine.

Jasmine:" Wow you actually got the materials, impressive for someone like you."

Daniel:" I can't tell if that's praise or you're insulting me."

Jasmine:" Anyways we have 2 hours left, let's get back to work. Daniel meet me at the committee room once you're done."

Michael flashed me a smile similar to that of the one I flashed him yesterday.I Immediately slapped him on the back.

Michael:" Ouch no need to get so defensive about you're alone time with her."

Daniel:" There's nothing but work when it comes to her."

A while later, finished with his work, Daniel made his way up the staircase when he was stopped by his phone ringing. Taking it out of his pocket he answered the call.

Daniel:" What's up we just saw each other."

Michael:" Check instagram now." saying nothing else, Michael hung up.

Daniel:" What's up with that?" Confused, Daniel opened up social media and immediately understood what was going on.

Smiling to himself and proceeding to laugh to himself.He whispered softly.

Daniel:" So that's your move huh, should have known you were the type of person to do that."

Opening the door to the room, Daniel saw Jasmine there standing as usual with her usual calm and collected composure. Her hair was let down and she was wearing reading glasses and glancing at some papers. Watching her was almost entrancing for Daniel but he quickly snapped out of it and made his presence known.

Daniel:" Everything ready?"

Surprised, Jasmine quickly responded normally.

Jasmine:" Yeah, everything should go according to plan with this."

Shocked and her response and complete lack of emotions, Daniel asked

Daniel:" Do you have social media?"

Jasmine:" Yes? Why?"

Daniel:" Nothing." Realising what was going on, Daniel decided not to disrupt her current fragile state of mind and let her focus on work."

Jasmine:" Alright then let's finish this school festival with a bang."

Daniel:" Yeah....''

As they walked down to the school yard to see the school gathered there. The bonfire was about to begin and everyone had gathered for the opening ceremony.

Rosalia:" You guys are late! For something the committee planned I'm surprised you guys weren't on time."

Daniel:" We were finishing up some stuff don't mind us."

Jasmine:" Yeah."

Rosalia:" Anyways let's all go watch the fire and closing ceremony, I got us a pretty nice spot. Jasmine too, you should come with us."

Jasmine:" Eh? Me too? It's okay I can.."

Cutting her off mid speech Rosalia dragged her off to the spot she reserved as Michael walked up from behind me.

Michael:" Yo let's go, I wanna enjoy all the hard work I put in."

Forgetting everything at that moment, I smiled and walked with him to the spot and got ready for the closing ceremony.

As the fire was lit and cheers erupted from all directions, I stared at the fire at first congratulating myself on all the hard work I had put in to get here, but another part of me turned to Jasmine at the corner. Smiling and talking as usual with her friends, but I could sense especially now how fake that act was. There was a looming feeling of sadness that permeated from her, almost like there was an aura of melancholy. As she retreated further back away from the crowds of students I couldn't help but follow her, my mind probably still curious to get her side of the story regarding what I saw.

Walking towards her I could see the sadness show on her face already. Staring at the ground trying to keep everything in but you just can't. I know that feeling all too well.

Daniel:" Why are you standing here? The one who did the most work should enjoy it."

Jasmine looked up and quickly composed herself. It was almost frightening at times how quickly this girl could change her personality, even I can't do it that fast.

Jasmine:" I'm just resting. Running around the whole day would tire anyone out."

Watching her continue to put up that act was almost sickening in a way, maybe it was simply because I knew this wasn't her or maybe because I wanted her to be honest and tell me the truth, either way I mustered up enough courage to ask her a question.

Daniel:" I'm surprised you can be so calm after seeing what Sai had posted."

Immediately her face changed to that of despair, the same one I had seen before. At that moment I felt as if it was just the two of us there, the loud cheers and even the huge bonfire seemed to no longer matter.

Jasmine:" ...So you saw it already huh?"

Daniel:" Something that big would be spreading like wildfire. I think the entire school already knows."

What I had saw when I opened up my phone and saw Sai's post was a simple picture. One of a girl, dressed in a middle school uniform with twin tails and huge glasses, at first I didn't recognise this person at all. But then I saw the caption underneath the post and it all became clear to me.

Daniel:" I didn't know you and Sai were that close huh?"

Jasmine:" Back in year one that is."

Daniel:" So you listened to her every demand because you didn't want these pictures to be leaked."

Daniel:( To me it might not seem like a big deal, but to someone as self-conscious and insistent about maintaining her current persona of a normal high schooler. This would be a big deal. Then again I wouldn't want others seeing how I behaved in my first year here, it's a dark past I wouldn't want others to dig up. For a girl this feeling is probably amplified to the max.)

Daniel:" I didn't know you were the nerd type back in middle school."

Jasmine:" I dressed like that up until the end of middle school when I wanted an image change."

Daniel:" More accurately, society forced you to change huh?"

Jasmine:" If you phrase it in your kind of vocabulary then yes."

Daniel:( So that's the truth about her, an embarrassing past she didn't want anyone to know about. But did Sai leak those photos beacuse of what I said? Did she do it in an attempt to spite me and get the last laugh. Damn I lost that battle!)

Turning towards Jasmine with a monotone expression I bowed my head and said

Daniel:" I'm sorry."

She looked at me with a confused expression almost like she was witnessing something for the first time in her life.

Jasmine:" For?"

Daniel:" On my way to get permission from the teachers, I ran into Sai and she asked me if I wanted to know about your relationship with her. She then accused me of liking you and I got provoked and fired a retort at her....." As I continued the story, Jasmines expression did not change at all, an expressionless face staring at the ground.

When I was finished with telling what happened she simply look at me and said

Jasmine:" It's not your fault, I should have known that my secret was never safe with her, it was only a matter of time before she would leak it eventually."

Confused and maybe slightly irked at how she still kept up the ironclad defense around I asked

Daniel:" How can you stay so calm despite all this? Doesn't it hurt? To wonder what will happen to you now. What people will think of you. She ruined your social reputation, I'm surprised your not even mad, or is this another act?"

Silently she stood there as I got mad again and started telling her all the things a normal person would feel in this situation. But she simply responded with

Jasmine:" What do you want me to say? I don't really have much to say to defend myself, I lied about who I was and she simply exposed that lie. Letting my emotions get out of hand is something I will not succumb to....yeah something I will never fall victim to.." As she her voice started to fade, she finally looked up and what I saw will forever shock me no matter how many times I recall it.

Tears slowly streaming down her face, it wasn't a breakdown but rather she was trying her hardest to hold back the tears as they slowly streamed down. Immediately covering her eyes she seemed equally as shocked as me. This was the first time I saw her like this and it served as a reminder for me. She's a person as well. It seems so obvious but I had almost forgotten she was someone capable of feeling emotions, she was so good at acting that she almost deceived me with her ice queen persona. But at this moment, as I watched her struggle to hold back the tears as she tried to comprehend what was happening.One thing seemed clear to me

Daniel:( Her body gave out before her mind did. Though she kept telling herself she was fine and while her mind probably did believe that which explains why she was equally as shocked as me when she started crying. Her body just couldn't take it anymore, running around the whole day had already drained her stamina, now this happens,she was probably exhausted after all that had happened and once she wasn't distracted by work or the people around her, her body just gave in. Watching her like this was somehow sad. I felt anger within me, why was someone who just wanted to live a normal school life being treated this way. All for some popular person.)

For Daniel, the sight of someone suffering because of the actions of a popular person only further proved his views and points. Popular people are nothing but jerks, assholes who toy with others for their own amusement. This anger was familiar, he felt it many times watching those he considered normal have their worlds come crashing down because of the actions of some popular person. How he stood there on the sidelines time and time again, forced to watch, wanting to defend that person but never mustering up the courage to do so. Here he was, having mustered up the courage to talk back to a popular person for the first time in his life but the result didn't change. Once again here he was watching from the sidelines as someone he admired for their determination and drive to keep up an act, all for the sake of fitting into a more socially acceptable personality have their world come crashing down. There would be no recovering from this socially. In the world of school society, one mistake meant certain doom, no matter how much you try to change your image. None of it will help, people will forever remember you for that one thing. Such was the nature of people, you could do a thousand good deeds but commit one sin and you'll be branded as a horrible person. Scum of society.

Jasmine:" Sorry I'm not feeling too well, I'm gonna head home first."

As she trudged away towards the committee room to get her bag and head home, a sudden weakness overtook Jasmine as she felt her eyes slowly close as she began to lose control of her movements.

Daniel:" Are you okay?"

Jasmine:" I'm fine..."

As she collapsed to the ground, Daniel immediately ran to the nurses office as they carried her to the infirmary. She was resting in the infirmary as Daniel sat outside waiting, her parents were currently both overseas and her guardian couldn't be reached. Feeling responsible for causing this, Daniel offered to wait for her and see her home safely, since both their families got quite acquainted after becoming neighbours. Daniels mum even offered to check on her until her guardian could be contacted.

As I sat outside the the infirmary, pondering and taking in everything that had just happened. i couldn't help but blame myself, if I hadn't spoken up maybe things would have gone differently. His rational mind had used the same argument as Jasmine, that eventually this would have happened. But the sense of guilt remained.

Michael walked up towards me tossing me a can of coffee and asked me a few questions. As I explained certain details to him, I vented out my own frustrations at Sai and school society, all while Michael sat and listened.

Michael:" I feel bad for her. Everyone can tell how hard she worked for this school festival, for it to end like that for her is just cruel."

Daniel:" The world just won't let certain people rest even after all the effort they put in."

Michael:" I hope things get better no matter how bleak they might seem."

Daniel:" Same here."

Michael:" Alright I'm gonna head home, it's getting pretty late. See ya man take care of yourself."

Daniel:" Thanks for the coffee."

Michael:" Least I could do."

Walking off and fading away from view, Daniel smiled at finally having released all the pent up aggression he built up as he smiled. His attention fully on whether Jasmine was okay.

After about another half hour passed, the infirmary room door opened as Jasmine stumbled out clearly having just woken up.

Daniel rose to his feet and asked

Daniel:" You alright there? You shouldn't be immediately moving around after you collapsed."

Jasmine:" What happened?"

Just then the nurse walked over and immediately told her to go back and rest a while longer. as we all walked into the infirmary, I grabbed a chair and sat down as the nurse explained that she had passed out from exhaustion and her body was clearly overworked and that she was to get as much as rest as possible. Leaving the room, I sat there quietly wanting to let her rest but then she asked me.

Jasmine:" Aren't you gonna look at me with disgust like the rest? For lying and making up such a fake self?" She said clearly shaken up looking down towards the ground again.

Daniel:" Why would I?" I said still pretending to read the book in my hand.

Shocked she looked up in astonishment as if I just said something weird

Daniel:" Why would I judge you for putting on such a persona when I do it myself, I have no right nor desire to judge you. I'm pretty sure there are many people exactly like me, who wouldn't judge you for what happened in your past."

Jasmine:"How do you know that?" She asked with eyes similar to that of a child longing for his parents to bring him to the playground, full of hope.

Daniel:" Because I'm one of them, sitting far away watching those I respected get torn down, unable to do anything."

Daniel closed his book as he faced Jasmine and with eyes full of resolve said

Daniel:" I don't judge someone from their past, of course you can learn a lot about a person from their past actions and what they have been through. But to say the past defines you is fundamentally flawed. Humans are defined by change, one moment we act one way and the next we act differently. I look at my own experience with someone and whether it was good or not and base most of my judgments from there. You could say it's flawed but in reality is there really a 100% accurate way to determine what someone's personality is like? No because people are more complicated than that. The nice guy who's always ready to help might just be manipulating you for his own goals and the cool and confident person might actually be the most insecure."

Jasmine:" I thought your view dictated that all popular people are jerks but using what you just said they could just be victims of their own insecurities."

Daniel:" That's true but the distinction lies at how they deal with those insecurities. Those who act fine and nice or cool and confident I have nothing against. But attacking and declaring superiority over others for your own self validation is just wrong and is what separates the ones I respect from the ones I despise. That's why I have no reason to despise you nor turn away from you in disgust. In fact you have my admiration, someone like you holding onto all those insecurities and living your life as normal, that takes some serious will and drive. The fact that you've been doing it alone is even more impressive."

Still looking down and silent, Jasmine began to grip the sheets of the resting bed as a few drops of tears began to fall.

Daniel:( Shit did I say something bad again, ah you messed up again man)

All of sudden she started giggling to herself and laughing. Shocked and speechless I looked up at her as she lifted her head and stared me directly in the eyes, with a relieved smile on her face she says

Jasmine:" Thanks Daniel!"

Those words alone made him flustered beyond belief as he struggled to collect himself

Daniel:" I'm just doing what I believe is right, I don't deserve your thanks."

Smiling as he said that Daniel looked towards the setting sun and heaved a sigh of relief.

Daniel:( So it's finally over huh the hectic school festival, it was so much more of a hassle than I thought it would be. But I'm glad I went through it. I'm glad I was on the committee.)

Turning back to Jasmine, that same girl who had impacted his life in such a fast and dramatic way, but a positive one he believed, he asked

Daniel:" Alright let's head home, your parents are probably worried sick waiting for you to call them."

Jasmine:" Yep. Let's go."

As they picked up their bags and walked off into the distance the sun sets on the school festival as they walked towards the next chapter of their high school life.

AN: hello everyone thanks so much for reading the last chapter of the school festival arc and the first arc of the story is complete thank you all so much for making it this far, I will continue to pump out new arcs. Please do read the epilogue I will be releasing before the start of the second arc thanks once again for reading