CHAPTER TWELVE : New events

She chortled whilst her mind swooped down a memory lane. Back whereas Patrick had told her the school had a no-bullying policy.

All kinds of gossip were orbiting in the school.

"Is she the girl that murdered her parents? Man, what's the administration doing? Kick her out!!"

"Won't she confess already and end this drama, I'm getting tired of looking at her face every day!"

"I can feel the aura around her, it's so scary. If she really did it then she deserves to die."

They didn't strain to mind her emotions, or how daunted she became day by day. The girls were simping over Marcus and never hassled to stand by her side when he was practically being a racist over her.

They had a corrupt fantasy about him, someday that fantasy may enhance reality, they were ruthless. He was a cheater and a fucking useless piece of shit, more than it all; he was a bully and swayed the whole school for a fact that his parents were the prime donors, just like he made Alina the prime suspect in everyone's eyes.

"Jeez, why is she still alive? I hope she's outta here soon"

"She is still alive for a reason a bitch like you won't comprehend, and she won't get out because she did nothing wrong, the only person guilty here is you for framing her"

The girl was left speechless, he paced away from then circled back when she muttered.

"You've changed, that witch changed you. I thought we were best friends?

"No and no. We were never besties or whatever you call it, you just allowed yourself to treat me as yours"

He was aware of the huge crush she had on him. And he didn't care less if he broke her amoral heart.

The girl didn't give up easily, she invited the two to a game of never have I ever. Most of them were Alina's haters so they planted a recorder in the room and conspired against her, trying to get the poor girl to divulge her own secrets.

Alina let her guard down when they apologized, they seemed sincere. She didn't encounter many humans in her life to tell sanctimonious apols from the honest regrets.

"I'll begin," Said the girl who masterminded this operation. They wanted to catch Alina red-handed, as teenagers they felt like a part of a sting operation.

"Never have I ever committed a crime"

All of the index fingers were put down.

The game went on clockwise.

"Never have I ever done drugs"

Eren has put another finger down, he was the only one. Alina gazed at him with a look of amazement.

It was Lydia's turn, a quiet British girl who befriended everyone.

"Never have I ever put the blame on someone knowing well they were innocent, under the cover of joking and using as an excuse for my bullshit schemes, like the one going on right now!"

Alina studied her expressionless face, a didder was sent up her spine as Lydia seized her hand hauling her outside the room.

They were in the ladies' restroom when she finally spoke.

"Why did you do that? You know they're gonna come after you too!" Alina was drowning in guilt, but she abhorred the idea of someone feeling pity for her. It was pathetic.

"I couldn't stand it anymore. The idea of a wrong act occurring before my eyes! You can't expect me to do nothing about it"

They both sighed, not knowing they had just become friends.

They formed a friend group and promised to protect each other, at all costs. Alina didn't like the idea, she was scared something bad would happen and leave her unnerved. They were her first ever friends after Amanda, she wondered where she might be. Was she happy? Did she eat well?

She planned to ask her sister to use her power and find Amanda for her. Elizabeth still didn't reply the next day, Alina ignored her disquieted feelings about it.

She applied a new makeup over the old one she forgot to wipe the previous night, picked a dress out of the laundry, brushed her teeth, fixed her hair. She never has put much effort into her looks, she felt mystified.

Lydia was out and used honked three times for Alina to come outside.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck! I'm coming, jeez calm down!!"

A Starbucks drink was waiting for her on the car's cup holder.

"I didn't know your favorite drink so I brought you the one I like"

"I never had a Starbucks before"

"It's okay, you can catch up to that. Try this one!"

Alina took a sip thinking how other girls would giggle at her face and make fun of her over the same statement. Lydia was different.

"What the heck is that?! It's spicy!"

Lydia was about to tell her its name but she knew Alina wouldn't recognize it, instead, she said;

"Well, it's definitely not your favorite drink!"

"Lydia, I'm not sure about this party, I mean..."

"Relax! It'll be fun. People are busy partying hard, they don't have time to see if you're there"

"What if bullying me was part of their stupid partying?" Alina thought but she said nothing.

Lydia was remorseful when she saw her only real friend covered in whipped cream, she was wet, and her dress was ruined.

"It's my fault, I'm so sorry I forced you to do this, I.... I'm sorry" She sobbed like a child.

Alina, the only one who had the right to break down, was phlegmatic. She stared vacantly at Lydia.

"I can't go back home like this. Can I stay the night over?"

Lydia nodded, took off her leather jacket, and covered Alina with it. She buckled her up in her seat.

"I'll be right back"

She went back inside and cut off the DJ's wires. Everybody surveyed her like some kind of psycho.

"Stop it!" She felt like she was about to explode, she had no will to prevent it.

"You are the most worthless people I have ever seen. I can't believe I live amongst you all! The only ones who deserve to die aren't us but YOU! You useless pieces of shitty bitches!!"

"You know there are boys here too, or you're just as blind?" They laughed when some random guy felt like getting cool.

Lydia walked up to him and kicked him in the nuts. "You think you're funny? If you guys think he's funny, then you're all as fucked up as he is!!"

She spat on the floor, "Son of a bitch"

She went back to the car, feeling a little less bad.

"Why did the music stop," Alina asked her.

"Don't worry about it"

Alina took a bath, she called Selena to let her know she wasn't coming home that night.

She pretended to be asleep, so that Lydia would leave her alone. She stayed up the whole night thinking about her sister, that's how she avoids feeling daunted. It worked.

She imagined herself in a deserted island, with no other human being.

Just like Jean-Paul Sartre had said : "L'enfer c'est les autres"

Hell is the others.

"I didn't know you were rich" Alina muttered while eating a cookie.

"I'm not, they are rich" Said Lydia, making an omelet to herself. "Will you only have cookies for breakfast?"

"Why not? It's a Saturday!"

Lydia hummed.

"And don't worry about yesterday, I've been through worse. Don't blame yourself for what had happened"

"I know you went through worse, that's why you don't deserve what they did to you!"

"You just wanted me to have normal experiences as a teen. People like me don't get to be normal"

"But it's not fair!!" Lydia shouted.

"Let's change the subject, what's your program?"

"I don't have one, will stay with me if I give you more cookies,"

Alina didn't even think about it and replied instantly.

"Deal!!"