Lai

Tears streamed down my face as I curled up on my sofa. I'd managed to brush it off when they knocked into me or whispered words as I walked past. Even when they ruined my work, I let it go not wanting to make it worse, but this was too much.

Thanks to them, I was going to fail the course and I'd have to leave. All because she couldn't handle that he choose me. Of course, I'd known she was the one behind it all. After all, I couldn't have upset that many people by just being with him.

When I heard my door open and close I knew it was Tine. He was the only one with a key and he was the only one that would just let himself in.

"Lai? Are you ok?" he asked as he sat next to me and pulled me into him.

"We're here to Lai, you can tell us what happened."

I moved my head enough to see Pin, Max and Trip knelt in front of me. I managed a weak smile but I didn't have the energy for anything else.

"Why are you all here?" I whispered.

"P'Kit told us something had happened and that you needed us. He said that P'Nodt needed him and P'Jun to go with him. I don't know what they were doing but he told us to come to you," Tine explained.

I nodded not wanting to think anymore. Tine held me close as the others chatted amongst themselves. I must have drifted off because Tine was shaking me awake.

"Lai, you have to see this," he said showing me his phone.

My forehead creased as I rubbed my eyes. Once I could focus I noticed he was showing me a video of P'Nodt. He was facing the camera and speaking directly into it as P'Kit and P'Jun stood behind him.

---

'Hello everyone, my name is P'Nodt. I'm here today because something horrible has been happening in our school. Recently, I announced my relationship with Chailai from the fine arts department. Since then, Lai has been the target of some horrible bullying."

"As you know, our school prides itself on being inclusive and respectful. We have zero tolerance for bullying here,"

"Kit's right, for some reason someone thought they had the right to say that Lai shouldn't be with me because of how she looks. This person then turned everyone in Lai's department against her. Even if you were in that department and did nothing against Lai you still contributed to the bullying because you ignored her, left her to it."

"Lai braved it all, she wouldn't tell anyone anything. Instead, she would shrug and say that it will eventually blow over. Name-calling and knocking into her is one thing but now her studies are being affected. People are ruining her work which means she can't submit her assignments or even display anything for an important show. Here is some CCTV footage of the vandalism. I'm sure you'll recognise who they are."

---

P'Nodt disappeared then and a grey image of me leaving, after hanging my work, then three girls appeared, sneaking into the room. Another angle showed them clearly destroying my work. As they exited a clear image of them froze on the screen. P'Nodt then returned.

---

"The work they destroyed was for an upcoming show for sponsors, alumni and potential students. Now, because of their actions that show will have to be rescheduled. They have defaced school property and we have been informed that they will be facing consequences for it. I do not know if they will be suspended or expelled, but they will be punished for their actions."

"The rest of you who joined in through these past weeks, be grateful that the school can not do anything to you right now but be warned. The fine arts department is now being watched very closely. We've been told that this bullying will be noted down in your files and if anything like this happens again you will be looking at the same fate as those three."

"Oh and if you want to blame anyone for this, then blame those girls and blame your own stupidity. Though they asked you to turn against Lai, you didn't have to agree to do it. You're not little kids anymore, you all know right from wrong."

"Lai if you're watching this just know that I love you and I'll stop at nothing to protect you."

---

Tine put the phone down and they all stared at me. I stared at nothing as I tried to process what I'd just heard. P'Nodt said he loved me! Live on air, for the whole world to see.

Instantly, everything everyone had done to me got washed away. My heart hammered in my chest and my mouth hung open.

"Lai! … Lai!" Tine shouted pulling my attention.

"Tine?" I asked in a daze.

"Yeah?"

"Am I dreaming? Did he just say that he … he …" I sounded like an idiot.

"Ow!" I shouted as I felt a sharp pinch on my thigh.

I glared at Tine as I rubbed the spot but he just laughed at me.

"There you go, proof you're not dreaming."

My phone started ringing then and I jumped. P'Nodt's name flashed across the screen and everyone started teasing me. I raced into my room and shut the door before I answered it.

"P'Nodt?"

"Hey, how are you feeling?" he asked concern lacing his voice.

"I'm ok now," I told him honestly.

"Now? Does that mean you saw the video?" he chuckled.

I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks and instantly looked around to check if I was alone. I felt stupid. Of course, I was alone, I was in my own bedroom

"Lai?" his voice made me jump.

"Yes, P'Nodt. I saw it."

"Those girls won't be bothering you again. I'm upset you didn't tell me what was going on, but I understand why you didn't. If it wasn't for a girl in your class, Li, she was called. I wouldn't have known a thing. You don't need to do everything on your own anymore, you have me."

"And us!" that sounded like P'Kit and P'Jun's voices.

"Yeah and those guys, plus your friends. Promise me you won't keep things like this to yourself anymore."

"I promise P'Nodt," I whispered, tears filling my eyes.

"Good, now get some rest, I'll come to see you in a bit ok," he suggested.

"Wait, P'Nodt!" I called out.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you and … I love you too," I rushed out before hanging up the phone.

My phone started ringing again, but I ignored it. Instead, I jumped onto my bed and buried my face in my pillow. When my phone pinged I carefully risked a peek. It was a message from him.

'You're so mean! How can you say that then hang up!'

I laughed and felt light for the first time in a long time. I'd always said that things would blow over and now I really felt like they would.

---

Just like P'Nodt promised I never saw those girls again. They were expelled. According to P'Kit, people started coming forward and telling the Dean what they wanted them to do. Apparently, that had only been the beginning.

I found out who Li was and thanked her for telling P'Nodt. After that, she started hanging out with us. It was nice to have a female friend as well as a friend from my own faculty. She was shy around the guys at first, but she soon opened up to them.

We found out that she had a girlfriend and was worried about telling us. That was until she learnt about my dads. Turns out her girlfriend was in the engineering department, in the same class as Tine.

That night, P'Nodt came to see me and we made love, confessing to each other over and over again. It felt surreal like it wasn't really happening.

---

Tonight, was our six-month anniversary. P'Nodt said he had a surprise for me. Li and her girlfriend, Dao, helped me get ready for it. I'd found a simple black off-the-shoulder dress and for the first time, I felt like my name.

Pretty.