Chapter 13: Choosing Her
Everyone turned to the direction of the hoarse voice which came through the crowd. It was Charles, beside him was Alice, she held a book to her chest as she walked through the crowd towards Sarah
"Are you okay?" she asked concerned
"Yes I'm fine" Sarah replied with a nod
Mandy sneered as she stared at Charles as he approached Sarah with disdain in her eyes
"And here comes the good for nothing boyfriend to the rescue" she said her gaze focused on Charles, there seemed to be a hidden regret in her eyes as she stared at him
"Did she hurt you?" Charles asked observing Sarah's body for any injury, not minding the piercing look of everyone towards him. Some were jealous of how he paid full attention to Sarah while some thought he was being too full of himself.
"Everyone look at them, aren't they shameless? who would go about paying his full attention to a girl just because she was being told the real truth about herself" Mandy scowled
"Oh please Mandy! Enough of your nonsense already and stay away from Sarah, she's such a nice girl and I'm sure she's done nothing to you to deserve your provocation this morning" Alice yelled keeping steady eye contact with Mandy.
Mandy felt insulted and annoyed, and without saying another word, gave Alice a slap on her cheek which made her turn red. Sarah who had been mute since her friends arrived got annoyed, with anger in her eyes she gave Mandy two dirty slaps across her face, surprising everyone in the crowd.
"Enough!" Sarah exclaimed, her voice firm and filled with righteous anger. "I will not tolerate any more of your bullying, Mandy. Alice is right, I have done nothing to deserve your constant provocation, just because I've been nice doesn't mean you should treat my friends with cruelty and animosity." Sarah yelled angrily
The crowd fell silent, shocked by Sarah's outburst and the sudden display of strength from the usually soft-spoken girl. Charles stepped forward, his voice gentle and calming.
"Mandy I think Sarah is right, you should stop treating her the way you do, she's done nothing wrong to you" he said
Mandy's anger flammed up, glaring at Charles asked "you care about her, don't you?"
Charles retorted, his voice firm. "I care about Sarah, and I will always stand up for her, no matter what."
Mandy's sneer deepened, her resentment evident on her face. She was once Charles' high school girlfriend, until he realized her manipulative ways and ended their relationship. Since then, Mandy had harbored a grudge, seeing Charles and Sarah together she felt insulted and jealous. She wasn't going to give them a chance to have a happy relationship in campus, since he chose a commoner over her.
"So you chose this poor thing for us?" she asked keeping steady eye contact with him. Everyone was surprised by her question, no one had thought that Mandy would ever have anything to do with a poor struggling musician like Charles. Charles looked at her and simply replied
"Yes!" Sarah looked up at Charles, her eyes filled with gratitude and admiration, realizing they are not even in a proper intimate relationship yet, she knew the sacrifices he had made to side her, to protect her. In that moment, she felt a renewed sense of strength and determination.
Ignoring the whispers and judgment from the onlookers, Charles gently touched Sarah's cheek. "Let's go somewhere quiet," he suggested, leading her away from the prying eyes and hostile environment.
In the distance, Mandy watched them leave, a mix of anger and sadness in her eyes. She knew deep down that Charles had made the right choice, but she couldn't let go of her bitterness. She turned away, vowing to herself that she would find a way to make Charles regret leaving her.
Meanwhile, Charles and Sarah found solace in a quiet corner of the park. They sat on a bench, Sarah burying her face in her hands, deep in thought, she never knew that Charles and Mandy had something to do with each other in the past or present, she was just confused about Mandy's outburst earlier. "Should she ask him?" she thought to herself