Chapter 14

I sat straight up in bed, breathing hard. I looked around disoriented. I woke up with a sharp grip in my chest. It's been a long time since I woke up with this. I just hope all is well with me. I noticed a figure by my bed side. Mum, she's here, for how long exactly? I wiped the cool sweet from my temple and sat on the edge of the bed. Judging from the light and after checking the clock, it was late, 8:30am. I didn't plan to be up earlier anyway.

"Katty, you're finally awake. " She checked the time herself and was amazed. "so sorry for not waking you up. I planned to wake you after I'm done with the cleaning "

"it's fine mum" I yawned.

"you need to be fast cause you're late for school already "

Her words echoed on my mind.

What?! School?! After all that happened yesterday, she still want me to go to school. No!

I wanted to scream.

"school? "

"yes, you can't afford to be late on a second day " she said nonchalantly.

"mum! "I shrieked. "After... "

All I could do was to gesticulate. "No! I can't go back to that school "

"come on Katty, whatever happened yesterday has nothing to do with school. It's who you are, you need to start accepting that... " she continued her sermon and I sat there speechless.

"you better hurry, it won't be nice to be late on a second day, meet me downstairs " she left.

Perfect!

Welcome back to school Katreinair. I thought. Or rather, welcome back to the real world. Why me? When I thought life was going to be perfect.

I threw on some clothes, packed my hair into a dough and wore a face cap. I hate disguising but today I have no choice.

***

The hallways of the school was empty, no single soul was in sight. I glanced at my wrist watch, 9.00am. That was 10 minutes to the third class of the day. I wondered whether it was worth it to go in after all.

I stopped outside the classroom door. Class was ongoing, I could here the teacher's voice. I hesitated. I hate to interrupt, to be so conspicuous. But there's no other choice I have.

I took a deep breath and pushed the glass door. As I entered, the entire class stopped and looked up at me —including the teacher.

"Ms... " the teacher forgetting my name walked to her desk, picked up a piece of paper and scanned it. "... Mitchell. The new girl. You're late " she glared at me. "what do you have to say for yourself? "

I hesitated. There's nothing to say. I never wanted to come.

"sorry? "she continued. "That's not good enough. It may be acceptable be late to class wherever you are from but it's not certainly acceptable here. "

"it's...I'm... "I tried to speak but the truth was that I had nothing to say.

"Excuse me? "the teacher asked.

I shook my head. "nothing, I just wanted to say... "I just wanted to say something but my guts won't let me. "nothing, nothing. "

An awkward silence filled the room and in some way I felt I have annoyed the teacher.

She marched over and opened the class room door.

"since you have nothing to say, you can as well leave the class room "

On a normal day, Katty would have apologized but right now I think I've had enough of school problems and teachers. I don't deserve this. Do I? I walked out of the room. I felt the door slam behind me and then heard the muffled clamor in the room followed by:

"Quiet down class "

Rubbish! I hissed. I felt powerful somehow or rather invisible, like I'm high on some hard drugs. I continued down the hallway, wandering, not really sure where I was going. I can't go back home, Sylvia would be mad at me and wandering alone in this hallway doesn't look safe to me.

I heard footsteps. In a distance, a security guard appeared. He walked right for me.

"Your pass! "he barked at me.

I ignored him and continued to move.

He got closer.

"Where's your hall pass? You're supposed to hold it out visibly all the time. "

I shook my head confused. "I don't know what you are talking about. "

But then, he grabbed me roughly by the arm. I felt irritated. How disrespectful.

"what the hell did I do wrong? "I snapped at him.

He picked up his CB radio and said into it. "hall pass violation, I'm bringing her to detention now"

Detention. That sounded weird.

"detention? "I struggled under his hold.

"not another word from you! "he snapped.

I felt the urge to slap him but...

Suddenly, the guard let go of me and gave out a loud shriek.

"you little bitch, how dare you? "

He slapped me hard. I felt my cheek melt and then go numb. I felt heat coursing through me. I felt the rage coming. I don't know how but I know that in few minutes, I won't be able to control my anger. He grabbed my arms again. I flinched my arm quickly and watched him stumble several feet back. First, I was happy that at least no one was in the hallway and we were at a corner which cannot be easily seen through classroom doors.

The guard look amazed, I noticed as much as he tried to hide it. He walked over to where I was standing.

"I know that power you used wasn't yours. You're are going into detention today. " he tried to hold me again but I was faster. I kicked him on his knee bone, he lost balance and fell on his face.

"guard... " I jeered. I wasn't sounding like Katty—so many things have changed about me.

"you'll do nothing to me, okay? "I was threatening him.

He just laid there weak on the ground, blood seeped out of his nose.

"I'm gonna stay here till break time and you will do nothing to me! "I commanded.

***

Moments after, the empty hallway became filled again. I left the guard and headed towards the cafeteria. I needed to be alone. I put off my sweater and cap to avoid more trouble. I grabbed a tray of food and say at an empty table, trying to think. I sat there hardly eating and watched every kid who came in. No one noticed that I was there and Joel —I didn't see any sign of him.

The bell rang and the cafeteria emptied out. I walked to my class wanting not to be late for the next class. I stood before my assigned locker. I looked down to the combination of keys in my hands, turned the knob and pulled it, it opened. I stared at the empty metal locker lined with graffiti. It was completely bare, it looked boring somehow. I sat at my desk, scanned the room for Joel, he was there, at the far end of the class, reading a book.

Yesterday, he gave me more reasons to hate guys when I thought I was really going to like one. He's weird and somehow I wish he was not egoistic or domineering as he sounded yesterday. 

Depressed, I buried my head in my palm wishing I never attended school today.

The final bell rang and I felt eased. After all, it's time to go home. As I stood to go, Polly came over, it's actually the first time I'm seeing her today. "Hei, Katty " she held my hands. "how're you doing? "

"I don't know "I replied coldly.

"I understand you were late again today. Only God knows how you survived wandering the hallway without a pass, you're lucky, trust me "

I faked a smile "yeah, I am "

"so what's up? What happened yesterday? I heard a lot. "she began.

Shit! I knew it. Now I'm doomed.

"I'm proud of you though. Those girls are not in school. They're probably hospitalized somewhere. Don't worry about it...."

Aargh! She talks too much and too fast. It's like she doesn't breathe while talking. 

"I believe you now Polly" I said.

"but wait, how did you do it? You were totally outnumbered. "

Just the question I was avoiding.

"I don't know, I'm not as weak and vulnerable as I look" I winced.

"I wish Angelica and her friends knew that. Anyway, that serves them right. They... "

I felt a short grip in my heart, my breath stopped for a moment and an excruciating pain invaded my chest. My asthma, oh my God not again. I tried to relax, tried to breathe, but the pain...

Polly was still talking. She didn't notice me until I began to wheeze. It's a severe attack.

In few moments, I felt surrounded. I was losing it, I felt like I was in a vacuum. I felt lifted but then, I lost the energy to fight. And in no time, my world got darkened. I fell unconscious.