𝖻𝗂𝗍𝖼𝗁 | 𝖺𝖼𝗄𝗅𝖾𝗒 𝖻𝗋𝗂𝖽𝗀𝖾

vi

karma sat in class, slumped over the table next to riz, looking at nas.

she lifted her head, about to say something to riz, but her unspoken sentence hung in the air as a boy, james, came up to nas.

'do you wanna hang at the rec tonight?'

she shot a confused look to riz, watching as alya spoke for her.

'no, she doesn't.'

'you let her speak for you?'

she exchanged a look with nas across the room as the girl looked over at the situation.

'all i want is a kiss' another boy said, standing up at his table.

cory spoke up just as james leant down to nas, making a comment about her hijab.

'oi, what's going on?'

'you think you're the only one? i could get her easy'

nas' chair scraped against the floor as she shot up, grabbing her backpack from off of the floor.

'no one could get me easy.'

she walked out of the class, slinging her bag on her back as students oohed at james behind her as she left.

karma and riz conversed about the situation as cory went to get nas from wherever she went.

they continued talking, slowly doing their work, although not actually getting a lot done as they laughed.

'karma?'

'yes, miss?'

'although i hate to send another student out of class, it seems both cory and nas have gone missing, could you go collect them?'

'course, miss.'

she said bye to riz, grabbing her backpack off the floor, exiting the room. she spotted cory and nas sat on a ledge, hearing the voice of missy booth carrying its way up the stairs.

'cory, stop! you slimy, seedy, lying-'

'what?'

'half the school knows what i told you, didn't think you were gonna do it!'

karma approached the situation, standing near missy.

'course you did!'

nas then butted in, missy glancing at karma with a panicked face.

'missy, if you don't mind!'

'i told him to get you so he could have karma.'

karmas heart sank, standing in shock.

'because she's a psycho, but i mean, just then she kissed me!'

'yeah, right!'

'you said what?'

'you're lucky if you ever shake karmas hand, never mind anything else now!'

'missy, what kind of twisted screw up are you? trying to get me off with the walking STD?'

'oi!'

karma stared at cory with a hurt look on her face, the boy's own expression falling as they made eye contact.

'and that's somehow gonna make you less of a slag?'

'so you think it's alright to-'

'why are you not in class?'

karma silently thanked whatever higher being there was as miss carter caught them, tearing her eyes away from cory's and towards the teachers.

the three girls sat outside miss carters office, karmas leg bouncing anxiously.

lorraine opened the door, beckoning them closer. the trio sighed, filing into the office.

they sat down, miss carter staring them down.

'what is wrong with you three? and what's cory wilson got to do with all this? or have i got to go to isolation, ask him myself?'

it was silent, karma staring down at her white socks.

'girls, i held off over the fight but come on now. you three are friends. what's happened to you since you came to this school?'

eventually, when miss carter realised she wasn't getting anything out of them, she let them go. karma bolted out of the room ahead of the two, walking off to find riz or anyone really before she exploded.

she thought about what had happened, tears starting to leak from her eyes.

she exited the building, finding riz kicking a ball about with his friends outside, his eyes drawing to karma as she walked out.

he smiled at her, opening his mouth to say something as she walked up to him.

'hey, you should've seen miss keane and-'

he cut himself off, looking at the tears on her face and her downcast expression.

'hey, hey, hey. you alright?'

he grabbed her shoulders, karma still staring at the ground.

he put his hand on the side of her face, the pad of his thumb wiping the tears that had fallen.

'what happened? you never came back to english karm i were starting to worry.'

'missy told cory that if he slept with nas, he could sleep with me. and nas and cory kissed.'

her voice broke, looking up at the boy.

he sighed, hugging her. some of his friends wolf whistled, the nawaz boy flipping them off as his other hand gravitated to her head, playing with her hair.

'it's okay, it'll be alright. i'm sure cory just thought it were a laugh or summat, it'll be okay in the end.'

she sniffed, looking up at him.

'promise?'

'promise.'

they locked pinkies, the tall boy bringing her in for once last hug, resting his head on top of hers.