Before You Say Goodbye

CHP 21: I AM TRYING!

"Mom, I am leaving for school" the house door closed with a loud thud as Jennifer informed her mother and left for high school after a week of being missing, crying, correcting, and improving herself. She was now a girl no one could've ever imagined her to be. Everything about her changed, from her miniskirts to her way of speaking. Jennifer was a completely different person now. Today she had worn a full-sleeved yellow-colored hoodie with some tints of blue and denim jeans. As for her hairstyle, it was the same but, on her face, she had some scars. Those scars looked as if she had been hit or she had hit herself with a metal rod and some scars appeared to have been due to a knife scratched on her gentle and delicate skin. She had also stayed off social media and didn't converse with anyone since the Party and hence, was unknown of the fact that even Cheryl had been missing high school since the party incident and even She had returned just yesterday. Jennifer left home and started walking towards the school. She texted Oliver "Hey OJ, I'll reach in a few minutes, see you in class." Jennifer was all hyped to meet Oliver and see how much things had changed in the school. Jennifer had a realization in her days of introspection that she was the only major bully in school who had started all this targeting the weak and hurting them nonsense and since she wasn't in school and wasn't bullying anyone, the school would have been a very peaceful place. Jennifer reached the school and was going to enter through the gates when she came across Cheryl, and that very moment for Cheryl was of fear and anger while for Jennifer, it was of extreme awkwardness, shame, and guilt. As Jennifer approached Cheryl, Cheryl's heartbeats began to rise at a rapid pace, almost as if she had run a marathon. She was traumatized and didn't know how to react. Jennifer, on the other hand, had made up her mind to apologize to Cheryl, and just when she was about to say sorry, all of Cheryl's friends arrived out of nowhere and came for her rescue. Felix, Michel, and Catherine saw Jennifer but they ignored her while Catherine taunted, "Let's go Cheryl. Looks like someone hasn't got her girl gang today and is all alone". On saying this, all of them started walking towards the Classroom while completely ignoring Jennifer. Jennifer felt extremely hurt and this was the worst feeling she could have ever had. She felt so bad that she even cried a little, just a tear or two.
Jennifer, while consolidating herself started walking towards the classroom where she came across her old girl gang. "Ahh! The fearless...oh no...the scaredy idiot Jennifer is here," said a girl. "You completely backed out girl! What a piece of crap" Taunted another girl. "THE Jennifer, a girl who used to rule this school and who didn't fear anyone is now unable to even handle her own self. Aww..do you feel bad, dear? Why don't you go cry in a corner then? Hahaha," and everyone started laughing. Jennifer had never imagined that it was so horrible to get bullied. One of the girls even hit her and snatched her bagpack and flung away all the books. Although they were harassing Jennifer so much, she still held back her tears and picked up her books. She then saw Kate walking towards her. Kate helped Jennifer pick up all her stuff and made sure that she was alright. "Calm down, Jen. It's all Karma that you're facing right now. And trust me, you'll be through this soon," said Kate in a sort of spiritual way. "Yes I know, thank you" replied Jennifer and silently left to go to the class. As she reached the classroom door, she could hear everyone gossiping and talking smack about her, but still, she tried to ignore them. "Jennifer" a bold yet polite voice called from the back. "OJ" exclaimed Jennifer and rushed to hug Oliver. The tears that she had been holding in for so long were finally shed on Oliver's white shirt during the hug. Oliver tightly hugged Jennifer since he knew she needed it. He soothingly stroked her head to calm her down and kissed her forehead to reassure her that he'll be there for her. Jennifer was relieved by this gesture of his but still, she cried for a while and then began to explain what had been happening with her since she arrived at the school gate. "...And so, it's just been 45 mins that I've entered the school, but these 45 minutes have been the most painful moments of my life!" Cried out Jennifer as she completed her last sentence. "It's okay Jennifer, I'll help you sort things out with Cheryl and the others and also about you backbiting, talking trash about them, and leaving them. And as for the others at school, always remember that some people have this habit of barking behind us, let them. Don't let such people affect you" As Oliver said this, the bell rang and all the kids started sprinting towards their classroom so that they don't get late for the lecture. Everyone was horrified to see Jennifer back in school but Cheryl was the most shocked, not because Jennifer was back, but because she was sitting with Oliver! Cheryl was even more eager to speak to Oliver now since she'd seen Jennifer and Oliver sitting together and laughing and giggling in between the lectures.