The Sacred Pendant

Chapter 7

   It was by 7am Celine decided to stop crying and go and take her bath. The headache was back again and Celine squinted to find the bathroom door. Celine wasn't only heartbroken because Chi insulted her or no longer wanted to be her friend but also because Chi reminded her of Don.
"So much for making new friends," Celine said. "I shouldn't have lied to Chi. She's a good girl. She's the only friend I've got. No matter how silly or unbelievable it is, I should have still told her. I messed up, but I'm going to make it right when I see her."
     After her bath, Celine felt a bit better, assuring herself that she would tell Chi the truth and get her friend back.
"I wonder where Aunt Margenta could be. It doesn't look like she came back home last night. And I don't even have her number to call her. I really do hope she's OK, " Celine said, going into the kitchen.
     Celine went to the gas cooker and opened the pots. There was leftover boiled potato and egg sauce from last night.
        I wish you were here, Chi, Celine thought sadly.
"OK, this will be easy. After all, it's just to warm it up, " Celine said and lighted the gas.
"OK... So what do I do now? " Celine asked herself, scratching her head.
     Celine put the pot with potatoes on one gas ring and the pot with egg sauce on another.
"I think I just have to leave it on the fire until it gets warm. After all, that's why is called warming up, " She said and made a weak laugh.
"Oh my, I still left my schoolbag in the bathroom, " Celine said and went to her room.
     Celine picked up her bag and sat on the bed.
"I still can't comprehend what happened earlier. It was real, all of it. Was it the pendant that did that to me? But what exactly did it do? I really need someone to talk to about this. Thank God, I have Chi, " Celine said and smiled. "I'm sure she will forgive me after I apologize and tell her the truth."
     Celine looked looked up and her eyes caught sight of the wall clock. It said 7:44.
"Oh my gosh! I'm already late, again! " Celine carried her backpack and ran out of the room. When she got into the sitting room, she perceived something.
"The food! " Celine exclaimed and rushed into the kitchen.
     The pot with egg sauce was already on fire and the other pot with potatoes was bringing out black smoke.
"Oh no! " She rushed to the fire extinguisher beside the fridge and extinguished the fire.
Celine coughed and held her nose. The whole kitchen was filled with smoke. Celine could not breathe anymore. She rushed out of the kitchen and ran outside.
        Celine stood on the doorstep, relieved. She could breathe again.
"Death through asphyxiation is not the best at all, " Celine said, coughing. "What do I do now? "
     She went to the backyard and opened the kitchen window.
"This will let the smoke out. By the time I'm back home, the house will be smoke-free," Celine said.
"I have my bag, so there's no need to go back in." And she walked quickly to school.

"I know you. Weren't you the girl that came late yesterday? Only that now you are alone. Yesterday, you came with this other black girl, " The gate man said.
"It could have been anyone, " Celine said sheepishly.
"No, it was you! I know what I'm saying, " The gate man said sternly.
     The gate man was a fearful looking thin old man ,probably in his early sixties.
"Ehm, " Celine muttered, trying to find an excuse.
"You mustn't be late again, or else, I will personally take you to the proprietress, " The gate man said. "Now, run along."
     Celine didn't wait for a second invitation. She was about running to her class when the gate man stopped her again.
"By the way, what happened to your -" The bell for second period interrupted him.
"I've got to go, sir, " Celine said and ran off.
"What happened to your uniform? " The gate man shouted but Celine didn't hear.
     Celine took a peep at the classroom. A teacher was inside. 'Mathematics' was written on the whiteboard, so Celine guessed he was the Maths teacher. The expression on his face proved to her that he was not the nicest.
     Celine mustered up some courage and walked into the classroom. All eyes turned to her, including the teacher's. And all of a sudden, the whole class burst into a mocking laughter.
I know I'm late, but what's so funny about that? Celine wondered.
"Silence! " The teacher commanded like a military solider and the whole class fell into a dead silence.
     Celine used her eyes to search for Don in the classroom and  she found him. He was sitting on the second seat in the front row. A guy sitting beside Don, who Celine recognized as one of Don's followers, tapped him gently on the shoulder and whispered something to him. They both sniggered quietly. Celine wished she heard what he whispered to Don. She knew it was about her but she didn't want to believe it. Don looked at Celine and mouthed "Weirdo." That made her heart ache again.
"Let's keep the fact that you are late aside first and discuss why you are looking like this," The Maths teacher said.
What does he mean? What's wrong with how I'm looking? She wondered. Celine looked at herself to confirm that she was wearing her uniform and not some other clothes. It shocked her what she saw.
     She was wearing her school uniform alright but her school uniform was not looking alright. Her white T-shirt was blackened with soot. Her coat and skirt were also sooty.
"How -" Celine began and suddenly, she realized why her uniform was like that. The smoke from the kitchen had caused it.
"So? Can you explain what happened. Or are you a mechanic?" The Maths teacher said.
"N-n-no, sir," Celine stuttered. She badly wished the ground would open up and swallow her.
"Then what happened?" The teacher asked again.
"I-i-it was the kitchen. Th-th-the gas... The pot was on fire...and...," Celine stammered, not knowing what to say.
"Let me guess. You wanted to cook but you ended up setting your kitchen on fire, " The teacher said mockingly.
     Celine nodded her head slowly, embarrassed. The whole class burst into laughter again and this time, the Maths teacher didn't shut them up.
     Tears pricked Celine's eyes. She wanted to cry. She looked up to Don again. If Don was not laughing too, it would have made Celine feel better. But he was laughing and it made her feel worse. She cried.
"Correct wife material," Celine heard a boy at the back say sarcastically. "She will make a perfect wife for you, Don." And the laughter increased. Even the teacher had a smirk on his face.
"Fuck you!" Don said to the boy and it made the class laugh more and Celine cry more.
"Aw... She's crying. You want me to come cuddle you?" The guy behind Don said
"No, Don should be the one to cuddle her, " The boy at the back teased.
"Double fuck you, asshole," Don said. " I prefer cuddling a dead corpse to cuddling her."
     The class kept on laughing and the Maths teacher just stood there, enjoying the drama. Celine covered her face and continued crying, embarrassed, ashamed, humiliated and heartbroken.
"Enough of that, " The Maths teacher finally said and the classroom became quiet again but Celine could still hear some sniggering quietly from Son's direction. "Just go and sit down so I can continue my class."
     Celine kept her hands on her face and went to find somewhere to sit. The only sit vacant was the one she sat down on the previous day. Seeing the empty chair, Celine rushed towards it and quickly sat down. Immediately, she was driven to the floor.
     The legs of the chair removed as Celine sat down and she fell, hitting her buttocks hard on the floor. Celine shouted and groaned in pain.
"Oh no! I wonder who might have unscrewed all the screws in that chair, " The boy sitting behind Don said.
     Celine didn't care anymore if they were looking at her. She laid down on the floor and wept bitterly.
"You didn't really deserve to sit after coming late, so just lie there on the floor for all I care," The Maths teacher said. "Now back to today's topic: Factorization."
     Celine remained on the floor crying bitterly and filled with pain. Not long, she felt someone touch her.
Don? Celine raised her head. Her eyes were filled with tears so she could not see clearly. She blinked and saw a light-skinned, thin girl; the same girl that sat beside her the previous day.
"Let me help you up. You can sit on my chair, " She said and held Celine on the elbow.
"You help her up and you are finished!" Don threatened in a whisper.
"I'm sorry, Celine, " The girl said sympathetically. She let go of Celine's elbow and went back to her seat.
     Celine laid back down, crying. She realized she was the biggest of fools to think Don would want to help her up when he was actually the one that unscrewed her chair.