FATAL ATTRACTION

8. Trouble

A few minutes later, Desmond was sitting on the couch, an ice pack pressed against his mouth where Promise had punched him.

"You should apologize," Faith said, her voice full of concern.

"For what?" Promise said, her eyes flashing with anger. "They're all the same"

"But he..." Faith started to say, but Desmond cut her off.
"It's okay. There's no need for him to apologize," he said. "But I do want to clear something up. I am different from the others. I'm not a bully."

"And you expect me to believe that?" Promise asked, he tone skeptical. "I'm sorry, but I just can't."

"That's okay," Desmond said, his voice calm and steady. "I'm not going to try to force you to believe me. I know it will take time for you to trust me."

"Thanks for understanding," Faith said. "But I still think you should apologize to him."

"I'm not apologizing to him," Promise said, his jaw set.

"It's okay," Desmond said, his tone patient. He turned to Faith. "How are you feeling now?" he asked, placing a hand gently on her head.

Promise scoffed,. "Why are you being so nice to her?" he asked, a hint of jealousy in her voice.

"I'm just trying to be friendly," Desmond said, giving him a curious look.

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As Michelle turned to see who was holding her hand, she saw Leo and Gerald. She pulled her hand away, and her voice rose in anger.

"Let go of my hand!" she yelled, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.Leo looked taken aback, and Gerald let go of her hand,

"How dare you stop me from slapping her?" Michelle yelled, her voice shrill.

"She's not your toy or your sister that you can just beat or talk to anyhow," Leo yelled back.

"Then who are you to defend her?" Michelle said, her eyes narrowing.

"I'm her friend, so what?" Leo said, his tone defiant.Winnie looked at him, surprise and gratitude in her eyes.

"Huh...friend with a nerd?" Michelle said, her voice dripping with disdain. "Don't you know how to make friends?"

"I make friends with whoever I want to," Leo said, his voice firm. "So why don't you just back off?"

"Do you even know who I am?" Michelle yelled, her face turning red.

"I don't know, and I don't care," Leo said, his tone bored."What's your name again?"

The whole class burst out laughing, and Michelle's face turned an even deeper shade of red. She stomped her foot in frustration.

"I'm Michelle!" she yelled, her voice echoing through the room.

"Save it for another day," Leo said, his voice flat. "I don't have time for this."

He reached down and helped Winnie to her feet. Michelle balled her fists, her nails digging into her palms.Gerald stood there, frozen, He watched as Leo helped Winnie out of the classroom, leaving him and Michelle alone.

Michelle made a move to follow them, but Gerald grabbed her arm and held her back.

"Have you not done enough?" he said, his voice shaking with anger. "Why can't you just leave her alone? I hate bullies, and you disgust me."

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Michelle alone in the classroom. She felt a mixture of anger, shame, and confusion.

The other students in the classroom stared at her, their eyes wide. She felt like she was on display, like a zoo animal.