Tiara's POV
Jason joined us at the table. He offered to pay for our food, but Folu insisted on covering the bill. Jason did get me a Big Pulpy to go though. After finishing our lunch, we left. I noticed that Jason seemed different towards me today—he smiled at me a lot and was unusually kind. Was it because he pitied me for losing my dad? I didn't know what to make of it.
Back in class, as I was settling down, my phone beeped with a message from Jason.
"Hi Tiara, can you meet me after school? I have something for you."
"What could that be?" I wondered.
"Tiara, it's time for Chemistry," Paula said, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Okay, Paula," I replied, packing my books and heading to the lab, still curious about what Jason had for me.
When we arrived at the lab, the SS 3 class was just finishing up. I saw Jason, who smiled at me. I smiled back awkwardly. Then, Folu approached me.
"Tiara, how are you doing?" he asked.
"I'm fine, thanks for lunch earlier," I replied.
"That was nothing," he said. "If you ever need help with Chemistry or any other subject, you can ask me. I'll be happy to help."
"Okay, I'll keep that in mind. Thank you," I responded. Everyone—Folu, Jason, Janet, Paula, even my classmates and teachers—had been so kind. While it was nice, it was starting to feel like a pity party. I just wanted things to go back to normal.
Chemistry class was intense, but I managed to get through it. After class, we returned to our room, and I encountered the three girls who had previously threatened me to stay away from Jason—Judith, Vera, and Oluchi. Vera, their ringleader, was sitting on my chair again. They must have skipped Chemistry. As soon as they saw me, Judith signaled to Vera, who quickly stood up and apologized.
"It's fine," I said, sitting down. Vera took a seat behind me while the other girls stood around, watching me.
"How was Chemistry?" Vera asked.
"Fine, I guess," I answered, surprised they were talking to me.
Oluchi cleared her throat. "Tiara, we're sorry about your dad."
"Thank you," I said.
"And, um, we're sorry for how we treated you in the past," she added.
"It's fine," I replied, hoping they would leave me alone.
"How's your family?" Judith asked.
"They're fine," I answered. She nodded, and they all looked at me like I was a lost puppy before returning to their seats. I was relieved. This had to stop.
We finished the rest of our classes, with teachers and students constantly expressing their condolences. Can the school day end already so I can escape this pity party? Then I remembered I had to meet Jason. I was actually curious about what he had for me.
"Tiara, are you okay?" Paula asked.
"Yes, why?" I responded.
"Just with everything that's happened, you must be feeling depressed," she said.
"Paula, please don't treat me differently. You're my friend. I need you to look at me like I'm not falling apart. I'm fine, even if I'm not. All this pity won't help me, okay?" I said, my frustration spilling over.
"Alright, I was just trying to help, but I guess I'm not. Bye, Tiara. Take care," she said, walking away.
I didn't mean to snap at her. I was taking my frustration out on her, and it wasn't fair. I felt bad. I grabbed my bag and headed to the library.
