Beneath the Surface

chapter 14: dean's office

One Monday morning...

Lucas (approaching cautiously): "Sarah, wait! What happened?"

Sarah (tearfully): "It's... nothing, Lucas. Just leave me alone."

Lucas (concerned): "Those guys... did they say something to you?"

Sarah (hesitantly): "They... they were laughing. Saying awful things..."

Lucas (angrily): "What? What did they say?"

Sarah (voice breaking): "That I'm easy... a showgirl for rent..."

Lucas (sympathetically): "Sarah, don't listen to them. They're just idiots."

Sarah (defeated): "Maybe they're right. Maybe I'm just... worthless."

Lucas (firmly): "No, Sarah. You're not. They don't know anything about you."

Sarah looked up at Lucas, her eyes filled with pain and vulnerability, unsure whether to believe his words amidst the hurtful laughter echoing in her mind.

Lucas (sternly): "Hey! What's so funny over there?"

Bully A (mockingly): "Oh, look who's here to defend the damsel in distress."

Bully B (laughing): "Yeah, heard she's not as innocent as she looks."

Lucas (stepping closer, voice firm): "You guys think it's funny to talk about Sarah like that?"

Bully C (shrugging): "Just calling it as we see it, man. She's just playing hard to get."

Lucas (angrily): "You have no idea what you're talking about."

Bully A (tauntingly): "Oh, come on. She's working as a bartender, and now she's a hired showgirl isn't she?"

Lucas (intensely): "That doesn't give you the right to disrespect her."

The group of men exchanged smirks and shrugged off Lucas's rebuke, their laughter fading as Lucas stood firm, unwilling to let their hurtful words go unchallenged.

Lucas (furious): "That's enough!"

He strides toward the group of men, his fists clenched in anger. Without hesitation, he shoves one of them back, sending him stumbling.

Lucas: "You think you can talk about her like that?"

Bully A (taken aback): "Hey, calm down, man!"

Lucas (voice raised): "You're all a bunch of cowards, picking on someone who's already down."

Bully B (defensively): "It was just a joke, okay? We didn't mean anything by it."

Lucas (forcefully): "Well, it's not funny. You owe her an apology."

His words hang heavy in the air, his anger palpable as he stands up for Sarah against the bullies who had mocked her.

Sarah sat quietly in her room, her thoughts weighed down by the recent events and hurtful words echoing in her mind. She couldn't shake off the feeling of being judged and misunderstood. The laughter, the taunts—it all felt like a heavy burden she couldn't escape.

She traced the edge of her textbook absentmindedly, her mind drifting back to Lucas's intervention and the support he had shown. Despite that, she still felt vulnerable and unsure of how to navigate the challenges ahead. Her dreams of lifting her family out of poverty seemed distant amidst the gossip and scrutiny.

Sarah longed for a sense of normalcy, a day without the whispers and stares. She wanted to believe that things would get better, but the weight of judgment and shame lingered, casting a shadow over her hopes.