Cold Hearts - Mark Tuan fanfic

6 - Invisible

Just a month ago, you were the center of attention. Everything in campus revolves around you. 

Weeks ago, you're still the center of attention. Everybody was talking about you, laughing behind your back. 

But now, you're nobody. Just INVISIBLE. It's worse than being talked about. It's as if you don't exist. 

You walk down the hallway to your locker, nobody looks. No more whispers, no more papers sticking out your locker, no more balls thrown at you. 

On your way to the bleachers, you hear somebody sobbing from the side. You turn but nobody's there. You follow where the sound is coming from, you see a girl in cheerleader's uniform in the corner under the bleachers. She's hugging her knees, her head bent. You see her hair and you know who it is.

"Phoebe? What are you doing down here?" You think of going close to her, but you don't. You keep a five-feet distance between you. 

Hearing your voice and realizing who's talking to her, she slowly looks up. "Elysa," she stands up and runs to you. Her arms go around you as she continues sobbing.

"What's wrong?"

"It's terrible."

"What is?"

"Everything. I'm sorry."

"What are you talking about?"

"Phoebe!" Sasha shouts from behind. 

The crying girl immediately pulls back her arms and looks at her feet. She looks scared. 

"What's going on Sasha?" You turn to face the girl standing behind you with her hands on her hips, looking very angry. 

"It's none of your business." She pulls Phoebe, "Get going," she yells once more at your friend. 

You grab Sasha's hand before she leaves, "You tell me what's going on right now. This is not how you treat your members."

"Let go," she flings her arm and storms away. 

You run after her and grab her again. 

"I said let go," she pushes you. Your foot gets caught on the chair and you stumble backwards. 

"Sasha, wait." The fall gave her a chance to get away. 

When you get on your feet, she's already out of sight. You look for her or Phoebe, but you see them entering the cafeteria. Would you follow? The cafeteria still looks like a scary place for you. So, you back out and go back to the bleachers, where you belong. 

As you lay on the hard wooden floor, you worry about Phoebe. You've never seen her break down like that. What could have happened? What does she mean when she said everything is terrible? Why is she sorry? Could it be Sasha? Her mom? Other friends? Cheerleading? Her class? 

When Phoebe sees you enter gym class, she quickly turns away. You try to approach her, but she always tries to find a reason to avoid you. 

If she doesn't want my help, then the hell with her. 

"Miss Thorne," the principal comes in your history class, "can you come to my office, please." 

Did I do anything wrong? Why am I being summoned by the devil?

There are two policemen inside Mrs. Johnson's office. They look at you as you enter. 

"Have a seat, Ms. Thorne." 

"Is there a problem?" you ask nervously. You've never been in the principal's office before for wrong doings, more so with two policemen. Is it regarding my father?

One police officer starts talking, "There are reports of drug use in this school. We are here to investigate about it." 

"And you think I'm one of them?" You've never tried using drugs. Weed...yes...but you don't really smoke it. Why would they suspect you? Because of your dad of course. You close your eyes and breathe deeply. But what you hear next would blow your top off.

"No, Elysa." Mrs. Johnson also sounds nervous. "They think you're the one dealing them." 

"What?" You didn't mean to shout, but what you just heard is outrageous. "I would never do such a thing."

"I know, dear. Just calm down. They're just here to check on your things. Nothing to it."

How could she say that? You've already gone thru criticisms from other students because of what your father did. Now, this? You can't undergo that torture again. 

Students are already crowding the outside of the office when you lead the two men to your locker. You feel like a felon. They look at you like you're already a criminal. 

Sarah is already in front of the crowd, taking down notes of the happening. Toby is beside her, the camera up, ready to take pictures anytime. 

You open your locker and they let you step aside. You're confident enough that there's nothing in there. 

Your very organized locker becomes disheveled as their clumsy hands rummage through your things. 

"What's this?" One of them takes out a bottle of pills. 

"That's not mine," you defend yourself. It's the first time you've seen it.

"Then why is it in your locker?" The man's deep judging voice scares you. 

"I don't know," you say softly. You take a deep breath again to calm down, but it doesn't work this time. Your heart is beating so fast that you think it's gonna jump out of your chest. "I swear, I don't know."

"We have to take this," he puts the bottle in a zip lock bag. "Your phone?" 

"Why do you need to take my phone, too?"

"Your phone, miss," his hands are held out in front of you. You take your phone from your pocket and hand it to him. He puts that, too, in a plastic bag. 

The hundreds of spectators around you start buzzing. 

'Like father, like daughter.'

'I knew she was doing it'

'She's such a bitch.'

You want to cover your ears and block everything. More than anything in the world, you want to be invisible. Their penetrating eyes cut through you like a sword. 

You see Mark, leaving the crowd with the other boys following him. Britney has her arms across her chest, smirking. Sasha is just staring. Phoebe is nowhere to be found. 

Peniel comes forward. "You're not taking her in, are you?" He asks the officer. 

"Not until after the investigation," the man answers. 

"Come on, El," he puts a jacket over your head and walks you through the crowd and out the building. 

"Elysa," Mark says your name as you pass him by the parking lot. But, Peniel just lets you walk straight ahead towards your car. "Wait!" He calls again. 

"Get in the car," Peniel says. Then he faces Mark. "What do you want?" His voice is angry. 

"I want to talk to her," Mark growls back. 

Peniel grabs his arm as Mark walks past him towards you. "Whatever you and that girl of yours is planning, Mark, I swear I'm gonna find out." They're just outside your car door and you can hear Peniel's voice from inside, although it's soft. 

He then pushes Mark away and let's you move to the passenger seat. "Let me drive."

"Peniel," you're already out of the driveway. 

"Yeah?"

"What do you mean when you said you were gonna find out about there plan?"

"Nothing. You don't have to worry about that. I'll handle it. It doesn't concern you."

But it sure sounded like it did. What plan? Is Britney planning on destroying you, still? She's already at the top. What more does she want?