Tainted (Jadine Fanfiction)

Chapter 1

Ice. That was what people often answered when asked about her. She was cold, distant and unreachable. No one's ever really heard her talk. Her face was void of any emotions. It was pretty damn hard to get any reaction out of her. She could only be seen giving blank stares and an occasional nod every now and then, but that was it.

Some tried provoking her, angering her, bullying her but it was all hopeless. She still didn't budge. After years of trying, they chose to just ignore her. Since then, she was invisible. No one would come near her, no one would glance her way, no one would even dare speak about her. Not with her around, anyway. They treated her as if she didn't exist. And what's worse? Even the school's instructors treated her the same way.

But there's always that one exception to the rule. There's always that one person who never gives up, no matter how high someone's walls are built. There's always that one person who's eager to break those walls down and see you loosen up. And for Nadine? That person was no other than Yassi Pressman.

The funky chick who just couldn't take a hint that she wanted to be left alone.

"Nadz!"

Nadine's ears perked up as she heard Yassi call her by the nickname she made herself.

She dropped her pen and stopped writing on her journal, slightly raising a brow as Yassi approached her with a tray full of food and a silly smile plastered upon her face.

"Guess what?"

Like the usual, Nadine made no reaction. She just waited silently for Yassi to speak up and Yassi knew that was her cue, that Nadine's attention was solely on her. She placed her tray down and smiled even wider, if possible.

"Bret just asked me out on a date! Oh my God Nadine! Kilig ako!" Yassi told her enthusiastically, fanning herself with her hands as if she had just lost oxygen.

Bret was Yassi's ultimate crush. Yassi would always ask Nadine to accompany her at his basketball games but Nadine's answer was always the same. Flat-out no. She had other important things to do and bigger issues to face rather than accompany a girl, who believes she's one of her friends, fangirl over a guy who plays basketball for the school's varsity team.

Nadine gave her a quick nod and returned to her journal, determined to carry on with what she was doing minutes ago before Yassi arrived and disturbed her once peaceful and 'Yassi-free' day.

"Could you at least squeal with me?" Yassi interrupted, holding Nadine by both of her shoulders, making Nadine face her. "Like, it's Bret! One of the hottest guys in school and you just give me a nod? Come on! He's so gwapo!"

Nadine blinked several times, unsure of what reaction Yassi wanted when a group of boys suddenly came into her peripheral vision.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

Nadine thought, her lips almost forming into a smirk. She brought her index finger forward and pointed Bret and his friends out to Yassi, but out of all the guys he was with, one guy in particular caught her attention.

The one with messy locks and piercing brown eyes who had a woman with fake tits and a nose which looked as fake as her butt clinging onto him like a koala.

She raised a brow, eyeing the man dauntlessly as she found the whole situation a bit annoying.

This was a cafeteria, not a lover's lounge for fuck's sake.

Surprisingly, the man raised a brow back. Nadine couldn't miss the playful smirk painted on his face which was as clear as day.

As if everything was on cue, the girls in the cafeteria screamed in delight at the sight of the school's jocks all gathered in one place. Nadine sighed and shifted her attention back on her journal, but she could still feel the boy's brown eyes staring her down, glaring through her back.

"Hey Yas! I'll pick you up tomorrow at 7?" Bret blurted out, his accent thick.

"Sige. I'll text you nalang tomorrow."

And with that, they left, probably headed to the school's gymnasium for basketball training. But apparently, they weren't the only ones who wanted to stop by and leave a word or two.

Julia, Ella and Brianna arrived in front of their table.

What a nuisance.

Ah, Julia. The known Queen Bee of this school. JEBs. That's what they call their group, it stands for the initials of their first names. Not as if Nadine actually recognizes them, for her, they were just a group of queen wannabees. If anything, Queen Bee for Nadine stands for Queen Bitch. And JEBs was the perfect name fit for a group full of shit.

Ella looked fuming with anger beside Julia. Rumor has it, Ella used to be Bret's little fling before #Bressi happened. And Julia always loved playing the little heroine whenever her two minions were in distress.

"You little bitch. Mang-aagaw ka! Inagaw mo si Bret kay Ella! Did you sleep with him? Kinama mo ba? As expected of you, Pressman. You're nothing but a whore."

Yassi gaped and was obviously taken aback, she wasn't used to receiving such harsh words. Blank. That was her mind's current state. She was her daddy's little princess, she was showered with only love and kindness. She had a lot of friends and she never got bullied in her entire life. Except maybe from her bestfriend Andre, but that was different.

"What? Cat got your tongue? Stay the hell away from Bret. And wag na wag kang magsusumbong sa dad mo or I'll make your life a living hell."

Ella was smirking, enjoying the words of her beloved Queen Julia while Brianna continued watching from the sidelines. Julia snickered, quite proud of the scene she was making. Yassi, on the other hand, was on the verge of crying. Her eyes were glossy, tears already threatening to spill.

The silence was broken when the sound of a journal being harshly closed resounded through the air. People couldn't help but gasp as all eyes turned and focused on Nadine, who for once, actually gave a damn.

Nadine took a few steps forward and eyed Julia from head-to-toe, a look of disapproval and disgust evident on her face while Julia continued to take tiny steps back with each step Nadine took.

"Calling her a whore when your clothes barely cover whatever you need to hide. On second thought, do you really have anything to hide in the first place?" Nadine snorted and turned her back. "Yassi? Stop being such a weakling."

After her short speech, she headed towards the exit, leaving the rest of the student population in the cafeteria dumbfounded. Those were the most words she's ever said since she first set foot on their school's grounds. Heck, probably the only words she ever said.

On her way out, a guy leaning beside the doors applauded her. It turns out it was the brown-eyed friend of Bret with the little koala earlier, minus the koala now though. Nadine rolled her eyes and continued walking, not even pausing for one moment as she hastily made her way out of the school's premises.