The Spilt Secret | A Zamika Fanfic

Chapter 5

"Ms. Principal, you can't fire Mr. Finn," I declared as soon as I got inside her office, banging the door loudly against its frame. She was sitting on beside her desk, her wrists against the top of the table.

"Actually, Ms. Reese, I can. Mr. Kwon has informed me that his son told him about not getting the proper education needed. And he has informed me that, Mr. Dewey Finn, has not been teaching you academical activities, instead he says that you 'jam,'" she pronounced, 'jam' as if it was poison to her lips.

"And you know what the handbook says, Tomika. You are the only student who has memorised every paragraph, every line of our precious handbook. So, I am pretty sure, you know we forbid playing rock music in class," she adds, taking a big, black harbound of a handbook before setting it down before me. I clenched my fist trying to ignore the fact that Zack betrayed us. Betrayed us for what? What profit will it bring to him, anyway?

"Principal Mullins," I cleared my throat as I smoothed the borrowed skirt from Summer. "I assure you, Mr. Finn has taught us a lot better than half of your teachers, who were educated and professionals. He has taught us more than academics and histories of poetry and literacy, because he has taught us how friendship is important, even if some friends betray you for nothing."

As I spoke, I remembered all those times when I would've given up my friends for a peaceful, isolated life. Thanks to Mr. Finn, I was never always alone, because he would just sit there next me and say that friendship is more than just laughter and smiles shared to each other. Its about knowing each other's fears, sadness, and even dreams too.

Principal Mullins stood up and walked to her glass windows. Her red hair was glossy in her bun as the sun glared at it. She straightened her white crisp shirt, and she sighed.

"I'll think about it. You're dismissed," she huffs after a space of seconds. I quickly hugged her and muttered a 'thanks.' Then I started for the door as Principal Mullins called after me.

"You're a great girl, Tomika, and a sweet one at that. I always wanted a student that could defend her loved ones," she says, and I turned and gave her another smile.

"Thank you, ma'am," then I ran for our classroom, bearing great news for my friends. But what I didn't know my friends had news for me too, and it wasn't a good one.

_______________

I took out a bloodred envelope that was stuck underneath my desk with a dried gum. I cringed, mortified that someone who stuck it here was definitely unhygienic.

I opened the envelope and I felt everyone grow tense. Summer crept up beside me and read the written contents of the mysterious letter.

Try and try, until you die, I guess.
                   XOXO, Mysterioso.

"This makes me sound desperate," I complained, before Summer smacks my arm.

"Now is not the time to joke around, we need to know who wrote this," my best friend gestures at the letter with a grimace. I know, it felt like child's play. And I hated it.

When we got to Physical Education Ms. Hillary Howell aka the Coach made us join other students from various sections. Even the sections where Zack and Cassandra were.

They were behind me, Cassandra's shrilly voice amplified with pride. She ranted about how rich her family is, how glamorous her newly bought Gucci's sandals would be a blast on their next date. Surprisingly, Zack wasn't saying anything, he was eerily quiet and wasn't paying attention to her.

"Tomiks, you excited, its kickboxing class," Summer claps her hands. We both loved kickboxing class. It was the flare of Phys Ed of middle class.

"Partner with different students from other classes, so that we test out your strength," Coach ordered.

Summer disappears by my side and I was left alone. Packs of seniors lined up to me, declaring to beat me down to a pulp. Lucky for them, I was no pulp.

I strapped on the iconic leather gloves and gave my arms and legs a little warm up. Coach watched with amusement, knowing too well that I was one of the Big Three— Summer, Esme, and me, and we were champions of kickboxing.

As seniors challenged me, I fought back down until they knew I was more than the girl they bullied at lunch. More than the girl who broke her nose, bleeding it swollen. More than the girl who was betrayed by her crush. More than the girl who dreamed for his love.

Hate, anger, and revenge gave me no hesitation to fight back. They had to know. That I was a whole different girl inside a ring. Then at last, I faced Cassandra.

Her blond hair was tied in two boxer braids. Typical, I thought to myself. She raised her fist to her face and started hopping, but she forgot her defence lowers greatly that way. I strided in two long steps before giving a sidekick to the damned girl. She fell on her side, and faked a broken arm.

Knowing that it was fake, I walked up to her then grabbed her supposed broken arm. I yanked it and brought it to my face to inspect. She looked at me genuinely horrified.

"Fakers gonna fake, but this time, the light darkens," I say, my feelings started growing dark and eerie inside my stomach.

She had to know too, that I can be as dark as the night, and as scary as a monster. But when I looked at Zack, I knew he had to know too.

This is what he made me to be.