Freshman

Chapter 41: The Scandal

My involvement in Mavie's life has been more than too much, don't you think? Over the period of November, our friendship became far outstretched. I'd certainly grown tired of the feuds and turmoil caused by all this simple misunderstanding between Vauld and Mavie.

I wasn't the only one who needed the space though. Jia, Jams, and Endi had stepped down from all this too.

Being a part of confrontations that I had no absolute involvement to begin with was most unsettling. I've done a lot of things with my good name, only to have been lead to disappointment later on.

The goal was to keep the two together, but how about that, they broke up! You would not believe the distraught I felt, but upon later contemplation, I thought that it was for the best.

There was no more feud between my class and Mavie anymore. Although, I must admit, the awkward fire between Vauld and Mavie hasn't disappeared completely.

"I am a drug lord!" Warshall yelled, disturbing the well seated passengers who were minding their own businesses.

Like I had said, Mavie and I departed as friends. I avoided visiting her house, and fall for her delectable bribery. Her free food was one thing, but freedom and happiness is another.

Here I am now, with Mejel, Jia, Jen, and Warshall riding home.

For quite some time now, Warshall tended to yell incoherent noises in the jeep– so this ain't the first one he's done today, but this is the most stupid one yet.

"Shut the f*ck up, Warshall." Jia urged. "You're making a scene."

And in fact he was. The quietly seated passengers glanced every once in a while, giving us all dirty looks because of our noise. Given our age, juvenile teenagers, couldn't they let this one slide?

"Yeah, yeah...." His voice faltered. "Sorry."

"Ehem," Mejel coughed. "So Jia, where were we?"

"Kim You Yung?"

"Kim You Yung and Min Sae Ho!"

"Ahhhh!"

Mejel and Jia and their usual patronization to Korea and its pop culture will never seem to fade now, will it? I can never empathize. I was an anime geek. I was a nerd, geek, loser, and practically everything you can pull out of the bool. If I had indulged myself in K-pop, will I fit in?

"What do you guys find so attractive about puke face and bowl cut?" Jen rolled his eyes. "I'm way handsomer than those low life look-alikes."

"In your dreams, coal skin!" Jia assaulted. "No offense, Aria."

"None taken," I answered promptly.

"I thought you were supposed to be on my side?" Jen asked.

"I take no side in K-pop and– uh, Jia." I shrugged. It was the truth though, no one can go against Jia when it came to K-pop. She'd just kill you with her reasons.

"Be more like your girlfriend, coal skin." Jia nodded. "At least she respects people's opinions."

"Exactly!" Jen pointed. "Why don't you do the same to me? In my opinion, puke face and bowl cut look like over bleached skeletons!"

"What the hell did you call Kim You Yung and Min Sae Ho?!" Mejel yelled in outrage.

"Aria!" They all yelled in concord.

"Say what?!" My eyes widened. "Don't tell me you're planning on making me the judge?!"

"You're frugal, Aria." Jen stated. "You take no sides, so why don't you tell these gay loving women what for!"

"Tell your racist boyfriend what's coming for his already scorched skin!"

"Woah," Warshall intruded. "Doesn't anyone care about what I have to say about this?"

"No offense, cousin." Jia told. "But you're like Spongebob smoking Marijuana in the alley of Tondo. The more you talk, the more no one wants to listen."

"Wow," Warshall blinked. "That hurt, even if it was coming from you."

"Back to the topic!" Jia ushered. "How about it Aria?"

"EXCUSE ME!"

It was all so sudden, a woman had suddenly screamed at us in the jeep. All five of us had immediately shut our mouths. The woman scowled at us immensely with no absolute cessation. Her brows met consciously, as if it were a nerve reaction to do that once faced with something unpleasant.

She was a portly woman, her hair of the lightest brown, and as I have said– her eyes still scowling at our direction.

"Do you know how noisy you are?" The woman started. "Your noises had started with innocent soft whispers then gradually turned into boisterous chitchat! Well how about that, you've even got some nerve to talk about how you are the drug lord, young man."

She had probably referred to Warshall. He hid himself in his jacket, and sullenly kept silent.

"As for all of you, and you especially, girl." She referred to me. "You had better control your voice's volume. Be mindful that you aren't the only passengers in this jeep, unless you were planning to obnoxiously throw us out, then I'd like to hear of it! I'm a school head of one of the most prestigious academies here, why don't I try and write your names on a sheet of paper and send it to your School Head for public shame? Do you want that?"

"But ma'am," Jia intruded.

"Silence!" The woman commanded. "I'm not bluffing, dear. I'm threatening, every single one of you."

Was this lady for real? Was she about to ruin our reputation just because we were noisy in the jeep? She is f*cking crazy if she thinks we'll let her get away with it, but– at the heat of the moment, there was nothing we could do. Absolutely nothing but remain silent for the whole ride to avoid any more dispute.

None of us spoke until the end of the jeepney ride. Inconsiderately, the lady even tried to take photos of us while we endured the public shame. Was she satisfied that she had ruined our lives? If fact that we were hiding our faces, keeping silent, and sincerely apologizing wasn't good enough, then I don't know what is.

Once we reached our destination, we quickly clambered off the jeepney, and got out of there for good. The finer details of the woman's appearance is better undescribed than preached. Besides, her face was just as unpleasant as her bearings. It would be just as difficult for you to read just as it is as difficult for me to write.

"Next time," I announced. "Remind me to never ever ride a jeep with a fat old lady again."

Author's Note:
This seriously happened! I'm stil laughing my ass off after recalling this moment, but at the same time cursing the fat old lady. Meh. Ce'st la vie!