It's A Fine Line

5: Fire with Fire

"Oops," Jinhee said after tripping me down the stairs.

I didn't want to give her the satisfaction of seeing me in pain but that was near impossible. My whole body ached so much so I didn't want to get up from the floor. Truly I just wanted to play dead.

Slowly I got up from the floor but as I stood, a pain shot through my ankle. I used the railing to steady myself. I couldn't put any weight on my right foot because of the immense pain it gave me. But putting all my weight on  the other side strained my left foot.

I took deep breaths and limped in the direction of the nurse's office. A place I'd been one too many times.

I could hear Jinhee's laugh in the background but I ignored it as I continued limping. The pain was unbearable but I knew I couldn't break down in tears infront of everyone. So I silently cried. Something I did often in the past few years.

I had one more year in this school and  then I'd finally be free of these monsters. I prayed that university would be much kinder to me.
*****

"I think you may have fractured your ankle. It wouldn't be so painful if it was just a sprain. I'll call an ambulance so you can go to the hospital and get it properly checked."

"Thank you Ms Kim."

"No problem sweetheart. How did you manage to get here on your own?"

"Will power."

She laughed at my answer.

"You should've asked one of your peers to help you."

As if. They would laugh instead of help.

"I don't like troubling people," I responded.

It was the truth. I didn't like being bothersome. If I ever needed help I didn't ask anyone for it. Not because I was being a stubborn shrew but it was because I never wanted to feel indebted towards someone or like a burden.

"I'm sure it wouldn't have been a trouble. How did this happen in the first place?"

"Oh, you know me. I'm always clumsy. I fell down the stairs. Atleast it was near your office though."

"You need to be more careful, Senthu."

"I know," I sighed.

"I wrote a note for you to inform your teachers why you're not in their lesson. I just need to notify your parents."

"No! Please don't."

"Why?" She asked, shocked at my outburst.

"They're on a business trip and I don't want to make them worried."

It wasn't a complete lie. They were on a business trip but I just didn't want them to know purely because they wouldn't show concern. They would just lecture me on my "clumsiness". I wanted to avoid their 'disappointment in me' lectures at all costs.

"Okay, I won't if that's the case."

"Thank you."
***********

My ankle was very much fractured. But luckily I didn't need surgery, only a cast and crutches- to aid me in walking.

The effects of the pain relief medication didn't last very long  so for the rest of the day the pain was excruciating. Eventually it became subtler and I got used to it like every other pain in my life.

The crutches were the hardest part. I wasn't very good at balancing when using them and if I used them for long amounts of time my hands started to cramp. There really was no upside to this situation.

Hopefully taking my broken leg into consideration Jinhee and her followers would leave me alone for the time being. But I knew it was an unrealistic wish. She was worse than a devil and how could I expect someone like that to give a little pity.
I couldn't.
*********

It was times like this that I wished I had a personal bag carrier.

I was finding difficulty in walking with the crutches while my bag was weighing me down from the back.

I wished I asked my parents' driver - who had to drop me off at school since I couldn't walk here - to carry my bag around school for me. But alas I was too proud to. Sometimes I really did curse my pride and my need to be under the radar, of those around me.

I, somehow, managed to get to Chemistry without falling and killing myself along the way. I was a little late to the lesson but Mr Baek didn't mind because of my injury.

As I 'walked' to my table I heard people snicker. I doubted whether my classmates were 17 or 7, they were behaving very immaturely.  I still couldn't see what was so funny about a fractured leg but I guess small minds were easily amused.

Eun Ha, a follower of Jinhee, placed her leg to the side of the desk so as I walked past I tripped over her leg. My crutches- much like myself- fell to the ground. That was when everyone broke into hysterics. Mr Baek was kind enough to help me up and tell them to keep quiet.

I felt embarrassed and my foot was throbbing. I honestly loathed my classmates.

One more year. Just one more year.

*********

"Mrs Kang, can I speak to you?" I asked at the end of the lesson.

"Sure. How's your leg?"

"It's getting better. It still hurts but it's been healing in the past few weeks. Thanks for asking."

"No problem.  Now what did you want to speak about?"

"Jungkook."

"I presumed so. What happened?"

"I can't work with him. Of the six times we were supposed to meet up he only pitched up for three. And we didn't accomplish anything in those lessons. He doesn't listen to me. He's on his phone the whole time."

"Then confiscate his phone when you're with him."

"I can't do that," I said shocked at her suggestion.
"He'll murder me."

"You're exaggerating, Senthu."

I wasn't exaggerating. Not at all. An angry Jungkook was a very scary Jungkook. And I had a feeling taking away his phone would make him furious.

"I still can't work with him. I tried being positive about the whole thing but it's becoming impossible for me to remain calm. It's just a waste of my time. He's a waste of my time. He just sits there and plays piano tiles and it infuriates me to no end. I can't do this anymore. You can call me a quitter but I refuse to do this."

"If it makes you so angry, you should show him your anger" Mrs Kang advised.

"Huh?"

"Sometimes, Senthu, we need to fight fire with fire. So if he wants to be difficult, you be difficult too. Be more assertive and less passive. He thinks you're a pushover and is taking that for granted. Show him you're not a pushover. If he doesn't want to willingly work with you then force him to."

"Mrs K, we've been over this before. He will kill me."

"He won't. Boys like when girls show a little dominance. How do you think my husband fell for me?"

"I-"

"Senthu, just try it. If it works then great and if it doesn't then I'll come to your funeral."

"Mrs Kang!"

"I was joking. Calm down. It will work."

"Fine I'll try it. But if it doesn't work then you won't force me to do this anymore, okay?"

"Deal."