Poisoned Star

Reason 9

            It was a busy week. After Grace and I talked to Marie, we managed to drag her out of her dorm and made her feel better. We took her to have yummy desserts. Grace found a very wonderful waffle house that serves finger-licking cheesy fries. Food basically could solve almost everything.

Then, we had meetings with the superiors. From our academic advisor to head of our program. We found a class that was treated the same and wanted justice for them too. They provided a statement for us.

I already felt like an attorney handling those matters. I couldn't help much because I was busy retaking the tests I had to postpone the other day.

There were few of our classmate who came to us, saying sorry for not standing up for Marie the other day. They didn't mean to backstab Marie. Not you though. I guess your decisions stood firm. You ain't gonna fight a losing battle.

Marie didn't want to drag this matter any longer, the damage has been done. She couldn't trust anyone but she needed to finish this and we needed more people to back us up as things started to be too much for only three of us to handle. Marie accepted hands from them.

We did this without the knowledge of the whole class. So, practically things have gotten back to normal. As normal as it could be. But Marie still remained sceptical towards everyone, she rarely joined us for lunch anymore, if you noticed.

"But it's my birthdaaaaayyyyy. You still wouldn't come?" Grace hugged Marie, putting her weight on Marie while Marie dragged herself out of the lecture hall.

"I have so many works to do. We have tons of assignments to be submitted, don't you remember?" Marie with her lame excuses.

"Come on, Marie, it's only for one night. Just a few hours, please? Plus, we have the same amount of assignments, don't we? We can do it together later." I helped Grace persuade Marie to her birthday party tonight.

Both of us knew Marie purposely avoid meeting our classmates other than class hours. Things had changed. But it was Grace's birthday and she wanted each of her classmates to be there, including Marie. She considered Marie as her close friend.

I, too wanted Marie to be there. Grace would be too busy entertaining other guests and having the night of her life, I needed Marie to be my company. Selfish, yes.

"Okay, okay. Sure. I'll go, okay?" Finally, she agreed. "Do you need me for anything? I can buy balloons."

"Balloons? Pft, this is not a sweet sixteen." Grace scoffed. "Wait, you know what, balloons would be fun! Sure, balloons!"

After the last class that day, I went with Marie to a party shop to get balloons. We got a pack of colourful and metallic coloured balloons that shine when inflated. Then, we arrived at Grace's early so we could help Grace with the preparations and put up the balloons.

Those balloons needed to be blown up. Grace was grinning while handing me the packet of balloons. "Why don't you do it? I'm afraid that the balloon might pop when I blow it up." She had her puppy eyes.

"Oh..." I hesitated. I never blow up any balloons before due to my heart condition. I don't have the perfect heart to flow blood properly around my body, hence interrupts the process of my lungs to deoxygenise blood from my body.

Yada, yada, I took the balloons from Marie anyway. You live only once, they say. I wanted to try. I tried to blow up one balloon. It turned out fine. I got ecstatic so I blew up a few more. Until I felt dizzy, I told Marie I had to stop.

"Here, let me help you girls with it." A guy sat next to us. I didn't know him.

Grace ran to us. "Oh my god, Shawn you're actually here!!" Correction, she ran to him, whom I suppose was Shawn.