Static Hearts

Change

Hello to all you wonderful readers of this book. Here we go with another perplexing chapter which is by the way from the past. I put all my heart into it sooo... Let the friendship continue!

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"If you're asking whether I had a nice beating, yes, thank you very much." He answered as blood was dripping from his nose.

"Liked that fainting act you did before."

"Those bastards didn't plan on stopping. What was I supposed to do?" Greg used a tissue to stop his nosebleed. "And you were definitely helpful."

"I'm a girl." that was a perfectly valid excuse for feeling too lazy to leave the tree.

"You know this is partly your fault right?" he said accusingly.

"I know." She admitted. Groundless envy was soberly normal on this campus. For a person of high status to spend time with a lowlife would make many people mad, leading to severe bullying of the one they could afford to attack. "Want me to apologize?"

"It doesn't matter anymore." He said. Before those people would follow him around, complimenting his looks or even trying to borrow some money. Now he could do nothing but secretly sneer at the odious and sickening characters reality hit him with.

"Is she different?" Reina asked pointing at the nerdy-looking kid looking adoringly towards the cheerleaders' practice.

"Yes." His certainty on that girl's naivety didn't falter for any single moment.

"Do you want her?" she proposed with a glint of excitement, which didn't stand that well with Greg. As he was about to refuse Reina suddenly stood up heading towards the girl he found so precious. Her big eyes well hidden behind the glasses stared confusedly at the beautiful girl who was approaching.

"What's your name?"

"Va..Vanessa." she managed to stutter.

"I'm Reina Romano."

"Yeah... I mean I know...who doesn't?" the girl seemed nervous but that didn't stop Reina from proceeding with her plan.

"That guy over there seems to have taken an interest in you, but he's too shy to confess. And I despite finding it very bothersome came here to express his feelings to you."

"He...he's your friend?" the girl asked in shock.

"That's not the point here. Focus on the point." She said not hiding her annoyance. "Would you go out with him?"

"Yes." The answer came almost immediately which left many people speechless.

"Well, that didn't take long." Reina said to Greg. His mouth was wide open at the result of what was supposed to be a disastrous joke.

"So...um...do you want to hang out sometimes?" her timid voice was directed to him, causing his cheeks to redden. Greg smiled for the first time after a long time and said:

"Yes. I'd love to."

Many things changed since that day. Vanessa surprisingly began to hang out with the popular girls and  pay much more attention to her outer appearance. When asked about it she would say that was not at all the case, get extremely defensive or even lash out. As she expanded her social circle, students started knowing her name and talking to her more often.

Her boyfriend's situation, on the other hand, was worsening. The bullying didn't stop. Despite trying so hard to hide the bruises, they were obvious on a close distance. It also had something to do with the fact that Greg never talked back.

Because of his lack of resistance Reina was beginning to wonder whether he had masochistic tendencies. Looking at her spacing out while staring peculiarly at his face usually gave him the shivers.

"Whatever you're thinking stop it." he growled. 

A warm wind was blowing gently, while the oak leaves were incessantly swaying. The tender green of grass shimmered in the flat light. Reina was reading the same book without paying attention to Greg's anxious pacing.

"I have a bad feeling about this. She told me yesterday she wanted to experiment with her looks." He said impatiently walking from one place to another.

Vanessa had sent them both a message claiming there was a surprise waiting for them, even though they were the ones who waited fifteen minutes for her so-called surprise.

"Actually that would be beneficial in so many ways." Here Reina was obviously talking about not having to endure looking at this girlfriend's horrendous style.

"I'm here." Vanessa called. Oddly enough she was wearing a big-sized hat.

"You are so gonna love this." Her eyes full of excitement were facing Reina, leaving Greg on the usual shadows of slight.

"I hope not as much as I loved those fifteen minutes."

"Taa-daa" She enthusiastically removed her hat letting her short strawberry colored hair in full view. The other girls told her this color was very fashionable and would definitely make her look cool. What it really caused was for her boyfriend to look shocked.

"So... What do you think?"

"It's pink." said Reina.

"Thanks for stating the obvious." Greg muttered. His eyes were sending her the message 'You're not helping'. And her message for him was: 'It's damn PINK!!!' accompanied by a cringe face.

"You don't like it?" Vanessa who was oblivious to their eye contacts pouted. Looking at her teary eyes Greg began coaxing her like a child.

"Of course I do. It looks great. This hairstyle makes your face look smaller and doesn't let your pimples show..."

"Aww thanks superstar!" she put an end to his nonsense, which honestly even Greg didn't know if they were a compliment or an insult.

"Vanessa!!" A girl called completely ignoring his presence. "Want me to show you my new mascara? My sister brought it from New York."

"Oh my gosh! I totally love it." And with that, he was left there standing alone while Reina had left unnoticed long ago.