Counting Stars

Chapter 3

➹ Chapter 3➹

Clarence

            Call me inexperienced and stupid? Stupid is acceptable, maybe, but inexperienced? Hell no and definitely not. I am utterly anything but inexperienced. Come on, my whole life has been a clump of ups and downs, as if I’m in a never ending roller-coaster. So naïve is a big no-no. Also, that means I perfectly know what a bad decision looks like.

            When I was fourteen back in Eastern, Merilda has already arrived for our freshman year (no, Ash isn’t there yet). It is when the fear of Merildas has already started to formulate inside of me. It started off as teasing, which I innocently ignored and took for granted. I guess that wasn’t enough for her so she started doing worse things to me, including physical abuse.

            One day, I realized I was late for Biology and the hallways  are all empty. I hadn’t even eaten lunch because it was pathetically thrown into the trash bin thanks to Merilda. It was a perfectly good lunch. I practically sped to the bathroom to clean myself up because the queen bee decided it would be fun to dump some grape juice all over me. I was cleaning up in the bathroom when I heard the bathroom door creak open.

            And in came mean Merilda and her minions. They were cackling when they saw my horrified expression. As much as I wanted to hide my fear that day, it seemed to escape and was clearly shown in my face. I wish I had as much strength that moment as I did now. I was almost immobilized!

            “Well, what do we have here?” Merilda circles me, hands on her hips.

            I just trembled. Cowardly, might I add?

            “Cool, is this your bag, sweetheart?” she picked up the grey bag lying on the floor and unzipped it. Out came my precious books.

            “No,” I manage to protest quietly as she heads over to one stall and flushes all of it down the toilet. It was so frustrating to recall it now that I wanted to punch her in the face for that.

            Laughing heartlessly, the three girls left me in the bathroom, staring aghast at my drenched school materials.

            Right, in comes one of the worst decisions I’ve made. I picked up the wet books and notebooks, stuffed it hastily in my bag and carried the heavy luggage to my next class. Hooray for bad luck Clover.

            I know what everyone is thinking: why the hell am I doing this if I’ve experienced all those stuff? One word for an answer: stupidity. It’s a complete moronic act to follow a boy by the name of Corin Wortham – who I barely know – out of the arena. That’s more significant than a prophecy, right?

            I think so.

            Damn that guy’s long strides. I can’t even catch with him as he runs across the field and heads to the forest. I’m huffing right now but fortunately, I’m quickly catching up with him. “Corin,” I call out to him, “Corin, wait!”

            I’m pretty sure he’s just pretending not to listen.

            I break into a fast run that Sonic would’ve been jealous. “What?” I almost bump into him as I halt right in front of him. I try to ignore the fact that we are so close to each other while I catch my breath.

            “Where are you going?” they are the first words that tumble out of my lips.

            “And why do you care?” he stands in front of me, his arms crossed. He didn’t get the nerve-wracking eyes from his mother, but he sure looks as intimidating as her.