Silhouettes of America - Book 1 of The ARMOR Series [Completed]

2: Collapse | Avery

Current Time: Tuesday, 8:30 EST
Current Location: International High School of San Francisco, USA - 37.7754*N, 122.4216*W

The commotion we created yesterday caught the attention of the school's principal. He required our parents to see him in his office today. I sat on the couch beside Mr. and Mrs. Sandlers while Tanya and her mom sat across us. Tanya's left cheek swelled from the punch I gave her yesterday so she pressed an ice pack to her cheek. Her eyes burned with rage as she looked at me and I averted my gaze to the old man who sat in front of us; Mr. Cummings, the school's principal.

"Miss Collins, tell me about the issue yesterday," Mr. Cummings demanded. I took a deep breath as I recounted the root of the bullying. "Tanya, Hara and Aliya bullied me in junior high when they found out I was adopted by the Sandlers," I began. Tanya glared at me and the wrath I felt escalated. "They called me names like homeless, stupid orphan and man-whore. And now, they're spreading rumors that Rob Sandlers fucked me at home!" I never meant to say the last phrase infront of the Sandlers but my tongue just slipped out due to extreme anger.

"Why didn't you tell me that last year? So you mean," he paused. "You let these three girls bully you the whole time?"

I gasped in disgust. "Yes. I held my temper and didn't tell anyone about the bullying because I don't want to get unwanted attention. I want to fight my own battles in life and not call on someone to defend me."

"You're a liar! You're just fabricating - "

"Miss Gyllenhaal," Mr. Cummings cut Tanya off when she tried to intervene. "I was talking to Miss Collins, not you."

Tanya rolled her eyes and gritted her teeth in rage. Her mom patted her back in the hopes of calming her down. That brat.

At that moment, Mrs. Sandlers began to speak. "It's my first time to hear about this bullying thing Mr. Cummings and it offends me. To find out that students create stories about my adopted daughter, Avery having a sexual relationship with my son is disgusting. For you to know, Rob is a good person Mr. Cummings. We didn't raise him to be a dirty boy."

Mr. Cummings clasped his palms on his desk. "Fine, Mrs. Sandlers. I promise to resolve all the issues of bullying in this school with the committee this afternoon," he said. Mrs. Sandlers nodded in agreement, only that her expression betrayed her. She looked like she wanted to slap whoever talked shit of her son. Rob Sandlers was a unico-hijo and Mrs. Sandlers spent all her days attending to his needs. She checked on him all the time to make sure he was fine. The only thing she wanted for him is to grow into a decent man, not a breaker of girl's hearts.

Mr. Cummings set his gaze back on me and asked, "Miss Collins, I need you to explain to me why you punched Miss Gyllenhaal in the face."

"Although I was caught in the offensive, I'm still the victim," I reasoned out to him. I was washing my face inside the girl's restroom when someone hit the back of my head with a piece of wood. I passed out for God knows how long and when I regained consciousness, I was astonished to find myself in the stock room with ropes tied on my arms and legs, and then the whole ton of shit happened. "Tanya started the fight. I was just defending myself," I pressed on.

Mr. Cummings adjusted his glasses and gave me a sombre look. "How can a lady punch someone in the face?"

"I'm not a lady!" I retaliated, raising my voice. Mrs. Sandlers held my hands and shushed me down. I felt awfully sorry for dragging my adoptive parents into this mess. They shouldn't be here to attend to my needs; they should be working in their office.

"Miss Gyllenhaal told me yesterday that they were just sitting in the cafeteria, laughing over some memes when you suddenly came in and punched her," Mr. Cummings cited.

My eyes grew wide in shock. Tanya made up a story to clear her off the mess she's done. "No! She's lying! They actually kidnapped me! They tied my arms and legs with ropes and left me in the stock room with cockroaches!"

"That's ridiculous," Mr. Cummings sighed. "You need help, Miss Collins. You need to see a psychologist to cure your anger management issues."

What the hell. I got tongue-tied at the moment. The truth was covered with a lie. I looked at Tanya and the liar gave me a back-off-I-won smirk.

My eyes are azure but I see red, redder than my hair. I took a deep breath and marched to the principal's desk. "Believe me, Mr. Cummings, I'm telling the truth! Even the students standing by the Arts building witnessed it!"

"Although you're telling the truth, the evidence is clearly stamped in Miss Gyllenhaal's face. You punched her. Now, do you have any proof to show that you're kidnapped?"

I was trapped. I didn't have any physical evidence to show him for the scars Tanya and her friends inflicted on me was buried in my heart and mind. If they only knew that mental and emotional pain does much more damage than physical pain. Such blasé individuals.

"Mr. Cummings, tell me, how many case of dollars did Tanya's billionaire dad gave you?"

Mr. Cummings stared at me in disbelief. At one glance, I could tell that my assumption is right - that the Gyllenhaal's bribed him to keep their reputation clean.

"Avery!" Mr. Sandlers grabbed my arms and pulled me back to the couch. "My apologies, Mr. Cummings. She's just being irrational," he apologized in behalf of me.

Tanya's smirk grew fuller. So this is what money can do. Tanya's grumpy mom met my eyes; hate glimmered in those brown orbs. "I can't forgive you for marring my daughter's beautiful face," she said. "Mr. Cummings, now that the guilty is determined, what charge are you gonna press on her?"

Mr. Cummings rubbed his hands for a while before he spoke, "A two weeks suspension and one week community service would be charged for such an impudent behaviour."

Mr. and Mrs. Sandlers agreed on the punishment he imposed and promised to take me to a psychologist. I feel awful; like a tiger had been digging its sharp nails to my chest. I humiliated my adoptive parents infront of big people. I was suspended for two weeks. What's worst is I had been blamed for someone else's fault. The world is truly biased.

When Mr. Cummings dismissed us, I quickly sauntered to the door and opened it. Before I stepped out of the office, I snickered. "Money is indeed powerful. It can provoke people to weave lies; it can also hide the truth. I just hope San Francisco would collapse, so the money they used to hide the truth will bury with you," I boldly said.

**

Intense. Lol

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