𝙁𝘼𝘾𝘼𝘿𝙀 (𝐚 𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲)

¦Chapter 9¦

~ Laila ~

Monday morning happened to be the beginning of my torment. It was a week after the messages that I got from Jason.

At first, I had no clue what was going on or why I was getting a heated look from the students. I didn't even have an idea that it was all caused by Jason.

When I entered the school that morning, I got strange looks from everyone. Everyone was staring at me awkwardly. Well, they always stared at me since I came to this school. But not to the extent of how they looked at me this morning. And the look in their eyes when they gazed my way was disgusting and very demeaning.

I was stared at like I was dirt or a clown. I tried ignoring them and waving at a few juniors who usually smiled my way when I walked past them. But instead, they all looked away, some gave me an exasperated kind of look that you would give to someone below you.

Wow! Even juniors.

What is going on? I couldn't help but ask even if I knew that I wouldn't be getting an answer soon.

On the way to my class, I met two of my teachers - Mr Falade and Miss Samuel. They were conversing with each other when I greeted them, they replied and then they exchanged a look, stopped, and called me back. I paused and turned back to them.

They had grown to like me since I passed their tests in their classes. Mr. Falade was our biology teacher and Miss Samuel is the senior Civic Education teacher. They had grown fond of me, but they had never stopped to talk to me ever. They only smiled and replied to my greetings politely and lovingly unlike other teachers.

"Are you okay?" Miss Samuel asked with worry after I greeted them.

"Yes, ma," I answered, a little confused about her question. The middle of my brows furrowed in a small confused frown.

They were looking at me like I was a  pitiful puppy. I didn't know what was going on, but I hated the way they looked at me. I hated people looking at me pitifully or sympathetically. And it was because I wasn't raised that way. My aunt never treated me like a baby or a weak person.

"Did you do anything to Jason?" Mr Falade asked me.

Is all this about Jason? Did Jason do something again? Has he started his torment? What did he do this time that all the school was staring at me and even the teachers had to stop me to ask me about it?

I was still in my thoughts when I heard my name and was jerked awake from my train of thought.

"Laila?" Mr. Falade was still gazing at me with a look in his eyes that I couldn't put a hand to.

"Sir," I replied looking between the two teachers.

"Did you do something to Jason?" he asked me again.

Oh, that?

I didn't know what to tell him. I wasn't sure if I should lie or tell them the truth that I meddled in Jason's affair. They would probably think that I'm crazy to do such a thing. Who the heck meddles in Jason's affair? Even the teachers stayed clear of him just so that they wouldn't lose their jobs. But being the heroic girl I was... I meddled and now, I am about to face the consequences of my actions.

Great, right?

"Not really," I answered them, looking everywhere except their eyes. It would be hard for me to lie to them if I look at them straight in the eyes.

"What did you do?" Mr. Falade demanded.

Reluctantly, I decided to open up about the truth. "Defend some junior students," I answered, truthfully.