Anomaly

Chapter 3

The hustle and bustle of the cafeteria was deafening. Renata had to shout over the noise.

'Is the food here good?' she yelled.

Cresseida-no, Cress yelled back, 'Take a bite and taste it.'

Renata grumbled to herself. Fine, I don't need help. She decided to try a bowl of ramen with rice and tempura. She spied her friends at the far end of the cafeteria.

As she walked toward them, her friends' eyes widened. A few seconds later, a girl bumped into her.

'Oh, sorry.' She sneered, as Renata's tray fell from her hands.

Renata snarled at the girl. 'What did you do that for?'

'Oh, honey, don't you know?' The girl's saccharine smile dripped with poison. She raised her voice. 'I am Elisa Ferrisel. Leader of Camp Vancouver's...ah...welcoming committee.'

At the other side of the cafeteria, she saw Alice tense up. Get out of there! She mouthed. Renata shook her head. She was going to deal with this girl once and for all.

'So...Camp Vancouver's Ahwelcoming Committee? Weird name, but I won't judge.' Renata drawled.

'Oh, you must have heard wrong. Maybe you should clean out your ears.' Elisa gritted out.

'Maybe you should clean out your mouth.' Renata replied.

Elisa smiled a tight smile and said, 'That's not very nice at all, I don't think.'

'I know. That's why I said it.'

'You little...!'

' What? You little what? Tell me, unless you're too scared to face me.' She smirked.

Elisa composed herself. 'Well then, if you're sure you want to be led around by the losers of Room 7. Goodbye, dear!'

Elisa sauntered off and sat at a table with her friends, who sneered at Renata as she was walking toward her roommates.

Renata sat down at the table.

"That...was amazing!' squealed Ella.

Renata grinned. 'She deserved it.'

Alice inclined her head. 'Quite...impressive.'

Solstice, with a faint smile on her face, said 'She's been...welcoming us for years. Every newcomer is pretty much scared to death of her.'

Renata's eyes narrowed. 'I hate that type of girl. They torture others for their own fun, or they don't even realize they're doing it. Their victims are usually downtrodden, afraid, but others... They either join whoever hurt them, or they rise. Stronger than ever before. I had a good friend once. I lost her to a predator like Alice. One day, I was comforting her. The next... She told her bullies all my secrets. She started to bully me. I...felt...' Renata trailed off. 'I felt betrayed. But I swore to myself not to fall. I would not let her get her satisfaction. So...I prevailed. And that's why I'm here today.'

Renata cleared her throat. 'I...just got real deep on you guys, right?'

Scarlet smirked. 'Well... yeah.'

As the residents of Room 7 laughed, Renata felt happiness, and she realized that there were no more social restrictions holding her back. She...was free.

Dedicated to Maria, the real-life inspiration for this part of Renata. Thank you, my friend.

I will update soon!