13
Chapter 15
Mina's stomach clenched in apprehension. Today wouldn't be an easy day, she could feel it. Something about the air just wasn't right. She and Brody had split up shortly after the bell rang ending lunch. He told her that he had to turn in an assignment before the end of the day or it would be late. He left after ruffling her hair and poking her cheek.
Figuring it could just be nervousness about what to do with Brody, she tried to brush it off and walked to her next class. The classroom was filled with chattering about the incident, some speculating that Savannah tripped herself for the new kid's attention but only embarrassed herself.
Mina scribbled in her journal absentmindedly while eavesdropping on their conversations before class started.
"Today, I saw that weird goth wannabe Ever flirting with that new guy! I wonder if they know each other."
"Why? You wanna date all the guys in school?"
"Why not date Brody?" Another quipped.
"Why? So I can have Savannah's sloppy seconds? Also, didn't you hear about what Savannah did to the girl for being close to Brody? I'd rather die before I kiss a frog!"
Mina heard the girl's hushed voices and looked up to see a blond and brunette shushing the girl with dyed red hair. The blond's face flushed as she turned and whispered to her friends to be quiet.
With furrowed brows Mina looked at her drawing. She felt , not noticing that the new guy was walking into her class.
The bell rang and her history teacher greeted them and gave everyone a rundown on their newest project, it would be worth 40% of their grade for the grading period.
"Good afternoon class! I hope you had a good lunch. As you know we have a few important projects to do within the year for you to pass."
The teacher's voice faded into the background, as she stared at the crossed out frog in her notebook. It was cartoonish and cute. Nothing like the cold, dead and chemical smelling frog from before.
"Everyone picks a partner! We have a lot of work to do." The teacher watched as her students grabbed laptops and history books from the back corner. A head of brown hair on their desk at the back.
"Mina, hop to it!" She clapped, jolting Mina up.
Freezing up, Mina looked at everyone else picking their own partners, no one coming up to her but everyone going to the new guy sitting in front of her. His eyes lifted up from the wooden desk staring through everyone as if they weren't there. It was like a staring contest causing them to get uncomfortable and finding someone else. Looking at him she cleared her throat and mustered the courage to speak to this stranger.
She was going to ask if he'd be willing to be her partner for this project but he had beat her to the chase. "We'll be partners."
"No?" He looked upset at her lack of response.
She shook her head. She really couldn't be blamed. Her throat had closed up and her hands were clammy. "Sure." She finally responded.
His brows relaxed and he smirked at her. "Being partners is good; I'm not doing any of the work though." For the rest of class he didn't turn around or even acknowledge her, but everyone around him left and gave her stares. Some were pitiful and others envious.
It's fine, she didn't need help or anything. She worked better alone. He better not ask her to put his name on it later though. Because she wouldn't even if he begged her. If the teacher asked she'd just say he never told her his name. And then they'd come to the conclusion that he didn't do any of the work. Mina smiled after she comforted herself and started doing the work on her own. She wouldn't let some jerk get in the way of her grades and affect her school life.
Mina was deeply engrossed in her project, she was halfway finished when the bell rang ending class.
"It's due Friday, you have three days to turn it in!"
Everyone rushed to get their things together before the next class. She shoved the papers and her journal into her bag. She turned to take another look at the new guy and found that his seat was empty and she couldn't even catch a shadow of his back through the small crowd at the door.
She had just walked over the threshold when a short head of jet black hair and purple stripes jumped in front of her and tried to grab her arm. Mina yanked her arm back and pushed her attacker back. Her racing heart calming when she saw it was just Ever.
"Ever?!"
Ever rubbed her sore elbow. "Watch where you're going next time. You might seriously injure a weak human."
"Well then you shouldn't jump out of nowhere and scare me." Mina smiled sheepishly, and helped Ever up.
"Why are you here anyway?"
"I was nearby and Nan's class isn't too far."
Ever had waited outside of her class so she could walk with her to Nan's class before the bell. Mina didn't want to expose Ever's kindness so she smiled and walked towards the mall hall with her.
"You know…"
"Yeah?" Mina looked at Ever as they walked slowly.
"Nan treats you very well. Better than me."
"How did you and Nan meet?" Mina suddenly wondered how the two had met and cultivated a good relationship.
Ever frowned. "That's none of your business."
"Are you jealous of me because she treats me better?" Mina was secretly flattered.
She outright ignored the question. "Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that since Nan has treated you really well, you shouldn't hurt her. No matter what." Ever turned to face her in all seriousness. Mima could tell that if she ever hurt Nan, Ever would never let her go.
"I like Nan. I wouldn't hurt her."
"That's not enough. You have to promise me."
"Why? What's going on?"
"Promise me!"
"Fine. I promise. Now will you tell me what's going on?"
The already loud hallway erupted into hooting and cheers. The traffic shifting and crowding the opposite side of the hall.
"It's already too late."
"What do you mean it's already too late?"
Ever pointed to the crowd.
Mina couldn't make out much in the crowd. She trained on the tips of her toes but couldn't see anything. Ever must be joking with her, right? She turned to confront her when she heard the boys cheering.
"Wooooo! Brody! Brody! Brody!"
Brody? Mina turned to look. Did something happen?
"KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS!" The guys in the crowd cheered. Many kids walked away from the crowd and to class. Mina caught two heads of blonde hair making out and recognized Nan's ponytail as she also went to leave.
Why was Nan here? Who is she kissing? Did she get a boyfriend and not tell her?
Mina walked up to congratulate thing but stopped short. Her waving hand, dropping.
The couple came apart, their faces flushed red. Brody trailed his hand down her arm, Mina watched in horror while Nan shivered.
Brody must have seen her. He quickly pulled away from Nan and called out for her. "Mina."
"No, no, no, no, no." Mina shook her head, denying everything. How could he? And with Nan? She could feel the heavy gazes of all her peers watching her, ridiculing her. Her chest felt heavy and the back of her throat burned. She felt like puking. So she did the only thing she could, she ran down the hallway, dodging Brody's hand and ignoring Nan's calls. She might've heard Ever calling her back but she didn't care.
…
Mina hid in a dark corner under the stairs and laid her hand in her arms and lap.
"I didn't bring you there to see that." Ever stood across from her. "But I'm not surprised they're together either."
"So you knew?"
"Knew that this would happen one day? Yes. That this would happen right now? No. Human emotions are fickle. Most can't be trusted."
"Ever?" Mina said with a shaky voice. She was about to ask what she meant.
"You need to step back."
Confused, she stepped away from Ever."What?"
"Nan treated you well. Remember what you promised me. No matter what you can't hurt Nan."
Ever stares at Mina sternly.
"So you need to let go."
Mina scoffed with an airy laugh."Let go? He's a jerk! Why ask me out if he was just going to make out with Nan in the end! Isn't that cruel enough?"She said as her voice cracked, swallowing down her heartbreak she looked away trying to pull herself together.
"It's not worth crying over so you should just listen and stop before it ends badly for everyone here…" Ever grabbed her shoulders roughly and warned her.
Mina turns to look at Ever noticing how out character that was for her. Seeing her tense up she tried to follow where Evers eyes stayed glued to before being turned back forcefully. "What's wrong with you Ever?"
"Stay here for now. I'll be back soon."
Hurriedly, she pushed past Mina leaving her alone under the stairs with her burning emotions. Staring at her scuffed shoes her bottom lip trembled. 'Why did this have to happen to me…'
Clenching both her fists, her nails dug into her palm. Was she not allowed to be upset with those two after they hurt her? Those traitors. Ever too.
'What did I do to deserve this?'
Shutting her eyes tightly she tried taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down. Letting out a deep exhale she let her hands relax. Looking at her palms were deep crescent moon indents that were bruising red. Biting her bottom lip she wiped at her eyes before deciding to head to class late. Pausing as her ears caught the frustrated rambling of someone who echoed her own thoughts.
…
Savannah smirked, fluttering her eyelashes in a mocking way. Mina tried to stand taller with straight shoulders.
"Don't talk about her that way. You don't deserve to slander Nan."
Raising a perfectly done brow the blonde giggled.
"You do though. Since you were the one duped!" Savannah laughed loudly. "Of course she does, I mean come on. Who steals their friend's crush, right?"
"..." Mina could bring herself to say anything else to defend Nan. She may be upset right now but Ever had a point. She owed this to Nan.
Pointing a manicured nail into Mina's shoulder she applied light pressure. "Aren't you naïve? You didn't really think Brody would feel anything real for you right? He's only doing this to make you feel like you're special, like you mean something."
Digging her nail further she fakely pouts with a sad face."But you don't mean anything to them."
She pokes her nails harder into her shoulder, emphasizing each syllable.
"It's only just to pass the time~ because after all," she paused dramatically before showing a cruel smile.
"You're unworthy."
Poke.
"Pathetic."
Poke.
"And foolish."
Poke.
Smirking, she stepped away from Mina looking at her up and down.
"Nan is at least more compatible with him than you, haven't you noticed?"
Staring at her she let out a snort from the lack of response.
"I bet you thought you were reeaal special."
Mina was speechless. Paralyzed by the truth…it was the truth after all wasn't it? She really was foolish to think someone like Brody would like someone like her. She felt humiliated, like an animal cowering in the corner. Her heart hurt, her blood was pumping fast, and her face was flushing. She was just a pawn, she was nothing.
'All of it was for nothing.'
'I'm nothing to them.'
'She's lying to me.'
The degrading words echoed in her head as she tried to keep her tears in. She didn't want Savannah humiliating her more than she is now.
"Trying to be the bigger person now huh? They don't care about you. Just look at them."
She steps closer once again to whisper in Mina's ear.
"None of them even bothered to follow you to explain it"
Laughing she walks away haughtily leaving Mina mentally broken. With fat tears building in her eyes her breathing starting to quicken, flashes of the giant frog started to creep into her vision. The laughter loud in her ears and the cruel red painted smile on Savannah's lips taunting her again and again. Sliding down the wall of the stairs she started hyperventilating as this was going on. Remembering how the arms held her down and the suffocating smell of formaldehyde burning her nostrils.
"Stop." She tried to regulate her breathing but relapsed back into despair.
Gripping her head she felt the buzzing feeling of adrenaline building up. Her fingers tingled and shook as she gripped her head and chest. It felt like she would be ripped apart.
"Stop." She whispered through tears.
She hated them. Nan and Brody. Ever knew this and didn't bother to tell her before she embarrassed herself? After everything Nan was welcoming her with open arms and she was going to take the boy she liked away from her.
And Brody. Was he really just using her? Tricking her until Nan came back? Gosh she was so stupid for believing him. Maybe Savannah was right. Maybe she is pathetic. The buzzing feeling was getting stronger as she gripped harder onto her hair. A soft sob escaping her clenched jaw. Savannah's words repeating themselves in her head.
'You're unworthy!'
'You're pathetic'
'Foolish!'
It was like a circuit was complete from the strong buzzing within her body and then…
"STOP!" she yelled. The electricity left her body immediately. All the weight lifted off her chest.
BOOM!
…
Her ears rang. Or was it the fire alarm. She couldn't tell. She watched as a swarm of teenagers ran out of the classroom and out of the emergency exits next to her. They shoved her out of the way.
"Was that an explosion?!"
"I don't know."
"It was the science hall. I think an experiment failed and blew up the empty classroom next to mine."
Mina felt a chill run down her spine.
"Are you stupid?!" Someone grabbed her arm and drug her out of the school. Normally she wouldn't let anyone grab her, but she couldn't snap out in time.
"What bad timing! My new shoes are gonna get muddy."
The cold rain pelted her face and soaked her clothes. But none of that science classroom exploded?
Mina turned and looked at the hand holding her. She didn't want another prince charming. "Let go." She said coldly and pulled her arm away from their grasp.
"For now." He whispered before pulling her hoodie over her head.
How about forever?! Mina was about to quip.
"Mina!"
