Bubble Gum Kisses
CHAPTER 60

**Kapittel 60** ***Vanessa***

**It was hell week**. Papers had been flying in the air, pens were getting lost, books were getting passed around, the library had been full for most days, and students had been running around making, carrying, and passing their projects. Apparently, Trinity Knight was doing one hell of a job giving literal hell to their students.

Classes come and go, but we have been discussing the previous lessons from top to bottom like some sort of review. No quizzes, but the answers were graded. It seemed that the teachers were applying the Socratic Method since they were asking bizarre questions as if they were expecting us to know the topics from the back of our hands. It was like asking what was a square aside from the fact that it was a shape with four corners. Then when you're called for a question, and don't get to answer, you're publicly shamed with a load of insults disguised in a polite speech that the teachers had probably been keeping in since the start of the semester.

I thought I could have lots of free time, unfortunately, classes have been extended for 30 more minutes and the lunch break was reduced by the same time period, thankfully the administration had after-school activities postponed during hell week so we could focus on studying.

While I had free time, I took the liberty to study in the library and focus on reviewing notes that I had been preparing since day one. I hadn't felt more peaceful ever since Friso's tauntings had magically stopped and none of his lackeys, friends, or whatever they were, no longer approach me. There were some, but they were quickly shooed away with a finger's flick. Not to mention that the drink the library cafe makes when you have a study pass surpassed any of Starbucks' servings. So I've been nowhere but in pure heaven recently.

After my little outburst in Friso's car, I hadn't come across him for some time, except during classes though. He was the same as ever, he didn't bring his books and shared with mine. Though, he had been acting unusually casual but never went past the line like he always did.

It made me wonder what kind of wind blew his brain for the sudden change. I was sure he was startled by my words. He was silent for a good minute and was staring at me blankly. Did my words get through to him? Was I finally free from his torment?

However, Friso not giving me my daily dose of headache was only one problem down out of a hundred. I have been bothered by my tribulations with preparing my college applications. I knew it was still prelims, but it was good to prepare early on. Apart from that and at the topmost of my priority list were my submissions, my chores at home, and my review for CSATS. It was frustrating. It was frustrating to be ambitious.

Albeit, it'd be frustrating not to be one as well. It doesn't only make you feel like a burden, but also envious of those who have triumphed in their academic battles. Dissatisfaction makes a hole in your chest too. "Thanks," I told the kind lady who just gently handed me my requested hot cocoa with extra marshmallows. The library was cold and peaceful like any other, but what made it different was that it had a small cafe located just outside the building. Although it was allowed, food and drinks weren't permitted inside the premises.

It was a pain to descend from the 5th floor down to the first, but, I needed something warm and a little exercise after almost half a day's sitting right in front of the AC that was on blowing on a temperature so low the entire floor was so close to becoming the Arctic. Unamisingly, the staff did it on purpose since they believed that lower temperatures stimulate the brain and thus better learning. I didn't know where they picked that up, but the form of support was too excessive. Walking to God knows where, I huffed a breath as I wracked my mind about where I should study. I took a sip of my frothing drink and almost moaned. God, was this what they called an orgasm? The taste of cocoa mixed with soft marshmallows was impeccable!

Hopefully, it'd work like magic on my depleted energy. I needed the combination of theobromine and caffeine to work pronto. I had been sleeping less lately to keep up with my teachers' reviews and finish my pending projects.

I could use a day's sleep during the weekends, my only free time. But a pile of work was waiting to be done those days too, including my pending project on Mr. Mosbey's class. Exams would commence a week after this, and I was having little to no time for leisure, let alone a five-minute break. There were times when I lay in bed and stare blankly at the ceiling, thinking about pulling an all-nighter, desperate. God, if only I could ram all the information into my brain by just slamming my books on my forehead.

Thinking about studying in an empty classroom, I looked down at my shoes. Seeing how they looked back when I first got them made my heart full. Shoe glues do their magic, they got fixed well as if they weren't broken at all. A little rub here and scrub there with some polish and brush, it was as good as new.

"Ow!" I jumped on my spot when I heard someone yelped, pulling me off my reverie. I looked around to inspect my surroundings, I hadn't noticed that I was approaching the lockers.

Right in front of me were two guys perfectly resembling the scene of a predator cornering its prey. One guy, who appeared to be the predator, looked craggy and overbearing with how rugged his unkempt uniform was. Looks like his clothes had never been ironed since they were made. But being unkempt shouldn't be the case for his hair and overall facade. His sunken eyes were flaring red, glaring at the scraggly, red-headed guy he was pinning on whose height only reached his chest. The poor redhead was too afraid of the former that he couldn't him in the eye and was shivering.

"This is the last time I'm asking you, where's the stuff?" he asked the latter through gritted teeth. Strangely, the longer I look at him, the more he seemed awfully familiar to me. Have I ever seen this guy somewhere else before?

"What stuff?" the pale guy asked in a small voice, "I-I don't know what you're talking about, Laz." He was shaking, close to tears even. "You know what the hell I'm talking about, wimp!" the begrimed lad slammed his fist on the lockers, causing a loud clang! to resonate.

I looked around, replaceing the presence of the discipline committee or whoever they were to stop him. Much to my astonishment, the people were only passing by like they weren't seeing anything, others only looked and then turned away. Whenever I got holed up in a public stunt, I get their gawks and stares, but when it came to this violent nutcase, they ignore it? What the heck?

"Laz, please. I need to get to class. I don't know what you're talking about and I don't know where it is," the pitiful gent pleaded. It was obvious that he wanted to escape the situation but the dominating guy had a tight grasp on him. "Stop lying!" he shouted, the veins of his neck protruding like they were close to popping. Was no one gonna help the redhead?! "You better stop that now and tell me the truth." He was trembling as well, in anger that was. "B-But I'm no...t."

"Don't force me to mess you up. Maybe a little beating will he-"

"Hey, he said that he doesn't know what you're talking about." I found myself moving my mouth to release those words.

I didn't know what was happening, why I was acting up all of a sudden. I used to ignore this kind of thing happening back then, even when I first witnessed it here. See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. I got used to witnessing bullying and how being a telltale was futile back in my old academy, so I detached.

Now, I just got to see another one firsthand, I could have ignored this and pretended like I don't see it just as how the others did. But no, I felt like playing hero. Why? Was this because I myself got into a situation like his? We didn't have the same ordeal but it could be in the same brand to bullying. Still, why? Or was I just moved by plain pity? If so, why now?

My thoughts got cut off when I realized the gangster-like guy looked at me momentarily, his piercing eyes seemed to be scanning my demeanor. "Get the fuck outta here and mind your business like the others," he said then proceeded to taunt his unwilling victim.

"Relieved that someone's about to save you?" he asked, cupping the redhead's cheeks with his large, long fingers. "Huh?"

"I... I just want to be left alone, Laz." That was when it flashed into my mind. He was the guy who I saw kicking someone in the library annex! No wonder he seemed familiar. The girl he was with called him Laz too. Then that redheaded guy... was that the one he was beating up before?

"Then give me the stuff and I'll leave you alone!" the Laz guy said and his hand proceeded down to the latter's slender throat. He was choking him!

"Let him go!" I immediately ran to the sufferer's rescue.

"Don't get into other people's business, bitch!" he shouted and I saw him raise his free hand.

Immediately thinking that he was going to slap me, I closed my eyes, waiting for the pain to hit my face. However, one two, and ten seconds passed no jolting pain ever came to my facade. Was time moving slowly? Did he stop himself from hitting me? His palm was getting near my face, so he couldn't possibly stop at the last second. Wondering, I slowly opened my eyes and saw that the guy's hand was being apprehended by another person's "Quite a bold move right there, don't you think?"

** **

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