Kissing The Wind

I hissed and gritted my teeth. I thought that he was different from them! It turned out that he was also heartless.

I entered the classroom in rage, but I did not expect that someone would slap me and pull my hair the moment I stepped a foot inside.

“Come on, girls. Slap her!”

I gasped when someone pulled me and slapped me in both cheeks. My knees wobbled at the sudden attack and I was slammed on the floor. The impact made me a little bit dizzy.

“Why did you do that, Maureen? Rogie said we can’t hurt that commoner,” a girl voiced out. Her voice was familiar but I could not name her. Maybe one of my classmates who always participated in class.

“He wouldn’t know. Besides, this girl seduces him. Who knows if she used tricks to tame the well-known Rogie Camero.” Maureen scoffed. “Rogie is not someone who would step down for a commoner. He is well-known for being a playboy and a bully!”

“Right. Rogie is not a good boy in class. Who would have thought that he would care for this commoner?” another girl chirped.

I heaved a sigh and shook my head. I had regained my strength after what they did. I slowly forced myself to stand up, but I yelped when someone pushed me down. I have slammed again on the floor. I gasped. My blood boiled at what they did.

“Since Rogie said that he’ll revoke your scholarship, why did you enter this room again, Sydnee Lurica? You should stay outside. You don’t have the right to enter this room without your scholarship. Or do you plan to pay your tuition?” Maureen said sarcasm was in her voice.

I squinted my eyes and glared at her. The smile she had on her lips dropped as she stepped back. “What? You want to fight back?” she asked, amused.

I drew a deep breath. “You think that I like to enter this room? Hah!” I stood up and glared at them. “Full of pretentious students, aiming for high ranks but will never defeat a poor scholar like me?” I smiled at them mockingly. “You know in yourself that you bribed the teachers not to pick me during recitations because you are all afraid that I’ll defeat you in ranking.”

“Shut up, commoner!” Maureen yelled.

I laughed and crossed my arms. “Since it is my last day, why don’t you guys let me voice out my hard feelings for all of you here?”

Maureen took a step forward but a girl stopped her. She then looked at me. “Go on, Sydnee. We’ll give you this chance,” said the girl.

I sighed and looked at them one by one. “You guys aim to be on top and you don’t care that you have been pulling people down to get yourself on top of everyone.” I shook my head. “But you will never be on top because of your dirty tricks. When you pull people down to get yourself on top, someone from the bottom will pull you down to get themselves on top. Can’t you see it? You’re fooling yourselves.”

“If there’s anyone who’s a fool, it is you!” Maureen said and crossed her arms on her chest. “You think that you are intelligent enough to beat us, but you are just putting yourself in difficulty. You can never beat us!”

“That’s one of your problems!” I yelled back. “You think that everyone is competing for power, for dominance. You see everyone as your competitor! You see them as a threat to your success!” I laughed bitterly. “You think that everyone is aiming to be on top? No, Maureen. Not everyone is aiming for what you aim for. I, I didn’t aim to be on top. I just want to finish my study peacefully, that’s why I kept low over these years because I know that you guys will pull me down further than where I was standing.” I shook my head as tears brimmed in my eyes. “You are all selfish. You don’t even know how to care and how to be friends with everyone.”

Maureen rolled her eyes. “Stop being dramatic. Just go get your things and leave this room.” She scoffed again.

I wiped away the tears that trailed on my cheek and walked towards my seat at the back. I picked up my bag and walked towards the door. I could even feel their stares, like expecting something. But I did not know what they expect me to do, so I just walked past them and exited the door.

The hallway was silent. I could not see anyone standing or walking in the hallway. Maybe they were all inside their respective rooms since it was class hour already.

I heaved a sigh. After I said those words and confronted Maureen, I felt the heaviness in my heart had gone away. I felt at ease, but I did not feel at peace at all.

I did not know what to say to Mom. I knew that she would punish me, but I could not do something. Maybe I’ll invest the little money I had, and save enough money to help myself enroll in another school.

It would much preferable for me if there’s a public school in my city, but the public school was on the outskirt of the city and I could not afford to pay the everyday fare. Even Mom’s extra money would not be enough.

So my only option was to get another scholarship program and transfer to another school. I sighed again. I was in my last two years in high school and transferring to another school was not that convenient.

“Sydnee?” someone asked.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

I stopped and looked ahead. I saw Teacher Anthony. When I lowered my gaze, I saw that he was no longer holding the folder. I knew that he handed it already to Rogie, and knowing Rogie, he would be jumping in gladness by now.

I looked away. “Good afternoon,” I greeted. “… Teacher Anthony,” I added then bowed slightly at him.

I walked past him but he caught my wrist. I saw in my peripheral vision that he looked at my backpack. “Where are you going?” he asked.

“I’ll go home.”

“Home?” he asked, confused. “You still have an afternoon class.”

“I’m not part of this school anymore. I will get my credentials at the principal’s office tomorrow, pay all my tuition for the last two years, and transfer to another school,” I said casually.