Chapter II

Sasha was hesitating to enter pass the school gate. It seems like she's going to be more in trouble today than usual. I'm not tough but here I go, she thought and walk inside.

Opening her locker to get some books, a few folded paper fell. She knows what those papers are; warnings from her bullies. Although she knows what's written inside, she would always read them.

It has the same words like "you're ugly" "quit school" "go die" . Sometimes, she wonder how those bully think and why they think like that when she hasn't done anything wrong. She pities them, most of the time.

The moment she closed her locker, she jolted at the sight of the guy from yesterday. He wore a plaster strip on his face where she had punch him.

"Good morning there, miss Braun." He was smiling at her which made Sasha slightly frown.

"What do you want?" Sasha asked. Honestly, she doesn't want to remember the embarrassment she did yesterday and to think she punched this guy. Maybe he wants a compensation, she thought.

"Just want to talk about yes--"

Eustone was cut off when she raised her hand for him to stop. She reached for something in her skirt pocket and took his hand. In his palm she put money and let go.

"I'm sorry for what I did yesterday," she apologize and looked at him with a dead face. "That's all the money I have. It's not enough but I hope you'll forgive me." And with that she left him.

Eustone was staring at the money in his palm, his mouth slightly open. He laughed when he realized what she just did. She never fails to surprise the heck outta me, he thought, walking his way to his class.

At lunch break when Sasha was heading to the rooftop to peacefully eat her lunch, she met Eustone at the stairs again. She didn't mind but he did.

"Hey, Braun!" Eustone greeted with a smile that surprised mostly everyone that heard it.

Knowing Sasha, she only glanced and continue to walk up the stairs.

"Snob as always," Hades commented and looked at Eustone. "Why are you... giving that creep attention?"

"I don't think she's a creep."

"Cause she's just a bitch," Arya mocked, earning laughter from their friends.

Eustone chose not to say anything and continue to walk down to the canteen. It seems like the group of friend he has right now is terrible.

When he was about to pay for his lunch, he remember that he has Sasha's money.

It's not enough but that's all I have

He heard her voice. "She must have no lunch right now," he mumbled.

"What's that?" Hades asked Eustone.

"Uhm... I just remember the principal actually wanted me to have lunch with her. You guys have lunch together!" After saying that, he rushed away from the crowded canteen.

"That was weird," Arya muttered.

"It must be nice having a principal as an aunt," Hades thought which Arya rolled her eyes to.

At the corner where there was shade Eustone saw Sasha eating with a lunch box. Her eyes locked to his and he smiled. Relief spread across his face knowing she has lunch but then her eyes were asking him why.

Eustone sat beside her, putting his tray down. "Damn, I thought you weren't having lunch up here," he started. "Do you want some?" Offering the food on his tray.

"I'm almost done. You can have this place," she softly stated.

"But I heard it's nice to eat with some company," he immediately retorted.

Sasha stared and reached for his face. It immediately froze Eustone but he let her. She took the plaster strip off his face and replaced it with a new one. The whole time she did that, he could only stare.

After doing that, she continues to eat her food. Quietly, he did the same with a smile that wouldn't seem to go away.

"I'm sorry I wore a ring yesterday that cut your face."

"It's okay," he showed a sweet smile. "It doesn't hurt that much anyway."

"I'm going to keep ignoring you after this lunch so please don't make yourself look stupid like earlier," she told him.

It made Eustone look at her and put down his food. "I thought we were getting along."

"I can never get along with people like you."

"How so?"

Sasha stands up and heavily sighed. "I don't need friends so just stop trying," she uttered. The expression on her face seems gloomy and Eustone could see sadness.

He stopped eating and touched his face, rather the new plaster on his face. At least I got to talk to her for a little while. If I keep trying maybe... maybe she'll start to trust me and see that she does need one, he thought to himself.

After class, Sasha had stayed. She's one of the cleaners and as always, there was no one who helps her clean the classroom. Sweeping the floor wasn't a hard job, wiping the top of the windows were since she was shorter than normal girls.

In the middle of her cleaning, the door suddenly opened and girls from some class came in. This doesn't happen normally.

"I heard you're seducing Eustone now," a girl with a copper brown hair grunted.

Sasha was still expressionless when she got down from a chair she used. "Okay," was her only reply as she carry the chair back to where it originally was.

"You're just proving you're a whore, Sasha!"

Another girl lash out pulling Sasha's uniform for her to face them. Then one of the three girls push her left shoulder making her step back.

"Aren't you at least ashamed?" Flare, a girl who used to be her teammate asked in a high pitched voice. "You seduced our coach and now you want Eustone?"

Flare scoffed and clutched on Sasha's collar. "You want to get another abortion, don't you?"

When Sasha plastered a proud smile on her face, it immediately annoyed Flare and punched her ex teammate. It knocked Sasha down to the floor.

"Serves you right!" The other girl yelled, while the other one laughed.

"You know, Sasha, you could've transferred to another school," Flare stopped to kick Sasha which made her flinch. "Or maybe quit so you can help your poor family!"

Their laughter filled the whole room but Sasha couldn't hear them. She was busy thinking about her mistakes that made her this easy of a target by everyone.

Once the girls were gone she continues to clean despite the pain she was feeling. She knew it. It was really bad for her to come close to those beautiful people.

After cleaning she went out of the building with a portion of her face red. She's used to the pain but not with the insults. It was still hurting her even if it's going on for years now.

"Keep your head up Braun, you might trip."

Sasha glance up and saw Eustone leaning against the wall with a smile that immediately faded when he saw her face. The expression he was showing was kind and it reminded her of a beautiful springtime. A spring... 

***