"Gianna's being bullied," Mason calmly stated. "Did you know that?" "I suspected. You know she doesn't tell me anything." Mason exhaled. "Was that the reason for Sean?" Louisa hesitated, freezing from applying a layer of clay mask. "Yeah. I figured he could help, which he did from my observations and his reports until the last incident. And I can't help but wonder what went wrong. I haven't seen him since." Mason remained quiet, silently putting two and two together. "You're saying you've been receiving reports from Sean all along which no doubt confirmed that Gianna was being bullied and didn't let me know?" "Honey, I didn't want you troubled with all that you were going through in the vineyard and—" "Bullshit, Lou! That's bullshit. Gianna is our daughter. Not yours, not mine, but ours, and I don't mind breaking my limits when it comes to our kids so that is not a fucking excuse." Louisa's head lowered in guilt. "Did you ever ask her anything pertaining to the subject matter
Gianna was quick to grab Mimie by the arm and detach her from her entourage. "Are you okay, Mims? Like...sincerely." "Yeah." "No. You're off. Aren't we friends anymore?" She rhetorically asked. "Tell me what's troubling you. Did I offend you in any way?" "No." "But your actions say otherwise." A ripple of pause ruled. "Mims, listen, I don't know what I did to you but if I ever offended you in any way please, please forgive me, okay? I don't like this distance between us," Gianna pouted, "I miss my day one bestie." Mimie weakly smiled. With glassy eyes, she unexpectedly hugged Gianna. "You did n-nothing, rest ass-assured." "Then what's the matter?" "Are you w-waiting for someone?" Mimie examined their surroundings. "Not really. Adam dashed to the principal's office immediately after lunch." "Okay. Can we fin-find a quiet place?" A boy passed them by mimicking a failed attempt at a move she'd done in the video, laughed with his mates, and made a snide comment on how hot she'll
Adam left the principal's office as fast as he could, tearing past a small crowd heading to their class and dismissing the profanities and comments of those he bumped. Luck on his side, he spotted Mimie exiting the restroom after contemplating on whether to call out on Gianna from outside of it. "Where's Gianna?" He walked in on a pale and beaten-looking Mimie. "Is she in there?" Mimie sluggishly shook her head. She'd wanted to wait for her friend outside as planned but was scared off by Ephraim who guarded the door with diligence. "She's in th-the art room, w-with Sean." At the mention of the name, Adam made a U-turn and bolted to said place. The sight of the burly dark-haired teen hadn't any effect on his momentum yet, ignoring him wasn't an option. "Where to?" Ephraim interrogated, his big hand in a back-off stance. "Piss off!" Adam swatted his hand away with a force that alerted Ephraim to take his opponent seriously. "You better back off if you don't want to end up with a
"You ugly notice-seeking bitch!" Elodie seethed coming to a stop in front of Gianna who wasn't so surprised. The visit was long overdue. What girl in her right love senses will not go bonkers seeing another girl forcing her lips on her boyfriend? "What have I fuckin' done to you, huh? Why won't you leave my boyfriend alone, whore!" That unfortunate moment, she was struggling to get her phone back when it turned into a small battle. She'd fought with all her might. Only God knew that. Nothing like her fault that, according to the video, it looked like she was playing tickling and hair-tracing games on his chest before being pushed onto the bed and kissed senselessly. And that was where the damn video ended. Whatever happened to the parts where she fought her lungs out to get him off her? To pleading for the mercy of her innocence? To being the victim? Adam wanted to interfere before being held back. "Don't! I'll take care of this." Gianna stepped forth, daring Elodie to do same lik
"I got my fingers on Zombie Down III, if you're still interested. Sorry, my room's a mess," Adam picked up some littering pants, boxers, and shirts and shoved them into the laundry basket next to the bathroom door. "Been challenged with having to figure out what to put on lately. Please sit. Can I offer you something?""No, I'm fi-fine.""Gianna said you won't be hanging out with us tonight, why not?""I'm not fe-feeling too well.""What's wrong?" He sat on the chair in front of his laptop, so concerned that Mimie would've thought it genuine."Like you care.""Huh? What do you mean by 'like I care'? If I didn't I wouldn't bother asking. You are the one slipping off of me every time I want to care."Mimie looked away to better blink off her tears. He was victimizing himself again as usual. To cut the reason for her visit relatively short, Mimie nailed her gaze on the thick grey rug where her dressed up feet laid. "Can we-we conclude on our st-status now?"Adam pondered after wiping awa
Venisa must have understood Gianna's profile as she was urged to explain further."He was caught on private property," Gianna's eyes widened in realization. "He didn't do it. I-I mean, Jerome isn't that kind of person. Someone must have blackmailed him in to it or something but he is not a vandal, please, believe me.""Okay, okay," she didn't mention that she'd come to a similar theory. Gianna knew Jerome. The stare, appreciate one or two things, and stare on, kind of know, if at all sharing a similar elective lesson could expand the awareness radar. Not the type to keep records of; an ordinary high school kid he was. However, he never occurred to her to be that kind of person talkless of doing that sort of thing, especially with his friendly baby face and decent physique put into consideration. Nothing too special.Now that she thought back to it, there was a striking resemblance to Venisa. With the big russet brown eyes and Roman nose aside, Venisa wore not only similar contours but
"I swear, I'll pay you tomorrow." A blindfolded lad pleaded, his lanky hands firmly held back by a boy slightly younger than he was but athletic."If you'd converted the number of times you've fake-promised me to my fuckin' money, we won't have come to this. Take off the blindfold." "Please," he begged once the hindrance was out of his way. With hope, his eyes would join his desperate voice to get him off the hook. "I know I've said this a hundred times before—""A hundred?" The lad lowered his head. "Look man, I swear on my mother this time, I'll pay you back tomorrow. Tomorrow. First thing in the morning. Fredo has to wire me some cash tonight for the last two supplies. So please, just bear with me, man.""By Fredo, you mean Pitbull?"The boy sensed a tinge of consideration in his assaulter's profile and almost patted himself on the shoulder for the promising opening. "Yes, yes, that's him. The guy who owns the re—" An almost invisible blow shut him up."You fool! I don't give a f
Despite the pains inflicted by the total of twenty-two stitches upon waking—the longer slash that ran from her upper arm down to her elbow and the other from her clavicle towards her breast—Gianna managed to sit up even before digesting her surrounding. At first, she'd thought to be in her room until the sight of a mundane compilation of furniture. And her room wasn't spotless white. Gianna winced in pain as she erroneously used her aching arm to propel her body up. That's when the weight that had sunk part of her bed lifted, only then did she notice the red-haired woman. "Oh no, Anna, please stay put," she gently pinned Gianna back as if a move will kill her. "No, I want to sit up. I feel a bit nauseated." Her mother snatched a puke bucket from a corner and handed it to her daughter. "Here." "Thanks." Assessing the lady, she could tell she'd spent the entire night by her side. She still had the previous day's clothes on and an almost intact makeup had it not been for the black m