~AOIFE~
The next day, I found myself standing before the dean's office, nerves fluttering within me. Glancing around anxiously, I hesitated before finally rapping on the door. Memories of the seniors' humiliating treatment flooded my mind.
Their actions in class were bad enough, but it was the extent of their mistreatment, not just towards me but everyone else, that truly appalled me. As a girl living independently, I refused to accept such injustice any longer. Determined, I resolved to ensure that no one else would suffer as I did the day before.
I questioned myself, "Am I doing right or wrong?" Finally summoning the courage, I approached the door and knocked. "Come in," a voice beckoned from the other side. As I entered, the dean greeted me with a smile. "Good morning, sir."
"Good morning. What brings you here? Miss..." the dean trailed off, struggling to recall my name.
"Aoife Marshall. Sir, as you mentioned yesterday, your college has a strict policy against bullies." My confident tone seemed to catch the dean's attention.
"Yes," he acknowledged, prompting me to step closer to his brown wooden desk.
"I am here to file a complaint against Xander Baston, Victor, and Zareena." I expected a more concerned response from the dean, but what came next shook me to my core.
"Who?" he asked, his tone betraying confusion.
"Xander, Zareena, and Victor," I reiterated, hoping for a more attentive reaction.
“Miss Marshall, I would suggest you calm down,” he advised sternly.
“But sir, yesterday after the lecture, he humiliated me in front of everyone. Who made these stupid rules for first-year students, and how—” I began, but was swiftly interrupted.
“Miss Marshall, I am sure you have done something wrong. Respect your seniors and we will talk later. I have much work to do,” the dean cut me off brusquely, displaying little interest in my concerns.
Disheartened, I made my way out, realizing he would be of no help. As I exited the office, my eyes met Zareena and Victor, who were waiting outside, likely to further humiliate me.
"Poor thing. Need a shoulder to cry on?" Zareena taunted as I kept my eyes low, hurrying past them to avoid their torment. "We gotta show her who's boss," Victor whispered to her, loud enough for me to catch. Picking up my pace, I put as much distance between us as I could.
Reaching my next class, Luka and Clara rushed towards me. "Where were you?" Clara blurted out. "What went down yesterday?" Luka asked in the same breath. "Did you go to the dean's office? What's the deal?"
Exhaling a frustrated sigh, I ruminated on how the campus system seemed utterly inept at handling bullying. "Yeah, I paid the dean a visit. Needed to call out Xander, Victor, and Zareena."
"What?!" Luka's voice rose. "But why Zareena?" Clara asked, bewildered.
FLASHBACK
After the incident at the assembly hall, I made my way back to my room in the girls' dormitory, a ten-minute walk from the college. It was a sprawling place where most of the girls resided.
As soon as I entered my room, I swiftly began arranging my things. I put away all my belongings, set up posters, planners, and everything I'd need for the year ahead. Exhausted from the activity, I decided to have a hot shower before heading out for dinner.
Just as I was about to enter the bathroom, a knock on my door interrupted me.
"Who is it?" I asked cautiously.
"Open the door," came the voice from the other side.
I cautiously cracked open the door, only for the girls to barge in uninvited.
"What the hell is this?" I exclaimed, startled.
"Look down," one of the girls whispered, signaling their seniority. "So, I heard what you did back in the canteen."
This time, I kept quiet. I didn't want any drama from my side to give them any reason to bully me.
"I'm sorry," I finally responded, hoping to defuse the situation.
It was mere seconds before they ransacked my belongings, throwing my clothes on the floor, ripping my planner, and scattering my books. Despite the turmoil, I made a silent vow to keep my composure. "I’m Zareena, and I will ensure you behave here," she declared, deliberately pouring orange juice onto my bed. My anger simmered within, tempting me to retaliate physically. Fortunately, the hazing didn’t last long. After a few warnings, Zareena left the room with a cynical smile.
Feeling the rage bubbling inside me, I fought the urge to resort to violence. “Isn't it strange how emotions find their way out when you can't express them outwardly, it finds a way out through your tears?" I mused to myself.
My planner and books were scattered across the floor, with an empty, wet bed beckoning me to sit and survey the chaos. I observed, as I mentally prepared myself to clean up the mess.
Tomorrow, I resolved to speak to the dean about these individuals. Otherwise, enduring such treatment would become increasingly difficult.
FLASHBACK END
As I explained everything to Clara and Luka, I struggled to contain my anger. "You're in a huge predicament. You gave them a reason to torture you, and I know Xander will not forgive you for this." Luka remarked on my situation before Clara waved off his comment."Shut up, Luka.""What do you expect me to say? I'm not mistaken.""They vandalized my room and publicly shamed me. What more could they possibly want?" My voice trembled with anger, and tears threatened to spill from my eyes.Luka's eyes squinted as he noticed someone approaching from behind.The three of us gulped as we saw Xander giving me an angry glare, followed by Zareena and Victor. It didn't take long for me to understand they had informed him about my latest actions.Something told me I was in trouble now. The way these bullies were looking at me gave me the vibe that a war had begun.Before that war could start, we hastily walked into our classroom and settled into our seats. It was best to play it safe for now.**
~Xander~I was alone in my classroom, reading stupid social media posts while scrolling my phone. The day seemed fine, as all my mates were out, and I was waiting for Matt. I heard a knock and didn’t bother to look up. I mean, who would knock before entering the classroom?Once again, my annoyed ears heard the same sound, and this time I jerked my neck to rebuke the person. Beyond my expectations, I saw her. It was none other than the new birdie looking at me. I stuffed the phone in my front pocket and walked toward her. With a blush, she lowered her peer.“What are you doing here?” I said, while scanning her beauty. She tucked away a strand of hair behind her ear, and my eyes caught her tattoo again.“Can I talk to you?” she asked.What is she doing here? Didn’t she know others would insult her more than ever for entering a senior’s classroom? And why was she talking to me like that?Her cheeks turned red, and the composed breathing hooked my attention. Her voice was seducing me, and
~Aoife~The morning was cold and foggy, just like my life had been these past few days. I used to love this weather when mom made hot cocoa for me, and we watched movies together. Now that she’s gone, this weather makes me feel alone. I was awake, looking at her picture close to my bed.“Good morning, Mum.” I remembered she loved to kiss my forehead, and never forget to mention welcoming the new day with fresh energy, but today I didn’t want to get out of bed. Why would I? I have zero motivation, nor was I eager to start my day.When I came here, I was ready to win the world, but in the last few days, everything changed. All I wanted was to hide where these people couldn’t torture me anymore. I just wanted this to be over. But what about the promises I made to my mother? I promised her to conquer every fear in my life.I glanced at my tattoo: Love never fails.She used to call me the love of her life. If she were here, she would never want me to hide. While I was wrapped in the turm
~Xander~She left her innocent eyes on my soul. This moment reminds me of a story. Some folks who needed emotional rescue were trapped in an iceberg that took many years to form. When you bring your gentle flame to their outer walls and melt a little, if they are brave enough, they will light their internal flame and allow the ice to melt. If they are afraid, they will add more layers of ice faster than you can melt it.Unknowingly, I felt the same. Aoife was an unknown flame that melted my heart, and I was not ready for the change. My playboy image wanted to bite every part of her delicate body, while my heart wanted to be with her. In this turmoil, when Zareena pushed her, it enraged my emotions to a degree I’d never felt before.My angry look toward Zareena scared her off, and she stomped outside. I didn’t understand my sudden anger. Is Aoife controlling me? Or does Zareena’s misbehavior towards Aoife affect me?All I knew was her teary eyes influenced me deeply. With this emotiona
My big tears rolled down my cheeks, and I finally relaxed when he pulled away.“Are you okay?” My eyes were closed as I heard that voice. I thought it was Matt who questioned me, but when I opened my eyes, Matt was blowing air on my wound.I felt another presence beside me when I saw my hand had not flinched on the chair. My nails dug into someone's hand instead of the leather arm. From the corner of my eyes, I saw something unexpected.“You… Oh, I am sorry, sir.”Right out of the blue? What was he doing here?It was Xander. But when did he arrive? And why was he standing next to me?Lots of questions boomed in my mind as I jerked my hand away from his wrist that was now scratched from my nails. “What are you doing here?” Matt questioned.He didn’t answer because he was busy looking at my nervous, flushed face. I gulped down a lump in my throat and backed myself behind the chair, lowering my eyes immediately.“Xan, what?” Matt asked again.Looking at his scratched wrist, I somehow fe
That next morning, I rushed myself to the library. Once there, Aunt Agnes was busy talking to her husband. “Good morning.” I smiled.“Good morning, pretty girl,” Uncle answered immediately.“Good morning, dear. What brings you here so early?” “I hope I am not asking too much from you guys. Since you are looking for a helping hand, I need a job. My brother wants to admit himself to rehab, and he needs my help.”They furrowed their brows, listening to me carefully.“Do you want money? We can help you,” Aunty offered.“No, I want this job. Please accept my offer to help.”They smiled and nodded their heads, quickly in agreement.Before I even mentioned my paycheck, Uncle said, “I will talk to management. We will pay you biweekly if that’s okay?”I nodded with excitement and happy tears as I hugged them.“Thank you for helping me. I’ll come after college hours,” I said excitedly before leaving the library and walking out.As I left, my mind was busy scheduling my day with the additional
~Xander~Waiting... Waiting... Waiting...My mind was like the ocean, watching the incoming ships of my thoughts drowning inside me.Is she going to be okay? What the heck were the doctors doing with her in there? Why is there no information about her? How long are they going to take? I was continuously burning in anguish, and the troublesome thoughts didn’t let me rest for a second. I was starting to ask myself why I had this unsettled anger and toward whom? Something told me it was me. Why didn’t I reach her on time? Why was I not there to protect her? And the essential fact of the matter, who the hell did this thing to her?That person will surely be dead at my hands. I will drown him the same way he did her.In the next thoughts, I literally planned the slow death of that unknown person who tried to kill her.I was in constant pain at the thought of losing her. My body reacted the same as I thought, making me punch the wall before I yelled out threats to the doctors and the hospit
~Xander~Heartbreak is a funny thing. It happened to a person you would never expect. I never thought I would become a villain to Aoife, not when I was the one who saved her life. I became the last person she wanted to see in this world, and unfortunately, she was the only girl who drove me crazy.For the entire night, I fought with my feelings, hiding them underneath. I thought it was just a stint of unsettled emotion that would pass with time. It became worse when the time came to see her again. Her angered eyes toward me thrashed in my spirit. She hated me for a crime I didn’t commit. She didn’t believe I was innocent.My desperate eyes waited for a single glance of understanding, but she ignored me as if I had never existed to her. Above all, I became possessive of her when I saw her hugging Matt. No girl rejected me like that and never dared to make me feel vulnerable.I questioned myself about why I was craving for the warmth she gifted to Matt while I was the one who found her u