Overwhelming Pain

Chapter 5

Trinette stares at her own reflection as her face is currently dripping wet since she just finished washing her face. Its currently 11:30 in the morning and she has to go to class. Only one subject left for the morning session. Sigh, I should just attend class this afternoon. She stares at her face where Hillary mostly hit her. She can feel the pain and sting and can spot some bruises starting to show up. She sighed once more. Good thing I brought my mask.

Gently, she rolled up her sleeves, revealing the burn on her arm. She gently pointed its direction towards the faucet and soaks it with the water. She hisses softly as she felt it sore.

"Ms. Nevalle." Startled, she looked back and saa her homeroom teacher entering the female's bathroom where she's in. She got nervous for a second that she immediately turn the faucet off and pulled her sleeves down even though she hits her burn— she endured the pain. F*ck.

"M-Ms. Perez," she looked at her as she tries to fix her posture. "Good morning." She softly greeted.

Ms. Perez is a young adult teacher that most of the students like due to the fact that she understands students more than those old teacher in the school. "You weren't in my class." Also Trinette's adviser and teacher for the third subject of the morning session. She purses her lips.

"I-I'm sorry.. I was late." She excused with a soft small voice. Ms. Perez tilted her head. "Oh? Really?" she asked, putting her hands on her waist. Trinette then slowly nodded her head as an answer.

"Well, that's odd. I've seen you enter the campus right on time. How can you be late?" Ms. Perez asked, raising one of her eyebrows. Trinette looked away from her, obviously guilty.

"Where were you and why did you chose to not attend my class?" she asked again. Trinette remained silent.

"Or maybe, you really skipped your class for the whole morning?" she jumped to conclusions again as her eyes scanned Trinette up and down. "You look like a mess. Its like you were playing on the dirt like a kid." She added. Again, Trinette remained silent.

Ms. Perez's eyebrows suddenly furrowed as she looks at the violet-ish bruise on Trinette's cheekbone. "Trinette? What's that?" she asked as she was about to reach out to the student's cheek but she immediately moves away.

"U-Uh, nothing." Trinette shakes her head. "Nothing, miss." She answered.

"That's a bruise," she pointed out. "Where did you get that?" she was expecting an answer, but still Trinette remained silent.

A disappointed sigh came out from the teacher's mouth. "Trinette Nevalle, is there a problem?" Ms. Perez asked with a worrisome tone. Trinette immediately shakes her head.

"N-None, Ms. Perez." She answered with the same tone she used a while ago.

"Are you sure?" she asked, slowly walking towards the student. "You know that you can open up to me, Trinette." She said in a same tone of voice, worrisome. Slowly, Trinette steps back. Ms. Perez reached out her hand over Trinette's then she gently squeezes it as a sign of reassurance.

"Don't be scared—" She didn't expect but Trinette suddenly swats her hand away as if she doesn't want to be held by anybody.

"Please," with a firm tone. "Just leave me alone." Trinette said as she walked passed by the teacher, leaving her alone in the women's comfort room.

Ms. Perez sighed.

———

Before anyone could see her, especially Hillary, she exits their classroom the moment the bell rang. She quickly wears her mask as she's expecting her bruises are showing at this point. Walking through the hallway with haste, she reached the exit of their school right away, making her jog her way towards the gate— exiting their school. A relieving sigh has escaped her mouth the moment she steps out from their school.

No one saw her, that's for sure.

Hurriedly, she jogged her way towards south, not north where their house is. She may or may not be coming home. Who knows. Five f*cks. Trinette gripped tightly on her backpack as she stopped jogging and casually walks through their quiet town. One left. She turned her head left and right to check for cars.

None.

She casually walks across the street on the pedestrian line.

"Helen!" Trinette called out as she reached the other side of the road. Jogging towards the large open window of a well-known cafe in their town. The large open window is only for the costumers who passed by to buy something and doesn't have enough time to enter the café.

The young pretty lady smiled at the teenager that approached her from outside of the open window. "Hey, Tri!" she greeted.

Her smiled faded in an instant when she saw Tri's cheekbone. "Oh god. What happened?" she asked as she hurriedly opened the drawer near her and grabbed the first aid kit. Trinette stopped right outside the open window and immediately shakes her head upon Helen's actions.

"N-No. Helen, no need." Trinette said with an uncomfortable smile then she immediately fixed her mask despite of the sting she's feeling. "What do you mean no need? Take off your mask." Helen demanded with her hand on her waist so Trinette then immediately takes off her mask, revealing hher swollen face, bruises on her cheekbones, jaw and the side of her lips.

"Jesus Christ, get inside." Helen demanded again. Trinette obediently followed what she said then she enters the café. "Watch over the counter for me, alright?" Trinette heard Helen telling her staff what to do, the staff nodded with a smile and so as Helen.

She's the owner of the café, although Trinette is unfortunate she was able to befriend the owner of the well-known café of their town. "Come." Helen said as she held Trinette's hand with the first aid kit on her other hand. Gently, she pulls her in her office.

"Sit down." Trinette followed then she sits on the couch. Helen sat beside her then opened an ointment from the first aid kit. "Tell me when it hurts." Helen said as shecups the teenager's cheek then gently puts the ointment on the wound on the side of her lips.

"Who did these to you?" Helen asked as her eyes are fixated on the wound. Trinette slightly looks down.

"As usual." She answered.

"Bullies?" Helen looked up to her while asking. Trinette slowly nodded. "Hm." Helen moves away the moment she finished putting the ointment on the corner of her lips.

"And you still attend classes," Helen's eyes gazed on Tri's dirty blouse and skirt. "Looking like that?" she asked. Trinette nodded again. "Geez." Helen mumbled.

"And uhm.. about the barter that we talked about." Trinette fidgets her fingers as Helen tilted her head while looking at her.

"The eggs got crushed.." She purses her lips. "They threw my bag away so that's why," she continued. Helen plastered a sweet smile on her lips then pats Trinette's shoulder.

"Its fine, I'm still gonna give you the cheesecake that your mom used to buy anyways." She chuckled as stands up, walks towards her desk then gently grabs a box that was on it. She then walks back towards Trinette then handed the box to her.

"That's the cheesecake," she said. Trinette lips curved into a huge smile that made her stand up and hug Helen tight. "Thank you!" she squealed. The young lady chuckled then hugged the girl back, patting her back gently.

She broke the hug and said. "Now go and tell your mother happy anniversary for me." With a smile. Trinette nodded with a smile as well.

"I will." She said.

Trinette held the box of cake tightly as she bud her goodbye at Helen then she steps out from the café. On my way, mom.