Queen of the Campus

4

Damn it, I'll make you pay! Frankly, I'm no saint either!

"Brothers, she's here," I growled, but inside I was incredibly excited and scared. Just as Tara passed us, Fat Monk and Skinny Crewboy jumped out and blocked her path.

"Who are you?" Tara hadn't expected anyone to ambush her, but she didn't seem scared at all. I knew it was my turn. I darted out, and as Tara tried to turn around, Crewboy saw this wouldn't do and immediately kicked her. Caught off guard, Tara fell to the ground on the path. I didn't care about anything else anymore; I put the burlap sack over her head and gripped the opening tightly.

"Brothers, kick her!" I whispered, afraid Tara would recognize my voice. The three of us understood each other and started punching and kicking Tara, though we didn't dare use our full strength. Tara didn't utter a sound the whole time. A chill ran down my spine—was something bad going to happen? "Brothers, run!" I loosened the sack and yelled at Fatty and Flathead before we ran.

I was in the lead. During my year of junior high, my resilience had grown stronger, and so had my escape skills.

"Xiao Fan, Xiao Fan, wait for me!" As I ran, I heard a cry behind me. I turned around and saw Fatty lying on the ground. I was furious. I wanted to yell at him, "Are you an i***t? Call me out! I regret it so much! I shouldn't have brought him!" I glanced at Tara's side; there was still no movement. I hesitated, but I didn't go to check. I was afraid it was a ruse by Tara. Me and the crew-cut guy quickly pulled Fatty up and fled.

Back home, I had a huge argument with Fatty. I called him an i***t, a pig. He got angry too, calling me ungrateful and not a true brother. The argument escalated into a fight. Although I didn't lose, in the end, both Fatty and the crew-cut guy ignored me. I said goodbye to them completely—that fragile friendship!

The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. I felt no joy at having taught Tara a lesson, and I'd instantly lost two brothers. Looks like I'm not cut out to be a leader; I have no backbone whatsoever. I was also worried about Tara. She hadn't gotten up for so long; maybe she'd accidentally kicked something in a vital spot. The more I thought about it, the more frightened I became. Inexplicably, I ran alone to that path. There was no one there, not even a sack.

I returned home dejectedly, feeling no joy of victory. Hopefully, Tara was alright. Hopefully, Tara hadn't heard Fatty call my name.

I drifted off to sleep, feeling groggy.

"Xiao Fan, Xiao Fan, it's your phone! It says it's your classmate!" My mom came home. I glanced at the alarm clock in my bedroom—damn, I'd slept for three hours! It's already evening. Who could it be? Could it be Fat Monk calling to apologize? The thought made me happy, and I quickly answered the phone.

"I thought you wouldn't dare answer?" A voice, cold but pleasant. But I felt a chill run down my spine. Tara, my deskmate, the she-devil who tormented me for an entire zodiac year.

"Sister, how did the exam go?" I was terrified, my words barely coherent. No wonder my mom kept looking at me when she answered the phone; it was a girl. If she knew this caller was the girl who used to beat me up, she probably wouldn't be so happy.

"Luke, you know why I called you? Just wait for my revenge!" Tara's voice was chilling, like she was making a vow, or perhaps a resolute decision.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but you sound pretty tough." Although I was scared, I wasn't too afraid of her anymore. After all, I was about to go to the city's top high school, and we wouldn't be in the same school anymore. My mom had been listening the whole time, which annoyed me, but I didn't want to get rid of her.

"I didn't realize you were so quick-witted, my little rascal. I underestimated you." Tara's melodious yet icy voice came through the receiver.

"Mom, I want to breastfeed!" Since we weren't in the same school anymore, I wasn't afraid of her anymore. Thinking this, I felt more confident.

"You brat, how old are you? Still wanting to breastfeed?" My mom scolded me. I almost vomited blood; I'd completely forgotten my mom was there. "Mom, go cook, I'm going to talk to my classmate for a bit." My mom could tell I had a lot to say while she was there, so she went to the kitchen.

There was no response on the phone for a long time, and she didn't seem to be hanging up. I felt a secret sense of smugness, and I could even imagine Tara's expression. Surprise, anger, and a little embarrassment, I guess. "What? Nothing else? If nothing else, I'll hang up."

People, once they get carried away, easily forget their own limitations. Although I hadn't been drinking, I was already tipsy.

"I gave you a chance, but you didn't cherish it," Tara said softly.

"A chance? What chance? I never even pursued you. You should go back to messing around with that i***t of yours!" The mention of a chance made me imagine that i***t holding her in his arms, and I felt incredibly jealous. I really wanted to tear that i***t to pieces, but I didn't have the power.

"Luke, even if it weren't for your i***t friend, I would have guessed it was you. I just didn't expect you to have the guts to ambush me. Lying there, I thought, if you just came to help me up and apologized, I'd forgive you. But you didn't; you just ran away. Heh, just wait for my revenge!" Tara's voice turned icy again, with a hint of chill.