Queen of the Campus

14

"But I heard Molly cried, and you made her cry." Chase gave me a cold look, colder than Tara's.

I was at a loss. It wasn't surprising that Chase knew the details, as he was quite familiar with one of Molly's friends. I couldn't guarantee that Molly, that show-off, would keep it a secret. "You want to die, don't you?" I had originally wanted to scare him and get some information out of him, but Chase was surprisingly audacious. A barking dog doesn't bite; I finally understood. I thought he was a coward too.

So, sometimes you know you shouldn't act impulsively, but you still do. After all, the words have already been spoken, and there's no going back. I was just about to show off, I couldn't just back down halfway, or my three years of high school would be ruined. My advice to everyone is, never act impulsively. What follows is the consequence of my impulsiveness.

I had barely finished speaking when Chase's fist came flying at me. This taught me another trick—strike first. Chase's fist slammed into my chest, and for a moment I was speechless, my chest tight. Finally catching my breath, I kicked Chase's desk in a panic. The desk slammed into Chase's knee, and I seized the opportunity to grab Chase's textbook and smash it against his cheek. I couldn't bear to throw my textbook away; if I threw Molly's, she would kill me.

"Damn it, I'll beat you to death!" Chase was clearly enraged, grabbing a chair to smash over my head.

Damn it, at this crucial moment, I panicked again.

"Stop!" I heard someone run over and block my way. I turned around and saw it was my sister, Sophie. Chase slowly lowered his chair, but I clearly saw the hatred in his eyes.

My intuition told me he wouldn't let me go.

At that moment, Molly arrived, along with the rest of our dorm. The students in the classroom saw Chase's desk, his bloodshot eyes, and my trembling self; they understood without asking. Chase's deskmate, a girl, bent down to tidy up his scattered books. Molly didn't even bother to ask me a question. The class monitor dispersed the students who were ostensibly trying to break up the fight but were actually just watching.

In short, this fight brought me back to the harsh reality. Fighting is a skill, and fights can result in death, though the chances are slim. From the sleazy guy and the skinny guy last night to what happened today, youth can be passionate and adventurous, but only if it's a rational passion.

“I hope you'll explain this to me at lunchtime,” Sophie said, her voice stern, without a smile. She then apologized to Chase, hoping he would let me off the hook.

Chase nodded, but I knew that if I offended him even over something small, he wouldn't let me off the hook. His eyes were frightening; I trusted my intuition.

Perhaps I'd become the laughingstock of my classmates today, because I was terrified when Chase grabbed a chair to hit me. Because I'd actually relied on a girl to resolve a conflict. I returned to my seat, stunned, and heard Molly's disdainful sneer.

How can I become stronger? How can I be a little braver? I'm a man too, even if I'm still a virgin, I should have some responsibility. I sat in my seat, deep in thought, oblivious to the sounds of students reading aloud around me.

Morning reading? To hell with it.

After class, I ate breakfast and returned to the classroom. Sophie was back; she glanced at me but didn't say anything. I wanted to thank her, but then I remembered I had to have lunch with her, so I refrained. I just slumped onto the table to rest—I'd gotten up too early today—when I heard Molly's incessant chatter. So annoying. I glared at her.

Molly feigned fear, but what she said infuriated me: "You were scared stiff just now, and now you're bullying a weak girl? Humph, you're really something."

You call yourself a weak girl? Keep talking nonsense! But I was really annoyed and didn't want to waste any more time arguing with her. I'd already completely fallen out with that p*****t and his g**g, and now Chase and I were at odds too. This situation was actually worse than in middle school, because back then only Tara bullied me; everyone else ignored me. But now, they all seemed happy to bully me, and Chase seemed just as tough as the skinny guy.

Oh right, the skinny guy and the p*****t didn't come to school. After this morning's ordeal, I almost forgot about it.

I should ask that show-off!

I was about to speak when Molly, as if she knew what was going on, started talking to Chase behind her, chuckling occasionally. "Why did you have to talk to him of all people?" I couldn't hold back any longer and forcefully pulled Molly over. "What do you mean? You clearly saw me fight with him, and you're still talking to him." I was angry, so my words were a little harsh.

"Who I talk to is none of your business!" Molly's little mouth was quite talkative. "What I saw wasn't a two-way fight, but a one-way beating, tsk tsk, that's really something!"

I fell silent. What Molly said was true. Why should I care? So what if we're deskmates? We don't share a bed. Why should he stand on my side?

The first period was Chinese. The teacher was lecturing non-stop, while I was daydreaming. This must be a kind of experience! Is this what I imagined high school life to be like? It's absolutely awful.

"Ugh, I'm really angry, you petty jerk!" Molly leaned in again, and I couldn't understand what she was thinking. "You're always weak, everyone knows that." The first sentence made me think she was apologizing, but the second only annoyed me more. Come to think of it, both fights stemmed from Molly, and I decided I wouldn't let her off easy.