Fake Bully, True Crush

Chapter Three: Interrogation

Friday’s last gym class.

The class I dreaded the most which only resulted in skipping it to trudge along to the dorms for a change of clothes. Much to my luck, the hallway was deserted since everyone was in the assigned class and I was reassured enough to go to my room.

I lastly reached my dorm, I took the key out of my pocket and tried to insert it in hopes that the door would be opened wide. Instead, the key didn’t budge, and I figured out, after various trials, that the door was locked by my roommate from the other side.

The unfamiliar moans and wails wafted into my ears, making my senses heightened at the mere thought that there was a man with Zoey, my dorm mate, I was speechless as I stood still upon hearing more of the laughs.

“Oh, yeah,” Zoey moaned loudly, the s*x noise prominent as the man joined her when he grunted as the sounds of flaps showed itself when she rode him.

“Harder, don’t stop.” He roared as the rustle of the sheets were twisted.

She squeaked out as the flapping sounds intensified, and the wooden bed made a rocking sound to our dorm wall.

I was in a sticky situation. I didn’t want anyone to see me in Noah’s jacket, or worse, Ava would have my head if she saw me in her boyfriend’s jacket. I needed to do something fast, I paced forth to the library ladder that was rooted upwards by the construction workers, who left for their afternoon break. I climbed up, ensuring that the jacket didn’t fall from my hips when my legs stepped carefully while holding the ladder.

My body released all the stress when I came all the way up to the library roof successfully. I praised myself internally before I got my phone out of the pocket to dial Mia’s number since she didn’t answer my texts.

“Hey there, Emma, what can I do for you?” I felt relieved hearing my best friend’s voice. I gripped my phone when I stood up in front of the view that overlooked the school’s garden.

“Can you pick me up from school and get me a pad? My period came and I urgently need it.” I explained over the phone, my laboured breath inclined due to the climbing I did. My legs screamed at me for the added effort and my abdomen churned in pain.

“Okay, on my way.” I was grateful to have Mia around. She was my only supporter in this hell.

I discovered a movement from the side of my eye, and I twisted my neck to glimpse at Noah, who was standing in the corner with a cigarette in his hand, bringing it up to his plump lips before taking a drag. He acknowledged that I was here, but he had a poker face on as he exhaled the smoke with one leg over the other, his back leaned against the wall.

Double awkward. He probably heard the conversation.

After the fight, I didn’t know what to tell the stoic guy beside me — it was an uncomfortable silence, so I took off the jacket and handed it over to him, but he didn’t take it. I furrowed my eyebrows at the stubborn guy.

“Don’t you want to wash it first?” he said in a chilly tone. Who did he think he was? Oh right, he was Noah Campbell. The asshole that got everything under his feet.

I wanted to comment that it smelt like garbage already, but I opted for my sweetness instead. “I’ll give it back to you later.” I replace my initial response with this.

The silence seemed to increase between us when the jacket was still in my grip. The king of all things was just staring out at the space in front of us as he continuously smoked through his loneliness.

Mia arrived, much to my happiness, and she didn’t hesitate to hug me, I hugged her back with equal affection as she held me at an arm’s length, mulling over my appearance.

“How are you holding up?” she asked me, completely oblivious to Noah beside us as he stepped on his cigarette and passed by us to get out through the roof entrance.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” It was more like I was convincing myself rather than to her.

“Let’s get you back to my apartment, you’re staying, and I don’t want you to fight with me on this one.” She gave me a pointed look when she saw me shivering. My lips trembled and I tightened the jacket around my waist all over again.

She situated her arm around my shoulder when we went down to the school gate to her car, I casted my eyes downward, apprehensive that anyone would see me, but the class didn’t end yet.

I looked up at the black Sedan she owned, and I wanted to dance in relief when we got into the heated car. This day wasn’t so bad after all but from the perspective of my wobbling hands and my chattering teeth, it was more than bad.

We arrived at her apartment as she let me in with a gentle smile on her face and switched the lights on. “Go shower,” She aided and I gave her a grateful smile.

Mia trudged off to bring me a spare of clothes while I was in the bathroom with Noah’s jacket hung on the bathroom door, I shyly glanced at the miniature blood spots on his jacket after I undressed and delved into the warm water that I readied a while before.

After my much-needed hot shower that made my whole body relax, I stepped out of the tub as I dried myself with the towel on the sink and changed into the fresh clothes along with my pad.

I was satiated with my hair up in a bun and my bare face in my pink comfortable jammies that Mia lent me.

“Here, take these for the cold.” As if on cue, I sneezed for the fourth time before I chugged down the pill. I embraced Mia again in gratitude as she chuckled at my sudden movement, embracing me just as much.

Suddenly, she pointed to the jacket,“Whose jacket is it? I never seen it before.”

The jacket reminded of Noah, and I felt my throat dry at the fact that I didn’t want to talk about what happened. It’s a damn headache.

“I don’t want to talk about it now, Mia.”