The Real Me

Chapter 8. Rivalry Ignites

Anastasia's Pov

As I made my way to the restroom, I heard someone call my name.

"Anastasia!" I turned to see Bridget striding toward me, and I immediately knew I was in trouble.

Had she been stalking me, waiting for the perfect moment to confront me?

I stopped in the middle of the stairs, deciding to wait for her since I wasn't in a hurry.

With only ten minutes left before our second period, I wanted to use the restroom before heading to class.

Time had flown by; the assembly and first period had passed in a blur.

"What's going on between you and Karter?" she asked quietly, standing directly in front of me.

I met her gaze, my expression showing disinterest in her disdainful tone.

"We're classmates," I replied casually.

"That's not what I’m talking about, so quit the acting," she snapped, her voice harsh.

I felt a laugh bubbling up inside me.

So this is what rivalries look like? It was utterly ridiculous.

I would never stoop so low as to fight over a guy—never!

"We're friends," I said quietly, remaining unfazed by her harsh response.

I may be a quiet person, but that doesn't mean I'm timid or afraid of confrontation.

"Hmm, you want to test my patience, don’t you?" she said, laughter laced with menace.

"And why would I do that?" I shot back, frowning.

Why would I bother testing anyone's patience when I prefer to keep my distance from people?

"I told you nicely to stay away from my boyfriend, but you chose to do the opposite," she said, clearly annoyed.

"You know what? I don’t have time for this right now," I said, turning to leave. But I paused and added,

"And next time, maybe you should actually describe your boyfriend to me because I don’t even know who he is."

With that, I walked away, not waiting for her response.

I was sure this wouldn’t be the last time she confronted me, and I would be ready for it.

Is this really how girls behave—overreacting because another girl gets close to their boyfriend? I thought to myself.

I made my way to the restroom, cleaned myself up, and returned just in time for the siren signaling the start of our second period.

Agricultural Science was next, and I knew I needed a clear mind for this class.

Science had never been my strong suit, but it was a core subject that required my attention.

When the teacher, Mr. Appiah, walked in with his protruding stomach, he greeted us and told us to settle down.

He then dropped the bombshell about a class test, making my heart skip a beat.

The whole class erupted in chaos.

I hadn’t been paying much attention when he first entered, but now that I heard about the test, I shot him a frown.

Why hadn’t he mentioned this earlier? At least I could have studied.

The students around me were frantically trying to come up with excuses to avoid the test, but Mr. Appiah wasn’t having any of it today.

I wondered what was going on with him; he was usually so friendly and laid-back, but today he seemed strict and unyielding.

Beverlyn burst in with her friends, hurrying to their seats, the sound of their footsteps echoing in the classroom as Mr. Appiah shot them a warning glance. They have been to the canteen that's why they are late.

"What’s going on?" Beverlyn asked, breathless as she settled into her seat.

"We're having a test," I replied, placing my textbook on the desk and giving her an annoyed look as if she were somehow responsible for the situation.

"What?! Ugh," she groaned, rolling her eyes dramatically.

I couldn't help but roll mine back. Sometimes I questioned how Beverlyn managed to get into this school at all; her lack of awareness was astounding.

She hadn’t even mentioned what happened during assembly this morning, and I was sure she had already forgotten about it.

Strangely, Gilbert hadn’t bothered me since then either.

“Alright, students, settle down. I’m going to hand out the papers,” Mr. Appiah ordered as he began distributing the test sheets.

I opened my textbook, feeling grumpy until I finally received my paper.

The questions was about petrology, and a smile crept onto my face—it wasn’t that difficult.

“All books aside! If I see any books on your desks, you’re out of my class!” Mr. Appiah commanded, his tone firm.

“Start working; you all have thirty minutes.” He began walking around the room, closely monitoring our progress.

"Anas, do you know the answer to number one?" Beverlyn asked, causing me to frown.

This is what I dislike most about her—she's just too clueless. It's not that I'm a genius, but I certainly don't struggle like she does.

Ugh, can't she at least remember the types of rocks? I really don't like talking during exams, but Beverlyn is the complete opposite.

She'll bombards me with questions until the papers are collected.

Sometimes I think it's my bad luck to have friends who are even less knowledgeable than I am.

I wish I had at least one smart friend I could rely on for studying.

I reluctantly shared my answer with her, only for Mr. Appiah to catch us talking and issue a warning.

The minutes flew by, and soon Mr. Appiah was collecting the papers.

I glanced at my work and felt confident that I had answered correctly.

Mr. Appiah used the remaining time in the period to teach us before leaving, and before long, it was time for our next class: Physics.