THE PRINCE I ONCE LOVED

Ch.2 | GOOD FRIEND vs BAD FRIEND

IVANA~

As I enter the premises, I see the same hustle and bustle of the students. Some are playing with their skateboards, some are skating on wheels, some people are on bikes and of course, there are some people who are studying. As studying is the topic now I have started, I was never good at studies and guess what, today is our last paper. Then tomorrow, we have to attend the farewell dinner that our high school has organized which is pretty boring, without any sort of music and we have to just sit and watch and hear what our principal lectures us on our future plans.

Today's exam is history and I have studied only a little, the reason would be my mom. She again created a tantrum yesterday. People in our building were screaming at her as she was lying on the doorstep of our neighbour who stays a floor below us. It's so embarrassing. I couldn't study the whole night. I was crying about my destiny. It's pretty messed up. It's also the reason that my dad left us and got married to another woman. And now, he doesn't even look back at us. I think it's my dad's mistake too, he never paid attention towards my mother. I think he was thinking of marrying the woman he married now, long time ago. And that's the reason their relationship broke. Both of them are responsible and I'm their only child, still they can't take care of me. Nobody cares.

I see some of my classmates coming towards me, who were sitting there reading their notes, seriously. I waved at them. I fidgeted with my backpack's key chain and went towards them, nervously, as I knew what they were going to ask me—whether I studied or not? Because, no matter how hard they would study, they used to still score less than me. That's the reason they will not believe me that I didn't study much. Sometimes, people don't believe the most unbelievable truth, but it remains true in the end, indeed!

"What? Why are you looking at us like this?" They ask in unison.

'No...it's just that I know what you're gonna ask me." I lick my lips and chuckle at them.

"So tell us fast." My guy friend holds my arm and asks.

"Guys! C'mon. What will you do knowing that I have studied or not?" I take off his hand and begin walking.

"So that we know whether you have really, or not!" They say.

"You are not going to believe me now even. So what's the use?" I sit on the short wall, leaning.

Valeria, who is the most popular girl in our high school, comes near me, asking something weird.

"Hey, does your mom really drink too much?" She touches her chest like she is caring too much.

She knows and is familiar, because she stays near me, maybe one building apart. The story of my mom drinking everyday has spread like a wildfire. I'm sure Mrs. Bullocks must be telling everything to everyone. She is a social butterfly, plus she is a butterer of Valeria's mom. Valeria is studious and good in sports too, so she is favourite of everyone. But she doesn't have a good heart. I have suddenly become a hot issue in my school. My mom has started drinking too much nowadays.

"Yes, you are right. She drinks." I say, twisting my jaw.

"Oh! So sorry to hear that." She says, now touching her ears.

"Why are you sorry? It doesn't matter." I roll my eyes.

"Anyways, there's no need to make an issue out of it, Valeria." One of my group mates said.

"Losers!" She makes a face and goes from there.

I roll my eyes.

"Shall we head towards the classroom, guys?" I jump down the wall.

~~

I was sitting quietly. Playing with my rounder. And was thinking about Damon. He was still on my mind. For some reason, I couldn't get him out of it. Maybe, I had something to end with him. Even if we were in a relationship, it felt incomplete, maybe on my side, maybe I didn't satisfy him enough like other girls did. But I knew that he was a womanizer. Still I fell for him.

Damon's sister, Sandra, is a sweetheart. She was our senior in high school and graduated two years prior to us. I have known her since then. Actually, I know her first and then Damon. Even now, when I go to their house, I make sure Damon's not there. I don't even want to look at his face. He disgusts me. He could have told me if he didn't want to stay in a relationship, I would have ended it with him a long time ago. Seriously, all these things mixed up are too much for me. I can't handle these. Somebody please give me a headache medicine. What am I doing? Today is my last exam, and I'm still thinking about that douche! I really need help.

My classmates gather around me, sitting on their respective desks. Our classrooms are near to each other, but they are spacious and look elegant. The school is always clean and tidy. And our principal is always on the watch, a bit strict and hard, but nobody listens to him. Poor guy! I stop playing with my rounder as one of my friends, Jade, bangs on the desk I'm sitting on and arches her brow at me. I just lifted my eyes and could see the movement of her jaw as she was chewing on her gum, making sounds. It's irritating!

"What's up, girl? Your mood doesn't seem light today?" She nudges me.

"Nothing of that sort." I shrug and frown.

"Don't lie, I know what it is. You haven't come out of Damon, right?" She nudges me again.

"Uhhh….no I was just worrying about the exam." I say, nervously, opening my notes.

"Shut up! I know. And only I trust you that you haven't studied much." She closes them.

"Can I ask you one thing, Jade?" I ask her, rolling my pen in between my fingers.

She nodded curiously, suddenly straightening her back.

"Why do you trust me?" I asked.

"Because I do. It is what it is. You know what? I seriously don't know, but you don't seem like you are faking either. But I don't get any special treatment from you for that." She makes faces.

"Because, I treat you all equally. You all are so nice to me. You don't tease me upon my mom like the whole school does." I explain with a warm smile.

"That's the reason we are a group." She shakes hands with him, fisting with each other.

"Hmmm…" I smile, sweetly.

Jade was a good girl. The one who understood me out of all, very well. But I can't say that she was my best friend or maybe I was not ready to make anyone my bestfriend. I don't know what was going on in my head. I am disturbed!

The invigilator enters into the class and checks if everyone is sitting rightly in their position according to the seat numbers given for the exams. I double checked mine. Because the teacher is strict. She comes in with a long stick, and yes, she bashes some of the students with that. Even if we are growing up into adults now.

We then begin writing as the bell rings as our question papers and answers are distributed. The paper seems easy, but I'm not in the mood to write. I wanted to tear the paper, thinking about Damon. For whom am I writing this? For whom am I working hard? For myself. I realised. And then I bought confidence and began with the first question.