Purify Me

11

EPISODE 11.

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Sia's POV:

"I don't care anymore, Ms. Vanessa and company. Because from now on, you're all not allowed in school until further notice," Evana declared, shocking Vanessa and her group.

Vanessa was furious. "Ms. Evana, you can't do this to me! My father is one of the shareholders in this academy. You can't just ignore that and suspend me!" she protested, then stormed out of the principal's office, her friends trailing behind her like miserable puppets.

Evana watched Diana, who was still silently staring at her lap like her whole life depended on it.

"Diana, don't worry. Everything is going to be alright," Evana assured her gently.

Diana didn't move or speak. Her silence was heartbreaking.

I immediately hugged my friend. She was totally shattered by the way those students treated her. "Why so much hate for one person?" I wondered aloud.

"Ms. Evana, thank you for your help. I'll be taking Diana to class now. Have a nice day. And sir, thanks a lot," I said, appreciating Mr. Shan for at least getting Vanessa and the others out of the way for a while.

Diana still hadn't said a single word. She was just filling the air with sadness, which made me sigh constantly.

We entered the classroom, and everyone instantly looked at Diana. Her face was swollen from crying. Some students looked ready to mock her, while others seemed genuinely sorry.

Michael and his friends were staring, too. I noticed a few people, who found Diana's misery satisfactory, smiled faintly.

Then I saw Michael's expression change. He looked genuinely bothered by how broken she was. I watched in surprise as he suddenly stood up and walked straight toward her. His friends and the entire class watched in curiosity.

"I think he's about to add salt to the wound," someone murmured nearby.

"This will be fun watching," another person whispered.

Michael stopped right in front of her. "Will you stop crying? It's stupid to watch. Even though I'm enjoying the look of your brokenness on your face," he said.

Everyone was shocked by his cruel words, including me. Diana finally looked up at him, then she managed a sad, broken smile. Her anger seemed to flare up.

"Is that you mocking my situation, Michael?" she asked, her voice dry and strained.

"I'm not, Diana. I know our first talk started badly, but I'm being serious here. Wipe those tears; it doesn't look good on your chubby face," Michael insisted.

The class gasped again.

Scott mumbled to his friends right beside me. "Never knew a playboy could act so perfectly. She will definitely fall for him." They're watching this as a performance.

The tension was thick until the professor walked in and started the lesson. Michael's intense gaze stayed fixed on Diana as she slowly wiped her dried tears away.

It's been four months and two days since the fake video incident. Luckily, the video was deleted completely within two days, thanks to my name helping speed things up.

Diana's mom, Rita, still worried, felt like Diana wasn't completely herself, but her job kept getting in the way, and she kept canceling their plans.

For Diana, life had gotten better. She was back to going to school and having fun with me, but one thing was strange: for the past four months, she's been receiving countless gifts from an unknown person. She initially refused the first rose, but she started accepting the subsequent gifts, even though the sender never spoke to her.

"Maybe a secret admirer," I suggested one afternoon.

"Not sure, Sia, it could be anyone," Diana replied, sounding confused.

Different students delivered the gifts, and when Diana asked who sent them, they all gave the same odd message: "He says you look pretty." It left Diana completely confused.

"Wonder who it could be," I said, looking around the classroom, trying to find a clue.

My gaze fell on Michael, who was chatting with his friends. It's been peaceful for four months; everyone minds their own business. I quickly looked away, turning back to Diana.

I missed seeing Michael notice Diana's gaze on him and smile lightly before focusing back on his friends.

We were enjoying our lunch in the cafeteria, happy that we had no trouble today. Then Diana's phone buzzed with a message.

She glanced at it, and I saw her eyes widen. She almost choked on her food after reading the text.

I raised an eyebrow at her. "What?"

She quietly showed me the message from an unknown number:

"Just as the spoon touches your full lips, I crave to have mine on yours too."

I stared at the screen, stunned. This wasn't a normal admirer. This was intense and kind of creepy.