THE FISHMONGERS HEIRESS

A MAD DOG DOESN'T DESERVE A BOWL

Things become tough after Claire's confrontation with Emily. She was practically excommunicated by all the students and the bullying became more frequent. Today, after missing her breakfast, some students barricaded the entrance to the cafeteria and stopped her from entering to eat lunch.

"You are banished from this place. Go back to the street where you belong. This place is for classic ladies and not for a lowlife b***h," Emily, who led the barricade, cried out at the sight of Claire," here is for humans and not for a pig who grows up in the gutter." She turned, and then pointed her finger at a tough-looking junior student, "Don't allow her in. Use force if you have, but she must not enter."

All Claire's pleas to enter fell on deaf ears, and because she was hungry, she curled up in front of the cafeteria, clutched her stomach, and then used her wrists to cover her eyes, and cried.

"Hey!"

It was Emily and her entourage. Claire quickly cleaned the droplets of tears from her eyes.

"You can have this leftover. It's for the dogs, but one should be compassionate towards his or fellow human."

It was leftovers of rice and chicken bones, but Claire had no choice. She missed breakfast because she was in the school infirmary where she was receiving treatment and waiting for new eyeglasses. Without minding the cameras of phones pointed at her, Claire stretched her hand to collect the food.

"The dogs are better than you and will never bite the fingers that feed them."

"She is still a dog, just a mad one," Janet mumbled.

"A mad dog doesn't deserve a bowl," Emily said as she poured the food on the ground.

Claire looked Emily in the eyes, smiled weakly, stood up from her stooping position, and walked towards some iron-made chairs far off.

After giving instructions to another section of Junior students not to allow Claire into the cafeteria, Emily and her entourage leave, with the promise of more punishment for Claire.

Lost in misery and self-pity, Claire wasn't aware of footsteps sounding towards her.

"Hey."

"Hi, Demetrius."

"I brought you this."

"That's your lunch."

"Yeah. I'm not hungry."

It was a bowl of rice and chicken and Claire accepted it with a full smile.

Demetrius gave her a cold bottle of water and asked, "Are we friends now?"

Claire grinned back.

"I like you and I want to be your friend. Is that too much to ask?"

She shook her head sideways, tore off the flesh from the chicken's lap, gulped down some water, and then belched with satisfaction. Demetrius was the only one talking to her, and for the first time since all this started, she was glad all her efforts to chase him away proved abortive.

"It depends on your definition of friends," Claire managed to say, after swallowing the food in her mouth.

"I don't know what your definition is, but as for me, I want to spend some time with you alone, get to know you, and make you sad and what makes you smile."

Demetrius sat on the chair facing Claire as he said this. He looked into Claire's eyes and offered his most bewitching smile.

"Why did you want to be my friend? We have been together for almost four years and you always avoid me. Or precisely put, I don't exist in your sight, so why this sudden show of affection?"

Demetrius giggled back. "Affection? Oh, no. I like you, and that's all. I just recently found out that you are an amazing person."

"Complete it."

"Complete what?

"Complete your statement, Demetrius. I'm an amazing person, despite my ugly appearance."

"You aren't ugly."

"I am, and fat ."

"Stop it, Claire. You are beautiful, intelligent, and possess a pure soul. Why did you think I was attracted to you?"

A sigh escaped from Claire's mouth when Demetrius claimed to be attracted to her. What had she been expecting? Did she expect Demetrius to confess falling in love with her? But then, his admitting of attraction made a fluttering sound in her heart.

Claire could feel the hot gazes of most of the female students as they came out of the school cafeteria. And she was sure they would be wondering what someone as cute as Demetrius would be doing with someone like her.

They had the right to. She was wondering as well.

"Everyone is staring at us. Aren't you ashamed to be seen talking to me?" She finally asked, when he seemed untouched by the fuss their togetherness was causing.

"Ashamed? Oh no! I don't care. Let them stare," Demetrius said. He looked at Claire and said, "I heard Emily command that nobody should talk to you. I'm not one of her puppets and can do whatever I like. "

"Are you using me to get at Emily?"

Demetrius stammered, "Why should I use you? I'm... I'm doing this because I truly like you."

Claire shrugged back. She had bitterly learned her lesson. Now, she is always suspicious when someone is too kind to her. Especially when it's the opposite s*x.

"I heard one of the junior students smack a ball into your face."

Claire nodded. A student had intentionally shot a ball in her face, breaking her eyeglasses and rendering her blind for a while. The rest of the students had gathered around her, recording and laughing at her as she wobbled blindly towards the school infirmary.

"Don't worry, I will punish him for this."

"You don't need to involve yourself in my case. I can take care of myself."

"I do. You are now my friend."

Claire smiled. Unlike d**k, Demetrius is an intelligent student and only Claire had better grades than him. If he is not using her to get better grades, then what does he want?"

After eating her meal, the pair talked for several minutes till Claire made mention of her intention to go to her dormitory. Demetrius followed her to her doormat and promised to check on her later.

In the evening, Claire went to visit a friend who lived in the staff building. She was an old woman who cleaned the school premises, and they had been friends since she was employed a year ago. They are mostly seen together whenever Claire is free. After eating, narrating her ordeal, and then listens as Nora encourages her never to give up and to stop looking down on herself. She bid her friend goodbye and promised to help her do most of her tasks tomorrow morning.

Because it was very late, she decided to take a shortcut to her dormitory, and she soon arrived at the school farm. Suddenly, she stopped, turned, and then pointed the touch of her phone towards her front.

"Who is there?"

Hearing no reply, Claire turned back and resumed her journey. She believed she had imagined hearing some footsteps at her back, but she was wrong. A few minutes later, she heard a sound close to her and immediately raised her phone. But someone knocked the phone off her hand, and a sickening sound could be heard as a large hammer landed on her forehead.