chapter 4
648 Words
Chapter 4
The detention room fell silent as the disciplinary guardian entered alongside Mr. Oliver.
Both men took one look at the atmosphere in the room and immediately knew something had happened.
Mr. Oliver's jaw tightened.
He was tired.
Tired of seeing Rihanna dragged into trouble she never seemed to seek.
Tired of Monica's constant hostility.
And most of all, tired of watching students hurt one another.
The disciplinary guardian collected the forms from both girls and reviewed them carefully.
After several minutes, he finally spoke.
"Rihanna."
She immediately stood.
"As punishment, you will clean the school pool after swimming practice every Wednesday and Saturday for the next two weeks."
Rihanna lowered her head.
"Yes, sir."
"Monica."
Monica rose reluctantly.
"You will clean the football field after football training every Tuesday and Thursday for the next two weeks."
Monica frowned but remained silent.
"Dismissed."
Monica grabbed her bag and left without another word.
Before Rihanna could follow, Mr. Oliver called her name.
"Stay behind."
She froze.
"Yes, sir."
The disciplinary guardian left the room, leaving the two of them alone.
Mr. Oliver gestured toward a chair.
"Sit."
Rihanna obeyed.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Mr. Oliver leaned back in his seat.
"Rihanna, look at me."
Slowly, she raised her eyes.
"What happened today was unacceptable."
Her eyes immediately filled with tears.
"But I don't want you blaming yourself for it."
A tear slipped down her cheek.
Mr. Oliver sighed.
"I know things have been difficult for you."
The simple words nearly shattered the fragile wall she had built around herself.
Nobody ever said things like that.
Nobody ever noticed.
"You're a good student," he continued. "Don't let anyone convince you otherwise."
Rihanna nodded silently.
"Whatever problems you're facing, don't carry them alone."
For a second, she wanted to tell him everything.
About Monica.
About the insults.
About the loneliness.
About how exhausted she felt.
But the words never came.
Instead, she simply nodded again.
Mr. Oliver gave her a small smile.
"You can go now."
---
The school rooftop was quiet.
The gentle afternoon breeze swept through the open space as Rihanna climbed the stairs and stepped outside.
This had always been her hiding place.
Whenever life became overwhelming.
Whenever she felt lonely.
Whenever she needed to cry.
She came here.
No one ever bothered her.
No one ever looked for her.
She walked toward the large water tank positioned near the center of the rooftop and sat beside it.
The moment she was alone, the tears came.
She buried her face in her arms and cried.
Everything hurt.
Her heart.
Her head.
Her soul.
Three days from now would have been her mother's birthday.
The thought alone was enough to make her chest ache.
She missed her terribly.
There were so many things she wished she could say.
So many questions she wished she could ask.
And every time someone insulted her mother, it felt like losing her all over again.
A sob escaped her lips.
"I miss you, Mum..."
The words disappeared into the wind.
For a long time, she sat there crying.
The sky slowly shifted into shades of orange as the afternoon wore on.
Eventually, she stood and walked toward the edge of the rooftop.
Scary scenery playing in her mind as she stood on the edge of the rooftop.
From here, she could see almost the entire school.
Students moving across the grounds.
Football players training in the distance.
Teachers walking between buildings.
Life continuing as usual.
A bitter smile appeared on her face.
It was funny.
So many people surrounded her every day.
Yet she had never felt more alone.
"What in the world are you trying to do?"
The sudden voice startled her.
Rihanna spun around.
Before she could react, someone grabbed her wrist and pulled her away from the edge.
The force caused both of them to fall.
- Writer
