Secret Red

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Oh gosh! You should have seen the look on Shane's face when he actually saw her. I almost feel bad for his eyes, it's like they're about to pop out of his sockets!" Zoe laughed re-telling the night of the homecoming dance again, and again, and again.

"No wonder I've a feeling that Shane's got a crush on you ever since we met, Lay." Alison responded.

"Oh, I don't know. It's just that he's in the football team and you know how girls are around them boys. I just thought he's like that to all other girls. Though he has been very sweet all this time." Layla beamed.

"Yeah, like he ever specifically made me a playlist or just simply drop me off that is way out of his route or how he'd always happen to stand exactly beside me, like all the time. Yeah, you get the idea. Nope, never happen to me, just to you, Lay." Zoe trailed.

"Well, if you put it that way." Layla blushed.

"What about your date, Zoe?" Alison asked.

"Nope, there won't be a second date I can tell you that. He's just so... so... narcissistic. He kept going on and on about himself, how awesome he was, how gorgeous his face was, how amazing his body was, though yes, he is hot, ugh. He even talked more than me, I mean who out talked me? Zoe Winata! Like ever? We can only handle one narcissist in this relationship and that's definitely me." Zoe let out a long-irritated sigh while Layla and Alison laughed to her explanation. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Anna walking into the hallway. So, she excused herself from the group, catching up to Anna.

"Hey Anna!" Alison called out from a distance in the crowded hallway, Anna looked back, slowed her pace.

"Did you go to the homecoming dance last Friday?" Anna gave her a confused look as if her question was the most absurd statement.

"Oh, I didn't go either actually. Are you ready for the physics unit test? Gosh I'm so lost and all the formulas kind of muddled up altogether. I'm so not looking forward to that." She deflected. Anna shrugged giving a small smile. They continued talking or more like Alison talking while Anna simply listened and gave a simple and short answer as they walked towards their class. Oblivious that Ivy was watching them the whole time. The freak and the dork walking together trying to be friends. That was something she did not expect, knowing that the dork was already friends with the more popular cluster, Jason and his friends.

During lunch time at the cafeteria, Alison was walking with Corey and Layla towards their table where Zoe and Rob sat. Layla was telling her on how the four of them, Layla, Corey, Jason and Rob had been friends since they were young. They were from the same middle school as well as Zoe but only started to hang out together when Corey and Jason joined the football team. That was where they met Shane as well, a transfer student. She was explaining when Alison noticed Anna being called by the Bratz to their table. Too consumed to the Bratz table, Alison involuntarily walked towards Anna and the mean girls. This doesn't look good. Obviously, they were trying to condescend her. Her intuition was right, as soon as she saw Anna stormed away from their table looking furious. Anna stomped towards the exit door which was behind Alison who tried to inquire what happened but before she uttered a word, Anna threw a piercing look of hatred towards her.

"Stay away from me! It's your fault!" Her words echoed in her mind giving a sharp stab in her chest as she heard those similar words before.

"It's all your fault! I went through all these shit because of you! I hate you, Alison! Stay away from me!" She ran out of the hallway towards the exit door leaving a stunned Alison standing by her locker. She picked up the bracelet that was thrown at her which fell to the floor. Tracing the 'A L forever' carving across the silver bracelet. Clutching it onto her chest and closed her eyes, trying her best to hold the hot stream from falling to her cheeks.

She held her breath with her hands fisted on her chest, eyes closed.

"Are you alright?" Jason asked, his voice brought her back to reality. She slowly opened her eyes not realizing that a tear had escaped and trickled down her cheek. Abruptly she wiped her wet cheek ignoring his concern and walked towards the mean girls who were displaying a triumphant smug on their faces.

"What is your problem? What did you say to her?" She spat.

"I didn't say anything out of the ordinary. What are you-" Ivy replied.

"You obviously said nasty things to her to make her storm out like that. And you said something about me being at fault as well. You got a problem with me, be bold enough to say it to my face. I am right here in front of you. What do you want from me? Don't pick on Anna behind my back!"

"Oh Alison, you're worried how people would perceive you. I would never jeopardize your reputation most especially when you just came here. However, you might want to tone it down a notch, let's not make a scene here. This is making you look really bad." Mia replied.

"I don't care about that. What I care is how you twist your words turning Anna against me. She was talking to me and now she asked me to stay away. You've accused me and hurt her like that. I don't care whatever problems you have. Talk to a psychiatrist to fix whatever problem you have but don't spill your toxic words onto others, alright?" She challenged, staring straight into the three girls' bewildered eyes, looking rather baffled. Without acknowledging a response, she left the cafeteria raising murmurs after the little speech. Ivy's face turned brick red as steam was about to puff from her ears if it was not for the reality scenario.

"Get all the information on that bitch. I want to know where she was from, her family, her school, her friends, her god damn pet name, everything. Everyone always have a dirty little secret and I will humiliate her so much more than she did. That bitch better watch her back!" She scoffed ordering her two appalled friends to start their digging.

"Dam! A true fiery red head, indeed!" Corey commended saluting the exit door where Alison had walked out from.

"Seriously, Corey? Should we go after her or should we give her some space?" Zoe asked looking concerned.

Zoe and Layla decided to look for Alison who was nowhere to be seen. Jason was walking alone towards his locker when he heard a faint sobbing from inside the girl's bathroom. The scene from the cafeteria flashed before him so he instinctively pushed the bathroom door and saw Alison trying to wipe away her uncontrolled stubborn tears off her cheeks. Awkwardly, he stepped closer wrapping his arms around her on impulse, patting her back gently as if telling her that he is there for her, that her problems were his and that he shared her emotions. She was so lost in her emotions that she embraced the comfort and wrapped her arms around his chest clinging herself closer as she pressed her cheek onto his hard chest listening to his rhythmic heartbeat which helped soothe her raging heart and mind. They stayed in that position until her sobbing subsided and felt herself emotionally ready to let go, slowly letting loose of their grip where he looked down to her reddened face.

"This is a girls' bathroom, Jason." The only comment she could think of.

"Is it though? I expected a pink and glitter walls with candy floss lip glosses all around." He teased.

"It's a bathroom not a barbie house. Thanks." She thanked him as she washed her face, wiped with a tissue and picked up the bag and glasses that were on the floor.