The chime for the end of the lessons rang. Since it was a less-than-engaging lecture, the students instantly began leaving the classroom, chattering animatedly. Minutes passed, and the classroom eventually became still and silent, except for the soft rhythmic ticking of the wall clock. Nova was the only person who hadn't left. She ultimately picked up her panda-illustrated backpack and walked outside the classroom. It felt as if time was flying.
She wasn't the kind of person who followed others' commands, especially her age-mates'. However, she had no choice this time, since her image was on the line.
The sky was bathed in the setting sun's glow, and the air was quite cool. At the school entrance, students streamed out, making their way home. Orlyssa was nowhere to be seen.
"The nerve of her," Nova growled.
She moved beside the gate to avoid the commotion. As usual, she felt furtive glances cast at her cleavage. It was as though she was being peered at by many Kaelens. Since she was used to it, she simply stared down.
After ten minutes, the school entrance became silent and deserted. Nova kept sighing, glancing at her watch and towards the school grounds. Her eyes were narrowed. At this point, she was sure that Orlyssa was deliberately trying to annoy her. This clichéd development would certainly turn into bullying.
"I won't stand for it," Nova muttered, biting her lip.
A minute later, she saw Orlyssa strutting over from the gymnasium's direction. To Nova's bewilderment, Orlyssa wasn't alone, but with two boys. A knot immediately tightened in her stomach. Did this girl have to bring her gang? Nova's skin felt like crawling when around these kinds of people. One boy sported dyed red hair, tiny silver earrings, and carried a skateboard and a can of spray paint. The other had sunglasses, disheveled hair, and an untucked shirt. Nova recognized them as Blaze and Pyro. To her, these two seemed like their senses weren't functioning. Who even looks like that?!
Orlyssa closed the distance, asking the obvious, "Am I late?"
Exasperated, Nova sighed, nodding while gazing to the side. She expected Orlyssa to apologize, but Orlyssa simply placed her hands on her hips, declaring, "Let's go eat at Koukouvaya. You're buying, Nova."
Nova's mouth slightly opened in surprise. Even though she had predicted that the development would turn into bullying, she hadn't expected it to be so soon. Furthermore, nothing angered her more than this girl's guts. She met Orlyssa's eyes with a steady, unblinking gaze, ready to tell her no. However, she swallowed the retort, reasoning she was in no position to do that. Though she hated to accept it, bullying had literally begun.
The restaurant Orlyssa mentioned was a fast food joint just near the school. Its cheap meals meant a high number of students frequented it after school. Nova prayed that they found all the seats occupied. Above all things, it hurt her when her coin had to fund anyone's existence but her own.
Immediately, the three walked ahead, chatting and laughing loudly. Nova followed behind slowly, so as not to be seen she was with them. It's not like she despised them, but as the famous saying goes, 'Birds of a feather flock together,' and she didn't want to be one of those birds. Either way, if it weren't for these two school clowns, she would've knocked some sense into Orlyssa.
Despite the sun setting, its rays were still very bright. Nova squinted. Most of the pedestrians were high school students from schools within the vicinity. Some walked in pairs, while others marched alone.
When they reached the restaurant, the corner of Nova's lips slightly lifted. The place was noisy and full of students from various schools. She even wondered how someone could enjoy eating from there. But no, these people weren't there simply for meals, since they were in pairs of boys and girls.
The next second, the red-haired boy pointed at the left front of the restaurant, where two boys and girls stood from the table. "Yo, the lot over there? They're finished."
Nova's lips immediately curved down. Why does she have such bad luck?
The boy looked at her as if she were dirt, then whipped out his phone and wrote their order before aggressively pushing it at her. She found his behavior animalistic. People say it's wrong to judge people from their outside appearances, but Nova thought there were exceptions. This boy was a douchebag. Before she could read what he was intending to make her pay for, Orlyssa snatched the phone.
"Hold on, I'm trying to eat here too."
As if she were going to pay from her pocket, Orlyssa quickly added her own selection to the order before returning the phone to Nova. Nova read their orders and looked away, pressing her lips tightly together. They had written foods that were expensive. The total bill was going to deplete her entire day's allowance. Nevertheless, she couldn't tell them off as her school life was balancing precariously on Orlyssa's palm. She went over to the counter and placed their orders, her blood boiling. Since it looked lame to buy food for them and exclude herself, she bought herself a lighter roast coffee. A lighter roast coffee because she wasn't a fan of bitter things. After all, her conviction was: Food should be enjoyed, not endured.