I rested my chin on my palm, chewing on my pen. Not like what the teacher's saying is difficult, but honestly, I'm not even listening. All my mind can think of is that handsome maniac.
Remembering what he told me last night brought a smile to my face. I can't even imagine how lovely it'll be to marry my Ant.
I felt a light tap on my shoulder. Without thinking, I shrugged the hand away. Not now, I told myself. I was too busy picturing myself in a white dress, walking down the aisle toward him. He reached for my hands, looked at the priest and told him to skip the vows and go straight to announcing us husband and wife.
The priest did exactly what he was told, and asked us to kiss. I was already pouting my lips, ready for it, almost close to his lips when….
"Ella!"
A voice half-yelled in my head. Why was my bridesmaid distracting me? Then came a loud bang! on my desk that made me jump up.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I screamed, snapping my head up—
And froze. My heart nearly stopped as I fell back into my seat.
I covered my mouth in shock. "Preside…" (Principal) I muttered as my brain tried to process what she was doing here and how come nobody told me. I turned immediately to look at my stupid friends, they just shrugged and looked away like nothing happened.
"Preside Jeze… I mean Suzanna, what do I owe this visit?" I asked, trying to act casual.
"Jeze what?" she snapped, her brows twitching. "And secondly, you were busy daydreaming while other students were learning?" Her voice boomed — loud and croaky like that of a frog.
I didn't even realize when a chuckle escaped me. The look she sent next made me instantly clasp my hands over my mouth.
"What's so funny?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Nothing, ma. And I wasn't daydreaming," I replied quickly.
"So why were you pouting your lips like a duck?" she asked, tilting her head.
"I was… enjoying the class," I said, forcing a nervous smile.
"Romano! Sergio! Denero! To my office — right now!" she barked, her voice echoing through the class.
My heart sank instantly. Great. Just great.
We all stood up reluctantly, the chairs screeching against the floor.
"Why should we follow you to your office?" Nardo asked, folding his arms.
Mrs Jezebel tilted her head, blinking dramatically. "Are you questioning my order?" she asked, batting her eyelashes like some horrific dummy.
She blinked her fake lashes dramatically, trying to look intimidating.
"Ma, you look just like Annabelle," Elena blurted.
Her brows drew together. "And who is Annabelle?" she asked, voice dripping with curiosity.
"She's a very pretty lady in a movie I watched," Elena replied, forcing a straight face.
"Really?" the principal asked, her lips twitching into a proud smile.
"Yes, ma—you're more like her twin sister," I added, biting my lip to keep from laughing.
"Can I see her picture?" she asked, tilting her head innocently.
"Oh, yes ma," Nardo said quickly, grinning from ear to ear. "I'll do the honor."
He pulled out his phone, searched up the horrorfic Annabelle, and turned the screen to her.
The moment her eyes caught the image, she screamed and covered her face.The whole class exploded in laughter.
"Can you all shut up!" she yelled, her voice echoing through the room. The other students tried to hold back their laughter, snorting and coughing into their palms, while we…the main culprits, kept a straight face, pretending to be innocent.
"Follow me to my office," she said, storming out in embarrassment, her heels hitting the floor like gunshots.
"Okay, Mrs. Jezebel," Nardo whispered under his breath as we trailed behind her. Jezebel — that's the name we gave her, mostly because she acts like a woman possessed.
We trailed behind her like guilty puppies as she stomped toward her office, her heels clicking furiously against the floor.
"Elena, I told you not to open your big mouth again," I whispered.
"Well, sorry, but she really looks like Annabelle," she muttered, earning a nudge from Nardo who tried not to laugh.
When we got to her office, she turned sharply, her expression already screaming trouble.
"Sit," she ordered, pointing to the chairs in front of her desk.
We sat—slowly.
She adjusted her glasses, crossed her arms, and looked at each of us one after the other. "Do you three still remember what happened yesterday?"
I exchanged quick glances with the others. "Yesterday?" I asked, faking confusion.
She slammed a file on her desk, making me flinch. "Don't act stupid, Isabella! I got a report that you three insulted Mrs. Bianchi in front of the entire class."
"Oh… that," Elena whispered under her breath.
"Exactly that!" Suzanna snapped. "Do you think it's funny to mock a teacher who's been here longer than all of you combined?"
"Well, to be fair," Nardo said with a smirk, "she started it. She called us—"
"Enough!" Suzanna cut him off, raising her hand. "You'll all be serving detention for the rest of this week. You'll clean the art room, the lab, and every corridor on the first floor. Capito? (Understood?)"
"Yes, Preside," we chorused.
"And if I ever hear you disrespect another teacher again," she continued, leaning forward slightly, "I'll personally make sure you spend your weekends here scrubbing the toilets. Chiaro? (Clear?)"
"Crystal," I muttered.
She glared at me for a few seconds before sighing deeply. "Dismissed."
We stood up in relief and started heading toward the door when her voice rang out again—sharp and cold.
"And one more thing…"
We froze.
"Don't you ever—mai più! (ever again!)—call me that scary dummy or whatever name you kids are spreading around this school," she warned, her tone dripping with restrained fury.
Our heads snapped toward each other immediately.
"I've been hearing that ridiculous rumor—Jezebel, right?" she said, glaring straight at me. "If I hear it again, you'll wish detention was the only punishment you had."
"No, ma'am," I said quickly, forcing an innocent smile. "We'd never call you that."
"Good," she replied, adjusting her glasses with a stiff motion. "Now, fuori da qui! (get out of here!)"
We didn't need a second warning.
The moment we stepped out, Elena whispered, "Guess the demon heard her name."
Nardo snorted. "Yeah, and she almost summoned herself in there."
"Did you see her face when I showed her Annabelle's picture?" he asked.
"Yeah," Elena laughed, clutching her stomach. "She looked like she saw the ghost herself."
I couldn't help but giggle too, though I muttered under my breath, "She's so going to haunt us one day."