Vanessa and Dexter were on their way to the infirmary.
Vanessa started to throw the questions which she had bottled up from the first time Dexter introduced himself.
"You really should stop being so mean to others. Max was in the wrong, but you were just as harsh."
Dexter didn't reply and simply continued walking.
"I'm talking to you! at least reply!"
Vanessa said sharply.
Dexter flinched for an instant.
He wondered what he'd done to deserve that tone.
"What did I do wrong?"
Dexter asked, confusion on his face.
Vanessa, with deep creases on her forehead, replied,
"You say that after all you did!"
"Didn't you try to humiliate Max on the first day of class to get back at him for that joke?"
Vanessa remarked.
"As if that wasn't enough, you talked to him in such a way that only got on his nerves."
As she pointed it out, she caught the look on Dexter's face—blank, head tilted, mouth slightly open.
As soon as she noticed, Dexter immediately reverted to his poker face.
"Are you serious?"
Vanessa asked in a confused tone.
"You really don't know what you've done?"
Dexter was processing the accusations made against him and replied to them accordingly.
"When I heard Max talking about the class rep medal, I thought he would want it the most, I'm not cut out for the work that comes with being the class rep, so I figured giving it to him would be best."
Dexter explained in a low yet calm tone.
"I also just repeated what the teacher told us— to the students who hadn't submitted their copies. Did I do anything wrong?"
Dexter asked, his eyes fixed on Vanessa, waiting for an answer.
Vanessa was bewildered after hearing him out.
"Maybe he never intended to do all of that."
She thought to herself and felt embarrassed for all the accusations she made against him.
They reached the infirmary.
Vanessa left Dexter with the nurse and headed back to the classroom.
When she got back to the classroom, the two girls who sat behind Dexter approached her.
"Why bother helping such a stuck-up boy? Who does he think he is? He really deserved that!"
The girls said in turns.
Vanessa was angry and embarrassed at once— realizing she might have thought the same before hearing Dexter's side.
"If you don't understand something, then just keep your mouth shut!"
She said furiously.
They got scared and wondered about her strange behavior.
"Lily, Rose— what's up? Is something wrong?"
Max asked as he entered the classroom, his lackeys carrying the lunch which they'd bought from the cafeteria.
"No, it's nothing."
They feigned ignorance to Max's question.
Vanessa was still in the middle of figuring out Dexter's words.
She came to the conclusion that Dexter just didn't know how to communicate well.
"How was he? Is he fine now?"
Kensei yelled from a distance.
"Yeah, he's more or less okay." Vanessa replied. "That's what the nurse said."
Kensei sighed in relief, thanked Vanessa for taking Dexter to the infirmary, and returned to his seat.
Dexter returned after getting his wounds dressed.
The whole class looked at him with contempt—and a trace of hatred in their eyes.
Vanessa thought to herself,
"Does he not notice their glares? If this continues, the misunderstanding will only deepen. I have to stop this now.".
Vanessa was about to tell everyone in the class about the misunderstanding but before she could, Dexter was there before Max, standing before him, seemingly looking down on him from above.
Max was irritated.
"Came back for more, I see? You just never fail to get on my nerves, huh?!"
Max exclaimed. Before Max could do anything,
Dexter apologized.
"I'm sorry"
Max was bewildered but he shrugged it off and started to mock him again.
"Yeah, right! You should be— but it's too late for that, first you decide to trample all over me and then end it all with a sorry? No, not happening!"
Max blurted out at an impressive speed, almost out of breath after that.
Vanessa now knew that it was futile to plead in Dexter's favor now and gave up.
"I don't remember you being in charge here y'know?"
Kensei stood up and said firmly.
"If you think you can mess around all you want with my friend, you're dead wrong, the next time something like that happens— I'M DESTROYING YOU!"
Kensei shouted as to provide a back to his statement.
It gave the impression that he truly meant it.
Max clicked his tongue and let go of Dexter.
"Don't ever mess with me again. Consider yourself lucky today."
Max said as he sat back down in his seat.
Dexter was shocked and felt something strange.
It wasn't uncomfortable—it was warm.
Perhaps being called a friend made him so happy,
that his usual monotone face actually smiled for once.
Vanessa and Kensei both saw that smile and thought to themselves,
"So, he can smile like that, huh?"