Chapter 51: Not helping, Cassandra.
"I heard Sophia Turner is the one responsible for what happened at the drama club recently?" A brunette stood opposite her friend that was quite blonde, conversing in front of a locker.
"Is she the one now, that's how she always is," the blonde girl raised her hands to her mouth, surprised.
With a slight smile appearing on her lips, "what do you think the Chancellor will do to her?" She asked her friend, anticipating a response.
"The Chancellor?" The blonde girl inquired, raising her brows.
"Yes, the news got to the Chancellor. She is gone, I heard that he even gave her one of the least punishments," the brunette shrugged.
"And what is it?" She probed with her hands crossed and her chest puffed out.
"Well, from what I heard, the Chancellor said she has automatically failed this session, as her assessments will not be recorded."
"Wow, that's bad. Like retaking the session you mean?" the blonde girl questioned, with a little pinch of worry on her face, making her seem more concerned that the brunette who smiled in excitement.
"Yes, it's terrible. Imagine if it wasn't the least, well her foolishness is catching up with her," the brunette girl said and tilted her wrist to check the time, "goodness, let's head over to class," she said to the blonde she was talking to, and they both shut their lockers and disappeared into the hallway.
********
"Ahhh...," Sophie wailed out strongly, unable to control the rush of emotions she felt. The school had sent her a mail privately about the event, only for her to rush to the Chancellor's office and be greeted with a video of her unscrupulous act. She could see the look of disappointment on the Chancellor's face and only imagined what was going to be on her Father's face.
The Chancellor had told her that the only reason he kept her and did not give her a worse punishment was because he had developed a soft spot for her over time, if not, it was going to be hard for her to get into any other school in the whole of the city.
He gave her the choice to continue in Chelan college, if only she was ready to retake the session she was in. Sophie's problem was not about retaking or the jeers she was going to get from students that she had bullied, though the thoughts frightened her. Her problem was her Father, not just her father, but the way he responded to issues like that.
Once upon a time when she was still young, she was in 5th grade at then and her school report for the session showed that she was so troublesome and ill-mannered. Back then in 5th grade, their reports got sent to their parents, so there was no way for Sophie to hide them. Her father saw the report and sent her to her relatives that stayed in the north of the country.
Sophie could bet that her relatives hated her, as her stay there was terrible. She tried telling her Father on several occasions, but he always paid deaf ears to her cries. It began to make her think her Father hated her also. Because, why on earth will she complain to him that she gets maltreated there, and he still threatens to send her there. The fear of the few experiences she got during her stay there made her want to be good whenever she heard of her relative's place, and she had grown to hate them as she felt they hated her also.
"What is this, Hazel, how did he even get the video, who sent it to him?" She screamed, breaking into sobs. Well for a starter, she was broken. She was used to doing her activities and maneuvering her way around them. But this particular one caught right up with her.
"Calm down, Sophie. You are making heads turn," Hazel consoled her as the loud noise was becoming deafening.
"I should calm down, you don't know the embarrassment, Hazel. What am I going to tell my Dad too? Currently, he's not around, but how long can I keep up when he's back, just how long?" She bawled out, pushing her hair backward, and letting her forehead fall into her palms.
"Okay, that is many things to handle," Hazel said gaily, trying to cheer up the sadness that was in the atmosphere, which didn't still help anything.
Sophie just raised her eyes back to Hazel, and let them fall back into the space between her folded arms. With the glance she gave Hazel, no one had to tell Hazel that Sophie was deeply pained and was not in the mood for those jokes.
"See, Sophie," Hazel started, separating Sophie's palms that were placed across her face, and raising her head to hers, "everything is going to be fine. For the embarrassment, I will handle that one. I promise you no one will dare to say something stupid when I'm here and I trust you won't let their crazy word get to you."
Hazel took a long pause, then sighed deeply before she continued, "as for your Dad, I don't know what he is going to do this time, but I believe he doesn't hate you. Maybe you should try talking to him this time, he may bend the rules for you. I believe so."
Hazel said a good number of words which was still not enough to Console Sophie, she was certain that whatever Hazel was saying was to console her and make her feel good. She kept on crying, that every student that passed the part of the garden they were in, turned their heads to look, and some busy bodies even had to carry their conversations and stay there, even as they were fully aware that she probably needed space away from people.
Just as Hazel noticed the countless list of busybodies that came there, Cassandra came there, swinging her loose hair in all directions, taking light steps that made her bath in all elegance.
It was gradually becoming midday, as the morning clouds gradually began to disappear in bits and the weather felt hot a little. The usual light blue and white patterns of amoebic masses that got suspended by the cloud, began to change into a bright yellow shade indicating that the sun was casting its rays on the earth prominently.
"Sadly, you are in pain now, I wish I could help, Sophie dear." Hearing Cassandra's voice that tried to sound caring with a little pinch of mockery got straight at Sophie. The whole school could see her being embarrassed, every single one of them, even Hazel, but not Cassandra, Alyssa, or the Ranez girls.
She quickly wiped off the visible tears that she could, and raised her head to Cassandra.
"Did you come here to laugh at me?" Sophie inquired, raising her head to Cassandra who was above her, as Cassandra was standing while she sat on a lawn chair
"I would not want to do that, Sophie. I am not as terrible as you think, at least I'm not as terrible as you are," Cassandra scoffed, "I only came to offer the help I have been offering for some time now which you always rejected. But from the look of things, I think you need it badly now as you are visibly shattered and in tears. Don't you think so?"
Every single word Cassandra said to Sophie got at her, but Sophie knew better than to yell at Cassandra. The state she was in, raising her voice at Cassandra could make her cry, as they were loads of tears in her lacrimal gland that she was fighting hard to hold.
"Well, I don't need your help, Cassandra. You can keep it to yourself," Sophie informed her, and rolled her eyes.
"Come on Sophie, that is so much pride for someone that should be hiding her face. I will be meters away from this school if I had to face the embarrassment you are going through. Goodness, where do you get such a mind, trying to kill a girl for a guy that was never going to love you? Really? Sophie, you are so...," Cassandra went on talking till Sophie cut her abruptly.
"Cassandra...," Sophie yelled, rising to her feet, with her fists folded in rage, "just shut up and get the fuck out of here."
"Well, I won't. Are your sins so disgusting to your ears and you still went on to do it? Don't you have any shame, and you are here raising your voice at me," Cassandra jeered out in mockery.
"Cassandra, don't let me do anything crazy.." Sophie shrieked.
"Go on, I want to see your best. Who knows, it may be to splatter an allergen on my face," Cassandra giggled, intentionally stepping on whatever was going to hurt Sophie.
Sophie found it quite easy talking about her experience the previous day, even as she had decided to walk past it. She had to do something good to get at Sophie badly, so she think the video to the Chancellor, begging him to leave her identity anonymous. Cassandra smirked thinking about it, as she felt proud of her actions.
"Not helping Cassandra, and I don't understand what this battle is all about," Hazel rolled her eyes at Cassandra, then turned to Sophie, "pick up your things let us go."
And with that, the two girls walked away, leaving Cassandra grinning widely. They went to the school parking lot and drove off in Hazel's car as she was quite rich and also the person emotionally stable at that moment.