Ghost In Red

---    

"Why the f*ck would they blame it on me? Was I the one driving the freaking car? Don't they know the meaning of the word accident? They should blame the truck driver! Or OJ herself." I contented trying to sound fine, but I'm very far from being one. This sh*t is insane.    

"That's what I have been desperately trying to tell them the whole damn night," Vidia replied in a bit of frustration.    

And I turned my head to Kevin when he said, "But some others are insisting that if you didn't snatch her boyfriend, she couldn't have broken up with him yesterday and went home so early that then lead her to an accident because she could have driven while out of her mind because of madness and a broken heart. And it was all because of you, Syd. Some said that if they could see you go to school today, they would be teaching you a lesson that you won't forget."    

I let out a profound sigh while trying to think of something useful for my situation right now.    

"What are we going to do, Syd?" Emma asked with a trace of worry in her voice while looking so anxious.    

"Fuck them all! I'm not afraid of anyone because I did nothing wrong. That person behind this bullshit is whom I am surely going to teach a lesson. I'll absolutely break their bones. They could be just in the academy. And I should find them even in hell. They should be the ones to blame!" I let out angrily and went to sit down properly and faced the road.    

"We need to have those pictures that OJ showed you. We could tell that it is edited, and we can prove to everyone that their claims are not true. And we should find who the hell gave it to Hunters." My best friend asserted, and I took a bite of the breakfast that Wendy prepared for me. I don't want to faint at school if ever we could engage in physical fights.    

"Totally agreed. It's a plan then." I uttered and continued eating my food while there was silence, yet I could sense that Vidia kept looking at me as I took glances at the rearview mirror.    

Then I turned to look at her with my question mark face.    

"Can I have some? I haven't eaten breakfast." She asked and pouted her lips, and I cringed, looking at her disgusting puppy face. I thought she was mad at me?    

When I saw Emma open her mouth to speak, I cut her off before any word would come out from her and my cousin, "I don't believe that you haven't eaten, too, two of you! Can't fool me."    

After I felt pretty satisfied with what I had eaten, I gave the food pack to my best friend, who got a smile that spread from ear to ear now as she accepted it. Okay. Good mood if there is food. Nice.    

---    

"So... Syd, are you really going in even if it's not totally safe for you to pass the hallways now? We are pretty sure that there are jerks and bitches waiting for you to arrive." Kevin asked when he killed his car's engine after he parked at the academy's parking lot. And I just looked at him with my war face on.    

"Hell, yeah! I don't want to make a record of being late for class for the first time because of cowardliness with the thing that I didn't do." I cheered and reasoned as I felt no fear at all.    

"But what if they will attack you physically, Syd? We don't know if there could be psychos among her admirers. Or her boyfriend himself would do something bad to you." Emma let out her thoughts, and I looked at her and corrected her, "Ex-boyfriend."    

"Well, if that happens... Then I won't be taking them easy, too. Maybe it is a perfect time to apply what I learned from my karate sparring sessions with Adam since I was five. I'm sure these fists and feet won't miss. But as long as there isn't any violence directed at me, we could go the easy and no harm way." I added as I opened the door and stepped out of the car with my school stuff. Then they all followed.    

I fearlessly walked into the hallway to go to my locker to get and put in the things I needed and don't for my morning classes while my buddies followed behind me. Well, yes, almost all eyes are on us, me, specifically. Some are whispering something to their friends while stealing glances at me, while some are looking at me sharply like they have been plotting my death in their pea brains. What did I ever do to them in the first place?    

Moments passed, and I waited for anyone to bother me while I did my business with my locker, but no one seemed to dare. It will be a wrong move if they will. And now, it sure looks like they are just so damn loud when it comes to bashing, hating, and threatening people online. That's absolutely why I don't have any social media accounts because it has too much bullshit in there. Many people bully others, stalking, insulting, telling news that isn't true, bragging, arguments about something that they absolutely don't have any parts to play, scamming, and a lot more, while some use it for a good purpose. That place should have been used for communication, expressing your thoughts that don't hurt other people, entertainment, announcements, news, and all other important information one should know. And these students here really did make a group online that consists of all they wanted to say and attack other students. Why don't they just confront them face to face so it would be more entertaining for others to see and be more satisfying on your part? Right?    

"Syd. Incoming." I heard Emma whisper as I was about to close my locker door after I got the things I needed, and I presume someone finally has the guts to ask for a ticket to hell.    

"Roswell, let's settle this mess once and for all." The person began with his low and a bit angry voice.    

Oh, the ex.    

I calmly closed my locker door to face him and give him what he wanted. It's either peace or war.    

When my gaze roamed halfway through around me, I noticed that the eyes and ears of the nosy students were on us. Damn, what a great show this could be! Spectacular.    

"What mess, Ferrer? As far as I remember, I didn't do anything that concerns you. And if you are talking about the scene your EX-girlfriend caused with me yesterday, I absolutely made it clear to her that I have nothing to do with those pictures. I guess all of you here are smart enough to recognize an edited image or not! Or you should consult experts to identify it before you make statements that are very far from the truth. Not just gossip, blame, and talk dumbly, which doesn't make any sense! Suggestion. You should use your common senses more often." I replied and announced to everyone with nothing but the truth, and it just made the guy snicker and gained lots of murmurs from the other students who were witnessing. Hmm, I know where this is going.    

"Nice one. Well, as far as I remember, too, you are the only one I knew who hates Olivia so much for so damn long, and it's not going to be a surprise that you wouldn't be doing something that could affect her. Or maybe... You just wanted me so bad for yourself that you made way for me and Liv broke---" He countered, sure that he was in the right lane, but I cut him off as soon as I heard him make up an absurd statement about me.    

"Excuse me? Are you listening to yourself? Me? Want you? Gosh! F*ck you! If this negotiation would just end up with ludicrous allegations, you better get the f*ck out of my way. You are wasting my time." I sneered and gritted my teeth as I felt intense anger rise in me.    

I walked past him so I could go to my classroom now, but I halted when he spoke, "Now that she is in a critical condition and fighting for her life, did that make you happy?"    

Hearing his words, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to restrain myself from letting out my anger right at this moment.    

I didn't bother looking back at him, or else I could do something out of my control. He's not worth it. So instead, I continued walking away from him. And I turned left to get inside the restroom, so I could let out the tension that I felt.    

I didn't dare to look at the faces of the two people at the sink, and I just went straight to get inside a vacant cubicle.    

The tears that I have been holding for a while finally fell after I closed the door behind me, and I sat on the sealed toilet bowl.    

I just feel too much rage and distress with everything that is happening to me lately. It's okay if all people will hate me. I don't give a shit about them and their perception of me. What I don't want is to know that she is hurting right now and might be--- no, I don't want to think about it. I can't take it.    

Maybe I really am the one to blame. Perhaps we could have had a better relationship if I treated her opposite to how she does to me. Even if we are not friends, I am okay with it. Not just us hating each other and her hating me the most.    

"Syd, are you here?" I heard my best friend called me, and she seems right outside the cubicle where I am.    

"Hey, are you okay?" She asked as the door went open as I didn't lock it, and she looked worried about me.    

"Do I look like one?" I answered in between sobs, wiping the tears that streamed on my cheeks, and she let out a heavy sigh.    

"Nope. But it will be okay, Syd. I know that people would know that you have nothing to do with it and you are innocent. We can get through this. It will be alright. Let's just hope that OJ will be okay soon." She uttered and rubbed my back to comfort me, and I looked at her when she mentioned OJ.    

"I thought you don't care about her?" I asked her, in which she smiled at me in response.    

"Well, I was the one who has been thinking that you don't care about her. Emma told me something earlier. That you hang out with her last night by yourself because you were dead worried about your foe. And also, with your savage response to me when I called you about the bad news about Hunters and my remarks, it makes you so damn apparent as hell that you cared about her. Come on. We were best friends since birth, Syd. I know you enough to notice that something is strange in you." She explained with a warm smile, and I just let out a soft laugh as I heard her words.    

"Really? Am I that obvious? Damn right." I replied, and she chuckled while nodding her head in response.    

"I don't hate her, you know? I never did." I admitted and smiled as I stood up, and she looked at me with her eyebrows meeting each other in turmoil.    

"What? Really?" She asked in surprise, and I stepped out of the cubicle to fix myself at the sink before heading to our separate classrooms.    

"Let's just talk later. It's almost time for class." I told her, and she replied, "Yeah, we really should."    

Then she looked at her phone as someone must have texted her.    

I opened the faucet and washed my face, and she told me, "I'll just check on something outside, Syd. Emma texted me something confusing."    

After I dried my face with some paper towels, I decided to retouch my makeup. I still have three minutes before the bell for the first subject will ring.    

As I was about to leave after checking my reflection in the mirror for the last time, the cubicle door beside the one I used opened, and a familiar-looking girl came out. And she seemed startled by my presence.    

Grace Thales.