The Scars

"After defiling the school with your disgusting act, you are still having the nerve to show your face?" Angeline blatantly confronted me. That girl stood in arrogance looking down at me. Her gangs flowed behind her. Their flouting expression threatened me. A reminder, Vera’s words, rang in my brain like an alarm that no one in this world could interfere with my life, not even those who thought of me as inferior. Everyone was equal. People deserved to be treated equally and fairly no matter what background they came from, what color their skins are, what religion they believed in, what race they were born in, or what country they live in.    

    

"Reno is right. Bullying is the only thing you and your friends are expert at." I did not know what kind of audacity stirred me to speak up. My tongue produced words faster than my brain did. The impacts of my statements were vivid. They could mistreat me. Fortunately, we were in a public area at this moment. At least the situation extricated me from their persecution temporarily.    

    

"Are you trying to provoke me?" Her gorgeous eyes envisioned all corners of the area. The students kept coming. Some of them glanced at us in curiosity. She impended. "I can do even worse. Be prepared." She warned me.    

    

"Have you done your assignment, Angeline?" Of all sudden, Vera had stood by my side and put her hand around my neck. "I just want to make sure that the teacher won't punish you this time. I know you are a genius but it doesn’t mean you have the privilege for not doing your homework."    

    

"Mind your own business!" Angeline looked annoyed.    

    

"Those words apply to you too. You are always interested in other people's life. Don't you realize that?" Angeline lost words to respond to Vera. She fled with her gangs. "They didn't' hurt you, did you?" She took her hand off my shoulders    

    

"No. Let's get inside."    

    

I walked in with uncertain emotion drumming my heart. The students' eyes watched me from top to toe as if they did not believe what their eyes saw that I came back to school after doing something they thought of as a nasty act. It was useless even if I clarified what truly ensued. They already trusted more a tale created by Angeline and Kevin. I would not give up whatever headed off.    

    

My eyes landed on the podium when we just traversed the school hall. That podium was a spot where the most outstanding student delivered a commencement speech on graduation day. My feet planted at their place.    

    

"What are you looking at, Ilana?"    

    

"I will stand at the podium on the graduation ceremony," I murmured. It confused Vera. But, she then said supportive words.    

    

"You can make it. There is nothing impossible in this world."    

    

"I will do it." We resumed our path to the classroom. "I am still curious about one thing."    

    

"What is it?"    

    

"How could they get the picture whereas only Kevin and I were in the library at that time? Kevin did not bring a camera."    

    

"Someone put a hidden camera in the library. It seems that all happened by design."    

    

"Yeah...it was well-planned. I never thought that Kevin's that bad. Do you think I need to report this to the teacher?    

    

"Do you think they will help you? Everyone knows who Kevin is. Do you think the teacher will bring up the case?"    

    

"Well, I am not sure. You are right. I should choose my battle wisely."    

    

"I don't mean to daunt you."    

    

"It's ok. I have learned a lot about how this world works."    

    

"I'll accompany you if you are sure to report this case. But, to be honest I don't put too much trust in adults."    

    

"I won't strive for something that I have already known what the result is. But I vow to stand at the podium in pride on the graduation ceremony to prove to them that I am not the one whom they can underestimate," I declared. Vera clenched her hand into a fist and lifted it to demonstrate her support for me.    

    

"I am glad that you’re finally back."    

    

We entered the building where our classrooms were. After taking a lift, we got to the second floor. Vera turned left in the corridor while I took another direction toward my classroom. As always, I proceeded to my seat and sat in silence. My feeling automatically directed my eyes to the empty seat where Reno used to sit. That boy would not be there forever. I felt the void in my heart.    

    

After a week of absence, nothing changed except I had to struggle with many classes I missed and Reno was nowhere to be seen. Angeline and the gangs' treatment toward me remained the same. Kevin got more popular. The case did not affect him because nobody knew that it was his entire plan to defame Reno by resembling him.    

    

Kevin and his team just won the basketball competition. And to celebrate that, his father Mr. Wijaya treated all the teachers to lunch in one of the expensive restaurants. Reno invited us to have dinner in one of the cafeterias. He got to the classroom after classroom to announce that. I did not have any idea what his motive was. But, it was clear that he was aiming to get the students' attention with his money.    

    

"I invite all of you to come to Starlight's cafe tonight," he proudly announced to the students in my class. That did not interest me at all. I rested my head on the desk. "It will be such an honor if you can come," he ended his invitation. He visited our class just after the last class was dismissed. I grabbed my bag as soon as he left our classroom.    

    

Library was my destination. I need to borrow some books. There was no student in the library except the librarian. This situation reminded me of the tragedy I experienced. Endeavoring to soothe myself, I picked some books in a hurry as if someone was following me.    

    

"Is it all?" the librarian reassured. I nodded. With the books in my hand, I headed out. Woefully, I could not take the lift because the students’ lifts were still in repair. I descended the stairs and almost tripped down as one of the books in my hand fell.    

    

Someone yanked it before it touched the ground. My eyes gaped that it was Kevin there glimpsing at me. The tragedy in the library was still pictured in my memory. His appearance worried me. I swiveled and ascended the stair. He snatched my bag.