CHAPTER 26

Listening to Mr. Darley talk to me in such a condescending tone made me feel like such a delinquent. Honest to God, my halo was long overdue.

"What explanation can you give to justify your actions? None."

No, it's none of your business, I wanted to say.

With bored eyes I watched as Mr. Darley re-read the letter that stated I had completed my community service. Sighing heavily, he placed the paper on his computer desk before shifting his gaze out the window looking at the snow intently as if he was trying to draw inspiration for what he could say next.

The unexpected shrill of the school bell overhead made me jump and within seconds the sounds of students filling the corridors penetrated through my principal's office.

This prompted him to conclude his speech, "As it is a new year Luciana, I will put this," he said nodding towards the letter, "behind us and I hope that you maintain your grades and focus on your potentially bright future, understood?"

"Yes sir."

With a satisfactory expression on his dark-skinned face he finally allowed me to leave his office.

Vainly trying to avoid the inevitable I purposely strolled through the school hallway at a slow pace, figuring that I had a good enough excuse for my lateness. That meant I could get to class a couple minutes later without getting into trouble.

Within minutes, which really seemed like mere seconds, I reached my first class. I had managed to balloon myself with as much courage as I could by reminding myself that I really was an undercover ninja from all the badass stuff I had done over the holidays. With this fact solidly established in my mind, I had planned to bust open the door with my legs, not even bothering to apologise and explain to my teacher why I was ten minutes late to her class, I would swagger off towards my seat and if I was feeling extra cool I would rest my feet on the desktop and sit back like a true Bad Ass Mother-Mother.

Truth is, I chickened out.

I knocked on the door, waiting patiently for my teacher to give me permission to enter -just like a good girl would.

After hearing 'come in' I went up to my teacher to repeatedly apologise and explain the reason for my lateness and then I dumbly stood there as she reproached me for failing to produce her with a late slip. With my head bowed down, ignoring the immature snorts from the students, I timidly walked the rest of the way to my seat. As soon as Ms. Darcy started talking in her coarse, smoker's voice I drained out everything she was saying whilst I started doodling around in my notebook.

Three hours later, I was sat in my last lesson before lunch. In no time, my belly was rumbling loudly obviously embarrassing especially when the class was quiet. A breath of relief left me as minutes later the lunch bell rang. I stayed behind until all the students had scampered off before making my way to the cafeteria.

"Your total's $2.99".

Breaking contact from my own little world, I placed the coke and pizza on the counter and I held my precious apple Danish whilst I dug out the money from my bag. Out of nowhere, someone bumped into me, effectively making my apple Danish fall out of its paper bag and drop to the floor.

Someone wanted to get murdered.

"Oh my gosh, I'm like sooo sorry. Let me pay you for another."

"No," I breathed out all at once, feeling my immediate response was a little too harsh, I lit up a fake smile on my face, "no thank you, I'm okay."

It didn't take me coming face to face with Jacey Ellis for me to recognize it was her, her all-too sweet citric voice made her all too famous for everyone in the school's student body. She was a well known bitch, she would bitch about Her, Him and It.

Dumping my Danish in a nearby bin, I walked speedily to sit at the table on the far side of the cafeteria which was perfectly arranged for the lone-lunchers.

Half-way chomping through my bread pizza I was rudely interrupted and when I twisted to see who it was, lo and behold it was none other than Jacey.

"My friends and I are sitting over there and like we would you want you to join us."

Affording a glance at her artificial allies, I asked with obvious scepticism and irritation at having unnecessarily disturbed me, "Why now?"

Her immaculately threaded eyebrows rose in confusion with a hint of surprise in her hazel eye."Why now what?"

"Why is it now after three and a half years I have been at this school that you ask me to sit with you and your friends?"

I noticed the smile on her face falter for a bit, before gaining her composure. "I always see you eating alone and you don't really talk to anyone. As my New Year's resolution, I said I will try and adopt an attitude of community spirit, and this is me keeping to my resolution."

I wanted to laugh in her face at her bull-filled explanation. I guess I had to see the actual change in her before I believed it because all I could still see was authentic fakery.

Obliging reluctantly, I took my stuff and followed her back to her table. When I settled down on a seat, I was too uncomfortable to carry on eating my food because of my body issues. It didn't make it easier that everyone else on the table was eating some type of junk food - they could afford to as each person on the table was involved with one form of sport or another.

After Jacey excitedly, too excitedly introduced me to the group and they greeted me way too excitedly, they returned their attention back to their food, except me, who was miserably sipping on my coke. A brief silence took over before Jacey broke it.

"Soooo Leona...when are you going to finally admit you like Callum?" I heard her ask a brunette hair girl, with freckles dotted all over her face which added to her pretty face.

"Please, like I can like a guy with back hair."

This provoked laughter from all of them, before being intervened by a flawless skinned Asian girl with her long black hair held in a ponytail. "But you kissed him!"

"That was a pity kiss, Selena."

This statement aroused another bout of laughter from the three of them. Whoever the Callum guy was-I felt sorry for him.

On and on the bitches bitched about different people until it started to wear them down.

"Oooh, Luciana oh my gosh you have to tell us, was that your boyfriend that we saw you with this morning?"

"No," I immediately responded.

I surprised myself with how possessive I became but I definitely did not want them knowing anything about Angelo.

"Well then who is he?" urged Leona.

"A happily married man with three kids," I quickly rushed out.

"So? He's hot. Do you have his number, maybe he can be my baby daddy?"

"Don't be shocked, Selena's field of expertise is handling married men," said Leona having seen my flabbergasted expression on my face at Selena's response.

The cutlery stand was not too far from my face and they were gleaming in my face tempting me to pick one of them up and casually stab Selena's home-breaking whorish eyes.

"So then, what type of guy do you go for?" inquired Leona noticing the sort of mockery tone in her voice.

Avoiding their watchful gazes, I didn't give it a second thought. "I'm not fussy."

"With a face like that, you couldn't be."

I guess the lovely Jacey forgot all about 'community spirit' and her dark colours definitely did take root as she failingly tried to cover up her slip up.

It cut.

And seeing the rest of the girls having a hard time to suppress their laughs. It cut deep.

It shouldn't but it did.

I should've gotten used to this, but I couldn't.

Leaving my food tray, I grabbed my bag and walked out the cafeteria, desperately navigating for the female toilets.

When I finally located it, I locked myself in one of the cubicles and sat on the lidded toilet, finally in privacy, I waited for the tears to come.

They didn't.

I was frustrated with myself, I actually wanted to cry to relieve me of the hurt I was feeling. Somehow though, my body seemed to have desensitized itself from reacting in the way it usually did and I did not know what to do with myself.

I was angry because I was incapable of standing up for myself - how pathetic. It was okay for my dad to think that I was shallow because I only focused on the external, but it was hard not to.

In that moment I wished that I could feed Sara's strength into me and I would be brave enough to carry on with the day and pretend everything was honky-dory, but I couldn't.

There was no way I was staying for the rest of my remaining lessons. All I could think about as I planned my sweet escape was to get home, tuck under my bed and sleep, forgetting about my silly insecurities and the problems that surround them.

It was the perfect opportunity to leave school as it was still during lunch time and students would be clustered about everywhere, so I wouldn't be so suspicious. I decided to take the exit that led to the the smoker's shelters, since it was closer to the main streets.

Aware of the sharp wind that I was going to be fighting against I zipped up my coat and prepared myself to walk steadily but speedily in the snow. I had walked past the basketball court, and I could feel the adrenaline sizzling in my veins as I became step by step closer to leaving the premises unnoticed.

A lone figure stood in the smoking shelter puffing away - short, jet black, bob-cut - Ms. Darcy. Crouching down as quietly as I could without making snowy crunchy sounds with my foot I guesstimated the time that it would take me to run past her with her back turned.

There was only like a 100 metres between where I stood and the gates, I was no track star but I was sure I would manage.

Seeing Ms. Darcy's back still turned, on the count of three, I ran.

"I think you might just want to stop right there, young lady."

Surely, it was not my day. Turning around to face her I waited until she finally met up with me.

"Do you have a slip permitting you to leave the school grounds early before the home bell rings?"

"Erm...no."

"Well then you shouldn't be leaving the school's premises unauthorized. Follow me to the principal's office, your parents need to be contacted."

I had officially become a certified bad ass.