Chapter 6: Hers

Knock knock...

"Enter."

I looked up and saw Mr Robert coming in. God, I hated him. He would always spend each day thinking of different ways to insult me during our Science lessons. He would comment about how if they fed me another piece of chocolate, the Earth would get stuck and stop spinning or how I could be used to block the sun and stop global warming.

Yeah, I detested him.

"Mrs Bullock, I'd like to call Ms Fuhrer?" his eyes darted to mine. I raised my eyebrow at him.

"Whatever for, Mr Robert?" Mrs Bullock bent her head a little to peer over her spectacles to see him. Mrs Bullock didn't like to be interrupted, so naturally, she'd demand a good and valid explanation.

Mr Robert, however, just shrugged and said, "Ms Lamburgh told me to ask her to go to her room and see her."

Mrs Bullock thought for a while before saying, "Fine, Dawn, you may go, but come back immediately after."

I nodded and went to the third floor, where Ms Lamburgh's office was. It was a tough climb up the stairs, but I managed to do it. However, I could feel my sweat evaporating to steam due to anger when I realized the room was empty. Was this Mr Robert's idea of a joke?

I found a piece of paper on Ms Lamburgh's table and read it: Oh dear, how clumsy of me. My sincerest apologies, but Ms Lamburgh is having a lesson now with class 3-B. At least now you've burnt a little of your excess baggage. You should thank me. Mr Robert.

The bastard should rot in hell.

I noticed just then he added a postscript.

P/S: Dispose of this after you read it, will you?

My clockworks began to turn. I took the piece of paper and left it on Mr Clifford's table. Now what would a 6-foot-8 bodybuilder and Head of PE department say when he reads about someone calling his muscles "excess baggage"?

I felt smug after leaving the office. I went all the way down to the ground floor and searched for 3-B. It was the last one down the hall. I knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Yup, that was Ms Lamburgh.

Walking in, I immediately heard the students whispering to each other. Probably about how large I looked. Truthfully, I wasn't really enormous. It's just that compared to them, I was huge and unbelievably unhealthy. I've often heard my relatives say, "You know, Dawn, dear, you'd look so beautiful if you lose weight. You have very unique features."

Tch, right.

Speaking of health, I was scheduled for a check up today.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, yes. Please determine which course you will be taking next year, will you? Everyone else has already submitted their forms to me," said Ms Lamburgh. "Have you talked to your parents, like I told you to?"

I didn't answer. The form I received required both my parents' signatures. As long as my dad kept distancing himself from us, I couldn't send my form in. I sometimes wondered if I could just say my dad died, but my mom still has a certain amount of affections for him. She'd probably kill me - or send me to my room - if I did that.

"My dad's been busy these past few days so he hasn't been around to discuss with my mom and I," I said.

Ms Lamburgh sighed. "Well, this concerns your future, so I hope your father will realize that it has its importance as whatever it is he's doing."

You have no idea.

Nodding, I excused myself and walked out. Right, I'd bet a hundred dollars my dad doesn't even know I exist. He'd been indulging in tomfoolery since he'd been married, so it's highly doubtful he knew I was born.

In case you're wondering how the hell how I came about, it was the simple fact that my dad had downed three bottles of booze, gone tipsy and then jumped to sex at home.

Similarly, in my brother's case as well.

Actually, I was planning on forgery, but -

"Wait!"

My heart skipped a beat. Why did I recognize that voice? I turned around and there was Ansel, running in my direction.

Whoa. My direction? Something was wrong with the picture. Why would the cutest boy on campus - according to my school mates - be running in my direction?

I checked my surroundings to see if he could have meant another person to wait but the hall was pretty much deserted apart from me standing right smack in the middle.

Taking my chances, I asked, "You talking to me?"

He eventually caught up, panting and gasping for air. Tch, what a wuss. I went up 3 flights of stairs and down again, only sweating and here, he looked as if he were a fish out of water.

After catching his breath, he said, "Who else could I be talking to?"

"Okay, so what the hell do you want?" I folded my arms. "I have to get back to class. Mrs Bullock's expecting me."

"What are you doing here?"

I raised my eyebrow. "What do you mean? I told you, I'm going back to class."

"No, I mean in this school!"

"I study here," I frowned. "Where are you going with this?"

"I didn't know you schooled here."

"Why would you need to know?" I asked, getting more and more irritated with him. "You've got to stop bothering me, Ansel."

"You knew I was schooling here?" he sounded surprised.

"Who doesn't? The girls in my class have pictures of you everywhere," I said, "Now, if you're done with the questions, I'm going to go now before I get screwed by Mrs Bullock."

I turned to leave, but he stopped me again, pulling my hand. I got goosebumps and snarled, "Let go of me."

"Why didn't you call?"

Oh God, someone kill him.

"Why-would-I-call-you?!"

"You seriously mean you're not going to fully abuse the fact you have my number?"

I heaved a big sigh, calming myself before I went mad. "I already told you, I don't like you. I'm not one of those fans of yours, get it?"

"Why?"

I blinked, confused. "What do you mean 'why'?"

"Why don't you like me? No girl could resist me," said Ansel, frowning. "Unless... you have a boyfriend."

Narrowing my eyes, I was trying to find why he sounded suspicious.

"What are you talking about?"

"Who's 'For'?"

I raised my eyebrow again. That's when I remembered yesterday when Forte received a phone call from someone who didn't answer.

"It was you who called?"

"Answer my question!"

I was a little scared with the tone of his voice because he actually sounded angry. It was like he was trying to prove something to himself.

"Why in the world are you being so angry? For's just my b-' I stopped. Hold on. Angry? He thinks I have a boyfriend? Didn't that sound like he was... jealous? "Would that be so hard to believe?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"You're not even going to think about breaking up with him for me?"

"How many God forsaken times do I have to tell you that I-don't-even-like-you?!"

Suddenly, I felt a sharp jab in my chest. Automatically, my right hand flew to my chest to try and subdue the pain. Why the hell was that happening?

"I don't believe you."

"You don't have to believe me. Just get lost. I've got better things to do than to continue this idle talk," I said, wincing at the pain. "I need to go. Bye."

I turned from him and walked off, still grabbing my chest. The pain wasn't easing, even after trying to calm myself down. I could feel my heart rate not decreasing and it was getting harder to breathe. My mouth was getting dehydrated as well, since I had not drunken any water after the run.

My eyes widened at that. That was what happened before I passed out some time ago. I panicked for a while then remembered that would worsen the situation. I needed help.

Forte.

At that moment, I knew I had to get to him before I fainted. My legs were gradually getting numb; another sign I was about to drop unconscious any minute soon.

Desperately, I tried to recall which class Forte was in. Shit, he could be anywhere.

I lost my legs then and fell to the ground. "Ouch!" I yelled, grabbing my legs. The pain in my chest continued and I had a throbbing headache as well.

I felt water droplets on my hand next and became aware I was crying. That was the first time I hoped someone would come by and find me.

"H-Help!" I sobbed, voice cracking from the discomfort and lack of water. I had both my palms pressing against each side of my head, trying to soothe the pain, but it didn't work. Seeing I was at my limit already, I gathered whatever strength left in me and yelled, "HELP!"

After that, everything was pitch black. Whether someone found me or not, I didn't know.

"Hey-"