The Cursed

Community service for being misunderstood

“Nadia, please don't!”

Lorenzo was on his knees, begging but Nadia refused to budge since all she could feel was anger and pain, so instead of releasing the girl she was holding, she strangled her even tighter, causing her to choke. Nadia brought her face closer to Celestia's neck and opened her mouth, revealing her fangs. Nadia was about to bite Celestia but she resisted, and as a result, Nadia lost her. Now, the table has turned, making Celestia at advantage. 

"Celestia, noooooo!!!" "

"You say good morning

 When it's midnight

 Going out of my head

 Alone in this bed

 I wake up to your sunset

 It's drivin' me mad

 I miss you so bad

 And my heart heart heart is so jet lagged"

I held my chest as I woke up because my heart was beating fast.

Damn it, Jensen! I was in the middle of my dream when I was startled awake by the loudness of my brother's music! I feel like our entire house is vibrating.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead because I was drenched in sweat and gasping for air. I can't believe that I had another dream about the three of them. I sat down and grabbed my notebook and pen from the table drawer by the side of my bed. I jotted down everything I remember about my dream. I started dreaming about them when we returned here to Madiville, I was 12 years old back then. Madiville is where I was born but when I was about 2 years old, we left here and lived in Manila.

When I first dreamed of them, I thought I have special powers to see the past because it felt so real. Their setting is similar to that of our ancestors. I'm guessing it might be during the early Spanish period because of their clothes. But it's impossible to be true because they're vampires, so I merely jot down what I dream in my notebook because their story is so bizarre. Before I don't usually dream of them but I've been dreaming a lot about them lately.

I looked at the clock on my table after I finished writing my dream. I need to get ready because it's already 10 a.m. I got up and walked to the CR to take a bath. I did my usual morning routine then eat my breakfast with my brother and my mom drove us to school. It’s another boring day at school for people like me who don’t have friends and don’t like studying. I walk past the hallway like I’m an invisible person, nobody talks to me and nobody cares if they hit me while passing through. 

I walked to my locker to grab my things, but someone slammed the door shut before I could finish.

 "Give me that damn video recorder"

Stephanie demanded, her palm in front of her as if she were asking for something,

“I have no idea what you're talking about," I ignored her and reopened my locker to collect my books, but she instantly closed it again which made me pissed.

“You saw us yesterday with your damn video camera and what you’re planning to do? Blackmail me? Or spread it like what you did to Kenneth Romero!”

She said in a sharp but low voice, afraid that other people may hear her. 

“You’re overreacting” 

I closed my locker properly and walk past her. She’s wasting her time; she should just be using her time improving this school not pissing me off. Unfortunately, Stephanie is our student council president and my enemy since elementary. I don’t understand how on earth she won the election because she doesn’t have the brain and the leadership but it seems like people here have poor judgment. 

Stephanie isn't the type to back down easily, so she grabbed my arm and pulled me towards her before I could even take a few steps.

“You don’t walk away from me," she said this time with a louder voice so students near us looked at us. She was staring at me, but I was unfazed. I snatched his hand from my grip and yanked it away. How dare she touch me. 

“I know you hate me, which is why you are planning a scheme against me.” 

I agree on the first one but the latter part? Is she insane? Why would I even waste my time doing that, as if she’s an important person? Does she think that the world only revolves around her?

“And you're going to wreck my life with that video! I'm not going to let you do it, you psycho b*tch.”

“Come to your senses” 

I slapped her not hard more like a tap on her cheeks just to shut her up because she’s too noisy but she overreacted.

“Ouch! Why would you do that to me?” she said as loudly that made the students at the hallway look at us and they started whispering.

I was speechless because I didn't even hit her that hard, besides she hurt me first when she scratched my arm in an attempt to prevent me from walking away.

“Ms. Salvador!” 

Oh, great. I saw Stephanie smirk before I turned to our guidance counselor, Mr. Ramos. He was angry, I can see his wrinkles between his eyebrows and his nostrils flaring outwards. 

“Both of you, to my office now!”

I let out a sigh. Why does he need to appear now? He should have arrived earlier so that he could see how Stephanie started the fight, but of course, who would believe me, I’m a nobody here and everyone is on Stephanie’s side because she is a president and she has a boyfriend who is ready to beat anyone up if someone tries to hurt his beloved girlfriend. 

“You’re dead”, Stephanie said and left first. 

As I walk towards the guidance, I noticed that everybody is looking at me like I’m the villain. They treated me like this after the Kenneth Romero incident. It was during my sophomore year and Kenneth Romero is our senior. He is one of the popular guys because he’s good-looking, kind, intelligent and athletic too. He is a scholar and has won several contests in our school. Everybody admires him and they thought that he’s living a perfect life because he has a beautiful girlfriend and is rich too, Ashley. But one day while I was filming random stuff because I was trying the video camera that my mom gave me then I accidentally heard someone fighting. I didn’t mean to record them but I saw Kenneth beating her girlfriend to death! I didn’t know what to do, I was frozen at my place because I can't believe that Mr. perfect Kenneth Romero is hurting his girlfriend! To make the long story short, of course, I did help the girl and I found out that even before Kenneth is abusing and hurting her, she can't break up with him because Kenneth is blackmailing him that he will spread her nude photo. Kenneth tried to scare me so I would shut up and he even tried to destroy my precious camera that pissed me off but little did he know, I already have a copy of the video and I sent it to Ashley’s house. Ashley’s parents were furious about it and since they are one of the sponsors of our school, the University of Madiville- Junior High School. The school have no choice but to remove Kenneth’s scholarship for college, he was supposed to be kicked out but he begged since it's his last year in high school. The video also spread like a wildfire and everybody thought that I did it because that was what Kenneth was saying, but I didn’t do it! It was Ashley’s cousin. I tried telling Kenneth but he won't believe me so I just let the issue slide but I didn’t know that they will forever remember that! People are scared of me saying I’m a stalker and I like Kenneth that’s why I did that, they even say that I ruined Kenneth’s future. 

They call me different names, that was the most painful year. When I was in 3rd year, I tried socializing but it always didn’t work out. I always feel that I’m different from them and they never understand me but it's fine I have my cousins. Since then, I have learned not to care. 

Mr. Ramos was already waiting for me when I entered his office. He motioned me to sit in the chair facing Stephanie. He sighed as he looked at me. 

“What happened?” Mr. Ramos said, his gaze falling on Stephanie, who is behaving as though she was a victim. 

“I was simply asking her a question about our class, and she just ignored me at first, so I tried again, and she became upset and slapped me in the face.”

 I'm sick of hearing her lies. She's too worked up about it because I accidentally saw her and Billy making out in the gym's shower room when I went to change. I was holding my video cam that time because we recorded our performance that will be passed to our teacher. She didn’t know that it was off and I didn’t tell her either, so she’ll get paranoid. That’s my revenge for all the pain that she caused me ever since my elementary days. 

“Why did you do that Ms. Salvador?”

Stephanie looked at me like she was telling me: Don’t you dare tell him that truth or else you’re dead. I didn’t answer and remained quiet.

“Aren’t you tired of this setup Celestine? You’re always here at my office. First, you didn’t follow the school uniform”

On the first day of my senior year, I was called to the guidance for wearing sneakers instead of black shoes. 

“Then you cut classes” 

I did that for only one subject because I swear, she was the worst teacher ever, she doesn’t teach, she just sits there and reads what’s in the book. I felt like staying in that class is a waste of time so I went to watch a movie, that was based on my favorite book, Divergent!

“and you punched a student”

“He was a p*****t”

I said in defense.

I was wearing a quite short skirt that day because my mom forgot to bring my uniform to the laundry so I have to use my old school uniform. While I was at the cafeteria, I can feel those i***t guys talking about me and looking at my legs. I tried to ignore it but when I passed by them, one of them grabbed my butt so I punched him in the face. 

“But that doesn’t give you the right to punch him”

That guy doesn’t also have a right to touch my butt just because I was wearing a short skirt! He deserved the punch. But whatever I say in defense, people won't just try to listen or understand me because of my reputation.

“And now you slapped a student”

I lean in the chair and crossed my arms. I wanted to tell him the truth but I don’t think that’s a smart move because I don’t have evidence that will support my claim about Stephanie and Billy making out and with my reputation, my words won't be enough, second Stephanie will find out that I don’t have a video, in which that video is my leverage over her.

Mr. Ramos let out a heavy sigh. 

“I believe detention won't be enough this time, I need you to bring your mother”

My eyes widened with his announcement, I was about to answer but Stephanie butt in. 

“Sir, no need for that, besides she already said sorry to me on our way here.”

I looked at Stephanie who was spilling non-sense. She knew that if my mom got involved, it is a declaration of war. 

“Are you sure Ms. Cruz?”

Stephanie nodded. 

“If that’s the case, I will not ask you to bring your mother anymore instead you have to render 1-week community service.”

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