GRIEVOUS VENGEANCE

CHAPTER 8

"At last, we solved our problem with Mina," Jackie exclaimed. She even raised her two arms out of happiness.

"I'm also happy she's now free from her grudge. Even Norie and Helen moved on. They found a new celebrity to gush over." Janine shook her head as she remembered how her sister Norie and her friend Helen were so devastated when Mina died.

"So... how's Mark?" Jackie teased Janine.

Janine's face went red. "He's fine."

"Fine as in he's okay or fine as in he is fine-looking?" She continued teasing her best friend.

"Jackie!"

"Admit it. He's fine like what?"

"Okay, I admit. He's fine as a man and fine as a handsome man. Happy?" Janine gave up. She really thinks Mark has all the qualities she's been looking for a man. She wants her ideal man like her father; responsible, loving and kind. Mark possesses all those qualities.

"At last! It's the first time for you to admire a man!" Jackie shouted. She seemed won in a lottery.

"Shut up! All people in the campus can hear you!"

"Oops! Sorry!" Jackie covered her mouth. "So, when are you going to say yes to him?"

"It's too early to accept him as my boyfriend. I want to get to know him more," Janine shyly replied. She kicked the small stone she saw on the pavement.

"Did he say he is willing to wait for you?"

Janine nodded. "He respects my decision. That's what I admire on him." Janine smiled sweetly.

"Hey, you're falling for him!"

"Be quiet!" Janine's face became hotter.

"Okay, fine, I'll shut up. I'll just find my own love life, too." Jackie crossed her arms.

They were both walking on the campus ground towards the gate. They are about to go home when they saw a commotion of group of students just right outside the school entrance. They are making fun of one of the students. She's thin and short. Her hair is long and curly, with pimples and acnes on her face. Other students are just passing by and didn't even help the poor girl. One of the bullies poured water on her head.

Jackie felt bad, she wanted to stop the bullies but Janine held her arm. "No! Do you want to get bullied? They will definitely target you instead of her. Let's call someone from the faculty."

"Right, I think that's the best we can do," Jackie agreed.

They both walked back to the campus to find a professor to help the student. They saw Professor Homer walking towards his car. "Professor Homer," Janine called.

Professor Homer stopped and looked at them. He smiled on his students. "Janine, Jackie," he said in apologetic tone. "I'm sorry about my accusations last time. Mark explained what happened. Thank you for saving my niece."

"Mark told you everything, Sir?" Janine's mouth went wide open.

"You don't have to worry. Your secret is safe with me. I owe you for saving my niece. Say thanks to your father, too." He looked at Jackie. "Did you approach me today for something else?"

"Right, right. I almost forgot. One student is bullied outside the entrance, Sir," Janine consciously said.

"Let's go and check them." Professor Homer walked towards the gate. Janine and Jackie followed him.They caught the group of students tearing the poor student's books.

"Hey! Stop that!" Professor Homer shouted to the bullies. They got scared of the professor, they ran as fast they could. "Those crazy students. I'll report them to the Guidance Office."

"Do you know them, Sir?" Janine is not familiar with them. They must be students from different department.

"Some are from Fine Arts, the others are from Commerce. One of them is the city councilor's son." Professor Homer walked towards the bullied student. "Are you alright, Sandy?"

The bullied student nodded. Her uniform is all wet. Janine and Jackie came closer and helped her to pick up her things. As Janine picked the torn book, she immediately felt dizzy and fell down.

"Janine!" Jackie ran to her best friend and helped her. Janine saw a vision of a man killed by strangling. She couldn't see the murderer's face. It was just a shadow.

"Thank you for helping me, Sir. I'm okay now." The poor girl lowered her head, took the book Janine was holding and ran across the street.

"Jackie..." Janine murmured.

"What happened?" Jackie anxiously asked.

"Are you okay, Janine?" Professor Homer helped Janine to stand up.

"I saw something when I was holding the book. A guy got killed by strangling... that city councilor's son." Janine felt so weak and dizzy.

Janine touched her forehead.

"No way!" Jackie held Janine's face. "Best friend, you're seeing something again?!"

Janine nodded.

"Let's go. I'll send you home," Sir Homer offered them a ride going home. They both agreed.

*****

Sandy arrived home. "Sandy, what happened to you?" her Mom asked.

"Nothing. Mom. I'm going to my room." She ran upstairs and slammed the door. She sat on her bed and cried. "Why are they doing this to me? Why are they so cruel?"

She picked her phone and checked her social media account. She saw a lot of comments on her photos, saying a lot of hateful words. She also received messages from dummy accounts. She checked one of the messages. It was all from Darryl, her classmate from her Arts class. He was the one who bullied her earlier together with his friends. They found out that she has a crush on him, and he got pissed off. She received tons of hateful messages again the whole day from his friends and his girlfriend. She's been bullied since then.

"Can you look at other guys? It's disgusting to think someone as ugly as you is fantasizing on me. Gross!"

"I hate seeing your ugly face."

"I don't want to see you around. Cover your ugly face!"

"I can use your face to crush ice."

"Do you take a bath? You look untidy."

Sandy felt so heart-broken. Darryl has been her classmate since grade school. She always secretly looked at him, admiring him. He's handsome and tall, most girls in their school had crush on him. She hid her feelings becase she knows he won't like her even a bit. She's not the type of girl Darryl would want to be with. He's into cheerleaders and muses. He never looked at ordinary girls.

She also opened another messages from Darryl's girlfriend. Sally.

"b***h! Darryl will never look at you!"

"Dream on, girl!"

"Drool over my boyfriend, ugly duckling!"

"You will experience hell from now on!"

Sandy's face is all wet, as tears flow from her eyes. She heard her phone's ringtone. "Hello?"

"Sandy, I'm really sorry! Sally stole my old slum note where you put Darryl's name as your secret crush," her best friend Nadia said. "I still feel guilty about what happened. I was so careless."

"It's not your fault. I'll be fine, don't worry." She just hang up. She just wants to sleep again and rest, like what she always does everytime they bully her. Hoping Darryl and his friends would stop bullying her tomorrow, at least. She wants some peace of mind even for a day.