One Roof With Five Hot Jerks

Maxine’s Point of View

It’s already lunch break. I hold the food Louis gave me earlier. I exited the classroom as my gaze was on the bag I was holding. Am I going? What if Louis gave me some poison? I gasped and stopped walking. At the same time as I stopped, something hit me, when I looked back I was surprised because it was Angela.

Her eyebrows rose. He looked at the bag I was holding before looking back at me, “Are you and Louis friends now?”

“No,” I replied. I looked at the women with her and if I’m not mistaken, they were the women who hurt me.

“Is that so? Then, give me the food that Louis gave you and I will eat it.” She laid out her palm in front of me.

I looked at her palm for a moment before looking back at her. Why does she want to eat the food Louis gave me? As far as I remember, Louis wasn’t the one she liked. It doesn’t matter, if this is all she wants, then I’ll give it to her. My body still hurts and I don’t want trouble.

I was about to hand her the bag full of food when suddenly someone called to me, “Tardy!”

I immediately turned my back, there I saw Byron running with a lunch box whose design was spiderman. I bit my lip so hard to stop laughing. He’s like a child! Why is spiderman the design of his lunch box?

“Why? And what are you holding?” I asked him when he finally got closer.

“Ah, this?” He lifted his lunch box and looked at it. He looks really proud of the design, “I’ll come eat with you. My lunch box is cute, isn’t it?” And it smiled broadly.

“What?!”

I turned to the woman shouting at Angela’s group. Of course they are here, I almost forgot because I really enjoyed laughing at Byron’s lunch box.

“Who are those?” Byron asked me then pointed to the women to my left. To my left is Angela and her companions, to my right is Byron.

“Nothing, come on.” I spoke and grabbed Byron’s arm to pull him away from there.

I’m not going to give this lunch to Angela anymore. It’s tiring to line up in the cafeteria so I’d better just eat it. But wait. I stopped walking so Byron stopped too. He turned to me and seemed to be waiting for me to speak. Did he know that Louis and I would be eating together this lunch break? Or maybe they are planning something new?

“Be honest,” I put my two hands on my waist, “Are you planning something again? What’s that? Tell me!”

He frowned, “What are you talking about? We’re just going to eat, are you crazy?”

“Are you sure?”

He nodded, “Come on!” He said and pulled me away.

When we arrived at the garden, Louis was already there. There was a blanket lying on the lawn, and in front of Louis was food. When he noticed us he waved at us. Byron and I went over and sat down.

“Try this one. I cooked it,” Louis said and took the tempura from his lunch box.

“This too, Tardy, taste my baked cupcake,” Byron whispered and took the cupcake from his lunch box.

“Thanks, just put it here.” I spoke and showed them the lid of the lunch box that Louis had given me.

We have already started eating. I forgot to not trust them again because of the taste of my food. I tasted Louis’s tempura and it was okay. I also tasted Byron’s cupcake and that was okay too, not too sweet. It’s just like we’re having a picnic today. I smiled because this day was different to me but I stopped for a moment to think about why they were doing this.

I sneezed to get their attention, “Why are you doing this?” I asked.

“Which?” Byron asked.

“This,” I replied, “Why did you come with me to eat?”

“Is it forbidden?” Louis said, “Can’t we eat with you?”

I sigh, “Is this another one of your pranks?”

Byron clicked his tongue, “What prank are you saying? We’re about to finish eating, did something weird happen to you? Nothing, right?”

My left brow arched, “What do you mean?”

“I mean, we do it because we want to,” Louis replied, “there’s no other reason but that so don’t even think about it. ”

I just shrugged, “K. Whatever,” I said just before resuming eating.

When it was over we went back to our classrooms. As soon as I sat in my chair, Angela approached me immediately. It crossed her arm and raised her eyebrow. I just stared at her as I waited for her to speak.

After a while, she said, “I told you to give Louis’ lunch box to me, didn’t I?”

“Don’t you have food or money so you’re asking for what Louis gave me?” I replied.

She smirked, “What do you think of me? Beggar?”

“I didn’t say anything like that,” I said and avoided looking at her.

She has really changed. She is no longer the Angela I once knew. The Angela I know isn’t like this or maybe that’s just what I thought. Anyway, I still don’t really know her whole personality because our friendship didn’t last long.

“The next time Louis hands you something, give it to me,” she ordered.

I looked at her again, “Why would I do that?”

“Because I said,” she smirked, “And if you don’t want to repeat what happened to you, you’ll follow what I said.” She said more before she turned around and went back to her seat.

Why should I follow her? I also don’t care if they repeat what they did to me. I won’t be afraid anymore because if Louis is really sincere in what he told me, he will defend and help me this time if something bad happens to me. And I’m hoping that what he said was true. That he was sincere in what he said. I have made up my mind, I will give him a chance to regain my trust.

The class is over. I put my belongings in my bag and walked out of the classroom. I was at the door when someone suddenly pushed me causing me to fall. When I collapsed I heard laughter around.

“Oops, sorry but that was intentional,” Angela said then laughed out loud accompanied by other students.

What’s wrong with her? I didn’t do anything to her so why is she doing this to me?

I lifted my head and looked at her, “Why are you doing this?” I asked while still sitting on the ground.

“No reason,” she smiled, “You look so good to play with so I tried and then – boom! I’m right, you’re good to be a plaything,” she added with a smile on her face.

My fist clenched in annoyance. This was probably the effect of her closeness to Ferries. Damn. I can’t hit her because for me she was still my friend. But the next time it happens, I won’t hesitate to hit her.

Plaything she says? She’s the one who’s a plaything! Ferries was just toying with them and she’s happy to be one of Ferries’ girls?

I got up and ironed my skirt. Then I looked at her for a few seconds before I turned my back on her. Only now will I give in to her, but the next time I am embarrassed again in front of a lot of people and make me feel that the friendship the two of us had was all nothing, I will not keep quiet. What they did to me before was enough. I can no longer tolerate what they will do to me next.