I stare at the paper that Cora gave me. She didn't need to. There were hundreds of them stamping on the lockers. It's undoubtedly Promy's handwriting. And the poster itself isn't a lie either.
I know this because Promy told us about it herself. Her crush on Jason.
Dear Jason,
I'm not good with confession, not a fine writer either. I might be confused about so many other things. But there's one thing I'm sure about. And it's my feelings for you.
I don't read the rest of the letter because I know what it is. Promy came to us for help. She wanted to tell Jason how she felt about him. But she stepped back at the last minute and thus it never went out to Jason. I wonder how they got their hands on it. I thought she trashed it or kept it to herself.
But the flyer doesn't end with the letter. They framed Promy and Jason from different events. I'm not sure if it's about the angle, but in all of them, Promy is staring at Jason who had no clue about it.
They wrote a bunch of shits about 'forbidden love because she's a Muslim' and how Jason might be regretting helping Promy that day.
Anger boils in my blood. They are not to judge who can love who. And being a Muslim doesn't make her different than us. I thought they all had learned that by now.
Yet no one showed sympathy. Everyone around us is reading the flyers and laughing their asses off. What's surprising me most is that Cora isn't making fun of Promy like everyone else around us.
I felt like ripping all the flyers off but that'll only confirm it's truth.
Grace and Miles curse as they read it.
"Is it real?" Cora asks.
"Of course not!" Miles snaps. When neither me nor Grace reply, he asks, "It isn't, right?"
"Kiara?" Cora asks.
"It is real," I tell them. "But I didn't know anyone other than me, Grace, and Payton knew about it. Not even Miles."
"I'm sorry we kept it from you Miles," Grace says.
He shrugs. "I'm cool. I'm guessing it was a girl thing."
I nod. I have the most understanding best friends in the world.
"Oh no," Grace mumbles. I follow her finger and find Jason picking up one of the flyers from the floor.
We hold our breath and he continues reading it. His expression hardens in every passing moment. Then he looks in our direction.
Miles instantly jumps out from behind me and goes to his side.
Just as I was about to do the same, Cora grips my arms and points me to look at my right.
Ashley, with her newly formed army, has managed to corner someone and now making fun of her. A small crowd has formed around them.
I hear a low whimper as sniggers follow by. It doesn't take me long to reckon who it can be.
Three of us make our way to the center of the crowd.
"What do you think you're doing?" I hiss at Ashley and pull Promy behind me. Ashley smiles, not bothered by my presence at all.
"Why? Do you need glasses too now?"
"Stay away from them!" Cora yells at her and pushes us behind her. Promy continues sobbing behind me.
Ashley watches us as the corner of her mouth turns up.
She moves her eyes from Cora to me. "Just as she started acting nice you forget about all the things she did to you."
"I didn't forget any of it," I say in a cold voice. "Not what she did, neither the things you did."
Ashley giggles. "Are you for real?" She points a finger at Cora. "You think people forgot all the things you said to that Muslim girl?"
"Her name is Promy," Grace hiss from beside me. "Address her by her name."
Ashley rolls her eyes. "What-ever."
Cora's cheeks turn red as she hangs her head low. Her confidence also seems to fade away.
"We're past that," I tell Ashley. "It doesn't matter what she had done once. All matter who she is now."
Ashley tsks. "You truly think she has changed?" She steps closer to me. "The moment everything sims back to normal, she will forget all the things you did for her and be the bitch she always was."
I hold her gaze as I say. "I wouldn't worry about me if I were you, Ashely," I tell her. She knows what I'm implying to. Once Cora is back to the cheer team, Ashley will have other options but to bury herself in the hole she was all along. "And let me decide what's best for me."
The bell rings. The crowd around us starts moving. Ashely jerks head to the side and turns around to leave. Her minions follow her suit.
Just before turning in the corner, she says over her shoulder. "I really pity you for that sometimes Kiara."
Once she's gone we all turn our attention back to Promy who's bawling her eyes out. Grace engulfs her in a hug.
Cora pats her shoulder. "It's okay sweetie, it'll be all okay."
Promy looks at her. "How can you still say that?"
I turn to the side and find Jason staring at us.
No, not at us. At Promy.
Is there something he wants to tell her?
I hope he has, otherwise there's no way Promy will ever face him again.
But just as Jason takes a step towards out, Promy breaks out of Grace's arms and runs in the other direction, outside school.
I look over at Jason who's staring at the way she went.
Cora is about to follow too but I stop her. She looks at me.
"Look," I tell her. She turns around and finds Jason running after Promy. "Let them solve it themselves."
"A-are you sure?" I nod.
The soft feature washes away from her face and hardens. "Whatever, we're already late for our next class."
"Is she bipolar or something?" Grace whispers.
I just shake my head. That's when I feel someone's stare on me.
I turn and find Ashton staring at me. His friends are nowhere around. He has one of the flyers in his hands too.
Well, at least he figured it out already.
Ashton holds my gaze as I do the same with his. None of us looks away. Or takes a step closer. We both know I need him right now. I need to let it all out. And Ashton is the only person whom I can tell everything without the fear of being judged or leaking my secrets.
He has become like a drug to me.
Just when I wanted to forget the mini-war we had a while ago and walk across the hallway to him, Victoria's Secrets model-like figure approaches him. She's one of the cheerleaders who were with Ashley earlier.
She also appears to be delusional about the surroundings as she smiles and whispers something in Ashton's ear.
I watch as a playful smile spreads on his face as he follows the girl who-knows-where.
Never for once, he turned to look at me. Maybe he already forgot I was here in the first place.
His hookups are more important to him after all, I think bitterly.
I don't know why I suddenly have this stale feeling in my stomach. It's not like I ever cared who he hooks up with. It's just written on his manufacturer script.
Just then, Miles's phone rings. "Sup Luca!" Miles answers his phone. "I was about to call-what?!"
I turn to Miles who's listening to the phone with a serious look on his face. "C-building? Yeah, we're coming."
He ends the call and looks at us. "Let's go to the C-building. Those fuckers weren't done for the day.
ð¸
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