Chapter 12

"Oh my goodness, I'm running late!" I got to my feet swiftly. My class was starting at 7:30am, so I needed to get up and do my thing.

I dashed to the bathroom and jumped in the shower. Why didn't Iris come and wake me up? Perhaps she had already at Eastwood. What would I use to get to school today? I didn't want to commute.

I was in such a rush that I didn't have time to put on any makeup. The travel was lengthy, I might end up being even more late if I applied my makeup.

Even if I wore make-up, it wouldn't change a thing because, no matter what I did, people at school would still hate me. It didn't bother me that they hated me, though. Within a week of classes, I was the laughing stock of the entire school. It was probably because I made mistakes all the time. Due to my medical condition, I was extremely light. Iris warned me that no matter what you did, the haters would find something to criticize. I was not doing anything wrong, so I thought that they were all insecure. It was not like I was doing anything to them, so why would they hate me? Was it because Alister always joined us during our lunch break? Oh my goodness, there were a lot of males who were more attractive than Alister. What would cause them to be envious?

Before I left the room, I grabbed the brown paper bag that I would need to bring with me; this was the most crucial item that I would need to bring with me today.

I dashed into the kitchen after I finished brushing my hair. I'd want to have rice, but time wasn't on my side right now. I'd be able to eat later at school regardless. I took two slices of toasted bread and took a big bite. I was about to leave the kitchen when I noticed something taped on the refrigerator. My pupils constricted as I approached and began to read it.

To: Sleeping beauty Hello, Aurie! Your sleep was so deep that I didn't bother waking you up. You were sleeping like a monster. You're welcome to be absent at any time. I am confident that your professor won't object. Have a good sleep, Aurie!

Love, Iris I let out a deep sigh. Seriously? Why didn't she wake me up today, considering how much I slept like a monster every day? Oh, I swear to God, if my professor scolded me, I would kill her.

I walked out of the house and shut the door behind me. I used my iPad to call an uber earlier, which meant that when I walked out the door, the car was already there, waiting for me.

"EastWood University," I said as I got into the car. Normally, I would have planned to do my make-up inside when the engine started, but I didn't get around to it. The car was unsteady, and if I continued, I might end up looking much more disfigured. I was not an expert in this field, unlike Iris, who was. In the event of an earthquake, her make-up wouldn't be affected in the least.

We just had a few minutes before we had got to school. There were no scattered students around the quadrangle, for sure, they were already in their respective classes.

I became even more nervous.

I gasped as I ascended the elevator to our room's floor. There were teachers inside the lift; I was sure they were on their way to their classrooms.

I brushed my hair once again with my fingers, like I had done previously. I was sure I looked like a shambles right now, considering I hadn't even dried my hair yet.

When I arrived in front of my classroom, I opened the door slowly, fearing that the teacher could already be inside. But I was mistaken; my classmates were seated in separate seats, conversing with their buddies. They were, however, all silent. Pierre was already here.

When they saw me enter, the whispers became audible. Some of them were laughing at me, while others had the jealous look in their eyes.

Different person, different expressions.

Rather than sitting in my customary seat, I opted out. When everyone noticed me sitting next to Pierre, notably Nellie and her friends, the whispering became even louder.

Pierre frowned as he raised an eyebrow at me. I softly laughed; he clearly despised me, huh? That I could see. Of all my classmates here, I was the only one he frequently insulted. To be sure, he was frigid to everyone, but especially to me.

Ever since I stuffed him with food, I saw him frequently staring at me.

"Return to your seat," he stated categorically. I rolled my eyes and deposited the brown paper bag on his desk. The whispers were more audible as a result of what I did.

"Is she courting Pierre? Isn't she embarrassed?" I overheard a classmate say.

Courting? Seriously?

"What am I going to do with that?" Pierre's question drew my attention back to him.

"It's my way of saying sorry for what had happened last week. Please accept it." He opened it and examined what was inside.

"Really, a pair of uniforms? Are you sure this is the right size for me?" He asked impudently. I gave a brief nod and smiled brightly.

"Yeah? I asked our dean. That, I'm sure, will fit you." Actually, I asked Alister to ask his father about the size. All of EastWood's student records, regardless of size, are kept in our dean's office.

"I don't need that; return to your seat." I gave the brown bag to him, but he returned it to me again.

"You won't be able to get rid of me if you refuse to accept that. I will remain with you until the classes are dismissed," I threatened, but he remain unconcerned. It was only a matter of minutes until the teacher came. I stood by what I said, refusing to leave his side until he would accept what I was offering.

I couldn't care less if he wore it or not as long as he accepted it. Every night, I was unable to sleep soundly because my guilt was after me. Even though I was the one who fell that day, I understood how uncomfortable it was for him because he was the one who got dirty. The foods got mixed, so I was sure his outfit stunk that day. From baby smell to wet market aroma.

Ms. Kernel was unconcerned that I was now on Pierre's side. Indeed, she seemed amazed. Only a few of my classmates were truly incensed that I sided with Pierre. Add Pierre to that list of incensed people, because he appeared to be so irritated that I was on his side.

"Are you all right, Ms. Jenkins? You appear quite pale. Should we take you to the clinic?" I raised my eyes when I heard my surname. When Ms. Kernel stated that, I was busy writing on my iPad. Even though I couldn't see myself, I was aware that my face was quite pale. To be fair, this was expected given my condition, but I believed today was the worst. I ate very little, and as a result, I was feeling weak.

"Uh, ma'am, I'm not wearing makeup; this is my everyday look when I'm not wearing makeup; you're simply not used to it because this is the first time you saw me bare-faced," I reasoned. Maybe I would just apply my make up later. It was a little unsettling that they were looking at my face, which was completely covered in sunscreen. I was not as gorgeous as Kendall Jenner when I was bare faced.

"Are you sure, Ms. Jenkins? It appears as though it's not normal, since you're extremely pale, as if you don't have any blood in your body." Even though she said nothing amusing, I still chuckled. No, how would she react if she watched me go an entire day without food? I used to have the appearance of a white lady. Fortunately, when Iris met me at the bank, she wasn't terrified of me.

"No, ma'am. This is completely normal. Don't worry; if I feel anything bad, I'll immediately go to the clinic. I'm alright."

"All right, if you say so. Just let me know whether you want to be sent to the clinic." I didn't respond and continued writing. As I had done, she eventually continued our lesson as well. Unlike in the past, I believed it was now easier for me to understand the lesson.

Hours had passed, and it was now time for our break. Pierre completed the quiz first, and I rushed to gather my belongings in order to catch up with him.

No, he wouldn't be able to get rid of me. I wouldn't relinquish until he accepted my peace proposal. I paid for this; he better accept it so I could sleep peacefully at night.

To be completely honest, he was the primary reason for my tardiness today. I had trouble sleeping last night because my mind was preoccupied with the question of whether or not he would accept it.

"Pierre! Pierre, wait!" My knees were weakening, but I continued to run. He didn't even bother to look at me till we walked through a crowd.

"Give me a minute!" I exclaimed. I was close to reaching him until I felt like someone had stabbed me in the knee. I was certain that no one has pushed or hit me; the pain I was experiencing was all inside.

The pain of falling on the ground made me mutter, "Ouch..." As was to be expected, all of the students around me burst out laughing, believing it was amusing to see someone got hurt again. Whether it was the agony in my knee or the impact of my fall, I was not sure if I was going to weep. Both were excruciatingly uncomfortable, and the searing anguish made me want to scream.

"Stand there. Don't overreact; you simply slipped," Pierre said as he approached me. My ears rapidly became hot as a result of what I had heard. I was tempted to curse at him, but it wouldn't make any sense. Due to the fact that he was completely unaware of my condition, his reaction was quite understandable. If I were in his place right now, I would say the same thing, perhaps with a little more insult.

I didn't pay attention to what he said and reached for the brown paperbag once more. His eyes were fixed on it for a time before he released a deep sigh and gratefully accepted it. The anger that I had felt earlier gradually faded away. Finally, I would be able to get a good night's sleep every night.

I lingered for a few seconds before I got to my feet and walked away.

In the same way that I stated earlier, I should leave his side as soon as he accepted my offer. I turned my back on him and walked down to the canteen without uttering a single word to anyone.

I was hungry as hell.

When I arrived at the canteen, I immediately saw Iris seated at a table. She was eating by herself. Many people were staring at her, but she couldn't have cared less about her surroundings. I could even hear someone making derogatory remarks about her. I didn't stop and talk to her since I was too hungry. I hurriedly rushed to the counter and purchased some food for me. Because I hadn't eaten rice earlier, I piled a lot of it on the tray.

"Hey, Iris," I greeted as I walked up to her table. The fact that she almost choked on the juice she was drinking indicated that she was taken aback by my appearance.

"Jesus, Aurora! Are you going to kill me?" she exclaimed, her eyes widened as she asked me. I sat down while rolling my eyes.

Angry, I remarked, "I was late because you didn't wake me up." She cocked her head and lightly slapped my arm.

"For your information, I roused you from your sleep. You're the only one who finds it difficult to get out of bed in the morning, as if you didn't get enough sleep the night before. I thought you were in a comatose again. Why didn't you get out of bed earlier?" she asked. I just shook my head and didn't say anything else.

I couldn't tell her that I was nervously anticipating the possibility that Pierre would reject my peace offering.

I stopped talking and began to eat instead. Iris didn't seem to mind that I was eating quickly, so I didn't bother her too.

Iris and I were in the middle of our meal when the entire canteen fell silent all at once. Well, it was not entirely silent. The raucous laughing that had erupted earlier abruptly died down, as if the students had learned some form of self-control.

I looked around for a visitor, but all I saw was Pierre, who was once again carrying his black notepad with him. What exactly was going on with him? Was he the proprietor of this establishment? Maybe if they treated Alister in this manner, I'd understand because he was the son of the owner, but what about Pierre? All I knew about him was that he was one of our lecturers' favorite student. He was also a favorite among the female students at school.

"Iris, do you mind if I ask you a question?" She paused her meal and arched a brow in my direction.

"What is it?"

"Who's Pierre? Why are they treating him as if he's some sort of king or emperor? I mean, I understand that he's incredibly attractive, but seriously? He has an effect on even the boys, who become more quiet when he is around with his black notepad. Did he previously murder someone? Is he a specter from the underworld?" I asked seriously. After I posed that question, Iris gave me a sour expression. I was not exaggerating when I said that he had the appearance of a grim reaper to me because of his black notebook.

"What exactly do you want to say, Aurie? The reason for this is that he's Uncle Andrew's son," She responded. My eyes immediately widened.

Oh my goodness, how come I didn't know this?

"Really? So you and I are linked through blood? Is he Alister's younger brother? Why didn't you inform me about it sooner? If he's the dean's son, why Alister isn't treated the same way? They appear to be terrified of Pierre, although he doesn't do anything unusual." She looked at me with a serious expression on her face after biting her lip.

"We are not related by blood. Even tito Andrew is not related to him. Pierre is the son of uncle and auntie's bestfriend, who happens to be Pierre's mother. His mother died when he was a child, and I'm not sure what happened to his father; uncle never mentioned it to me. After his mother died, he was adopted by uncle and auntie. Pierre was raised with Alister and me. All I know is that he purchased his own condo with his own money when he turned 18 to be independent. Pierre's mother was wealthy, but I'm not sure if his father was rich as well. Her mother left him a substantial sum of money before she died. He can even live a lavish lifestyle without the assistance of uncle, as his mother's fortune and property were all named after him. And why are the students afraid of him? Because he's the president of the student council. He always has his notebook with him because he keeps track of people who breaches school policy. We have three levels of warning; if you reach the second level, the school will contact your guardian; if you reach the third level, you will be expelled. And when I say expelled, you will have a difficult time finding another school, as EastWood is a well-known school in this area, and people are aware that the students are well-behaved. Who else would accept a student who was tossed out by the country's most prestigious school, right? That's why they are all afraid of him; he was the one who instituted that regulation. Bullying was rampant here before."

Oh "My head can't process it all." Pierre had an intriguing backstory, eh? I was unaware of his dark past.

"Everyone except me is afraid of him," Iris continued. I smiled once more as I recalled her pushing and yelling at Pierre when she saw how Pierre pushed me last week. To be honest, Iris was the most courageous and unconcerned lady I'd ever met.

"It's obvious."

"I have no fear that he'll expel me. I'm sure Daddy won't let it. However, even if he expels me and my father is powerless to intervene, I'm not afraid. I'm weary of school, anyway. I'm wealthy and attractive; I don't need employment. But if my father wants me to work my arse out, I would comply. I'm going to model."