Chapter 19

He remained silent and reached into his pocket. When I saw what it was, I immediately grimaced. I believed it was a perfume. There was a button and spray on the bottle’s lid. He placed it on the table and brought it to me.

“What am I going to do with that? I already have my own perfume; I’m not in need of it,” I stated and brought it back to him. Even if I didn’t have, I wouldn’t still accept it. The packaging was very masculine, I was not a fan of men perfumes.

“Stupid. That’s not a perfume; that’s a pepper spray.” My eyebrows arched swiftly and I returned my gaze to it. Of course, I was familiar with pepper spray. Daddy used to give me one to protect myself if ever I got kidnapped.

It didn’t resemble pepper spray; rather, it resembled a perfume. Even the lettering on the bottle itself shouted elegance and luxury; who would have guessed it was pepper spray?

“It doesn’t look like one. What am I going to do with that?”

“You’re a virgin.”

My brow furrowed even further. Wait, I hadn’t done any research on that one. I was still unsure of what that meant. Was he cursing me or what?

“What exactly is a virgin? Virgin coconut oil? Kindly enlighten me.” For a brief period, he was astonished; a few seconds passed as a smile gradually formed from his lips.

Was I hallucinating? I saw Pierre Cardinal smile for the first time in this lifetime. It was not forced; it was genuine and pure!

“Of course, you have no idea what that word means. You don’t even have any idea what the word “sex” means,” he spoke in hushed tones, but I could still hear him. Despite that he had no intention of insulting me, I felt humiliated. How would I know? Nothing like that had ever been taught to me before.

“So, what does it mean?”

“A virgin is someone who has never engaged in sexual activity. A person who has not been touched by another person.”

I was a virgin, right? I’d never had sexual interactions with anyone. Was that why they laughed at me earlier, as I lacked experience? Was it truly necessary to have one? They believed themselves to be superior because they had already had sex with someone?

“Oh, okay. I understand. What’s the connection with pepper spray? Since pepper spray was made for bad guys, am I a bad person for being a virgin?” With a frown on my face, I inquired. He grinned for the second time. Not only a smile, but a laugh as well.

This person was getting used to being in front of me, wasn’t he? Wasn’t he aware that his laughter drew the attention of students? I wouldn’t be shocked if Nellie was waiting for me in the bathroom once again.

“Men will pursue you. They will worship the ground you walk on, Jenkins,” he stated eloquently. My brow furrowed even further. So what was the purpose of the pepper spray? If they worshipped the ground I walked on, was I not safer because of that? Oh my, this was stressing me out.

“I don’t understand.”

“You’re a virgin. Men will pursue. If you’re unaware, boys your age enjoy sleeping with virgin women. Why? Because they will then feel superior. They’ll boast about it as if it’s the greatest accomplishment they’ve ever had. While some will respect you for being a virgin, the majority will not. That’s how reality works, Aurora. Consider your surroundings; the majority of students here already knew you were a virgin due to our nosy classmates. Accept the pepper spray and use it to defend yourself,” he clarified. Despite my curiosity, I continued to glance around.

He was right; a good deal of attention was being paid to me. With their dubious stares, the majority of them were men. I thought they were looking at our table because of Pierre.

“Why do they feel superior after sleeping with a virgin? Sleeping implies that they had sex with someone, right?” He gave a nod.

“For the simple reason that they are your first. They are the ones who stretched your hymen for the first time. According to some, sleeping with a virgin provides a unique form of pleasure. I believe it is a myth. As long as the person you’re sleeping with is someone you like, the pleasure would be intolerable. Whether you’re a virgin or not, you’re going to enjoy it.”

I was once again perplexed. Pleasure?

“Sleeping with someone gives you pleasure?” He nodded once more. That gradually dawned on me. Could it be that they laughed at me previously because I had never felt such a thing?

“If you don’t want to sleep with someone’s but they forced you to, that’s rape. You can send them to jail for doing that.”

Oh my gosh, I didn’t have to do any research to find out what I wanted to know. I believed I could always ask Pierre on this subject.

However, my teacher stated that it would be awkward for me to ask about the procedure of sleeping with someone, so I should still conduct some research.

“And how about you? Are you still a virgin?” I asked innocently. I ate the last piece of hotdog while curiously staring at him.

He shook his head and half-smiled. I raised an eyebrow at him for a few seconds more, but he didn’t utter a word.

“Hey, I’m asking.”

“Oh no, sleeping beauty. You should never ask about a person’s virginity. It’s both insulting and uncomfortable.” He cocked his head and arched his two brows. I blinked a few times before I averted my gaze.

“I’m done eating; I’m leaving.” I set the fork down and stood. He made no attempt to stop me as I went away.

I was still hungry, but I knew that I could no longer endure another minute in front of Pierre. I believe he was not healthy for me. My heart was racing as if I was being pursued by a bull. His glances astounded me. Perhaps any lady he looked at in that way would have had a fast heartbeat as well.

Time elapsed until the end of the day’s class. I was occupied with an assignment when my bedroom door suddenly made a loud sound.

“The door is open.” Iris entered, her arms crossed. She approached the table where I was and sat down.

“Guess what? Uncle scolded me.” I raised an eyebrow and leaned back against the chair’s backrest.

“Why?”

“Because I allowed you to join the cheering team. See? I told you, he agreed with me not to let you in. He nearly died when he knew you doing a cartwheel and tumbling. I warned him not to interfere with your decisions. Fortunately, he didn’t care anymore.” She shook her head several times before she averted her gaze.

I instantly smiled. I assumed I would be unable to participate because the dean would not allow it. It was fortunate that Iris convinced him to refrain from interfering with my decisions.

“Thank you, Iris,” I said as I wrapped my arms around her knee and buried my face on it. I heard her sigh as she drew away from me.

“Shut up. You’re always welcome, sleeping beauty. By the way, the food is ready; you can already eat. I can’t join you for dinner; I’m quite not feeling well. I already drink meds; I’m just gonna rest.” She walked away from the table and started to walk out of my room.

“Rest peacefully, Iris,” she simply waved at me and never talked again.

As she stated, I dined alone. The dish was delicious; it was like as if I was dining in a high-end restaurant.

I stayed up all night working on my projects. The following morning, I awoke earlier than Iris. I showered and tidied up, but she was still in her room. Was she awake already? Frequently, she didn’t sleep for this long.

I knocked three times on her bedroom while dressed in my school uniform. I waited a few seconds more, but no one responded.

“Iris? I’m going in,” I said as I reached for the spare key to unlock the door. When I entered, I was welcomed by a peaceful, dimly lit room.

I switched on the light and walked up to Iris. She was still sleeping, her body was wrapped in a blanket.

“Hey, we have to go to school. Get up.” I shook her shoulder many times, but she remained still.

“Iris...” I lifted her cover and was taken aback when my palm came into contact with her skin.

“My goodness, Iris, you’re suffocating with fever!” I set my backpack down and left her there. She hadn’t eaten or taken anything, and she certainly hadn’t taken her medication.

I filled a basin halfway with hot water. I made hot milk and cereals in an attempt to fill her tummy. I was certain she would not going to have porridge for breakfast.

“Iris, stand up and eat first,” I said as I assisted her to sit. While I was feeding her, she was half sleeping; I was sure she was convinced that this was all a dream.

“Oh my gosh, what time is it?” she inquired abruptly, her eyes widened. When I looked at the wall clock and realized I was already late for our practice, I almost swore.

“It’s 5:20am, Iris, and I still have ten minutes until practice begins.”

“You should go to school, Aurie. I can take care of myself, it’s just a fever, and I need you there for practice because you’re a newbie. Ask Nellie to lead, she’s doing well lately.” I let go of the wet handkerchief and reached for her phone.

“All right, I’ll text one of your maids. You had the maid’s number who assisted us in cleaning this house, right? It’s obvious that you can’t take care of yourself right now, Iris Marguerite. I won’t leave here until you can.” I began typing a message to the maid Alister had sent here when we moved. Fortunately, she responded promptly and stated that she would immediately come here.

It was an advantage that our house was so close to Alister’s; you could get here quickly, even more so if you used car.

I feed Iris the cereals I prepared while I wait. I was aware that this was insufficient for a sick person, but I was unfamiliar with how to make soups. I was also sure Iris would refuse to eat porridge, as she already stated that she disliked the taste.

After a few moments, I heard the doorbell rang. I exited Iris’ room and opened the door for the newly arrived maid.

“I apologize for the disturbance, but I really need you today. There is no one to look after Iris while I am at school. Please, cook her a soup, huh? She only had cereal for morning. Also, please change her clothes to help her feel more refreshed...”

“It’s all right, ma’am. I conveyed Ms. Iris’ situation to Sir Lopez, and he agreed to allow me to come here first. And sure, I will cook for her.” I smiled and returned to Iris’ room. Her eyes were closed as she rested on her bed.

“Girl, I have to go. Listen to her, huh? Don’t be so stubborn. I’ll inform your teachers that you’re ill and will be excused from school today.” I kissed her forehead as I walked out the door. I waited a few minutes longer outside, since the uber had not yet arrived.

I couldn’t drive, I would just commute today.

When the uber arrived, I was pressed for time to get inside. I was truly late. The cheering team’s members might even yell at me. Seriously? Second day of practice? Late?

#

I took a walk to the gym. My colleagues, I was sure, would despise me for being late. Almost everyone there disliked me, but did nothing because fighting with the team members was prohibited.

I was ready to enter the gym when my arm was abruptly yanked. Even though I had no idea who pulled me, I continued to look at the individual negatively.

“Where are you going? You are not permitted to be there; that area is reserved for the cheering team exclusively.” My gaze widened when I saw Pierre. Seriously?

He was really not good for me; I felt as if I was about to have a heart attack right now.

“I understand. Let go, Pierre. I joined the cheering team yesterday and I’m running so late right now that Nellie would toss me out if I’m even later.”

He let go of my hand, and I dashed inside. I overheard him ask me a question but I didn’t understand a thing.

I hoped what he said was not important.

I gasped when I arrived at the gym. This gym was exclusively for cheering teams; varsity players practiced in separate gyms to minimize competition over which team would practice each day.

I saw them practicing dancing steps, with Nellie taking the lead. She was as serious as Iris, and it appeared as though she was about to slap someone if they did something slightly incorrectly.

“How come you’re late?” When I drew near, she quietly asked. Nervousness suffocated me. That was not because I was afraid of her. It was because she could slander me with the cheering team simply for being late.

As far as I was aware, even if you had a natural knack for cheerleading, you could be fired if your teammates disliked you. I was not sure if there were similar rules here, but knowing Iris and Nellie, they could do anything to anyone.

“Uh, Iris is ill; I’m late because I waited for someone to take care of her. Apologies for interfering with the practice.” She scrutinized me from head to toe. She appeared to be checking to make sure I was telling the truth.

“Change your clothes. We still have an hour of practice remaining; kindly hurry.” I exhaled a sigh of relief when she didn’t embarrass or scold me. I assumed she was going to chastise me for being late. Knowing Nellie, she was frequently abnormal.

I instantly changed into a black tee shirt. Because my uniform was expected to arrive on Monday, I was simply required to wear black for today. Before I exited the locker, I pulled my hair back into a low ponytail. They were already in formation when I got out from the locker room. This was what we did yesterday; perhaps they were only practicing it; if they added steps, Iris might change it.

“Jenkins, Kiano is not available today. Can you simply be the first to be thrown? You’re not the one who lifts, so you can be the one who can be thrown. You appear to be the group’s lightest member,” Lea stated. For a brief time, I was stunned.

I recalled Iris forbidding me from being carried on the cheering team. It carried a high risk, as they might fail to catch me. However, wasn’t it only now? It was just temporary, as Kiano, the smallest and lightest of us, was absent. Furthermore, Iris was not here, and hence would be unaware if we did it.

“Alright. This is just for today, right?”

“Yes. It’s only for now that Kiano’s absent. Don’t be scared, our teammates are good at this.” I couldn’t do anything but to do what they were saying. I was a little opposed to their plan to replace Kiano with me since I was concerned about my health, but what should I do? Our practice today would be in vain if we wouldn’t do it, as Kiano’s role was important.

Although there was foam on the floor, I remained worried. It was not too soft, so it was still capable of injuring me. It simply kept me from slamming my body against the floor.

As the men hauled me up, my knees began to quiver. The first attempt went smoothly, my uneasiness was dissipated.

“Excellent work!” Nellie shouted from the bench. I smiled in joy.

“Last one!”

I smiled as the co-members re-lifted me. Everything seemed to be going swimmingly until the final throw. When my body hit the ground, I heard a roar of laughter.

There was no foam; it had been removed.

I fell so badly that I was unable to move due to the pain. I’d like to ask for assistance but I couldn’t speak properly. I assumed my fellow members would assist me, but I was mistaken; they were more like insane individuals laughing because I fell. They did this on purpose.

“That’s what you get for flirting with my man, you foolish whore,” I heard Nellie whispered to my ears.

They giggled as they carried their bags out of the gym. I felt useless and weak, and all I could do was cry because of the searing pain.