Chapter 106 Expelled

Chapter 106 Expelled
ZOE'S POINT OF VIEW

The screen went black and for a few seconds, nobody said a word.I was still staring at it, unable to move.The memories came rushing back all at once.

The way everything had happened so quickly that I barely had time to process it.

I swallowed hard and forced myself to look down at my hands......They were trembling.I curled my fingers into my palms.

Don't cry,I wasn't going to cry.Not here.....Not in front of everyone.

"Okay, everyone."Mrs. Henderson's voice broke through the silence.

"Please, let's keep it calm."The whispers continued.

"Quiet, everybody. Please."Her voice was firmer this time.

The classroom gradually settled.Mrs. Henderson looked at the screen once more before turning it off completely then her eyes found me.

"Zoe, honey."I slowly looked up.

"I'm so sorry about that."I nodded.

She walked a little closer.

"Are you okay?"I hesitated before nodding again.

"I'm fine."My voice came out quieter than I'd intended.Mrs. Henderson gave me a sympathetic look.

"I'm sure the school will handle this properly. What happened to you was completely unacceptable. No one deserves to be treated that way."I nodded again.

"Thank you."She gave me a small smile before returning to the front of the classroom.

"Alright. Let's try to get back to our lesson."I took a slow breath.

Back to the lesson.....As if I'd just watched a video of three girls attacking me in my own home and could simply open my notebook and continue with schoolwork.

But I tried.....Mrs. Henderson picked up the stack of papers on her desk.

"Now, as I mentioned before, each pair will be coming to the front to present their practical.

She glanced at her list.

"Let's start with..."Her eyes moved down the page.

"Maya and Scott."Maya immediately looked at me and she stood up, she walked to me and leaned toward me.

"Zoe."Her expression had changed completely.

"I'm so sorry."I shook my head.

"It's okay."

"No, it's not."She lowered her voice.

"I'm sure they're going to get punished for this. And if they don't..."She narrowed her eyes.

"I swear I'll punish them myself."Despite everything, a tiny smile pulled at my lips.

"Maya."

"I'm serious."

"I know."

"I'm still so pissed."I glanced around.Almost everyone was watching us.

"Go."She blinked.

"What?"

"Everyone is staring."She looked around and noticed the eyes on us.

"Oh."I smiled.

"Go present your practical before Mrs. Henderson changes her mind about letting you go first."Maya rolled her eyes.

"Fine."She squeezed my arm.

"I'm coming back."

"I know."She walked toward the front with her partner.I watched them take their positions.

Maya cleared her throat.

"Good morning, everyone."

"Good morning," the class responded.She began explaining their work.

For a few minutes, I actually managed to focus.

Maya was good at presentations. She spoke confidently, explaining each point while her partner handled the practical demonstration.

Mrs. Henderson nodded several times.

"Good. Very good."When they finished, she clapped.

"Excellent work. You can return to your seats."Maya smiled and walked back toward me.

She gave me a wink before sitting down.I smiled back.

"Next..."Mrs. Henderson looked at her list.

"Diego and Clarissa."Diego stood up immediately.He adjusted his shirt like he was about to walk onto a stage.

"Wish me luck."Carl laughed while Clarissa rolled her eyes.

"You don't need luck. You need to concentrate."

"I am concentrated."

"You're literally holding the paper upside down."The class burst into laughter.

Diego looked down.He quickly flipped the paper around.

"I was testing you."More laughter.

Even Mrs. Henderson couldn't hide her smile.

"Diego, please."

"Yes, ma'am."He and Clarissa moved to the front.

Their presentation started normally.For about thirty seconds.Then Diego accidentally knocked something off the table.

It hit the floor with a loud clatter and immediately the entire class laughed again.

"Sorry!"Clarissa covered her face.

"Can we please take this seriously?"

"I am taking it seriously."

"Then stop making everyone laugh."

"I can't help being naturally funny."Mrs. Henderson shook her head.

"Just continue."

They eventually completed their presentation, with Clarissa doing most of the serious explaining while Diego occasionally added unnecessary comments.

When they finished, Mrs. Henderson nodded.

"Despite the... entertainment, your work is actually very good."Diego placed a hand over his heart.

"Thank you, ma'am. That's the nicest thing anyone has said to me today."

The class laughed again.....He and Clarissa returned to their seats but I barely noticed.

My mind had drifted again.I stared down at my fingers.My thumb pressed against the side of my index finger.

I didn't even realize how hard I was doing it until a hand gently caught mine.I looked up....it was......Andy.

"Hey."His voice was quiet......I blinked.He was looking at my hand then at me.

"You're hurting yourself."I looked down.My fingers were red....I immediately relaxed them.

"Sorry."

"You don't have to apologize to me.... you're hurting yourself."He lowered his voice.

"I'm sure they'll be punished."I looked at him.

"Thank you."He gave my hand one last gentle squeeze before letting go.

I looked back at the front of the classroom but my heart felt slightly lighter.

Only slightly.....Mrs. Henderson continued calling out names.

One pair after another and eventually, I heard her say.......

"Seth Collins and Emily Brooks."My eyes immediately lifted.

Seth immediately stood up while Emily gathered their papers and followed him to the front of the classroom.

I tried to focus on what they were saying, but my mind kept drifting.Seth stood beside Emily, holding their notes, but every few seconds, his eyes found me.

I noticed it the first time then the second.By the third time, I was sure I wasn't imagining it.

He looked worried....Not casually worried.

The kind of worried that made his eyebrows draw together and his lips press into a thin line.

I lowered my eyes.I didn't want him worrying about me.Not when I was already trying to convince myself that everything was fine.

"Alright," Mrs. Henderson said.

"You can begin."Emily started explaining their practical.

She was confident at first, but as she continued, she stumbled over one of the explanations.

"Um... so the next step is..."She looked down at her notes.

Her brows furrowed.

"Wait."Seth quietly leaned toward her.

"It's this part."

"Oh."She nodded quickly.

"Right. Sorry."They continued.

A few minutes later, Emily made another mistake.Seth corrected it without making her feel embarrassed.

I couldn't help noticing how patient he was with her but even while helping his partner, his eyes occasionally returned to me.

Eventually, Mrs. Henderson noticed.

"Seth?"He looked up.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Is everything alright?"He hesitated.

"Yes."

"You've been looking somewhere else throughout the presentation."A few students chuckled.

I immediately looked down.Seth cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry, ma'am."Mrs. Henderson raised an eyebrow.

"Then please concentrate on your presentation."

"Yes, ma'am."Emily tried not to smile.

They finished shortly afterward and Mrs. Henderson nodded approvingly.

"Good work. You can return to your seats."Seth gave a small nod and walked back.

As he passed my desk, our eyes met.He didn't say anything.....Neither did I but the look in his eyes told me he still wanted answers.

I lowered my gaze,I wasn't ready.....Not yet.

"Next..."Mrs. Henderson glanced at her list.

"Zoe and Andy."I heard from a distant. I didn't move.....My mind was somewhere else.

"Zoe?"I blinked.

"Huh?"A few students laughed softly.

Mrs. Henderson smiled.

"Your turn."I looked at Andy.He was already standing already.

"Come on," he whispered.

"Oh."I quickly gathered my papers and stood.

My heart started beating faster as we walked toward the front.I hated being the center of attention.

At least......I used to.Today felt different.As I reached the front, I glanced toward Maya.

She immediately gave me two thumbs up and I smiled.

Then, unexpectedly.......

"You can do this, Zoe!"I turned.Vanessa was standing beside her desk, clapping.

My eyebrows lifted......Several heads turned toward her.

"What?"Someone whispered.

"Since when does Vanessa support Zoe?"Another student snickered.

"What's happening?"Vanessa didn't seem bothered.She continued clapping.

"Come on, Zoe!"I couldn't stop the small smile that appeared on my face.

"Thanks," I murmured.She smiled brightly and sat down.

I turned back to Andy.He was already looking at me.

"Ready?"I nodded.

"Yeah."He leaned slightly closer.

"Just relax."I took a breath.

Then we began....At first, my voice was slightly shaky but after the first few sentences, I settled into it.

Andy handled his part smoothly, occasionally looking toward me whenever it was my turn.

We worked well together.....Almost too well.We didn't have to interrupt each other.

We already knew what the other person was going to say....
When I finished explaining one section, Andy immediately picked up from where I stopped.

When he finished, I continued....By the time we reached the practical demonstration, I had almost forgotten that the entire class was watching.......Almost.

"Perfect," Mrs. Henderson said when we finished.She clapped.

"That was an excellent presentation. Very well done, both of you."I smiled.

"Thank you, ma'am."Andy nodded.

We returned to our seats....As soon as I sat down, Maya leaned toward me.

"See? I told you."I smiled.

"What?"

"You did great."Before I could respond, Mrs. Henderson called another pair.

"Vanessa and her partner."Vanessa stood immediately.

She gave me another smile before walking to the front.I watched her for a moment.

Not necessarily bad.Just......Different.I couldn't explain it.She had been so cruel before.

And now she was acting like she genuinely cared about me.Maybe people really could change....Maybe I was being too suspicious.

I shook the thought away and focused on the presentation.One pair after another went to the front.

The class slowly became less tense.There were mistakes,There were a few awkward moments.Eventually, Mrs. Henderson placed her papers on the desk.

"Alright, everyone. That's enough for today."The class relaxed immediately.A few students started packing their things.

"Don't forget," she continued, raising her voice over the noise,

"your assignments will be submitted and presented during my next class."

A collective groan filled the room.She laughed.

"I know. I know. You'll survive."She picked up another sheet.

"I'll send the instructions to the class group chat. Please make sure everyone goes through them."Her eyes moved around the classroom.

"Zoe?"I immediately straightened.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Since you're the class captain, I'll need you to collect the printed sheets tommorow and bring them to the staff office."I nodded.

"Okay, ma'am."She paused.

"Actually..."She glanced at the calendar.

"Tomorrow is Saturday."A few students laughed.Mrs. Henderson smiled sheepishly.

"Right. My mistake. Monday, then."

"Okay."

"Good. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone."She picked up her things and walked out.

The moment the door closed, the classroom erupted into chatter.Chairs scraped against the floor.

Students stood and started moving around.I was about to gather my things when someone stopped beside my desk.

I looked up......Seth.

He pulled out the chair beside me,the empty seat that belonged to Axel and sat down.

His expression immediately became serious.

"Are you okay?"I sighed softly.

"Seth..."

"I'm serious."

"I know."He looked at me for a moment.

"I don't understand why you didn't tell me."I looked down.

"I just..."He lowered his voice.

"You knew something was wrong that day. I knew something was wrong. You weren't answering your phone, you weren't at school..."He paused.

"And now I find out what happened."I swallowed.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize."His voice softened.

"I just wish you'd trusted me enough to tell me."I looked at him.

"I didn't want to disturb you."

"Disturb me?"He almost laughed, but there was no humor in it.

"Zoe, you're my friend."He reached for my hand.His fingers gently wrapped around mine.

"Friends don't have to deal with things like that alone."I stared at our hands.

His thumb slowly brushed over the back of mine.

"You're going to be okay," he whispered.

"And I'm sure those girls aren't getting away with this."I nodded slowly.

"I hope so."He gave my hand a reassuring squeeze.

"We'll talk after class."I looked at him.

"About what?"

"Everything."He gave me a small smile.

"Okay?"I nodded.

"Okay."The bell rang before I could say anything else.

The sudden sound made everyone in the classroom start moving at once.

Chairs scraped against the floor,Backpacks were pulled from underneath desks.Students started filing toward the door, already talking about lunch.

Seth stood up slowly.

"I'll see you after class," he reminded me and I nodded.

"Okay."He gave me one last concerned look before walking away.

I watched him for a second before Maya dropped into the seat beside me.

"You okay?"I nodded.

"Yeah. Just tired."Maya studied my face.

"You should eat something."

"I will."She was about to say something else when a familiar voice interrupted us.

"Hi, guys."I looked up.Vanessa stood in front of our desks.She had a small smile on her face.

Maya's expression immediately changed.

"Hi."Vanessa glanced at me.

"How are you feeling, Zoe?"

"I'm okay."She hesitated then her smile faded slightly.

"I'm really sorry about what happened."I didn't say anything.

"I saw the video," she continued.

"I honestly can't believe they did that."Maya folded her arms.

Vanessa noticed but didn't seem offended.

"How could anyone treat someone like that?" she asked softly.

"And your mom too..."Her voice trailed off.

"I'm really sorry."I swallowed.

"Thank you."Vanessa stepped closer.

"I mean it."Before I could react, she wrapped her arms around me.I froze for half a second before slowly returning the hug.

She gently patted my back.

"It's going to be okay."When she pulled away, she smiled.

"How about we go get lunch together?"Maya immediately looked at her.

"I don't know if you can read the room."Vanessa blinked.

"What?"

"We're not really in the mood for lunch right now."

"Oh."She looked embarrassed.

"Right. I'm sorry."She turned her attention back to me.

"Zoe, I really hope you're okay. I'm sure they'll be taught a lesson for this."I nodded.

"Thank you."Vanessa gave me another smile.

"I'll leave you guys alone."She waved.

"See you later."Then she walked away.I watched her disappear through the classroom door.

For a few seconds, neither Maya nor I spoke then Maya turned toward me.

"I don't trust her."I raised an eyebrow.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because that's not Vanessa."I chuckled softly.

"People can change."

"Overnight?"I shrugged.

"I don't know."Maya leaned closer.

"Yesterday she could barely stand looking at you. Today she's hugging you and asking to be your friend."

"She seemed sincere."

"That's exactly what worries me."I sighed.

"I'll be careful."

"You better."She pointed at me.

"Don't let that pretty new face make you forget that people can still be fake."I laughed.

"My face?"

"Yes."She grinned.

"You know you're pretty now."I rolled my eyes.

"Please.....was I not pretty before???"

"I'm serious."I shook my head, but a smile escaped me.

After everything that had happened, I hadn't expected to feel this normal again.But the exhaustion was catching up with me.....I rubbed my eyes.

"I think I need to sleep."Maya frowned.

"Here?"

"I barely slept last night."

"Okay."She moved her books aside.

"Go ahead."I lowered my head onto my folded arms.

The classroom noise slowly became distant....Students talking,Footsteps,Chairs moving,Someone laughing somewhere behind me.I closed my eyes just for a minute.....That's all I wanted,One minute of peace.

My thoughts began to blur.The last thing I remembered was Maya's voice somewhere nearby then everything went quiet.

\---

Something touched my shoulder and I frowned.....I didn't want to wake up.

"Zoe."I opened my eyes slowly.Everything was blurry for a moment then I lifted my head.Maya was standing beside my desk.

I blinked.

"What happened?"She smiled.

"Hey. News flash."I rubbed my eyes.

"What?"

"You've been sleeping for a while."I glanced around.The classroom was full again.Students were sitting at their desks, talking quietly.

I looked toward the clock but remember it was broken.I hadn't even realized how much time had passed.

"What time is it?"

"Don't worry about that."Maya pulled out the chair beside me and sat down.

"We're on a free period."I nodded sleepily.

"Oh."Then I noticed the strange excitement on her face.

"What?"She leaned closer.

"Guess what I just heard?"I frowned.

"What?"She looked around as if making sure nobody was listening.

Then she whispered......

"The BBC girls have been expelled."My eyes widened.

"What?"