Painful Smiles

“Crazy or whatever. I have some words for you..” a sharp pain in his groin made him scream out the last part. She was turning it to a fight.

She kicked him on the legs and tried walking away when he dragged her back from her hair. Why did he do that? He didn’t know.

Her hair was thick and for a while he appreciated that.

He dragged her hands and attempted twisting it but she stopped him. He struggled with her for a while and could attest that she was really strong. His hands were becoming slippery from a wet substance. Was that how sweat?

“Let go, bastard!” she suddenly began crying.

He twisted her hand more and another hit to his groin made him fall, setting her free.

She dived a rock on the ground and jumped on him. She raised the rock and was aiming for his head when she stopped mid air.

Tears were streaming down her eyes but what shocked Michael more was that blood was streaming down her wrist as well. It was the wet substance.

It was like a deep cut had been reopened when he twisted her arm. The wound was fresh and looked really deep. It was surely a knife cut.

“If I kill you now. I can live with it, you know!” she screamed at him. He was dumbfounded. Had he gone that far? He never intended to.

That was human blood. His earlier traumatic experience resurfaced when he saw the blood but he stayed focused. He had to help the situation.

“How can your flesh be so weak yet your bones are tough?” was all he could mutter.

He was sure the rock landed.

Luckily not on his head, a drop of her blood dropped on his face and pain shook through his body.

She stood up from his body and pointed at him. She began speaking amidst sobs.

“You’ll pay. Clara sent you right? Its the deal you had discussed with her when you left right? I’ll stop worrying about you. Whoever kills you kills you. And for Clara, she can live like a bitch if she wanted” she picked the rock and threw it far away.

“I’m sorry” he started but she just ran off. Blood dropped as she left and she didn’t bother cover it up.

He felt the sincerity her words. He knew he’d really pay. How could he had let it escalate this much? It was a warning he came to deliver. Just a warning. Now it looked like a bullying.

He looked at her retreating figure and saw her calling “grandma” as she ran.

He collapsed on the ground and hoped to stay there for while. He was hopeless. Was this his affection for Clara that made him this mad or the long hours training with those psycho mafias?

He didn’t become strong like them exactly but surely as psychotic. His phone beeped and the last person he wanted to hear his voice at that moment spoke when he picked it up.

“Dad?” he flung himself up from the ground.

“Yes, I am on my way to your school. Just got into the U. S recently. School hours is almost over right?” his cold voice sounded.

Michael was speechless. Even at France, he hated his father visiting. He would begin introducing him to the principal as his son and ask to meet the teachers with him.

Obviously to pass a threat that his my son in the mildest manner. Robbing him of his teachers teaching him like a normal kid.

Well, he never felt like a normal kid there. But here, with Clara, he wished he had such chance.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

He wiped the blood of his face and it spread instead over his face.

“I hate my life now” he sighed tiredly. He didn’t even feel like washing the blood off. And so what if his father saw it. He would realize the bloody idiot he had raised.

*******

Claudia raced to the girl’s bathroom. She knew traces of blood followed her but she cared less. She washed her hands and clenched her teeth due to the pain of water touching her inner skin.

It was nothing compared to the pain she felt in her heart. How could the new boy take up a fight with her for no reason other than Clara. Has he lost some brain cells?

And the fact her tears had to release at that point angered her more. No, he had made a mistake. To even think of hurting her.

She turned to stomp out of the restroom, and possibly go commit a murder, but held her self. She would act like nothing happened. If he apologized, better. If not, she’ll wait for her perfect time.

For now, let her show her parents the “cool video” she took of their favorite daughter, Claudia, last night.

It was sure to “brighten up their mood”. With a plan waiting for execution, she stomped out of the restroom to find Wright standing outside.

He stared down at her open wound and looked horrified. Claudia had worn a long sleeved cloth to hide the wound and hadn’t bother covered it because it was already healing. But with the soft skin she had, it had to give way when it was twisted.

“Michael left behind you…” Wright said and couldn’t say more. She saw him clench his fist and kept his stare at her hand. She walked slowly to him but said nothing.

Abruptly, he turned and began running towards the class. She chased after him and held in time. “What are you going to do?” she held him back. Was he going to fight Michael.

“Why! Because he’s a mafia’s son so he think he can bully people like that?” Wright pushed her back and yelled.

Apart from when she made him stranded, Claudia had never seen him so angry and agitated. Was he angry for her sake or his?

What was about Michael’s father being mafia?

And him using “bully people” made her feel lesser than herself.

With all the conflicting thoughts running through her head, Claudia didn’t know how her legs lost balance and strength and offered her freely to the ground.

She tried falling with her hands but the injured one came first and couldn’t last long.

“Claudia, are you okay?” were the last words she heard before her blackout.