TWO YEARS AFTER
THE BRILLIANTS SCHOOL COMPLEX
It was a sports day at " The Brilliants School Complex". All the students were happily and busily getting ready for the match between the "Roses" and " Dandelions " of the school and Gisella's class was no different but no one was ready to mingle with her because of her nature.
" Come on, guys" Loretta mumbled as she trod past Gisel along with her friends. " Let's join the rest at the field and leave this weirdo here– the sight of her alone disgusts me" She chuckled as she pushed Gisella s head, which made Bianca and Paola tease, giggling.
" Sure– such bad luck she is." They all laughed as they sauntered out of the class.
Gisella gazed at their back, pained and desolated. She was the only person left in the class with her ghost friend, Annabel.
" Is okay, Gisel– Just know that I'll always be your friend and will be by your side whenever you need me", Annabel consoled. She tickled her which made her burst out with laughter.
" stop it, Ann, it's tickling." She cried, just then, a voice intruded from behind them which made her flinch.
" What's tickling, Gisel?– And why are you all alone, laughing all by yourself? .who is Ann?" he queried which made her swiftly raise her head towards the direction of the voice, panicked. It was Mr. David, their class teacher.
" Nothing, sir" She stuttered, rising on her feet. "I was just about to leave." she fidgeted with nervousness written all over her. Without further words, she swiftly picked up her stuff and walked past him hastily to avoid further questions.
Mr. David just gazed at her back as she swiftly exited the close. " This girl is really strange..", he murmured with a shrug and left the class in a daze.
**********************
THE SCHOOL'S LOCKER ROOM
Gisella hurriedly entered the room and locked the door behind her. She leaned on the wall and let out an inaudible sigh. " That was really close" She eluded. "Let me get ready before–"
"Before what, Gisel?" A voice interrupted. She instinctively raised her head to find who it was only to notice Loretta and her friends approaching from a corner of the room.
Loretta snarled. "Actually, I feel like playing alone with you at the moment, weirdo– what do you think, girls?" She added, turning to Bianca and Paola. They nodded with a mischievous grin.
"Won't miss it for anything, Lore.– I think it's gonna be fun" Paola stated as they closed up on Gisel. She instinctively paced backward.
"I don't want to, Lore– please let me be" She cried but suddenly met a dead end as hit the locker behind her. She swiftly lurked around, it was a complete dead end with nowhere to escape through.
Loretta laughed, as she faced up with her. " Going somewhere? " She wittily queried which made Bianca and Paola chuckle.
"Nope, I guess not because there seems to be no way of escape for you, Gi– Or gonna call your invisible friends to come to the rescue? Oh, I'm suddenly scared"
She teased and they all laughed except Gisel who look so tensed and helpless at the moment. Before she could know it, Lore pushed her so hard, causing her to fall to the floor. Her head smacked into the locker.
She winced in pain, blood oozed down her head but Loretta just kept on, indifferent.
" Oops, does it hurt? She chuckled. "Should I call the nurse or your evil powers will do, evil soul?" She uttered with a sneer about to hit her again but a hand suddenly held hers back in the air.
" Ouch, you're hurting me–let go of my hand!!" She yelled, trying to find out who it was but the more she struggled, the more the pain intensify.
"I'll break this your filthy hand if you ever dare touch her again!" He warned, his voice was so cold. He vehemently pushed her hand down, causing her to lose her balance. Bianca and Paola instinctively held her.
After gaining her balance, she swiftly turned to see who it was but was puzzled at who she saw.
"Desmond ?" She eluded. Her cold aura suddenly turned warm and seductive as she neared him. "What are you doing here, dear and how does my issue with Gisel concern you– you rather had to be on my side and not hers?"
She added in an arrogant, flirting tone. He instinctively pushed her away." Get over yourself, Lore!– I know what you've been doing to the poor girl since grade 2. "
He roared which made Lore and her friends tremble with fear. "You better be careful this time because henceforth, whenever you attack her, know that you're asking for my trouble as well.– Now, get lost!!"
"Fine!, we're leaving" She shouted, glaring at Gisel who just sat on the floor, gazing at them. She instinctively stared away when Loretta's eyes met hers.
"Let's get out of here, girls" She called to her friends and took the lead. Bianca and Paola hurriedly sped after her, they couldn't stand a second of Desmond's presence.
After he was sure they had left, he crunched down at Gisel's side. " Let me help you" he mumbled with a stretched hand, staring at her face. He wore a beautiful contagious smile which made Gisel smile back with a pale face.
"Can I be your friend" He queried. She just gazed at him puzzled.
"Umm, are you sure about this?" She asked, skeptical.
"Yeah, are you okay with that?"
"Yeah, why not– thanks for the hand earlier as well " She answered sheepishly. Desmond is the most handsome guy in her class. He's a sports maniac and every girl's dream boyfriend. She had long had a crush on him but was afraid to approach him because of her situation. It felt like a dream that he was the one who came to her aid.
"Hey, you're still bleeding, let's get you to the infirmary now, please" His voice drew her out of her thoughts.
"Oh, never mind– I'll check by myself" She refused but he insisted. Gisel had no choice but to accept his hand. " Okay, if you insist" She mumbled.
He held her hand, helped her up from the floor, and led her out to the school's clinic
*************************
Loretta stood at the field, all pissed off.
" Who does that Desmond think he is?" She lamented. "Who is he to interrupt my fun"
She wore a wolfish gaze as her breath raced rapidly with rage. Paola and Bianca tried to calm her.
" calm down, Lore, have you forgotten, you've been crushing on him for the past years?" Paola defensively uttered. "You shouldn't have acted the way you did earlier on with him. That was your golden chance to get him but you just spill it out of anger."
"Yes, Lore, I agree with Paola on this" Bianca supported. "That wasn't right at all"
"To hell with him" Loretta roared, burning with rage. " As long as he chose that cursed girl over me– I hate him and I'm done with any crush I ever had for him. " She smirked.
"I'll so get back at him for disregarding and disgracing me in front of that nobody, Gisella".