9 The Bully's True Identity

"Anyway, why aren't you leaving the academy yet? Are you waiting for something?" Coulyne asked Sarah curiously. Sarah looked at her with her miserable eyes.

"No… I just don't feel like going home…" She said, looking down. Claire looked at her, feeling pity.

"May I ask you another question, Sarah?" I said in my normal tone. They all looked at me, confused again.

"Yeah, it's okay…" She said, it's almost a whisper. I guess she's really drained right now.

"Where do you always go with your best friend in this academy?" I asked seriously. She gave me a bewildered expression before answering my question.

"At the rooftop of the fourth year's building… Why do you ask?" She asked while raising her one eyebrow at me.

"How often do you go there?" I asked again. This time, Coulyne interrupted.

"How's that going to help us about Sarah's problem?" She asked confusingly. I sighed and just ignored her. I looked at Sarah, waiting for her answer.

"When we were first year, we always go there when lunch… and after class to talk… about anything…" Her voice faded. She is probably remembering their memories together.

I got everything that I need to know. This is just a piece of cake. I badly want to see that dumb girl's reaction. It would be hilarious.

"You said you wanted to help Sarah, right?" Now, I asked Coulyne and Claire. They both looked at me with dedication in their eyes.

"Of course!" They both said with full determination. They are brave, huh?

"I do not want Sarah to suffer from those things that they did to her earlier in the cafeteria. They must be stop." Coulyne said like it's something that she experienced.

"Then, what are you going to do with the b—By the way, what's her name?" I asked to her.

"Pauline Veronica Villard," she answered. The side of my lips rose up involuntarily.

She also changed her name, huh? That explains everything. I'm really excited of what's going to happen.

"What are you going to do to Pauline and her squad after that?" I asked the Coulyne and Claire in a serious tone.

They looked at me, thinking of the answer. It took them thirty seconds before they gave me an answer.

"We're going to tell the administrators about them so they will give them the punishment they deserve." Claire answered. I gave her a 'is that so?' look.

"Do you think that would be enough to stop them from doing these kind of things?" I asked again, putting pressure on them.

"T-That would be enough because they will be disciplined. The institutions will give them lessons for them to change to be bette-"

"People's personalities and behaviors can't be change just because other people told them to." I interrupted her. They all looked at me because of what I said.

"No matter how many times, how long, or what kind of procedures you give them, they will never change unless, they want to." I explained to them.

"The change of a person must come from within. Other people's words and advices are just factors. The true change will only happen inside of that person." They looked at me, enlightened.

"So if you want to change those dumb bullies, you need to make them change themselves." I said to them in a monotonous voice.

"What are you implying by that?" Claire asked, confused. I looked at her dead in the eyes.

"I'm saying we're not just going to help Sarah. We're also going to help them." I answered that made them shocked. Coulyne looked at me with frowning face.

"Why do we have to? They are the ones who is at fault her-"

"If we don't, everything will just become worse." I looked at her with my dead expression. She was shocked of what I said.

"Let's say we managed to help Sarah and they stopped bullying her, do you think they will stop doing those things to the other students?" I asked them with my one eyebrow rose up.

"No…" She whispered. Claire also looked down.

"We need to help the cause for us to have a good effect." I said to them in a serious tone.

Of course, I do not really want to help that girl. I just want to see a big revelation and for us to get home already.

"Okay. It is decided. However, where are we going to find Pauline? She might be home by now." Coulyne said, troubled. They both looked at me.

"Follow me." I said before walking ahead of them. They followed me without having an idea where we're going.

I already know where we can find her. I am sure. She is there at that place. Just like every time.

"Where are you taking us, Raver?" Coulyne asked irritatingly. It's getting dark so the hallway of the building is dim.

"How dare you, Raver?! I never thought you could do such thing to us! You're planning something, don't you?!" Claire shouted that made me annoyed.

"Shut up, you idiot." I said to her. I heard Sarah chuckled.

"You three are so close. You're comfortable with each other," she said while smiling.

"We're not. Never in my entire lifespan." I said with a dead tone. Claire looked at me in a teasing way.

"Don't be shy! Tell Sarah the trut-"

"Wait. What are we doing here?" Sarah asked, confused. The side of my lips rose up.

She is right. There is a rooftop here. Maybe no one is going here because it's hard to find. Moreover, you cannot see it from below.

I wonder how they found this place.

"Pauline is behind this door." I held the doorknob and twisted it. They are all shocked after they saw who is outside.

We went at the rooftop. That is why Sarah is confused. This is the place that I thought of, and turned out, I was right.

"P-Pauline…" Sarah said, stuttering. Pauline looked at us with a shocked expression.

"What are you doing here?! Why aren't you leaving the academy yet?!" She asked aggressively. Her face is really angry right now.

"Y-You… What are you doing here?..." Sarah asked back. She looks like she is going to cry anytime.

"That's none of your business! This place is for every student of this academy! And you are the one I am asking! Nerds are not allowed here!" Pauline replied but it did not give her any impact at all.

"B-But… only my best friend and I know this place…" She said, stuttering again. I looked at her in shock.

So, that is why she's acting strange after finding that Pauline's here. This is getting interesting.

"S-Shut up, you ner-"

"Hello there." I said and gave her a smirk. She stared at me angrily.

"This was all your plan, am I right?!" I also stared at her dead in the eyes.

"Yes, I am." I said to her confidently. I swear, she is looking like an ogre right now that's about to explode.

"Why are you here?! To lecture me?!" She then laughed sarcastically.

"Of course, not. I do not care if you are useless or dumb." I said in a cold tone. They are all shocked including Pauline.

"We're here to ask you, why do you keep on abusing Sarah?" I asked her. She looked at me angrily then she smirked.

"Huh?! That is because she deserves it! Nerds make me want to puke! This academy is prestigious and they do not belong here!" She shouted, proud of her stupidity.

"Oh, is that so?" I said to her in a teasing way, raising one eyebrow.

"Yes! Also, stop meddling! You are just an outsider! You are all just an outsider so you should leave this place!" She shouted at us again. The other two looks pissed.

"Stop fooling yourself, will you? You are doing this because you want her gone? Cut that crap." I said to her in a dull tone.

"You're hurting, aren't you? You're hurting on the inside every time you do this to her, am I right?" She looked at me in shocked. She started sweating. I gave her a smirk.

"H-Huh?! W-What are you saying?!" She denied. She is nervous. She could not move.

"After you embarrassed her in the cafeteria, you left your 'friends' to come here, right?" I said to her. Her eyes widen after hearing it.

"I-I don't know what you're sayin-"

"Because you still care for her. You do still remember the two of you here. You are still looking at her the same way you always do," I said to her. A tiny drop of tears escaped from her eyes.

"What are you talking about, Raver..." Sarah asked confusingly. I ignored her and continued talking.

"You even changed your name, Katrina Laveste." I admitted, that surprised them especially Sarah and Pauline, or should I say, Katrina.

"W-What?... That is the name of my best friend… Why are you calling her by that name?..." Sarah asked. Her tears are slowly falling on the floor.

"You're not getting the idea yet? Fine. I will explain to you in the simplest way." They are all waiting for what I'm going to say.

"Pauline Veronica Villard and Katrina Laveste is the same person. She's your best friend." After I said those words, their bodies froze.

This is what I was waiting for. The big revelation. Their reactions are priceless.

I'm sorry I revealed your secret, Katrina Laveste.

[Katrina Laveste's POV]

"Katrina! What is your lunch?!" Sarah shouted as she ran onto me while holding her lunch box. I smiled genuinely at her.

I was walking when she suddenly came so I stopped and talked to her. She is smiling wide, and that's what I like about he.

"Adobo! What about yours?" I asked, showing my lunch box to her.

"Woah! That looks like delicious! Mine is Sinigang!" She then showed her lunch box to me. My mouth is watering right now.

"Come on, Katrina! Let's go there," she said then held my hand and we walked together.

"I missed this place! I can move freely here!" She said lively, stretching her arms in the air. I sat on the floor to start eating my food.

We're at the rooftop of the fourth year's building. No one knows about this place because it is hard to find.

We only found out about this place by accident. And that is why we made this as our best friend spot.

"Hey, Sarah! Sit down already! Let's eat our lunch." I called her because she is just dancing. She came to me laughing.

"Stop laughing like that! You look creepy!" I said to her while giving her a disgusted face. We both laughed after it.

We love to go here because here, we can do anything that we want without others judging us.

We have been called nerds by everyone especially Jade Hontiveros, the daughter of a senator and the bully of our academy.

Whenever they see us, they will avoid or change direction so that we will not have a close contact with each other. It is isolating.

"Hey, Katrina! Do you want to exchange food?!" Sarah suggested. We both looked at each other with the one side of our lips rose up.

"Deal!" I happily said, lending her my lunch box. She did the same too.

"This is delicious!" We both said after tasting each other's food. We laughed after swallowing the food.

We always have each other's back every time one of us need some help on something.

"Ugh! I did not finish the activity quickly. Maybe Sarah is already waiting for me at the roof top." I said to myself as I climb the stairs to the fourth floor.

When I got to open the door, the rooftop is quiet. The blow of the wind is the only sound that you can hear.

"Sarah is not here? But it's already lunch tim-"

"Katrina! Please let me copy your mathematics assignment! I'm begging you!" She said as she ran to hug me. I was startled because of what she did.

"Woah! Calm down, Sarah! I will let you copy my assignment." I said, rubbing her ack. She is always like this.

We are always sharing each other's thoughts every time our classes end. We will go here and talk about life.

"What's your dream, Sarah?" I asked her while we're both looking at the sunset.

It is very beautiful. It has so many meanings. Hope, tomorrow, chance, and downfall. This means a lot to me.

Watching this scenery with the person I truly adore is really something. Watching this with my best friend is my favorite.

"My dream? I want to travel the whole world and enjoy my life to the fullest," she said with her genuine smile.

"I want to live my life that I will never regret. I just want to live a simple happy life," she added. Tears started falling from her eyes.

"Say, Katrina. Do you know a place where pain does not exist?" She asked with a smile, a painful one. She rested her head on my shoulders.

"If I erase everything, would it be easy for me to live my life without crying? Would it be easy for me to laugh and be who I really am?" She added.

"If I become the person they always wanted, would it make them accept me? Would it help me to survive?" I could feel the warmth of her tears on my clothes. It is hurting me too.

"Pain is always there. It will never go away. However, you do not need to worry. I am here beside you. I will do everything to keep you away from pain. I will be here. Always." I said to her as I caressed her hair.

We watched the sunset together as if it is the last time we are going to be together. As it is the last time, I will have a chance to hold her.

And it turned out it was. The day I need to let go of us came. The day I need to cut our best friend bond.