Chapter 20 - The Aftermath

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — SYRRA — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

*The Next Day…*

Cursed flu… It really took me by surprise when I woke up yesterday. It hit me like a truck and my sister had to take care of me all day…

But I felt slightly better with all I'm having right now is a slight fever. I'm ready to go to school today!

As I arrived, everyone seemed to be normal. They appear to be just chattering around the hallways as usual.

"(They finally moved on from the hot cocoa incident…)" I happily went to my classroom.

Jessie was sitting on her chair, browsing her phone.

"Hey-"

"Heeeeeey! Jessie!"

I was going to say hi, but Jessie didn't notice me and went to her new friends instead. They look like they're from the lower classroom.

"(Why did she ignore me…)" I was saddened. Well, I can say hi later. I then went to the top section to talk to Renn.

But as I got there, I noticed his seat was empty. There's no sign of his bag there, it's just empty.

"(What in the world… Renn?)" I got worried. He never usually gets late… Is he absent?

As I was thinking this, I realized something.

"(The library! He likes to read there during free time!)" I quickly ran to the library. I sure hope he is there, because I have GREAT news to tell him!

I entered the library and looked around to see if he was around.

But I never saw him… Not one trace of him in the library…

He's GOT to be absent today. That's the only explanation.

I went back to my classroom and sat down on my seat. I opened a textbook and started studying.

"Ew. It's Alrose's best friend."

Huh? I looked around at who said that.

"(The heck did I do to that boy? I'm only studying…)" I immediately went back to my book because a quiz was coming up today.

"I pity her. Why is she still reading that lousy textbook? She should have studied at home."

"(I did study at home, even before I got the damn flu. What the fuck is going on with the class today?!)" I couldn't concentrate… I don't want to assume but they are probably talking about me.

I also noticed, why are they trashing Renn while he is absent? I thought they have moved on from that hot cocoa incident…

"I'd suggest you'd keep that book away from our classmate's faces." Oh, Jessie came back!

"Jessie! Thank goodness! I was going to say hi, but you ignored me earlier!" I felt happy to see her back here. She appeared to be chewing bubble gum.

"My apologies. What's been going on in your life?" She asked me.

"Well, my life is going to get better. My mom recently got promoted to a better hospital branch! All her hard work paid off and we're going to be filthy rich! Can't say the same to my dad, however… Wish he'd stop with the alcohol…" I scratched my head, feeling sad about my dad. We may be having a lot of money in the near future. But as long as dad exists with the beer, we'll still struggle financially.

"That's unfortunate. Has your mom ever thought of divorcing him?" Eh? Divorce? She bluntly suggested that, of all things?

"No… She did consider it a few times but she could never leave him alone…" I sighed. My mom loves dad way too much… Now I wish she could do something about dad…

"Bummer… Things would be better off without him, you know?" Huh? My eyes widened just now...

Wait… Did she just… Talk shit about my dad…

"Why are you talking like that?" I asked her with a piercing glare and an intimidating smile.

"It's the truth, and only the truth." The truth? Telling about being better off without my dad?!

"Hey, Jessie… You're stepping over a line you shouldn't cross…" I was trying so hard not to get mad at her. She's my dear friend, no way she's going to go out of line…

Right?

"Do you have a problem with the truth? So… You're going to live your life struggling with a small house in the future." Wrong.

My blood's boiling. What the fuck is she talking about?

"Jessie… Please stop… I don't want to hurt you…" My hands were enclosed into fists. The temptation of punching her is too high, but she's my friend…

"Syrra, you'll realize it one day… Just like yesterday when I was hurt pretty badly. Youʼll understand." I couldn't take it anymore.

I quickly moved my arm back and slapped her in front of the whole class.

"UNDERSTAND WHAT?! BEING INSENSITIVE?! EVEN IF I KNOW MY DAD IS A LAZY ASS ALCOHOLIC, I LOVE AND CARE FOR HIM! YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MY SISTER AND I TOOK CARE OF HIM FOR YEARS!" I literally shouted at her.

"People like you just don't understand what it feels like to be in pain…" She's still going on with her blunt responses.

This isn't Jessie… This is someone else…

"Who are you… And what have you done with Jessie…" I was very upset. Something made her change.

"You know nothing about me. Why don't you just go back to reading that textbook like Alrose is doing…" Know nothing?! My blood is boiling.

"Bitch, I have been friends with you for months to know that this isn't how you usually actually act. I know long enough that you aren't THIS insensitive towards others, and I most definitely know long enough that you don't call Renn by his last name!" You call that nothing, asshole?!

"Where were you yesterday, Syrra… I thought you were aware of the news…" News? I was unaware but I still confronted Jessie.

"I have absolutely no idea what's going on. I had a full blown flu yesterday, and I know that I missed a whole lot. But for the love of heaven, I didn't know it was going to be life-changing!" I facepalmed then sighed. Literally, everyone's acting like the hot cocoa incident all over again except Jessie's now affected and there is NO SIGN of stopping.

"And it is." I looked at the door. Sir C?

"Syrra, come with me. Oh, and give me your excuse letter and medical certificate." I nodded and took my letter and certificate and gave it to Sir C and walked out the classroom.

I followed Sir C to the Physics Laboratory. No one seems to be using the laboratory at the moment, but why are we here?

Sir C then locked the door as soon as I walked in.

"Your excuse is valid. Alright, I'll tell you what unfolded yesterday. It seems a second major incident has happened in this school. And yes, Renn Alrose was again "responsible" for what happened." He sat down on the table with his legs crossed. Another incident?

"What incident? Tell me everything, including the details!" I wanted to know what the hell changed everyone. I'm just so mad about what happened to them!

"I'll have to warn you, however. It's something you might not handle." Whatever it takes. I listened to everything that unfolded yesterday.

Sir C told everything along with the smallest details. I was in disbelief over what I heard.

"He's not that kind of person… In the almost 4 years of us together, his mind isn't centered on perverted and disgusting stuff like that!" Renn wouldn't take advantage of girls like that! I was in pure disbelief! For 3 years, his mindset has been clear. He is in no way a perverted man, let me tell you!

"As much as I'd want to believe it and defend him, the world isn't on our side. There were pictures that signify that he did do it. All I could do was watch Renn get backed into a corner as he lost. There was nothing I could have done, even as a teacher." The cursed pictures… Did a number on him… I felt a splash of sadness in me, I was about to cry...

"They have to be faked… They surely must have!" As long as I know Renn's true character, I won't give up on him!

"Unfortunately, it looks like it couldn't have been faked… All of the pictures have his face with his eyes concealed on every single photo, he seemed to be in pleasure of… "taking advantage of them"." Damn… What's going to happen to Renn now?

"How is he?" I just want to know how he is doing now… My tears slowly flowed down on my face.

"I honestly don't know. He got expelled yesterday early in the morning." And to think it'd happen before class even started… Poor Renn…

"To think he'd given up when he found a bra in his own bag… They really outsmarted one of our smartest students, and we ended up losing him as a result. What a cruel world we live in." Sir C looked out the window of the clear sky... He is right. He was so confident in defending himself and when he got pinned into a corner, he couldn't get out…

He just stopped and let himself face the consequences for something he didn't do.

"If only this goddamn flu didn't affect me yesterday… I would have defended him… Supported him… Things wouldn't end like this…" My regret started kicking in, and I cried. I just wanted to see Renn again and talk to him just like the old times…

He's an innocent boy who worked hard for his future… He worked hard for Jessie to stay with him… He worked hard for Serra to trust again, even if it's a few people… He worked the hardest for me, because I knew I was struggling.

And now… Not only have I lost him, but I also lost Jessie who's now egocentric. Serra lost her first ever friend.

I have no remorse over Jessie, but I can't help but feel bad for her because she lost her partner…

"So for now… I'd suggest that you work hard on your own for a while… See what you can do to get through this quarter. And maybe work on something to get Alrose back on his feet." Sir C suggested. For now, there's nothing that can be done as long as the evidence stands.

It's up to me to bring his light back to him. I'm going to go to his house and talk things out soon.

"Will do, sir!" And as for getting that expulsion revoked, I know just where to start…

"Your math class is about to begin now. Please proceed with caution, Ms. Winters. It's going to be a dangerous society right now." Sir C hinted that I should be careful about what I do from this time forward.

I quickly went to my classroom, and while Jessie was busy with her friends, I saw Cassandra. If I recall correctly, she's a victim of that whole scenario.

I tapped her shoulder.

"Hey, so I heard about what happened! I'm sorry about my attitude earlier…" If the school is convinced that Renn's a perverted maniac, time for me to make a change.

Right, Renn?

"It's okay. I forgive you. I hope you'll realize how disgusting he was…"

She wrote.

"Curious, tho… Who took the photos?" I bluntly asked with a smile. This is where I step into the danger zone.

"Someone at the hotel. Renn told us to keep it hush hush while he was getting his way with us, but didn't notice the hotel employee. He only got the opportunity to post after he took the photos."

… Aha.

"If that's the case, the employee should have shown you a video, not a series of pictures?" Bullseye. She then wrote something else.

"Ever heard of full storage?"

RATS. Didn't think she'd use that excuse.

"Ah… Right… Uhhh…" Dang it! What else can I say here?! I'm running out of words!

She then stood up and wrote another.

"Are you doubting what I have experienced? You apologized first and then started interrogating me. Isn't that a little rude?"

Yikes.

"I'm really sorry! I'll leave you alone." I turned and walked away but she grabbed my hand. She wrote something on her notepad and shoved it on my face.

S

T

A

Y

T

H

E

R

E

I felt fear. As she moved the notepad away, she wrote something else again.

"Respect my experience. Don't be rude.

You believe that Alrose is innocent, don't you?"

I refused to give out an answer, but her face loomed closer to my face as if she's threatening me.

I shook my head up and down repeatedly in hopes that she'd let go of me. She went to write something else again on her notepad.

"Good answer. Now go back to your seat."

She let me go and I sat down on my seat. I looked at Jessie mouthing the words:

"Let

Him

Go."

Unfortunately, I'll have to keep my mind off him for a while by focusing on the lectures. Except I couldn't focus at all. I looked out the window and looked at the view from below. I really wondered what's going to this school... This class... Renn... And I...

*("Making a change is not just about saying it. You really have to work hard. Think about the plan you want to pursue, and use all the inspirations you have to keep going forward. If you don't have an inspiration, make yourself the inspiration you need to keep going. It doesn't start with anyone but you.")*

Remembering that interview video that was posted when the school announced the upcoming Top 10... It was all over the media once. It gathered so much attention... I clenched my fist and got determined.

It was time for me to "make a change". I'll surely bring Renn Alrose back. That'll be the change that will surely affect the masses.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —