Chapter 6: Within a Week

[JUSTIN]

"You hick!" I growl at the girl.

Actually she is quite pretty, but her fashion taste is disgusting. And how could she bump into me in such a bright place? I was just standing quietly in front of my own locker! She’s really stupid! I am so embarrassed because people see me stumble, my books fall apart, and I spilled my own coffee like an idiot. They are laughing at me!

I wash my clothes in the toilet with the hand soap on the sink. Luckily the coffee stains are quite easy to clean.

"Damn it!"

I still keep cursing myself, let alone looking at my front hair which is wet and sticky because of the coffee.

"Aaaah! Justin!" A woman's shrill scream startles me.

Kimmy is peeking from outside of the men's restroom. Apparently she sees me from behind, who has to be partially naked because I am still washing my T-shirt.

"Kimmy, don't worry about it," I say. Then Lisa and Candy scream later after they come to see me. I just shake my head.

"What happened to your T-shirt?" asks Candy.

"I was hit hard by Alexa earlier and fell down, until I spilled my coffee."

"Huh??? That girl hit you until you fell?" Lisa asks in disbelief.

I look at myself in the mirror. A broad chest with a perfectly formed abs still looks ridiculous with this stupid wet black hair. "I can't believe it myself, Lisa."

Candy takes a tissue and wipes some parts of my body. "You've got to get back at her, Justin," Candy says. "She's humiliated you."

"Don't worry, I will." I answer firmly.

Lisa and Kimmy each wets a tissue and wipes my disgusting hair. I, with a face like this, a body like this, surrounded by the three most beautiful students on this campus... Why the hell am I still angry because I was hit by a stupid girl like Alexa? Or am I annoyed that Alexa doesn't seem interested in me? She didn't even help me to clean my clothes and hair.

My arrogance makes me even more mad, and I am furious because out of so many people who adore me, I am actually humiliated by a nobody, and who also sees me as a nobody.

"I'm okay, thanks," I say as I brush away Lisa's fingers which are not only stroking my hair, but also starting to caress my cheek.

Carrying my wet T-shirt, I exit the toilet leaving the three witches behind. I have to turn to my locker again to change with some T-shirt I keep inside. The students in the corridor glare at me who is still half naked, and I walk fast, still furious. I have no idea when my emotions will eventually subside.

Arriving at the locker, I choose a dark T-shirt and put it on right away. I put my wet T-shirt in a small cloth bag, and throw them in the locker. I'll take it home later.

I am not in the mood for class. I exit the campus building and walk into the parking area, getting some fresh air. I catch my breath, and try to calm myself down. I am still very upset, and I want to plan something to embarrass Alexa.

I grab my cell phone and call Ramon.

"Yes, Justin?"

"Hey, where are you?"

"In the cafeteria. Aren't you going to class?"

"I'm going to skip class this morning," I reply as I immediately rush to the cafeteria. I glance at the dead white roses; No one has cleaned them.

Ramon, Jared, and Jack are hanging out in a corner near DSA office, with some snacks on the table.

"You all skipped class in the morning?" I ask as I sit down on the empty bench.

"I don't have morning class," says Ramon. The others smile.

"You guys!" I quietly scream and punch Ramon's arm. I know they actually have morning classes, but apparently they deliberately skip together.

"You know, I just had a very embarrassing incident. I'm not in the mood to go to class today," I mutter.

Jared stands up and moves to sit next to me. "Come on, we're listening."

Then I told them how Alexa hit me until I fell and my books were scattered in the hallway, and how my coffee spilled on my clothes and hair, in the morning crowd in the front corridor.

"I got coffee on my face, too!" I say angrily. "And everyone there laughed. I've never been laughed at ever before!"

"Yooo... that was epic, Justin!" Jack replies with a serious face.

"You know, that girl always dresses like a greengrocer at the market. Maybe I wouldn't be too embarrassed if Kimmy bumped into me," I continue.

Their laughter broke.

"I wash my white T-shirt in the toilet sink, and I have to be naked before I get a change of a new one in my locker."

"Kimmy must be glaring at you, Justin," Ramon teases.

"Yes, all the three of them!" I say while holding back a laugh, even though I am still really angry. "They even went into the men's room, pretending to ask me what happened and helped me clean things."

“You mean clean your body?” Ramon replies and they all laugh again.

"I ran away after Lisa tried to stroke my cheek," I continue.

"What!?" Jack exclaimes with a laugh. "Why did you leave?"

"Yeah, you know what is crazy? Caressing my cheek while I was being naked in men's toilet? My name could be ruined! I reply, annoyed.

"Wait a minute.. You were hit by Alexa and fell?" Jared asks again. "Alexa the hick girl?”

"Didn't you touch her hand when youre trying to gather your scattered books?" Ramon teases me.

Their laughter break again.

"Oh I know! Maybe you and she accidentally hit your heads while picking up the books, right?" Jack adds, and they burst into laughter.

I bend my face. "Hey! That's disgusting! Never mind, I'll just go to class!"

Jack grabs my arm and stops me from leaving. "Please don't! Stay here. Then what do you want us to do, Justin? Just tell me," says Jack.

I go silent for a while.

"I don't know what to ask for help yet, but I want to tell you my plan."

They listen to me seriously, and it feels like my anger is starting to subside. I take a long and deep breath. "I don't know guys.. I'm really embarrassed today. I want to hurt her.”

There is a moment of silence before Jack breaks it. "Hey Justin.. I think you're exaggerating."

"Yeah, Justin.. You're being silly. Why don't you just bump into her this afternoon?" says Ramon.

But somehow.. I'm really angry that I intend to do it. I've never been hit and fallen down like that in my life, let alone because of a girl like Alexa. Damn it.. I'm actually annoyed with myself. What did I do, and how did I fall?

Jared grabs my shoulder, and I snap out of my thoughts.

Ramon looks at me in the eye. "Justin, she doesn't deserve that. We're all known as naughty students on this campus, but we're not that bad."

I look back at him and say firmly. "Oh don't worry. She'll enjoy how I’d hurt her, though."

They are confused.

"What do you mean?"

"Alexa seems to hate me, because she's been avoiding me all this time... Well, in a week, I'm going to make her fall in love with me, but then I'm going to dump her," I insist.

"You're crazy," says Ramon.

Jack shakes his head and pats Jared on the shoulder. "But this is what Justin really is... Isn't that right?"

They all know I’ve been always popular among girls, whereas I really like to be adored and like to make everyone adore me. But usually women always approach me first, without me trying to get them close.

“Within a week? You're going to make her fall in love with you within a week?”

I nod.

"Are you sure, Justin?" Jared asks.

I nod my head again with certainty, and look at them one by one. Ken isn’t there, and I'm sure he'd give me a long lecture once he knows about my plan. But I don't care.

"I'll make her feel the pain and embarrassment of falling, like I did earlier. But she'll feel it in a different way, on a different level."