Sophia rushed to the press room in tears and almost cried her eyes out, sitting on a chair

"Why am I even crying?, He's saying the truth anyways, I'm a dullard" she thought and wiped her tears

" But it hurts, the truth really hurts" she said and started crying again

Dan rushed down the rooftop in anger

"Lucky must pay for causing this" he thought, storming into the class

He went straight to Lucky and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him up from his seat, he punched him on the face and his lips bled

Lucky was caught by shock

They fight, in fact, they're always not in good terms but but not to the point of throwing punches

He made to punch him back

"Stop!" Jenny said from the class door, the Principal is behind her

"Why is it that the O'Brien's are trying to grip my life" Mr Lawrence said, entering the class fully

Lucky withdrew his fist

"Dan, so it's not a teacher or any other student today, it's your brother, oh God when will the spirit of calmness be with you... I don't even have much time for questions, both of you should come to my office, now! " Mr Lawrence ordered

and left

Lucky and Dan shot each other deadly glares before leaving the class to the principal's office

Sophia came into the class and Jenny rushed to her immediately, she took her out of the class to the corridor

"Tell me, how did you get to Dan's back?, How did you get that jerk to give you a piggyback ride?, He has never done that for any girl" Jenny said

" It's nothing, the students just misunderstood" Sophia replied and explained everything

" Oh dear, but when I asked what happened to your knees in the morning, you told me you slipped and fell"

" I'm sorry I lied" she replied

" It's ok, the students will stop talking about it once another news pops up in the group so chill" Jenny said

"I understand" Sophia replied

Jenny noticed traces of tears on her face

"Hey don't tell me you've been crying" she said

"Oh, something got in my eye, the tears came out voluntarily when I wanted to remove it" she lied

" Oh dear, sorry, so how about the tutorial? " Jenny asked

" I won't give up, let's meet again today, I won't run away again even if I don't understand" she replied

" Let's be optimistic" Jenny replied

Sophia nodded and they entered the class together

"Shameless girl!" Monica remarked maliciously

"Is that your new name? " Jenny said

"She wasn't talking to you" Cynthia replied

" And I wasn't talking to you either, bitch!" Jenny replied.

"Are you now her mouth piece or what? " Monica asked

" I just have to defend her from double digit IQ dummy like you guys" Jenny replied

" What! " Cynthia and Monica chorused.

" Yes, excuse us" Jenny replied

She went to her seat and Sophia sat too

Principal's office

"So why did you punch your brother?" Mr Lawrence asked

"Nothing, just give me the punishment" Dan replied

"ok, so I should take it that you punched him without a reason? " Mr Lawrence said.

" Anyhow" he replied

" Ok Lucky, you can go to class" Mr Lawrence said

and Lucky left

" And your punishment is community service for the whole of today, you can't go to class, clean the sports complex, arrange the library" Mr Lawrence said

Dan left the office and went straight to the library

It was quiet easy there cos the books are not that jumbled

He finished arranging in less than thirty minutes

He left for the sports complex

Entering it, he sighed

There's so much to do

"Fuck you Lucky!" He muttered

His mind shifted to Sophia

"I never meant to say those words to her, I was just overly angry" he thought

He started by arranging the balls scattered round the place before starting to sweep with the sweeping stick

"Why did anger even make me say that?, Oh God!, I hate this" he thought as he swept...

He did it all in the next one hour and thirty minutes

He went back to class, the last teacher for the day is already in class, that's Ms Grace the English teacher

He entered and took his seat

He looked at Sophia but her eyes are focused on the board

"So the new girl, tell us the meaning of Cyclops?" Mrs Grace said

Sophia's heart skipped a beat

"How come it's me she called" she thought, fidgeting as she stood

Her pen fell

Dan noticed she has no idea from the way she's shaking

"Feeling cold?" Ms Grace asked

"No ma'am" she replied

"Then tell us the meaning of Cyclops? "

" A... A...

"A person with only one working eye" Dan interrupted

"Oh good, but you know I don't like chorus answers, and it wasn't you I asked the question, so new girl, you're answering another question" Ms Grace replied

" From pan to fire" Sophia thought, still fidgeting

"So tell me the meaning of hedonism" Ms Grace asked

"she's sick madam, I don't think she can answer any question for now" Dan interrupted again

" Unbelievable, what's wrong with him" Lucky muttered to himself

" Did someone inject him with a weirdo serum?" Jenny asked herself

"let's see how far this will go" Monica thought

" Oh she should have told me that, no wonder she's shaking, sit down and put your head on your table, rest" Ms Grace said

Sophia got taken by surprise

"Thanks ma'am" she replied and took her seat

She looked at Dan but he looked away, trying not to make an eye contact

She placed her head on the table and pretended to be sleeping

The students kept answering questions in class especially Dan

"But I'm the only dullard here" Sophia thought as she layed low

Closing time

Dan grabbed his bag and is the first to leave the class

Lucky followed as usual

"So see ya in the evening, I won't be late today" Jenny said and pecked Sophia before leaving

Sophia packed her bag and made to go out of the class, Cynthia and Monica blocked her way

"Hey shameless" Monica said

Sophia shifted back but someone pushed her, she staggered and they all laughed

"Why do you all hate me?, I've never done anything wrong to you guys" she said

" You don't get it do you?,. We hate you because you're a dullard, the only dullard here" Cynthia said and they laughed once again

Monica grabbed her hair and she winced in pains

"Let me go!" She whimpered

"Make me" Monica said, pulling her hair more

"I can't continue like this" she thought and used her elbow

She hit Monica and she let go of her immediately

She ran out of the class with the students running behind her

"Gosh Sophia you're in trouble" she thought as she ran into the restrooms block

Someone suddenly pulled her into a corner and when she's about to shout,the person blocked her mouth with his hand

The chasers passed by without noticing

"It's me, Dan" Dan said, removing his hand from her mouth

He's feeling guilty, that's why he couldn't go home, he decided to stay there and think of how to say sorry to her and tell her he never meant those words when he saw her coming on the run with chasers behind her

She looked up at him and their faces are just inches from each other cos the place is tight

The chasers came rushing back again and Dan pulled her closer to himself so her uniform won't show

Her head is on his chest as she stood still, she can hear his heartbeat, about hundred beats per second