Rumors

*Bonus Chapter*

The classroom was silent, with the teacher explaining the new math lesson. Jared was in the back, as usual, barely paying attention. Suddenly, the door opened, interrupting the lesson.

The school secretary walked in, looking a bit hesitant. "Sorry for the interruption, teacher," she began, glancing around the room, "but the principal needs to see Jared Myers."

All eyes turned to Jared. He sighed, slowly getting up from his chair.

Jared grabbed his backpack and left the classroom, following the secretary down the hallway. He could feel the curious stares and whispers of the other students as he passed by.

When they reached the principal's office door, the secretary motioned for him to enter. Jared opened the door and found the principal sitting behind his desk, wearing a serious expression.

"Jared, please have a seat," the principal said, pointing to the chair in front of his desk. Jared sat down, crossing his arms and waiting for the lecture he knew was coming.

The principal took a deep breath before starting. "Jared, we have a serious problem. Earlier today, you left three students from Brookfield High in a severe condition. They have broken teeth and several injuries. This is unacceptable."

Jared kept his indifferent expression as the principal continued. "You have no idea how much trouble this has caused. We almost had the press here to cover the story. People are pressuring me to make a decision, saying you are a danger to this school."

Jared finally looked at the principal. "They started the whole mess," he began, but the principal raised his hand to stop him.

"That doesn't justify what you did. We have procedures to handle these situations. Violence is never the answer, Jared."

The principal paused, rubbing his forehead with his hands. "I'm being pressured to make a drastic decision. Many believe you shouldn't be here anymore, that you pose a threat to the other students."

"Jared, I need you to understand the gravity of the situation. I haven't made my decision yet, but you need to give me a good reason not to expel you."

Jared rolled his eyes and retorted, his voice dripping with disdain. "This is all bullshit. Those punks were bullying a student from another school," he said, referring to Jake. "If you're so worried about student safety, why don't you fix the damn wall those idiots jumped over? I'll tell you why: because it wasn't a problem until now. You're not concerned about student safety, just your damn reputation."

The principal tried to intervene, but Jared continued, anger flashing in his eyes. "And I'll tell you why you won't expel me. Since I transferred here, there's been no more bullying. You think I don't know who's spreading rumors about me, Principal?"

Jared stared at the principal, his eyes locked onto his. "I know you let these rumors run wild because you think I'm a 'necessary evil,' someone who maintains order in a way you can't. So let's stop pretending you care about student safety. All you want is to keep your precious reputation intact."

The principal was silent for a moment. He took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. "Jared, it's not just about the reputation. It's about the well-being of all the students. Violence will never be the answer."

Jared rolled his eyes again and retorted, "Then expel me, Principal. Aren't I the cause of the violence you keep talking about? It's simple, just stamp a paper, and I'm out of your sight."

The principal was silent once more, rubbing his forehead as he pondered. Finally, he sighed deeply. Jared, seeing this, stood up from the chair, ready to leave.

"Jared, wait," the principal finally said. "I'll have to suspend you for two weeks until things cool down."

Jared turned, staring at the principal for a moment. "Whatever," he replied coldly, before slamming the door as he left the office.

As Jared walked out of the school, news spread like wildfire. Everyone was talking about Jared's fight with the Brookfield High students and how he beat them up so badly that they broke their teeth. Rumors were running wild, and many believed he would be expelled. Some were already thanking their lucky stars, relieved at the idea of getting rid of him.

But the smarter students knew what it really meant. Without Jared to maintain order in his peculiar way, chaos in the school was about to begin. They exchanged worried glances, aware that Jared's presence, intimidating as it was, kept the minor bullies in check.

"Did you hear? Jared beat those guys so bad he broke their teeth!"

"Finally, they're going to expel him! It's about time."

"You guys don't get it... If he leaves, the school is going to turn into a hellhole."

In another hallway, Sarah and her friends were chatting excitedly about the latest news.

"Did you hear what Jared did? He broke those guys' teeth from Brookfield High," said one of the friends, with a mix of fear and admiration in her voice.

"He's really intimidating," agreed another.

"I don't think he's that bad," opined a third friend. "Since he transferred, I don't remember him causing trouble with anyone. People are scared of him because of the rumors that followed him from his old school."

The friends nodded in agreement and then turned their eyes to Sarah. "What about you, Sarah? What do you think of Jared?"

Sarah felt a bit nervous, recalling the last time she spoke with Jared. Whenever she was near him, she fumbled her words. Why did she have to be so awkward? She didn't know what was wrong with her.

"I... I don't think he's that bad," she replied, trying to hide her nervousness. "I mean, he can be scary, but... I don't know. I think there's more to him."

The friends exchanged curious glances at Sarah's response. "You've talked to him, right? How was it?"

Sarah blushed, remembering how she had stumbled over her words the last time. "It was... it was normal," she lied. "He just seems... different from what everyone says."

As the friends continued their conversation, Sarah wondered why she always got so nervous around Jared.

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Reader-kun: Author-sama, you were right! To win over a woman, you have to ignore her. Look at Sarah, she's already falling for the MC. (ง'̀-'́)ง

Author-sama: I told you, Reader-kun.

¯\_( ͡◡ ͜ʖ ͡◡)_/¯

Author's girlfriend: (≖︵︣≖)

Author-sama: Cough, cough. This Reader-kun makes up the wildest things... ( ͡' ₃ ͡')