4 IV

LAIA DECIDED THAT TONIGHT SHE WILL SCREAM into her pillow until her throat became hoarse. Her mother continuously knocked on her door but she ignored it as she continued screaming and punching her pillows in frustration.

Of all the things the asshat could have known about Niel, he knew of his sexual orientation. Apparently, the asshat and Jake were acquaintances with Niel and a mutual friend told the asshat of Niel's sexual orientation.

Laia screamed again into her pillow. The pain and the frustration would not stop. Just when she thought she finally had a chance with somebody, she'll end up knowing they're actually interested in the same gender.

Not that the girl was homophobic. She actually loved reading novels that involved boy's love elements and even had relatives who were part of the LGBTQ community, but she never knew that she would end up falling in love with someone who would never look at her in a romantic way.

She did not cry, but she felt an ache in her heart.

Maybe she won't be sleeping tonight again. This time, however, it won't be because she's studying but instead due to a broken heart.

°

Laia wished that the day would end faster. The girl constantly looked at the clock above their classroom's board. She simply was not in the mood to listen to their literature teacher.

She could feel someone's eyes on her the entire period but the moment the bell rang that signified the class ending, Laia immediately left the room and went straight to the cafeteria to buy three cans of coffee to stop herself from sleeping through the next six periods before dismissal.

The girl felt like a zombie. It did not help that they still had a quiz in their last class for today and even if Laia did study in advance, her motivation to do good vanished due to what happened and what she learned yesterday. She decided she will never have a crush on anyone ever again. Maybe she'll just get into a good career, save enough money to buy her mother a new house and all she wants in life and she'll just live with her mother until they both die due to old age.

What a great plan, the girl thinks as she drank the entire contents of the first can in one gulp.

Her legs brought her to an empty table as she stared into nothing. Brie was absent today so Laia had no one to accompany her. She felt it would be too awkward to approach Jake again and ask him to accompany her even if he was the one who greeted her earlier when she arrived at the room and even informed her why Brie was absent. Apparently, her best friend had a family matter to attend to and will be back tomorrow.

Laia groaned in frustration. She did like to be alone but today felt like she needed a friend. Or anyone.

But except this boy who sat in front of her. The asshat. The reason why she felt like shit and would probably continue feeling so until she had something to distract herself with entirely.

She hates his guts. She hated how he would grin at her mockingly and would always seem to think of ways to rile her up. She hated how his blue eyes would flash with mischievousness whenever he would have a reaction out of her. She hated how he would run his fingers through his hair whenever it became a hindrance to his eyesight. She wanted to cut it off and make him have a bowl-cut haircut instead.

"If you stare too hard I might melt you know," The boy says, grinning with the annoying way of his again. Laia fought the urge to throw the remaining contents of her second can of coffee at the boy's face. "Are you killing me inside your head because of what I told you yesterday?"

Laia decided she would throw the entirety of her third coffee can into the boy's head if he says something else about yesterday's events.

The boy rested his head on his hand and had the audacity to look sympathetic. The girl decided that he looked like a frog. A constipated frog. "You have to thank me, you know. If you continued assuming that he would like you back you might be shocked one day to see that he's kissing that coworker of his,"

"Harvey has a girlfriend," Laia says. She was not particularly close with the other staff member but she did see him with a girl one night as he closed the store. They kissed under the rain that day, abandoning the coffee shop's umbrella, and Laia decided to never go home using that route once again.

"Sure, but how likely would he not cheat on his girlfriend with Niel? Niel's cute," Samuel says, his tone laced with fake curiosity. It was obvious to Laia that he just wanted to rile her up. She decided it was not worth it. "Are you not going to defend your crush?"

"How about you leave me alone? Don't you have somewhere else to be?" She spats out, her grip on her third can of coffee tightening. She decided that she will be screaming her lungs out after the asshat leaves on the rooftop.

Samuel stretched his fingers but made no move to leave. Laia just wanted him to leave before she decides to throw the still full can at his face.

Unfortunately, the asshole stays, a teasing grin on his face. "Nowhere at all," He leans in close suddenly that Laia grimaces. Her grimace was not missed by the asshat and this made him grin even bigger. "Don't you want me to stay with you?"

If he won't leave then I will, Laia decides, as she stands up from her seat and drank the remaining contents of her third can of coffee. She takes it and walks briskly to the trash can to throw it. She turns around and sees that the asshat was actually following him.

"Where are you going, Lopez? Did your parents not teach you that it's rude to leave without saying goodbye?"

Laia inhaled deeply at the mention of the word parents. It successfully struck a nerve inside the girl and she gritted out at him, "Did your mother never teach you not to continue annoying a girl who is obviously trying to avoid you?"

Instead of her statement silencing the boy it only made him even keener on trying to strike another nerve. "Did your parents," He emphasized the parents and it made Laia want to punch him in the face. "Or parent, I'm not sure and I don't care, never taught you to not turn your back on someone who wants to talk to you?"

Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, the school's favorite student Laia Racquelle Lopez punched her classmate Samuel Vincent Laurie without warning and so hard that he fell to the floor, unconscious.