24 XXIII

NEWS SPREAD ANNOYINGLY FAST. 

The moment Laia arrived at school, the conversations around her seemed to circle around her confrontation with the asshat on the coffee shop.

Looks like the asshat's threats to the people in the coffee shop weren't that effective.

The short-haired girl was quick to spot Brie alone on a bench. Laia immediately went towards her friend, realizing up close that the girl obviously was just crying.

"Brie?"

Brie's brown eyes rose from staring at the ground and met with Laia's own. "Laia,"

"What happened?" The girl scanned the surroundings, checking if anyone might have had just recently said something means but to no avail.

Everyone seemed to be preoccupied with their phones, probably watching the video someone from the coffee shop recorded earlier.

Most of the students would even glance at Laia as if seeing her in a new light, but the girl had no idea if they saw her in a "good" new light or a "bad" new light.

Looks like I'm officially saying goodbye to my crystal clear reputation, Laia thinks as she sighs deeply.

Brie noticed her friend's sighing and turns to her as if momentarily forgetting her own woes. "Are you okay? I admit I did see the video as well,"

"Did I at least look decent on it? Or did I look like She-Hulk?"

The long-haired girl chuckles. "Well, you looked really angry and fierce. But unfortunately, you weren't the focus of the video but Samuel."

Laia rolls her eyes. "Is it because he looked really good with his whole basic-looking ensemble? Shane was going crazy over it when the asshat couldn't hear us yet--"

Brie shook her head but did have a teasing smile lingering on her lips. "So you do admit that he looks good even when he's wearing a simple white shirt and jeans?"

It's not like Laia was blind. "I'm not blind, Brie. I can know and I know when boys are attractive," Brie's smile grew wider. "But that doesn't mean I'm automatically forgetting how much of an asshole he is, because mind you, the whole reason why we had a screaming fest at Brewing is all because he had the audacity to leave in the middle of our practice when he was the one who wanted us to meet in the first place!"

Laia almost had difficulty breathing after finishing her angry remark. She knew some of the students passing her heard her outburst, but she didn't really mind at the moment. She just wanted to express what she felt inside for once.

Even if that meant having other people listen in. Not like her reputation isn't suffering a great deal right now. I mean, the school won't suspend or expel her for her outbursts in the middle of the school grounds, right?

Right?

The short-haired girl lets out another heavy sigh as she decides to finally sit down beside her friend, stretching out her legs. Brie steals occasional glances at Laia, wondering what to say and stopping herself from saying whatever sentence she formulated on her mind at the last second.

"You can say whatever you want to say, Brie," Laia finally says after watching her friend repeatedly have doubt in her eyes. "I won't bite,"

Brie sheepishly smiles and fiddles with her thumbs. "Well, Samuel's mom, uhm,"

"Spit it out or don't say it at all, Brie. We don't have all the time in the world," Laia hisses, growing frustrated at how her friend was acting.

It doesn't help that Laia had terrible anger issues and a lack of patience as well.

The long-haired girl jumps in shock at her friend's tone and pouts. "You're being mean today, Laia!"

Laia gave her a deadpanned stare. "And you're evading the topic," She clicks her tongue and stood up. "Whatever. I'm not that interested in the asshat's backstory anyway, so let's just go to class before I finally decide to pluck out the eyeballs of everyone who had been staring at me like I'm a rare specimen since earlier,"

"Laia!" Brie was genuinely taken aback at how her friend worded out her statement and some of the students who lingered and apparently heard it took a step back as Laia passed through them.

Fuck the crystal clear reputation.

It didn't take too long for the two girls to reach their classroom. Just as Laia expected, only one-fourth of the class attended the afternoon classes. She doesn't blame those who choose not to attend since the two minor subjects for the afternoon were boring as hell.

It makes Laia's head hurt thinking she'd have to pretend to listen for the next four hours to their teachers' discussion. The only great thing about attending these classes is the bonus points promised to them beforehand.

Aside from that, nada.

Most of her classmates who attended the afternoon classes obviously shared the same opinion as the short-haired girl did. Brie even repeatedly yawned throughout the first class, even catching the attention of their teacher who said nothing about it.

It's not like she can blame her students! The subject was boring through and through, and it didn't help that she was only reading her PowerPoint with a monotone voice. It was either that she was a robot or she's just a teacher to get paid.

The only thing that seemed to be interesting (well, at least for most of Laia's classmates and especially Brie) was when the asshat arrived in the middle of the second class for the afternoon, looking as if he ran a marathon.

The asshat was flushed and disheveled, but his clothes were different from earlier. Instead of a white shirt, he was wearing a black polo instead and yet still the same jeans from earlier.

Not that Laia was paying attention to what the asshat was wearing, she was simply being observant!

And just because the earlier fiasco wasn't enough for the asshat, he decides to stop on the chair beside Laia's, even smirking at her the moment he sat down. "Lopez,"

Laia couldn't help but sneer openly. "Laurie,"

"I thought it was asshat?" He teases, showing off his brilliant white teeth. Laia wondered for a bit what his toothpaste could be.

"Asshat then," Laia relents, simply tired of arguing further. It didn't help when their short banter had once again caught the attention of well, everybody. Even their teacher in front stopped discussing altogether to listen.

Maybe because watching her students argue was way more entertaining than discussing in front without anyone listening to her.

Or maybe Laia's just being rude.

"Your head's up in the clouds again," The asshat cocks his head to the side.

If someone told Laia that the asshat had a split persona, she would believe them. Sometimes he's deep down infuriating, sometimes he's just mildly annoying, and at rare times he can be.. alright.

As alright as an asshat could be, Laia thinks.

"Her head's often up the clouds these days!" Brie quips from Laia's side.

The asshat, who seemed to have not noticed her earlier, smiles at the long-haired girl. "Hey, Brie. Jake's not coming?"

Laia fought the urge to facepalm at the asshat's carelessness with his words as usual. However, contrary to what Laia expected, Brie didn't break down and cry from her ex's name being mentioned. Instead, she shrugs as if she didn't care.

"I'm not his guardian, Sammy," Brie even sticks out her tongue. "And we broke up, remember?"

The short-haired girl turned to her friend in surprise. "You're just letting people know, now?"

Brie shrugs again. "It's inevitable for them to know anyway," She smiles reassuringly at Laia. "Don't worry. I think I have moved on already. And why shouldn't I? I mean, he's already having a smooth-sailing relationship with Vivi just a few hours after he broke up with me through a text,"

"Oh my gosh, are you serious?" Claudette, one of the girls Laia often saw spreading rumors, exclaimed in shock. "Did he seriously break up with you through a text? Scandalous!"

Laia glares at her. "This conversation doesn't concern you, Claudette--"

"But it does!" Claudette even dramatically places her freshly manicured nails on Brie's shoulder as if to comfort her. "That's extremely disappointing, babe. And to think that Vivi said they're just friends! What a lying harlot!"

"Hey, don't assume things on your own--"

"Yeah, it is indeed disappointing," To Laia's disappointment, Brie seemed to goad whatever Claudette was currently thinking on. "I can't believe they would do that just after we broke up. I mean, shouldn't they at least start dating after a week or so?"

Even the asshat seemed to disapprove of how Brie was making herself the victim when she had her own faults as well.

"Totes!" Another one of Claudette's minions, Anna, agrees. "Don't worry babes, we're definitely on your side! That Vivi will get karma kick on her on the butt sooner or later!"

"Oh, you don't have to--"

Sandra, another one of Claudette's minions, shook her head. "Oh, darling. We definitely should! I am posting your side of the story at this moment right now so everyone will be on your side! That Vivi will definitely see what's coming to her the moment she opens her Instagram!"

"Tata, three thousand followers!" Claudette cackles.

"Goodbye, social life!" Anna adds, cackling as well.

Laia glares at the vultures so hard that they finally decided to step away. She nudges Brie in her side sharply. "What the hell are you doing? Why would you twist everything up?"

Brie rolls her eyes. "It's what they both deserve after treating me like shit--"

The asshat even spoke up in obvious anger. "All you're doing is adding fuel to the fire," He scowls. "Jake wanted to talk to you, Brie. He actually wanted to clear the air. Vivi's just his friend. Why would you do all that shit without even hearing from their side?"

Brie says nothing. She remained her gaze straight ahead and didn't seem to have any plans to talk further.

Laia shook her head but opted to stay silent. Even the asshat looked like he wanted to say something else but stopped and instead settled on looking away, obvious disappointment on his face.

The rest of the hours went by. Brie left in a hurry and didn't even bother saying goodbye to Laia who didn't bother as well. The vultures were still on their phones the entire time and were continuously cackling as if they found it all entertaining.

Ruthless vultures preying on a vulnerable woman with a broken heart. Laia knew better than trust those three women.

Laia decides to leave the room after most of her classmates left. Grabbing her bag, she finally walks out of the room.

"Penny for your thoughts?" The asshat suddenly asks from behind her.

The girl was too lost in her thoughts about the whole Brie situation that she didn't realize that the asshat was actually behind her.

She sighs. "I'm just," Her shoulders slumped. "Jake's my friend too, and Vivi didn't even do anything wrong,"

The asshat clicks his tongue. "Yeah, Brie's being a bitch,"

"Hey, don't call her that," Laia scolds him. "She's just really vulnerable and those vultures took advantage of her weakness. Acting as if they're on her side but they're just there to get some gossip as entertainment,"

He hums in agreement. Laia honestly finds it weird that they weren't arguing for once, and she wanted it to stay that way for a while. The whole day was just exhausting. Especially the whole screaming fest from earlier, which the asshat seemed to have forgotten altogether.

Definitely weird, but Laia's not complaining. She doesn't want another screaming fest. Once a day is enough.

"Is it really a habit of yours to talk to yourself most of the time?"

Laia laughs at the way the asshat looked at her with genuine confusion. "Yeah, I guess. I think it's because I don't think anyone would really want to listen to what I really think," Upon realizing that she's actually opening up to the asshat, she immediately turns away. "Not that you should know that information--"

"Huh," The boy suddenly stopped in his steps and looked at the girl intently. "You actually look decent when you laugh."

"W-what?" Laia's eyes widened at what the asshat said out of blue.

The asshat seemed to realize what he just said and quickly turns away as well. "I mean you look ugly when you laugh,"

Laia pursued her lips and fought the urge to roll her eyes at how awful the asshat was at changing his sentences. "Ugly isn't even synonymous with decent,"

"Today is National Compliment Day," The asshat even grins at her smugly as if it could make Laia believe his words. She doesn't. Not one bit. "I'm doing charity! Who knows if you had never been called decent before--"

"Has it ever occurred to you that giving out compliments doesn't make you less of a man?"

"I made a mistake, I'm actually part of this new movement called "Be Charitable Today" and I'm about to get a hundred points for my good deed,"

The asshat had the audacity to start walking faster after his pathetic excuse.

Laia rolled her eyes. "Whatever, asshole."