Harold and Ryan were sweating waiting for Dylan. He promised them to tell what happened on the Valentine’s night. Dylan was pretty late. He caught something in his way to the school.
“Mom~” He gave such a stupid reason for being late. His mom was back for couple of weeks. She took a rest after touring London. “Okay, let’s hear this,” Dylan managed to shut both Ryan and Harold’s mouth from saying anything about him being late. “That day, when you were busy dancing with Geneva,” He raised his eyebrows and looked at Harold. “And busy … I don’t know –staring? At Lily,” He hit Ryan’s chest and Harold laughed. “I got bored. So… I walked out of the room. You both were pathetic, I couldn’t stand it anymore,”
“Stop teasing and please tell us,” Harold annoyed. “Fine, then I met Christine and we … ,” His voice trailed off. “Skip that and then, I heard a voice asking for help and I ran like a mad person. Suddenly, I saw Comfort on the floor in the storeroom. She was bleeding,” Dylan told them, in a whispering tone. “What happened to her?” Harold was so curious. “Come here,” Dylan grabbed both head. He pulled them closer. “She got raped by a least three boys,” He whispered to their ears.
“AT LEAST!” Harold said, releasing his head off Dylan’s clasp. “In the storeroom? In the place you had sex with Adele?” Harold was shocked, but still managed to tease Dylan. “Dude, are you being real? You saw her naked then? How is she now?” Ryan pushed Dylan.
“Yes. Yes. Yes. And NO! She wasn’t naked and she should be here in the school now, she was released yesterday. Please, don’t tell anyone about this. I trust both of you. Things will get messy if this news is leaked! Only both of you, Comfort and I knew about this! Do not tell the others!” Dylan warned them. “Alright boss!” Harold and Ryan raised their hands and vowed. The school’s bell rang and interrupted them. Everyone rushed to their respective classes.
“Damn it!” Dylan shouted in the middle of the field. He was practicing with his team for the competition in March. He’s one great footballer, the best in the school. But something distracted him today, he couldn’t focus on the training. Comfort was sitting on the bleacher alone. Some students who were passing by teased her. The news about her getting rape was all around the school. All of them whispered to each other even in front of Comfort about it. Comfort looked depressed and Dylan was not easy about it. “I shouldn’t trust them,” Dylan whispered to himself.
It's good to trust others but, not to do so, is much better
“Dylan! Head on the game!” Coach Dane yelled, walking to the center of the field. He got to Dylan and held his shoulder. He pulled Dylan’ shirt, he was so mad. “What are you thinking? Screwing up the last minute huh? You are the captain. Everybody is counting on you. What’s your problem?”
“I’m sorry but for now, I don’t feel like playing” Dylan pushed himself away from Coach Dane. All the footballers stopped passing the ball and turned to him. Dylan ignored them and walked out of the field. “You get back here in three, Dylan!” Coach Dane shouted.
“Or?” Dylan replied and still heading out.
“You will be out from the team!” Dylan stopped. He didn’t want to lose his one and only thing he’s good at, besides on the bed. He turned his back and looked at Coach Dane. Coach Dane’s hands were on his waist, which shows how mad he is now. “Can you please, excuse me for today?” Dylan asked politely. Coach Dane exhaled a big amount of air. “Please coach…” Dylan begged, looking desperately for a rest. Coach Dane nodded and blew the whistle. “Boys, we have to continue without Dylan!” He shouted to his team and they started passing the ball. “Make sure tomorrow you will be better than ever!” He turned half his face to Dylan. Dylan nodded and paced quickly to the shower.
He took a quick shower and ran back to the field. He was looking for Comfort but she was already gone. Dylan is determined to find her in school as he owed her an explanation. He ran class-by-class, to the canteen and the rooftop but Comfort wasn’t there. “Garden!” He murmured to himself. He ran there as fast as he could. He didn’t want to lose her.
Comfort sat alone under the three in the garden. She clutched her head with her hands. She was trying to cover her ears; she couldn’t bare anymore words from the students’ mouths. They wouldn’t stop teasing her. Christine was there with her cheerleader friends, not far away from Comfort. They were also laughing and looking oddly at Comfort. Comfort reached her limit. “Shut up! All of you!” She stood up and shouted. Everyone laughed at her. Psycho! Cuckoo! Lunatic! The students called her repeatedly by those names. They seem to have no heart at all. Comfort ignored them and ran. Out of nowhere, Dylan appeared and glared at Christine. “See, what have you done?” He shouted to Christine. Christine and her friends were acting scared by Dylan’s words and teased him. Dylan ignored those spoiled brats and chased after Comfort.
“Comfort, I will be here with you to get through all this!” Dylan grabbed Comfort’s hand and pulled her closer to him. Comfort fell on his muscular body.
“Let me go! LIAR!” She tried to get off him but failed.
“You think I don’t know that you told all of them huh? I heard everything Dylan! Everything!” She sounded disappointed with Dylan.
“I shouldn’t trust you! I should have seen this coming,” She turned her face away from Dylan.
“God! You were there? You heard us?” Dylan had no idea how she heard the conversation.
Actually, back then, she was right behind them but the wall hid her. She heard everything and couldn't believe herself at first. Now, she learned her lesson. Never ever trust anyone else.
“Harold and Ryan won’t tell the others! They are good friends! They won’t do such thing!”
“Oh yeah? Why Ryan whispered something to Christine and she laughed in the canteen?”
“No way!”
“Yes way!”
“Please give me a chance to make it right,”
“Chances come once, and you had just missed it,” She pulled her body out and walked away.
Trust is like a vase... once it's broken, though you can fix it, the vase will never be same again.
Dylan terribly disgusted by his friends. He hurriedly went to the canteen, to the ‘7teen table’. The gang will be there and he got something to talk with Ryan. He ignored everything on his way, including his coach. For the first time, he also ignored all the pretty freshman who waved at him. He had no time to flirt; all he wanted was a great solid explanation about what happened from Harold and Ryan.
“Didn’t I tell you guys to shut your mouth!?” He went to the table and yelled. He ambushed the gang and all of them shocked. Ely was there with Harold and Ryan. Roxanne is the chief of editorial board; she had a meeting to run. Natasha was busy practicing for the Talent time without Ely in the music room. Both of them weren’t at the table and they are just so lucky not to be there. “What did you told Christine huh!? I thought I can trust you!” Dylan locked his eyes on Ryan, furiously.
“So do I,” Ryan was disappointed with Dylan. “If you are saying about the whispering incident here just now. It’s about me and Lily. It has nothing to do with Comfort!” Ryan shook his head. “What’s going on?” Ely was again lost. She was completely clueless. “If you can’t put your trust on us, then don’t,” Harold annoyed by the way Dylan treated them. Ryan got up and walked away from the table with Harold. Ely followed them pointlessly. Dylan felt regret for accusing his friends.
“I’m sorry! I thought it’s from you guys,” Dylan said, hands in the pocket with his face looked so apologetic. “I know you are, come on, let’s go!” Harold put his arm on Dylan’s shoulder and walked out from the canteen. “Go where? Tell me! Anyone!” Ely fed up being lost. Three of them laughed at her and ignored the question.
Someone is just so lucky to have such forgiving friends. They forgive and they will definitely forget it.
Nevertheless, the questions of the day are;
A) Who is the masked liar? Who spread the news?
~The answer might be Comfort herself. She got a great motive to do so. It will get her noticed by all the students in high school. Human is willing to do anything and Comfort is not an exception. A naïve person can be shameless, fearless and scary sometimes just to rise and be the star –or in simple English we call, THE BITCH.
And B) Will she or he take off the mask and show whom she or he really is?
~SOS! Let’s dig it out!
“Roxy…” Roxanne was stunned to see him waiting for her outside of the meeting room.
