Painful Smiles

After the math class, some students began congratulating Clara for speaking rudely to the math teacher who was virtually disliked by everyone cos she was wicked.

A girl even gave Clara a high five and told her she was spots on.

Michael found it weird that being rude was celebrated in the school. The why didn’t everyone seem to like it when Claudia acted rude.

“She just took her drugs. It was war” Wright came to Michaels sides were he was watching the cheer leading girls.

“You have a crush of Clara right?” Wright asked.

Michael thought he’d feel shy about the question but he rather felt offended. “I should?” he replied.

Wright chuckled but said nothing.

“Hey there, Michael, watching me?” came Clara as she cat walked down to where they were, along with Mega and Belle, of course.

Wright hissed and began leaving but Michael just left with him.

He didn’t even care if people saw him snub Clara, she was really pissing him off. Clearly not what he thought she’d be.

Clara stopped in her tracks and turned back. Mega wanted to laugh out hard but withheld herself when Belle frowned at her.

******

“IT IS CHEATING!” Claudia emphasized on every word. Michael just stared at the ungrateful piece of wooziness that was talking in front of him.

Wright shook his head and made an attempt to explain but she shut him up.

“Like she obviously saw me resting my head on my desk then boom my classwork appears done and drawn. You think she won’t know something happened? You know she won’t ignore it, she hates me” Claudia explained.

“Not that am not grateful but you know she hates me. Always finding a fault. She hates cheating and laxity so she would surely react to this” she added.

Michael had had enough. He stood up and began leaving the library. “Honestly, I’m grateful but this is trouble for me now” she kept on whining.

Wright stayed calm and opened his books to read.

Michael knew Claudia had a point. The math teacher openly called Claudia ugly, ignored Wright when he tried reporting about Claudia’s health and she seemed pretty wicked too.

“Time to use my “Billionaire Kid” card” he whispered to himself. He took one look at Claudia. She looked worried.

Her grades seemed really important to her, and strangely her reputation as she didn’t want to be seen as a cheat and rather failed. Michael was impressed with that.

He just wanted to help Wright as he looked frustrated. Maybe he wanted to low key help Claudia since she was sick.

Knowing Claudia more, he just realized she was just a regular teen with family, socializing, and anger issues. Though hers was a lot.

“How about I say I helped you, excluding Wright from everything?” he came back to them.

“And you won’t get punished or daddy would save you?” Claudia asked with a brow raised.

“Hey, don’t say that. I’m trying to give an idea here. We are dealing with another miss dangerous, if you are have no plan, accept mine”.

“And the result would be?” Claudia asked again.

“Well, you already guessed. I won’t get punished, at least not as much as you or wright would. My dad sends fund to the school now. So what do you think?”. Michael adjusted his collar.

Claudia scoffed, “Say you did it alone then. Don’t make me sound pathetic also”.

Michael made a salute sign and headed to the teacher’s room.

“If he is our friend, we would sure would gain a lot” Wright said.

Claudia frowned at him, “Gain want? Bullying teachers because he’s dad is rich? Duh, I don’t want that. It’s is pathetic” she stressed her last words.

Wright rolled his eyes, “The one who is pathetic is you and my twin brothers”.

Claudia smirked, “how?”.

“Like it was planned, all their girlfriends left them two days to a big party. They even went as far as dating sites to get a girl but no avail. They even said they’d pay a $100 per hour for a girl but…”

“Say what? $100?” Claudia asked him, basically interrupting.

Wright nodded, “I wished I was a girl at that point. I’d have make good money. Stall them for hours and make like $500 dollars”.

“Seriously, that’s much” Claudia frowned. Well, rich kids do as they like, she knew Wright’s parents were comfortable people but for their kids to spend that much… good for them.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“My family can be messed up too. So if you ever feel like talking about your family issues, I’m open to hear them” Wright assured.

Claudia nodded, “I know you are. It’s nice to reassuring it”.

They heard a cough sound by the library door and found Michael standing there.

“Not to intrude in your heartfelt moment but the teacher called you. No fears, she’s just worried for your health. Yeah, all of a sudden” Michael said and walked away.

Wright shrugged, “Rich kid talked to her, now she’s nice lady”. Claudia nodded.

Their teachers were so pathetic.

She left for the teacher’s room immediately but didn’t find the math teacher there. She walked around for a while and still saw no one.

“Frenchie, where was the teacher at?” she asked immediately she sighted Michael sitting along under a tree. He looked moody.

“I don’t know. Go find her” he replied.

She turned to leave but then he stood up. “Don’t call me Frenchie though”.

She turned back at him, “I call troublesome or French guys a “Frenchie”. You trouble me and is a French. You are well overdue for the name” she flung her hair sassily and left.

Michael scoffed at the sassiness and sat back under the tree.

****

It was an open embarrassment. Clara couldn’t just place why the French guy would snub her that harshly. And everyone was watching.

She felt like digging inches under the ground but still managed to walk away. What was with him? What did she do?

“Ugh, Clara, don’t blame yourself. He’s just becoming a jerk after hanging around with that Wright” she assured herself.

But deep down she knew she was hurt by his behavior and not just her pride being hurt but somewhere in her felt heartbroken.