Barbiee thought she was helping me, but no—she was only making my life more miserable at school.
"Over here!" Chloe yelled and waved at us.
I held Barbiee's hand, and we made our way to Chloe's table.
"Hello. I'm Chloe, Griz's best friend. And these are Greg, Amelia, and Rachel—my friends," Chloe introduced warmly.
"Hi! You must be really lucky to have Griz as your best friend," Barbiee said with a smile.
"Hmm, I don't know about that. She's been giving me a heart attack lately," Chloe replied, clearly referencing the whole Steven situation.
"Really? How so?" Barbiee asked, genuinely curious. I had to admit—these two were really clicking.
"She's dati—ouch!" I kicked Chloe under the table before she could spill the beans.
"Never mind," she said quickly, changing the subject. "Let's just get to know each other better."
Most times, I wish lunch break would never end. I felt so comfortable with this group of people.
After lunch, we strolled down the hallway.
"Griz!" Steven called out.
I turned, and so did Barbiee. "Steven," I said softly.
He waved at Barbiee and then looked at me. "We didn't get to talk after that day."
"Did you make up with Nikki?" I asked.
"No. I'll talk to you later. You two have fun," he said before walking away.
Barbiee nudged me. "Nikki's boyfriend, right? Do you like him?" she asked with a teasing wink.
"No! He's not my type," I denied instantly.
"Hmm. Okay," she said, clearly unconvinced.
We walked back to class, and the rest of the day passed quietly. But when I got home, I was hit with a different kind of chaos.
My dad was dancing with his so-called colleague in the living room.
"Dad!!" I yelled.
He turned around and quickly shut off the music while the woman grabbed her jacket.
"You're home?" he asked, trying to act normal.
I snapped. "Is she your girlfriend? Dad, I'll ask just once—and remember, you, of all people, should understand the importance of honesty."
"How dare you talk to me like that! Fine—she is my girlfriend," he said, raising his voice.
I took a step back, glanced at the woman—who quickly looked away—and then at my dad, before running upstairs to my room.
Once inside, I locked the door, pulled out my mum's photo from the drawer, and lay beside it.
I cried, speaking to her through the picture. After a while, I drifted into a deep sleep.
The next morning, I woke up early. I didn't want to see my dad. I got ready for school and opened my door.
On the floor was a covered plate of food. He must have knocked, but I had slept through it.
I ignored the plate and left for school.
When I got there, I headed straight to the restroom. A few seconds later, a group of girls walked in.
"That ugly duckling really doesn't know her place," one of them sneered. "First, she shows up like she's Steven's girl, and now she's Barbiee's best friend?"
"She's so ugly and out of style—and she flirts with someone else's boyfriend," another added.
"Does she even have a mom?" a third girl said cruelly.
They weren't from my class. I wondered what was going on that made them talk about me like this.
I pushed the stall door open, and they screamed in surprise.
I walked to the sink and washed my hands. I wanted to say something, but no words came. I felt like a coward as I walked out.
When I got to class, no one was there yet—I had come early. I rested my head on my desk and silently prayed not to fall asleep.
Soon, my classmates started filing in.
"I can't believe she's sleeping with everything going on between her and Steven," Natasha whispered loudly.
"She's such a flirt," Kara added.
Confusion swirled in my mind. What was actually going on?
"Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?" Steven asked, tapping me gently.
"No! She's not going anywhere with you!" Barbiee yelled, and I raised my head in shock.
"Griz, are you okay?" she asked gently, kneeling beside me.
"Let's go outside now," she said, holding my hand.
Bang! Chloe stormed into the class, looking furious.
"Griselda! Let's talk. Outside. Now!" she barked.
My heart sank. What was happening?
Overwhelmed and embarrassed, I ran out of the classroom.