Chapter 21: Chapter 21

2012

Pearl’s POV

The way I felt this morning was different, it felt as though a burden was lifted from my chest as I walked hand in hand into school with my twin sister, Aurora. I smiled widely at her as we passed through the school gate and all eyes were on us. Almost everyone turned as we walked past them. Some waved at Aurora while others only smiled. I guess they could all see how miserable I was without her.

Aurora was quite popular in school for her intellectual ability, she was top of our class and the president of the editorial team while I’m only known as the popular girl’s twin sister. I won’t blame Luke for liking her though, if I was a boy and I wasn’t related to her, I’ll be the president of her fan club.

“Thank you, Jesus, Aurora is back and we can finally see Pearl smiling,” Jerry stated as we walked closer to them. They were standing in front of their lockers.

“Whatever Jerry,” I rolled my eyes at him and kicked his leg.

“Hi Jerry,” Aurora waved at him. He couldn’t respond because he was busy whining about the pain of getting hit by a girl.

“You’re such a girl, Jerry. You can’t even withstand the pain of getting hit,”

“Sorry I didn’t grow up in the trenches as you did, Pearl. Not everyone is tough skin like you,” Sometimes, being tough skin is a compliment but since it's coming from Jerry, I’m seeing it as a call to fight.

I removed my bag and walked closer to Jerry. “Apologize for talking down on my background like that, Jerry,” I commanded.

“No, not even if my life depends on it, you need to stop hitting people like a thug and become more….” I didn’t let him finish his statement before I started hitting him with my school bag.

“If. You. Want. To. Lecture. Me. Become. A better. Person. Yourself, asshole,” that was eleven hits in total. One hit for every word.

Once I was done, Aurora pulled me away from him. “Stop,” She mouthed and I shrugged. “I was already done,”

“I swear that I’ll kill you one of these days,” He cursed.

Acting frightened, I hugged my hands around my body and began shivering. “Ooh, I’m so scared, I’m so scared of you, Jerry, don’t kill me please,”

Lyla, who we didn’t even notice had joined us began laughing. “You both need to take a break. You’re too toxic for each other,”

“She’s the toxic one,” Jerry argued, pointing accusing fingers at me.

I raised my hand proudly. “Always will be, always has been,”

Lyla shook her head. Aurora could only watch the two of us disgracing ourselves in the hallway but I didn’t care as long as Jerry doesn’t end up winning.

“Welcome back, Aurora. I hope you feel better,” Lyla asked and Aurora nodded.

“I’m one hundred percent fine. Thank you,” Lyla hugged her and groaned about how much she had missed her.

I stuck my tongue out at Jerry while he could only glare at me and roll his eyes. He soon stuck his tongue out while I shrieked, annoyingly battling my eyelashes.

“Grow up, you two,” Lyla asked. “Let’s be on our way to class while you’re on that,” I hissed, turned, and opened my locker.

As I was about to bring a book out, I noticed red paint on my hand, it was all over my books as well.

“What’s that?” Aurora asked. I shook my head, totally confused about how the paint got into my locker, not to talk of all over my books. I rubbed my hands on my handkerchief but it wouldn’t go off.

I turned, facing the guys, ready to tell them I’ll be off to the bathroom to get the paints off my hand when the secretary came out of her office, looking embarrassed and perplexed. Different sounds of laughter erupted from the hallway. I snickered, ready to join them but stopped when it became clear that the paint that my hand was covered in was also the same paint the school’s secretary was covered in.

Holy Shit!

“Pearl Augustus!” She roared, making me hiccup out of fear.

“Mrs. Summers, whatever it is you’re thinking is not it. I didn’t do it, I promise,”

If only looks could kill, I would be long gone. Mrs. Summers marched towards me with fire in her eyes.

“I don’t want to hear anything from you, Pearl. Follow me. Everyone, class now,” She yelled and the crowd that had gathered disappeared. I followed Mrs. Summers reluctantly without trying to look at my friends.

When we got to the principal’s office, I was told to wait outside while Mrs. Summers talked to the principal. After some minutes, they came out of the office and went somewhere that I don’t even know. After an hour, the principal came back to her office without Mrs. Summers and told me to enter her office room with her. I sat opposite her for the second time in a month.

“What’s your relationship with Lucas Anderson?” She demanded. I furrowed my eyebrow in confusion.

“I don’t understand” I replied.

“Well, I don’t know why he hates you so much to want to implicate you with this issue. We had to check the CCTV because I didn’t believe you did something like that and we found out it was Lucas Anderson who messed up with both your locker and Mrs. Summer’s office. I’ll call him in later and talk to him but I’ll advise you both to talk about your differences before he does something worse. You know how he is,” She said all at once and smiled bitterly. I couldn’t even find the right words to say.

“You should get to class now,” I nodded slowly as realization slapped me.

As I walked to class, I still didn’t understand why Lucas would do such a thing. Fine, we weren’t close but we didn’t hate each other, or is it that I don’t hate him but he hates me?

A hand suddenly grabbed me and I stopped, seeing Lucas Anderson grinning like the motherfucker that he was.

“What do you think?”

Surprised, I removed my hand. “About what?”

“The prank,” He shrugged, still smirking.

I swallowed hard, finding it hard to believe. He tried destroying my reputation and still asking me what I thought about it.

“I think you’re a bastard, Lucas. A psychopath who needs urgent attention, a monster who needs to be tamed, and a loser. You know what, you’re like a child, throwing tantrums for attention, and guess what, and you’ve got mine. So, good for you,”

“What the hell?” he grabbed my hand and held on tightly.

“Leave me the hell alone, Lucas. Don’t mess up my life like yours” I demanded.

He pulled me closer, his face a few inches away from mine. I could feel his hot breath all over my face and it reeked of cigarettes.

“Fuck off,” I yelled. He didn’t, he only tightened his grip on my hand.

“Since the day you decided to destroy my jacket, I was hell-bent on destroying your life. Don’t act surprised Augustus. You got my attention first,”