A Mule's Tale _ [On Hold]

CH 04 || The popularity cycle

A Mule's Tale

"Be careful there pinhead,"

She stared right into his eyes and he smugly did the same with her hand still clenched in his. By then, the attention of almost the whole cafeteria was perched on them but the other students didn't take anything seriously so moved their gaze away. After all, it was the same old drama.

"Or what?" She hissed, the redness in her eyes growing more roots around her eyeballs.

He shifted his gaze to Charles, "Or little pussy over there will be next," he threatened, still in his cool attitude.

He didn't have to say too much for her to understand his point. Charlie, on the other hand, didn't hear the slightest, he was just glaring at the boy with nothing much he could do.

Hate and exasperation flashed in Charlotte's eyes but it didn't faze the bully. After glaring hard enough, she ripped her hand off his grip and marched to her seat whilst trying to ignore the laughter that erupted behind them.

Defeat. That was not a new word for her.

Ava sat with her and Charles laid his tray for her before taking his seat across the both of them in a grim mood. Why wouldn't that be after the incident that kept repeating itself?

"You can have mine, I don't have the appetite anyway." He said in a light voice so as not to trigger her.

Charlotte's temper cooled a lot after he did that but she just rolled her eyes and reached for the soda on his tray.

Ava watched the bully as he talked freely within his group of friends with a big smile on his face. A furrow occurred on his eyebrows, and her eyes squinted in thoughts about what to do to him.

Back at the orphanage, no one bullied another. It was more like sibling tussles which would be taken care of later by the eldest teenager.

Tearing off her gaze back to her friends, she asked, "What was that all about? And who was that?"

No one answered initially until Charlie decided to do the talking.

"He is André - Charlotte's stepbrother," answered Charles. Ava's mouth opened ever so slightly.

Charlotte chipped in. "He's no one Ava; to me at least. Everyone here knows he's my crazy stepbrother. And God only knows how much I hate that airhead. Let's just forget about this whole crap and enjoy our food, shall we? Well, except for Charlie," she chuckled, sticking out her tongue at him which made him snatch the burger from the tray.

"Hey!" Exclaimed Charlotte. He on the other hand bit into the burger, still looking at her to see her reaction. Ava sucked in her lips in an attempt to stop herself from laughing.

Snatching the pastry back, Charlotte made a large hole in it with her teeth. Charlie goggled his eyes and grabbed the soda, chucking it down his throat.

"I thought you said you didn't have the appetite," Ava said to him as she ate hers with a juice pack by her side.

"I was wondering how I'd stay in class without food. That'll be awful," he grimaced. But all the while, Charlotte didn't seem to mind.

A group of students started trooping into the cafeteria. The first group was full of girls dressed in one uniform which was a long-sleeved shirt with blue diagonal lines across the trunk and a slashed one across the arms. Their skirt was a blue mini which accentuated their long legs.

"The sashays." Mumbled Charlotte. Ava snapped her head to her in a confusion.

"Who are those? And why are they dressed distinctly from normal?" She asked.