Breaking the Curse

Chapter 4

A loud school ball starts to ring in the distance, birds shot up through the morning blue sky, breaking the clouds like whips in the wind.

Outside Genevieve middle school, a quaint one-story brick building that was built by the British when Cambodia is still under its colonization.

A People's Republic of Cambodia flag waves in the breeze. Alice pulls up on her bike. she slots it into a bike rack.

"Look who's here, the poor girl." Some of the bully girls' voices can be heard from a distance. Alice tries to avoid trouble with the people in her school as much as she can, but it seems like they don't want to avoid getting in trouble with Alice.

Alice tries to keep her head low, but she still runs into the bullies, Victoria and Ava, striding over to her. They're staring at her birthmark.

"Step right up, ladies and gentlemen. Step right up and get your tickets for the freak show. Who do you think would make more money in a freak show?" Said Victoria.

"I think it grew over the weekend!" Said Ava.

"You really gotta get that checked out, Alice! Might be cancer or something!" said Victoria.

They laugh. Alice simply ignores them. This is a regular occurrence and this is how she handles it with passivity today, at least, it works. Ava and Victoria shove past her...Ellis pulls up on his bike. He glares at the bullies."Bitches" Said Ellis at the bullies.

Alice shrugs it off like it's no big deal, even though it clearly is. But her mood brightens when she spots her friends coming toward her.

Freckled, with a gaggle of POPULAR FRIENDS. Ellis punches Alice in the arm."Jesus, Alice! Mirrors! Mirrors. Use them, remember? You can't just stare like some creeper." Said Ellis.

"I wasn't staring," Alice replies with a shy face.

"Hey, guys! let's get going we're gonna be late." Said Miles.

"Have you seen Sebastian around?" Alice asks the boys.

"No -- why?" said Miles.

"Have you seen him?" ask again by Alice.

"I don't know -- his mom called this morning, looking for him," said Ellis.

"I'm sure he's just in class," Miles replies.

"Yeah Maybe," said Alice. Alice's gaze drifts back over Wolf again, Ellis punches her again. and said"Mirror! Jeez.

In the school hall, a ton of students are standing, chatting, and chilling like normal students do on a normal school day. The school bell rings, making a really loud noise that every student hates the most. Looking back at the high school hallway,

The two high schoolers still have not yet gone to class.

"So, did he call?" Naty asks her BFF, Adeline about her new boyfriend.

"Keep your voice down," Adeline replies while trying to silence her friend's mouth with her hand.

"Did he? Come on Adeline, tell me?" Naty tries to urge her to answer her question with a smile on her face.

"I told you, it's not like that. Okay, I mean, yes he likes me, but not like that. We just...hooked up a couple of times." Adeline whispers to her BFF's ears, while her cheeks turn red.

"We just...hooked up a couple of times," Adeline says.

"Adeline, seriously, you're gonna be so cool now, it's ridiculous," Naty replies with a surprised face.

"No, I'm not," Adeline replies, while punching lightly at Naty's shoulder.

"You better still hang out with me, that's all I'm saying. If you become friends with Matilda and Henry--, I still hate them, not gonna lie" Naty replies.