The Scars

0Today was Saturday which meant tonight would be Angeline's birthday party. I was not comfortable being around many people at the events like a party. I did not fancy being a center of attention although I certainly would not grab the guests' attention at Angeline's birthday party at all. Still, it irked me.    0

    

Nonetheless, it might be the only way to get to reconciliation, to terminate Angeline's bullying toward me. She possibly had changed. Who knew? What if it was only a trap? She did it on purpose to assault or to humiliate me. In almost three years, it was the first time she acted normally as a student. I did not mention it as a friend for it was just a term for those who cared for me and acknowledged my existence. Friendship only referred to Vera and Reno.    

    

His name rang in my head like a bell. It had been almost a year, why was it hard for me to get rid of that boy out of my mind? Reno was just a friend, like Vera though sometimes my heart betrayed. He placed the deepest part of my heart.    

    

Staring down through the edge of the rooftop, I had been pondering and speculating about many things since fifteen minutes ago. Escaping here while enjoying the sunrise gave me solitude. It was away from the bullies or anything related to them. The library was another good place to outrun the students who treated me badly. Yet, it usually opened at eight.    

    

Crowds of students were walking into the gate. It was not seen clearly from above here. They looked like mini people from where I was. I arrived earlier almost every day for the last few months. My mother freed me from my morning routine and work. She prioritized my school more. Regardless of whatever the reality was, whether or not I continued my study, for my mother completing my senior high school was like a blessing for her.    

    

The knocking of the shoes which sounded more like the troops distracted me focus on the students down there who kept coming. Vera slid out through the ajar door. Her face was sweating as if she just ran from danger. She gulped the air as much as possible before she uttered. I just wished she did not see me to tell bad news. I was sick of bad news almost every day. Her smile erased my worry away.    

    

"Guess what?" She could not hide her excitement. I could not wait for the next words. "I won the case."    

    

"Really? Congratulations! I am so happy for you." I hugged her a minute. "So what happened to your aunt?"    

    

"She had to pay a fine. I don't want her to be imprisoned. She is my aunt, anyway regardless of whatever she has done to me. I begged my lawyer to set her free."    

    

"You have such an angelic heart." I admired her.    

    

"I learn from you."    

    

"No, you were born with a kind heart, indeed.    

    

"Thank you for everything. By the way, will you come to her party?"    

    

"I am still thinking about it."    

    

"Let me see the invitation card."    

    

"Sure. Here it is."    

    

"The address...it is not like..." she did not finish her sentence because her mobile phone buzzed and she directly accepted it. “Alright, I'll go down right now." She hung up the call. "Sorry I have something to take care of. Talk to you later." She ran toward the lift and got into it in a second.    

    

I still stayed in my place even when the lift had taken Vera down for about ten minutes. It was good news that she brought. And that filled my heart with relief. I was blissful to hear that her problem had been fixed. How could she easily forgive her aunt who had ruined her future?    

    

"Ilana...."    

    

"Vera...you..."I jerked back to see that it was Angeline who called my name. That girl had been at my back. She looked prettier with a smile painted there. If only her attitude was as beautiful as her face, she would be perfect. Nobody was perfect. "Sorry, I thought that it was Vera."    

    

"You are going to come to my party, aren’t you?" I tilted my head and squinted my eyes in disbelief. Angeline, the most arrogant girl in this school saw me in person just to plead and invite me to come to her party. "I know it's hard for you to believe that I have changed. I regret all that I have done to you." She held my shoulder. "Trust me. Can we be friends?" I wanted to just ignore what she said yet it was too convincing. Her eyes did reveal how she felt. Her look did not hide anything. Her soft voice was hypnotizing. Her hand did not move from my shoulder. She was so serious with what she just conveyed.    

    

"I will come." Those words were the only things my brain could think of.    

    

"Thank you." She scooted into the lift. I just observed her in silence. Then, in a short while, I went downstairs.    

    

Angeline's change left me with wonder. She did treat me well today, greeted me anywhere we met, offered me to be in her group during class discussion, or assisted me with the school assignments. It was not like Angeline I had ever known. Nevertheless, I mindfully refused to be in the same group with her, not because I did not appreciate her but I was just reluctant. We were not that close, after all.    

    

I scurried out of the school. Before I got to the gate, a car halted and a girl climbed out of it. It was Angeline who kindly offered me a lift which I politely declined. I went on with my path after her car had disappeared through the school entrance.    

    

I returned home faster than I always did. I had promised Angeline that I would not miss her party. So, I locked myself in my room, mixed and matched with the clothes I had, jeans, long skirts, shorts, and a t-shirt. The dress code stated on the invitation card was a gown for girls and a suit for boys. And I did not own any dress.    

    

I threw the clothes on the bed. What did I just do? It was ridiculous that I gave those clothes a try to find which one fitted best with me. After doing such a crazy thing – mixing and matching – I ended up wearing jeans and a t-shirt.    

    

My mother wondered where I would go at this hour. I honestly told her that I would go to my friend birthday's party. Instead of prohibiting me, she was thrilled that I could socialize with others, celebrating a birthday, or having a great time together. She uttered that she wished that I had friends that I could mingle with or hang around with.    

    

The taxi took me to the address on the invitation card. I had to pay more to reach the destination. It was impossible to take other public transport to get to this place. Getting of the taxi, I rechecked the address. It was the right place. However, I found no one here. It was just an unused old building. I could not be wrong. I remembered that the driver even asked me twice to reassure me that I did not mention the wrong destination. Was this a trap like what I had been wary of? Angeline...she might be just pretending to be good.    

    

When I spun back, there were a group of five drunken people walking toward me. My instinct alerted me to run.