Painful Smiles

“Good day, Michael” Wright felt light that day. He gave a small bow to the body guard who was standing outside the car.

Michael didn’t respond to Wright’s greetings and slammed the car door shut. Wright was puzzled for a sec. Did he wake up on the wrong side of the bed?

“Get into the car if you are joining him to get the rocks” the driver rolled his eyes at Wright. He did as he was told.

As uncomfortable as it seemed sitting beside a grumpy boy, he quite enjoyed the smooth ride.

He was obviously displeased when the car came to a halt by a stream side. “Yes, we could get the sample rocks from here” Wright struggled to bring out his textbook from his bag while Michael began walking towards the stream.Content rights by NôvelDr//ama.Org.

Wright followed. Michael raised his hand for his bodyguard not to follow and the bodyguard nodded.

“As for Cecilia, she felt very awkward working with you so she said she’d handle the arrangement and explanation of the rocks. We should just do the retrieving” Wright informed. Michael only nodded.

“Is something wrong? You don’t seem talkative today?” Wright had to ask. Michael looked like he had been waiting for the question for long as he gave a satisfied smile.

“Do I usually seem talkative? With you?”

Wright flinched by the coldness of his voice. “Well, we don’t have problems so you shouldn’t speak coldly either” he answered.

Michael kept his eyes fixated on him while bending down to lock a pebble, “That girl, Claudia. You really don’t know how she got that injury? It’s kind of deep for a minor home accident, don’t you think?” he tossed the pebble into the stream.

Wright looked over at the stream, and then at him and shooked his head, “She never said it was a home accident, she just never talked about it. I didn’t enquire much. Could be something painful and I didn’t want to re-open wounds”.

Michael chuckled softly, “You’re sweet. And obviously like her. I can’t place why. What if you were to know the real story behind the injury, would it change the way you see her?”.

Wright looked down at his hands confused. Michael picked up another pebble. Let him share the scary story he heard from Clara the other day.

If Wright was looking out for Mafia guys, he should better watch out for the one he was hanging around all the time.

*********

It was almost time for their first class and Wright hadn’t returned back to the school. Claudia had waited outside but decided to return out of boredom.

Wright wasn’t a baby so she shouldn’t feel like she should know his every movement. Also, she should gauge herself from being too attached to him. It will do them no good.

Mega gave a stylish walk to her curling her hair. If she was going to ask about Clara then she better not. She started off with a glare but the girl till came closer.

“Clara sent a post on our class group yesterday. I bet you aren’t part of it so missed the post. It was about you, Claudia” a snicker escaped her lips, that later ended with a smirk.

Claudia narrowed her eyes at her, “She could create whatever lies she wanted. Only fools would believe or bother ask me about them”.

Mega’s smirk vanished as Claudia indirectly called her a “fool”. “You know, your sister is more easier to deal with than you” she blurted.

It was Claudia’s turn to smirk, “I’m sorry, but why would you want to even deal with my sister. I thought you guys are friends”.

Mega stormed away angrily. Claudia scoffed. Maybe her dumb twin couldn’t see it but she could. Mega was as tired of Clara’s bossy rubbish as Claudia was tired of it.

“I think Wright should appear here now. I need to check out the lies that imp told about me” Claudia glared at the entrance door as she thought. Wright would surely be part of the group.

Just then Michael’s car drove to a halt outside. More students were outside and saw Wright walking in with Michael. He shared in the waves that were being given to Michael.

“Wright shouldn’t stick with that French kid much” Cecilia whispered behind Claudia. Claudia gave her a look and returned back to the boys, “He knows better” she said, by the way.

Cecilia went ahead and retrieved the rocks from them and made a promise to finish the project by the next day.

“Wasn’t it rocks you guys were picking or did-” Claudia’s words hung in her throat as Wright walked past her, ignoring her existence.

Her brain screamed “What just happened!” and her eyes followed Wright’s trail into the classroom.

“You hate being ignored right?” a sassy tone asked behind her.

She turned angrily to him, “This shouldn’t be related to the gossip I heard Clara put up on the class group. Unless you’re even worse than petty” Claudia pointed.

Michael looked confused.

“I should have known Clara was planning something after what she said yesterday. Duh, you French boys are so gullible. Especially in front of pretty and popular girls. If Wright chooses such part, I’d only pity him” she spat and went ahead to look for how to get her eye on the trending gossip on her. How big was it that Wright believed second hand without asking her.

She turned back to get the access from Cecilia and saw Michael still standing confused. She sighed as she walked past him.

“Really!” Claudia screamed at the top of her lungs. The library had no students or some kid’s ears would have burst.

The gossip was already trending. How Claudia aborted the child of a mafia boss and how the mafia boss punished her by cutting her wrist. He was also after her.

The story was so crazy yet carefully narrated.

“Clara went far. This would also affect your parent’s reputation. Your both parents. Or does she think by disowning you she disowns your parents too?” Cecilia sighed besides Claudia.

Basically, Claudia didn’t care about rumors about her. But this was much, huge, too degrading to ignore. And her parents reputation were on stake here.

What baby with what mafia boss? How was that story cooked up? From what movie?

“What are you going to do?” Cecilia broke Claudia’s conflicting thoughts.

“What I should have done long ago. Give her a big-sister-to-small-sister butt whooping!”.

Last thing Cecilia saw was Claudia storming out of the school!