Chapter 16
The classroom was packed, inside and out, but it was dead silent-until Cassie pulled out her phone and hit start on her
countdown timer.
Jennie, smeared with sticky juice from rotten fruit and feeling sick to her stomach, had no time to clean up. She spun around to face the other girls, her frustration boiling over. “What are you all just standing around for? Did I make this mess all by myself?”
The girls just stared at her, stunned into silence.
Cassie, however, remained unfazed by the chaos. She pulled out her textbook from her backpack and started flipping through the pages, looking cool and collected.
In no time, the scene had flipped entirely. The usual victim now stood off to the side with an air of detached authority, while the bullies huddled around a mess of trash, squabbling nonstop with each other.
Meanwhile, the guys were chatting away, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
“I gotta admit. Cassie’s got some serious game.
“She’s on fire”This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.
Tve never liked how those rich kids throw their weight around at school. They act like real jerks.”
“Seriously, Cassie looks amazing. How did I not notice that before?”
“Totally, less makeup is way better! What’s with all the makeup anyway?”
As time ticked by, the crowd outside the classroom didn’t thin out. If anything, it grew bigger as word spread about Cassie’s showdown with Jennie.
“What’s going on here?” Donald Gaiman, the homeroom teacher, interrupted the scene.
Donald had sharp features and looked a bit like a squirrel in a suit. He was also the vice president and a distant relative of Jennie Jennie’s uncle was on the school board, which had helped Donald get his position. He usually turned a blind eye to Jennie’s troublemaking.
“Mr. Gaiman!” Jennie started crying the moment she spotted him.
“Shut up, Cassie snapped impatiently, slamming her book on the desk and cutting off Jennie’s so*”Ca**ic, why are you bullying your classmates” *
Cassie remembered how she’d gone to Donald for help when she was the one getting bullied. But all he’d said was, “Why do they pick on you and not someone else? Maybe you should think about what you’re doing wrong.
“Mr. Gaiman, when have I bullied anyone?” Cassie replied **lly, meeting his gaze. Jennie and her friends dumped trash on my desk. Isn’t it normal for me to ask them to clean it up? If anything, they threw the trash on my desk on purpose. Isn’t that bullying
“It’s not that big of a deal. Just switch to a different desk, Donald said, clearly annoyed. “You girls quit fussing and get back to your seats. Class is about to start.
“There are still three minutes left; **ic shot back coldly, then she turned to Jennie and her crew. “Hurry up.”
The trash on the desk was already cleared away, but the real issue was the nasty words written there. With Cassie’s reminder, the girls quickly wiped down the desk, tears streaming down their faces and looking utterly defeated.
“Cassie, are you really challenging me? Donald snapped, surprised. He hadn’t expected the usually compliant Cassie to stand up to him.
“Sorry, Mr. Gaiman. I didn’t mean to be disrespectful,” Cassie said, tapping her fingers lightly on the desk. “But this is serious I think we need to call in our parents.”
Donald was taken aback. Even at this fancy private school, students rarely suggested bringing in their parents.
“Actually, my family is free right now. My parents have time to come in. Do you want me to help you make the call?” Cassie asked, feigning innocence.
Inviting the Murphy family over? That’d be a nightmare, Donald thought, his face turning pale. He knew Cassie hadn’t mentioned the bullying to her parents before, and if they came, he wouldn’t be able to keep things under wraps.
“Let’s not blow this out of proportion, Donald mumbled, his voice wavering.
“Oh Cassie raised an eyebrow. “When do you think would be the right time to do it then?”
Donald’s face turned an even deeper shade of grey.
In the last few minutes, the girls had been scrubbing away the nasty writing on the desk but hadn’t quite managed to get it
clean
“Cassie, I promise I’ll have it spotless by noon. Please, don’t tell my parents: One girl broke down in tears, ignoring the Crowd watching them.
“Why are you crying? Did I bully you? Cassie asked flatly, her expression unimpressed.
The girl covered her mouth and shook her head quickly.
Just then, the school bell rang. Cassie said slowly. “Let’s start class first.”
Jennie and the other girls exchanged nervous glances, unsure of what Cassie had planned but too scared to ask.
“Mr. Gaiman, can I go change..” Jennie, covered in trash, raised her hand, hoping to leave and clean up.
“Class is starting.” Cassie’s voice turned icy as she glanced over at Jennie, her impatience clear.
Jennie shivered at that tone and, with a tight fist, returned to her seat. The students around her instinctively pushed their desks away.
Donald stood at the front, staring at Cassie, shocked and confused. ‘What’s wrong with her? Has she gone crazy?
The classroom felt tense during the lesson. Donald was distracted, and the students were all over the place. The only one really focused was Cassie
When the painfully long class finally ended, Donald said grimly, “Cassie, come to my office, and left with his lesson plan in
hand
The classroom went silent. After a moment, someone shouted, “Cassie, that’s sick! You had Mr. Gaiman speechless!”
Cassie didn’t reply. She took her time packing up her things before standing to leave.
Hey, C**ic, what’s going on with Julia?” someone asked curiously.
Cassie shot a look at her. “What’s it to you?
The girl froze, her expression blank. After Cassie walked away, die girl muttered angrily, “*D***
All eyes turned to Jennie, who exploded. “What are you all staring at?” *
No one wanted to cross Jennie. While some secretly enjoyed seeing her get a dose of her own medicine, they quickly looked away, not wanting to make things worse.
Jennie was devastated. She rushed off to change, tears streaming down her face.
Word about Cassie’s bold moves spread like wildfire. As she walked down the hallway, every pair of eyes seemed glued to her, but she acted like she didn’t notice. When she reached the teachers’ lounge, she caught snippets of their conversation.
“It’s absolutely outrageous! How could she shove a girl’s head into a pile of trash? These rich kids think they can do whatever they want just because of their families, exclaimed Henry.
Cassie couldn’t help but smirk. She had merely retaliated against Jennie’s mess-nothing compared to the hell Jennie had put her through. Now the teachers were suddenly concerned about students’ feelings?
She knocked on the door, and the room fell silent instantly. With the Murphy Group backing her, even if they despised her. they wouldn’t dare show it-at least not now, This morning’s little stunt was meant to make it clear: Cassie was no longer an easy mark.
“Here comes Cassie, Donald said, adjusting his glasses as she walked in. “Come have a seat. We need to talk.”
Cassie stood her ground. “I still think I should call my parents, Mr. Gaiman.”
Donald was at a loss for words.
“Cassie, you were always the model student. What’s got into you today?” Tina asked, shaking her head. “Everyone’s talking about this, and it’s gonna make you look bad.
“Exactly. You privileged kids already attract enough attention. Just think how people will react if this gets out. What do you think they’ll say about your parents?” Henry added.
I think you’re right, Cassie replied calmly. “But I have a question.
“What is it?”
“You said I used to be a model student, but where were you guys when I was getting picked on?” Cassie shot back.
The teachers’ expressions turned grim.
“What bullying? Kids mess around sometimes. It’s not that serious.”
“Right. Did you ever actually get hurt? I bet you didn’t.”
Cassie looked down, a sarcastic grin tugging at her lips. “If I’d gone home with bruises, you’d have been out of a job long ago. Would you still be giving me grief now?”
Silence fell in the room.
Jennie and her friends were pretty slick. They knew how to make Cassie’s life miserable without leaving any marks. Everyone knew the Murphy family was untouchable, so no one talked about it. Plus, with Julia pulling the strings, Cassie’s family never caught on to the bullying at school.
“You’re teachers, and I get that you want to keep me in line. But let’s be fair, Cassie said c**lly. “If what you call bullying was just kids messing around, then what I did today was just normal interaction
“Cassie, watch your tonel Donald banged his fist on the desk.