We finished our remaining activities and eventually returned to our different homes.
As I lay in bed that night, replaying everything that had happened throughout the day, my thoughts kept drifting back to Sandra's story.
"Cecile… She must be a real piece of work, huh? Tough Girls Crew… Hmm," I whispered to myself.
That group had caught my attention.
"This crew… I need to find out what they're really about."
Suddenly, my thoughts shifted to Kay.
"Kay!" I called her name as if she was right there with me.
She wasn't, of course.
But the thought still bothered me.
"She might be doing more harm than good to herself by hanging out with girls like that."
With that final thought, I closed my eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.
~~
"Kringgggg!"
The sound of my alarm immediately pulled me out of my sleep.
"Oh, shit!" I exclaimed as I jumped out of bed.
I rushed straight to the bathroom.
"8:30 already?"
I couldn't believe how late I was.
~~
"Uhm, do you have any idea why Mai isn't in school yet? It's almost 9," Louis asked Sandra with a worried expression.
"No, I don't. But she'll definitely be here soon," Sandra replied calmly before continuing with her writing.
The classroom was filled with indistinct chatter until a familiar voice suddenly stood out.
"She's such a loser. I'm surprised she even had the courage to come to school today. Crazy bitch."
It was Cecile.
She said it loudly and clearly, making sure Sandra heard every single word.
Sandra kept her head lowered and continued writing, pretending not to hear anything.
But she heard everything.
Every insult.
Every cruel remark.
Louis looked at her carefully, trying to make sure she was okay.
"Are you okay?" he asked with concern.
"I am," Sandra replied, but her voice was broken.
Of course, Louis knew she wasn't.
He walked straight towards Cecile.
"You're such a bitch, you know that? Tell me, what other nonsense can come out of that mouth of yours? You're completely messed up, just like your future."
His anger was obvious.
Before he could say anything else, Kay entered the classroom.
Immediately, Louis calmed down and returned to his seat.
The entire class had been watching.
Some laughed quietly while others stared at Cecile with embarrassment.
"What the hell are you all looking at? Turn your funny faces away," Cecile snapped, her eyes already becoming watery.
A few moments later, I finally entered the classroom and went straight to my seat.
Sandra quickly told me what had happened.
Before we could continue talking, Miss Walters, our history teacher, walked into the classroom.
The lesson began.
After some time, the bell rang, signalling lunch break.
Louis, Sandra, and I left the classroom together and headed towards the cafeteria.