The school bus rumbled to life, heading toward the next stop.
Not long ago, "Maria" was chatting and laughing with her classmates, full of energy. But now, the air inside the bus had grown heavy and quiet, almost stifling.
A tense, oppressive vibe hung over everyone.
The usual chatter and giggles were gone. It was like an unspoken agreement—nobody felt like talking.
Well, except for one person.
That would be "Maria."
Today, she wasn't just unusually fiery; her whole vibe had changed completely. The old Maria was like a timid little bunny, ducking and dodging whenever someone picked on her.
But the Maria of today? In everyone's eyes, she was like a blazing sun—radiant, untouchable, and intense. Get too close, and you'd get burned, just like what happened to Mark.
Click, click!
The sound of a lighter.
A small flame flickered, lighting up a trembling cigarette.
Someone couldn't take the suffocating tension anymore and instinctively pulled out a cigarette, hoping a quick puff would calm their nerves.
But in a flash, a pale hand reached out, snubbing out the lit cigarette. A wisp of white smoke curled upward.
The smoker turned his head. Across the aisle, "Maria" was staring at him with a cold, hard look.
"Hey, no smoking in public," she said flatly, her voice carrying an undeniable authority. "Smoking's bad for your health—especially secondhand smoke."
Don't mess with me!
I'll do it myself!
The guy's survival instincts kicked into overdrive. He slapped himself twice, hard, his face crumpling as he practically wailed, "I-I'm sorry… I messed up. I won't do it again!"
Only when "Maria" gave a small nod did he slump back, relieved, though his body still shook, his teeth chattering loudly.
Man, these American kids and their weak nerves.
What a messed-up generation!
"Maria" crossed her legs, leaned back, and let out a satisfied sigh.
Barry, inside Maria, felt like he'd just set a stellar example. Maria was definitely going to take notes and use this next time.
"Maria" squinted, savoring the faint whiff of fear in the air, a slight smirk curling her lips.
A little while later, she turned to Lily, her seatmate, and said, "Lily, why so quiet? This isn't like you, all stiff and stuffy. Something on your mind? Spill it."
On her mind?
Oh, maybe just that her friend, who she hadn't seen in a day, had pulled off some next-level face-smacking and elbow-jabbing moves. That count?
Lily was screaming like a spooked groundhog in her head, but on the outside, she forced a strained smile.
Honestly, it wasn't her best look.
It was worse than if she'd just cried.
"Maria" slung an arm around Lily's shoulders, all buddy-buddy like they were the best of friends. "There we go, Lily. Smile more—it looks good on you."
"Haha… ha," Lily managed an awkward laugh, not daring to resist. Truth be told, she thought Maria had changed way too much. Ever since they got on the bus, it was like she was a different person.
"Lily, I've always thought of you as my best friend, but it feels like you're not so keen on talking to me," "Maria" said.
"N-no way!" Lily stammered.
"Then talk."
"Oh, uh, Maria, you were… seriously badass today. I've never seen you like that. It's just… a lot to take in."
"Heh. Wanna know why?" "Maria" said with a grin.
"Why?"
Lily's curiosity was piqued.
And she wasn't the only one. Everyone on the bus perked up, ears practically twitching, dying to know the secret behind Maria's transformation.
Was this, like, some superhero origin story?
They were all dying to know.
"It's simple," "Maria" said with a calm smile. "In one moment, I just… got it."
"Got it?" Lily blinked, confused. What did that even mean?
"Lily, at some point, it hit me—I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm almost eighteen, practically an adult."
"So, I decided to switch things up, live life differently. And you know what? It feels pretty good."
"Life's like a fight. If you wanna stay standing, sometimes you gotta knock your opponent down."
A fierce confidence lit up "Maria's" face. Right now, she looked like a queen ready to take on the world.
"That's… deep," Lily said, forcing herself to sound impressed.
The bus pulled to a stop. They'd arrived at school.
The doors opened, and the passengers scrambled off, practically sprinting toward the school like they were late or something.
In less than ten seconds, the bus was empty.
Maria strolled leisurely toward her classroom, while Lily, the second she stepped off the bus, mumbled some flimsy excuse and bolted.
Good morning, school.
A new day, a new chapter of campus life, had begun.
["Maria, you've been so quiet! You must've learned a ton, huh?"]
Barry, feeling pretty proud of himself for solving Maria's school problems like a pro, thought he was being the ultimate wingman.
But weirdly, during his big moment of flexing and throwing elbows in Maria's body, Maria herself hadn't said a word.
Was she just watching too closely, analyzing every move like a slow-motion replay?
This girl was way too eager to level up!
["…"]
No response.
But Barry could sense Maria's consciousness was still awake.
Was she… overcome with emotion?
["Maria: AHHHHHH!"]
A piercing scream exploded in his head. Barry, still controlling Maria's body and walking, stumbled from the shock, nearly face-planting.
["Barry, what the hell did you do?! My life is over!"]
Maria's panicked shrieks cranked the noise level to eleven.
["Maria, chill. It's no big deal."]
Barry brushed it off. A few elbow jabs, what's the problem?
But to Maria, it was like the sky had fallen. She hadn't expected Barry to go that hard, all precise and ruthless. This wasn't the clever, subtle revenge or secret superpower flex she'd imagined.
This was straight-up, in-your-face, fist-to-flesh chaos.
How was this not weird?!
["Chill?! How am I supposed to chill?! Oh my God, if my dad finds out, he's gonna ground me for life!"]
["I did nothing wrong. This was all for you, Maria. Real friends don't let you down."]
["Mark and his crew are definitely gonna snitch to their parents, and when it gets back to my dad, I'm done."]
["What's done is done. And, Maria, you did it too."]
Maria went dead silent at that.
Yeah, exactly.
To everyone else, it was Maria who threw those punches. That was a fact she couldn't escape.
Unless… she played the crazy card and said she'd had a mental breakdown or something.
Was that her only option now? Pretending to be nuts?
Maria was already picturing herself living out her days in a psych ward.
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