----
Lavinia was staring at Mickel with obvious confusion.
Between the features she was seeing now and that strange feeling that had haunted her since yesterday,
there was something she simply couldn't understand.
She clearly remembered that moment before sleeping, when she took a quick look at an album
and saw a picture of her and Mickel in the school clinic: he was sitting, his features filled with an inexplicable sadness,
looking at her as if he were hiding something heavy in his chest…
as if what she was about to say now would have caused that.
Her thoughts were cut off by Mickel's voice saying: "What happened to your knee?"
Lavinia lifted her knee slightly, looking embarrassed: "Ah… my knee? Actually… when I was going up the stairs, I tripped and fell on it. Luckily no one saw me."
Mickel stood up from the chair,
then gave her a light tap on the head and said sarcastically: "You're such an idiot."
Lavinia shouted as she held her head: "Ahh! That hurts!"
The two of them left the clinic.
The hallway was empty and silent,
nothing but the echo of their footsteps filling the place.
The air was slightly cold, and the white hallway lights gave the atmosphere a strange calmness.
But inside Lavinia's chest, there was no calm at all.
She felt something heavy, a strange feeling she couldn't understand, and she thought to herself:
Why did he look sad in the picture? Yet now he acts like nothing happened… Is telling him that he and Chloe make a great couple something sad for him?
Suddenly, she stopped.
Mickel stopped too, and turned toward her slowly.
Lavinia said, more clearly than she expected from herself: "Mickel… what do I mean to you?"
Mickel's eyes widened slowly, as if he heard something he wasn't prepared for.
He said in a trembling voice: "W-what do you mean…?"
Lavinia raised her head steadily: "As you heard… what do I mean to you?"
For a moment,
it seemed like Mickel's heart stopped beating.
He stuttered, then spoke in a slightly weak voice: "You… you're my friend."
Lavinia sighed, then gave a small smile: "Yes… that's right. We're friends… and we'll stay friends forever."
But in Mickel's heart, something hurt him, something he didn't understand… or perhaps he understood it but didn't want to admit it.
He approached Lavinia,
put his arm around her neck and pulled her toward him lightly, saying: "You're silly today… you stupid girl."
Lavinia screamed: "Ah! Stop it, you rabid dog!"
Mickel laughed softly, then continued walking toward the changing room.
---
The room was completely empty…
Mickel took off his blood-stained shirt
and opened his locker.
He froze for a moment.
Inside the locker were bits of trash, torn papers, pencil shavings, and even some small insects.
Mickel sighed deeply,
a wave of intense irritation passing through his chest.
He began brushing the dirt off his clothes and shoes with a blank expression.
This was the dark side no one knew…
the side he hid from Lavinia and from everyone else.
His daily harassment inside the club that everyone thought was his place of strength.
Even though he was the best player, some of his teammates saw his success as provocation.
He wiped his face, closed the locker slowly, then put on his clothes without looking in the mirror…
as if he didn't want to face his own reflection.
---
At night…
Lavinia had just come out of a warm shower, her hair slightly wet, her cheeks flushed from the steam.
Her room was quiet, and she turned on the dim lamp beside her bed.
She put on comfortable clothes, then sat at her small desk and started doing her homework.
When she finished, she couldn't stop herself from looking at the album.
She opened it slowly…
The picture that yesterday showed Mickel looking sad now appeared completely normal…
as if nothing had ever happened.
But what made her freeze was a new picture that appeared for tomorrow…
It was a picture of her…
receiving a strong slap from one of the male students.
She screamed while covering her mouth: "Whaaaat… me?!"
Her expression in the picture showed extreme fear.
She stared at it in shock and confusion.
The person who hit her didn't show his face, only a broad back and well-defined muscles…
a strong athletic build.
She said angrily as she flipped the picture: "Damn it… did I really look scared of that idiot? And who is this boy who dares to hit me in the first place?"
She searched through the rest of the pictures…
nothing.
As if the person hit her and then disappeared from her entire life.
---
The next day…
The hallways were crowded with students.
Laughter, footsteps, the smell of cake from the cafeteria.
Lavinia walked calmly, holding a piece of cake and tasting it.
Suddenly…
someone bumped into her hard from behind, making her fall to the ground and the cake scatter everywhere.
She lifted her head quickly…
the picture from tomorrow flashed in her mind like lightning.
And she saw him…
It was the captain of the basketball team.
George.
He didn't even look at her…
He continued walking with absolute indifference, as if she didn't exist.
For a moment, Lavinia felt the same fear she saw on her face in the picture.
But she pulled herself together, stood up, clenched her fists tightly, and said in her heart: Damn it… why this person of all people? He's the biggest bully in the school… even the teachers fear him.
And yet… she raised her voice in front of everyone: "Are you blind, you idiot?!"
George's steps stopped.
He turned around slowly, anger rising on his face, veins bulging, and his green eyes narrowing.
He walked toward her, step by step.
He got closer…
He was much taller than her, and his body was massive.
The students gathered around them, but no one dared to interfere.
They all knew George…
and no one wanted to be his next victim.
He said in a low but terrifying voice: "What? Are you talking to me?"
The air froze around them…
and Lavinia realized that the moment she had seen in the pictures had already begun.
----