"What the heck was that?" Julie exclaimed in shock.
"Angela… are you serious right now?" Lisa asked, equally stunned as she held Fiona, who was already trembling with anger, her cheek turning red.
"I hate you, you poor slut!" Fiona screamed, raising her hand to strike back.
But Angela was faster.
She grabbed Fiona's wrist mid-air and pushed her backward.
"I've had enough of this," Angela said, her voice firm and cold.
Fiona tried to lunge at her, but her friends quickly held her back.
"Stop it!" Lisa said, tightening her grip. "Do you want another problem? The school authorities will hear about this, especially after your last fight just two days ago!"
"Yeah, calm down," Julie added, though her eyes remained fixed on Angela. "We'll deal with her."
Angela stood her ground, unshaken.
"The next time you try to mess with me," she said firmly, "you will regret it."
With that, she turned and walked away.
"Ugh! Let me go!" Fiona snapped angrily, pulling herself free from her friends' hold. "You're all useless!"
Her eyes burned with rage as she watched Angela leave.
"You saw her push me… she even slapped me, and you just stood there watching!" Fiona shouted, her voice shaking with anger and humiliation. Tears filled her eyes as she glared at her friends. "You're all pathetic!"
With that, she turned and stormed away, leaving them behind.
Later, during break, Angela felt relieved when she saw Elsa.
They walked side by side to the cafeteria, talking softly.
"Order anything you want, I'll pay," Elsa said cheerfully, clearly in a good mood.
Angela smiled. "Thank you so much, Elsa."
They settled down with their food.
"Well, I told my mom about you," Elsa continued as she took a sip of her drink. "She was really happy. So… how much should we pay you for teaching me?"
Angela paused mid-bite and looked up at her.
"Huh? Come on, Elsa… it's free," she said simply, returning to her food.
Elsa shook her head gently and reached out to hold her hand.
"No, Angela. Don't forget, you told me you dance to get money. I know you need it to take care of yourself. And my mom is willing to help. Just name your price, she won't bargain."
Angela sighed softly, then shook her head.
"No, Elsa. I can't take money from you," she said firmly. "I want to teach you for free. You're my friend, and I genuinely want to help you."
Elsa opened her mouth to protest.
"Angela, you can't."
"Elsa, please," Angela cut in gently. "Just forget it. I'm not taking anything from you."
She paused, then added with a small smirk, trying to lighten the mood,
"Besides, I already dealt with Fiona today. I gave her a slap that should wake up her dull brain."
Elsa's eyes widened.
"Really?" she said, impressed. "She deserves even more than that. I like how you're handling her. Maybe she'll finally stay away from you."
Then her expression softened slightly.
"But you still need to be careful. I don't want your punishment to get worse if she reports you."
Angela shrugged.
"Who cares?" she said, her tone slightly raised. "Fiona is just a foolish girl. I don't even understand why Chris, of all people, would choose her."
"Calm down, Angela," Elsa said. "And how are you even sure she's, his girlfriend?"
"I'm not sure," Angela admitted. "But I saw them together… they looked happy."
Elsa shook her head lightly.
"Oh, please. That doesn't mean anything," she said. "Chris doesn't love her. If anything, she's the one forcing herself on him.
"Really?"
"Yes," Elsa nodded. "Chris is not really a bad person. He doesn't treat girls badly like his friends, Jerry and Liam. They're the rude ones."
She continued,
"And all those girls you see around Chris? They're not his girlfriends. I'm not even sure he truly likes any of them. Most of them are just after his money, fame and his hot body."
Angela leaned back slightly, thinking.
"So… you're saying Chris isn't a player?" she asked. "Then why does he act like one?"
Elsa shrugged.
"Who knows?" she said casually. "Let's just eat before the food gets cold."
Angela smiled faintly.
"Okay."
As she continued eating, a quiet thought lingered in her mind… and for some reason, she couldn't stop thinking about Chris. She later returned to her punishment duties, and this time, Elsa decided to stay and help her since they had no classes.
Together, they worked quietly in the garden. Angela felt a little lighter knowing she wasn't alone.
Later that evening, Angela rushed to meet her dance team.
They were already done with their rehearsal, and excitement filled the air. News had just come in, they had been invited to perform at a very big show.