Elara had always known how to keep her head down. In a school where almost everyone hated her, blending into the background was her safest option. That morning she had hoped for a quiet day, but things never worked in her favor.
She arrived early, clutching a small box of cookies, wrapped neatly in a ribbon. A simple thank you gift for Damien. He had bought her shoes a week ago, and even though his actions afterward confused her, gratitude was still the right thing to do. When she entered the classroom, Damien was already there, sitting at his desk, flipping through a book as if the rest of the world didn't exist. Her hands trembled slightly as she placed the box in front of him
"Morning....this is for you," she murmured. He didn't even look up first. Then his gaze flickered toward the box, lingering for only a second before he turned the book's page and ignored it completely. This felt so embarrassing, but she had to show appreciation for the shoes she had now, she had seven pairs now, and she had only one semester to go. She didn't say anything to him and he didn't seem like he wanted to be talked to either. Then the lessons started, and the box was still at the top of the desk.
Hours passed so quickly and lunchbreak was almost over. She had left the class immediately after the lecturer had left and had been in the library in the meantime. She then came back minutes earlier, before the next lesson. But as the classroom had started to fill up with students, the atmosphere in the classroom was shifting. Elara was gathering her books when Bianca's group surrounded her, their smiles sharp-edged and mocking.
"Hey Elara, " Bianca's voice was too sweet, too fake.
"What did you give Damien? A love portion?" She wanted to say no but the words didn't come out.
"Not talking huh! How rude!" one of the girls sneered.
"What was it that you gave him? Must've been something bad because I saw him throw it at the dustbin earlier; otherwise, why would he throw it? He must've realized how disgusting you are already," she said, and the girls broke into laughter.
" You should know your place in this school, have you seen the type of cars Damien and his brothers drive? Damien has come to school with five different cars, can you afford that? " Everyone laughed wickedly.
"She can't even talk...so rude!" Bianca exclaimed.
A hand gripped her shoulder; before she could react, something cold and hard was shoved over her head. Darkness.
Laughter exploded around her as she gasped hands flying to the bucket that now encased her head. She couldn't see. The air inside felt stifling, not to mention the super cold water that had been poured over her head and now was drenching her. She tried to yank the bucket off, but someone pushed it down harder, trapping her inside. Panic shot through her. Finally, she managed to remove the bucket.
Her breath came in short, sharp gasps. Her hands fumbled in her skirt pocket searching for her inhaler. She was unable to breathe. She got hold of the inhaler, trying as hard as she could to grasp air from it but nothing was coming out. How could she have forgotten to get a new inhaler? Her lungs tightened. Her body swayed, legs growing weak. Trying to ask for help, but she couldn't even speak; no sound came out.
Her vision blurred, and her knees buckled. Then darkness.
The loud thud of Elara's body hitting the floor was what silenced the room. Just as she collapsed, the classroom door slammed open. A sharp authoritative voice cut through the air.
"What's going on here?" The students froze. The lecturess eyes then darted to Elara, motionless on the ground in a pool of water and a bucket next to her. He cursed under his breath when he saw her pale face. His lips were slightly tinged with blue.
"She's not breathing properly," He tapped her cheek, then lifted her limo body effortlessly.
"She needs medical attention now." Without another word, he strode out of the classroom leaving behind a suffocating silence. No one was laughing anymore.
The infirmary was quiet except for the soft ticking of the clock on the wall. Elara lay on the small hospital bed, her body feeling weak, her mind foggy from exhaustion. The school nurse had checked on her a few times, giving her some water and telling her to rest.
Her hands clutched the thin blanket over her lap as her mind replayed the moment over and over again. The suffocating darkness, the bucket on her head, the feeling of helplessness. If the lecturer hadn't arrived on time, would she have...?
She shut her eyes, pushing the thought away. The door creaked open; at first, she thought it was the nurse again, but when she turned her head, she froze. Damien.
He stood in the doorway, his tall frame casting a shadow across the room. His hands were shoved in his pockets, and his expression was unreadable, cold, distant as if he wasn't sure why he was there himself. Elara's lips parted slightly, words forming in his mind, but she hesitated. Would he care even if she spoke?
He didn't move closer, didn't say a word, he just.....looked at her. Seconds passed. Then, suddenly, as he had appeared, he turned around and walked away, the door closing behind him with a soft click.
News of the incident spread like wildfire. By the time Elara returned to the class the following day, everyone knew what had happened. Whispers followed her as she walked through the hallways.
"She's so dramatic. Fainting from a prank?"
"I heard she made it out for attention "
But there was a difference this time. No one dared to touch her. The school administration had made it clear if anyone was caught physically assaulting another student, there would be consequences. Bianca and her friends had been called in for queatuihbjbg but they dismissed everything as just playing around.
Since no cameras had caught the act and Elara had no proof, they got away with nothing more than just a warning.
Still, the atmosphere had changed. Bianca and her team still threw mean glances, stares filled with hatred, but they kept their distance.
*****Cold shoulder*****
It started with the first class they shared after the incident. Elara hesitated before taking her seat beside him, her fingers tightening around the straps of her bag. She gathered her courage.
"Hi..." she said softly as she settled into her chair. Damien turned his head slightly, meeting her gaze for a brief second before looking away. He didn't respond.
Elara felt a sting of embarrassment, but she quickly buried it. She wasn't new to being ignored or being given a cold shoulder. The class went on in silence, and by the time the lesson ended, she convinced herself that whatever moment of kindness he had shown to her before had just been a mistake, or maybe he had taken pity on her. It was better to let it go.
Days passed, and while the bullying had lessened, the tension remained. Elara noticed how the students looked at her whenever she walked into a room; their eyes filled with curiosity, judgment, or amusement. But no one dared to touch her.
A teacher has assigned a group project, pairing Damien and Elara. It was harder than she had expected.
They sat across each other at the library, books spread between them.
"SO..." she started, clearing her throat. "Should we split the work?" Damien didn't look up from his notebook.
After a long pause, he simply flipped a page and continued reading. As if she hadn't spoken at all. Elaras fingers curled into fists under the table.
She exhaled slowly, trying hard not to say anything else. They worked in silence and even when the lecturer passed around per group checking on the students, when it came to them, she did the talking.