Chapter 6 - VI (1/2)
MAYBE LAIA SHOULD HAVE HAD SAID NO TO BRIE.
But she would have agreed on either way a few minutes later. It was just really difficult to refuse Brie, especially when she's particularly excited about something.
Aka the romance movie.
The girl lets out a huff as she fixed her bangs for the umpteenth time before braiding her long hair. She looks at herself in the mirror, deciding that she looks mediocre as usual, and shrugs. Well, it's not like braiding her hair or fixing her bangs in front of the mirror can change her appearance.
A knock on her door made her jump in surprise. It was her mother, as she expected. Fortunately, it wasn't Brie, or she would have had to change clothes again since Brie had always reprimanded her fashion sense, saying she dresses like a middle-aged woman.
Her mother smiles at her softly as she sat on her daughter's bed. ”You look nice sweetheart. Are you going to the church?”
Laia gave her mother a deadpanned stare. Is she kidding? ”Uhm no,”
Her mother's response was the confirmation to the girl that the older woman was not kidding on the question she asked. The older woman forces a smile. ”Oh,” It was obvious that she did not expect her daughter's response. ”I thought you are, with the dress and flats,”
The girl turned to herself in the mirror again, realizing that her mother had a point (albeit she did not want to admit it), and sighs. She makes her way to her closet and opted for a tank top and high-waisted jeans instead. After making sure that her stomach won't be seen, she comes out of the bathroom and twirls around for her mother who nods, pleased.
”Now you look like someone the church would absolutely not let in,” Her mother's words made them both laugh. ”Just pair it with the new sneakers I bought you,”
”Sneakers?” Laia asks, confusion evident on her face. She had no idea her mother bought her another pair. She still had one that she used regularly! ”But I still have--”
Her mother shakes her head. ”Don't worry about it, sweetheart,” She stands up from the bed and made her way to her daughter as they both looked at their reflections in the mirror. ”Think of it as a gift for doing so well at school.”
At the mention of school, Laia's smile immediately disappeared and was replaced by a frown. Of course, she was doing well at school. No. She was not!
Not with that asshole stealing her spot these last months! Not with the asshole mocking her openly and making fun of her getting a single mistake on quizzes!
And of course, we can't forget about how most of their teachers blatantly favor him, obviously raising his grades in their spare time while completely forgetting that Laia had done so much more than him since she was a freshman and then this asshole arrives out of nowhere and he gets everything served in front of him in a fucking gold platter.
Noticing how her daughter's mood soured, the older woman cupped her daughter's cheeks. ”What's wrong, sweetheart?”
It's not like I can tell you, Laia wanted to say but she stopped herself and shakes her head. ”Nothing, it's just,” She pulls herself away from her mother and busied herself on wearing the sneakers that she wore regularly, pointedly ignoring the new ones her mother bought. ”You don't have to buy me anything.”
”Sweetheart--”
”No,” She looked at her mother and shook her head. ”You're not obliged to give me anything, especially just because I'm getting good grades. Don't waste your money on me, mom.”
Before her mother could respond, Laia had already left her room and their house. She knew it was almost as if she took the gift her mother probably saved up for granted, but she had a valid point. Money was scarce for them, and she didn't want her mother to apply for another job just to give her gifts and end up getting overworked and sick again.
Laia lets out a heavy sigh as she waits for Brie to arrive. The girl did text her yesterday that she will be picking her up, as her best friend knew how much can a taxi fare be, especially with how bad traffic was.
A few minutes later, the honking of a car made the girl look up from reading the new reading materials she downloaded a few hours ago. It was Brie, inside her new convertible, a gift her dad gave her last Christmas.
Laia remembered how Brie was crying that night as she called her, saying that she had not expected it at all, and she was so thankful to finally get a car of her own. Laia was incredibly happy for her best friend, but deep inside she felt the urge to break down and cry as she can probably never have the chance to get a car like that.
”Laia!” Brie calls out, waving her hands in the air. Her boyfriend was already there and was the one driving.
The girl was about to wave back when she sees the asshole sitting in the backseat, where she would obviously be sitting as well. She rolls her eyes but opted to go inside the car anyway. It's not like she has a choice. It would be riding a taxi and paying an expensive fee or riding with her friends (not including the asshat).
Upon sitting down beside the asshat, the asshat immediately turns away from his phone and grinned at her in all of his narcissistic glory. ”Looks like we're seatmates here too,”
Laia turns away and decided to just stare at the cars and the people that passed them by. ”Unfortunately,”
The asshat lets out a dramatic gasp. ”I thought you would be glad to sit beside me,” Laia even saw him pretending to think on her peripheral vision. ”Most girls would,”
”Amazing,” Laia turns to him for a split-second and smiles phony. ”Just find another one later at the mall to sit on her side.”
”Guys, are you fighting?” Brie asks from her seat.
”Oh, we're just joking around Brie,” was what the asshat said.
Sure, joking around. Would this asshat take it as a joke as well if Laia accidentally pushes him outside the car?
That would be an amazing thing to do, the girl thinks as she opted to daydream about the asshat falling off the car and getting his face all bruised and wounded, enough for him to be absent for a month or so. Laia's sure all his girls and the teachers who favor him would be happy enough to lend him notes or even answer keys so there would not be a problem at all.
”Are you planning to murder me?”
It was Laia's turn to gasp dramatically. ”Oh my gosh, how did you know?”
Her response momentarily left the boy beside her speechless. He suddenly lets out a laugh, proving Laia right that he was not only thick-skinned, conceited, and a narcissist. He was also fucked in the head. ”Fuck, you're hilarious,”
Laia rolls her eyes, craning her neck to check if they were near the mall already. She cannot stand another minute with this asshat. She might choke him to death and end up incarcerated!