Chapter 24 - XXIII (2/2)
As alright as an asshat could be, Laia thinks.
”Her head's often up the clouds these days!” Brie quips from Laia's side.
The asshat, who seemed to have not noticed her earlier, smiles at the long-haired girl. ”Hey, Brie. Jake's not coming?”
Laia fought the urge to facepalm at the asshat's carelessness with his words as usual. However, contrary to what Laia expected, Brie didn't break down and cry from her ex's name being mentioned. Instead, she shrugs as if she didn't care.
”I'm not his guardian, Sammy,” Brie even sticks out her tongue. ”And we broke up, remember?”
The short-haired girl turned to her friend in surprise. ”You're just letting people know, now?”
Brie shrugs again. ”It's inevitable for them to know anyway,” She smiles reassuringly at Laia. ”Don't worry. I think I have moved on already. And why shouldn't I? I mean, he's already having a smooth-sailing relationship with Vivi just a few hours after he broke up with me through a text,”
”Oh my gosh, are you serious?” Claudette, one of the girls Laia often saw spreading rumors, exclaimed in shock. ”Did he seriously break up with you through a text? Scandalous!”
Laia glares at her. ”This conversation doesn't concern you, Claudette--”
”But it does!” Claudette even dramatically places her freshly manicured nails on Brie's shoulder as if to comfort her. ”That's extremely disappointing, babe. And to think that Vivi said they're just friends! What a lying harlot!”
”Hey, don't assume things on your own--”
”Yeah, it is indeed disappointing,” To Laia's disappointment, Brie seemed to goad whatever Claudette was currently thinking on. ”I can't believe they would do that just after we broke up. I mean, shouldn't they at least start dating after a week or so?”
Even the asshat seemed to disapprove of how Brie was making herself the victim when she had her own faults as well.
”Totes!” Another one of Claudette's minions, Anna, agrees. ”Don't worry babes, we're definitely on your side! That Vivi will get karma kick on her on the butt sooner or later!”
”Oh, you don't have to--”
Sandra, another one of Claudette's minions, shook her head. ”Oh, darling. We definitely should! I am posting your side of the story at this moment right now so everyone will be on your side! That Vivi will definitely see what's coming to her the moment she opens her Instagram!”
”Tata, three thousand followers!” Claudette cackles.
”Goodbye, social life!” Anna adds, cackling as well.
Laia glares at the vultures so hard that they finally decided to step away. She nudges Brie in her side sharply. ”What the hell are you doing? Why would you twist everything up?”
Brie rolls her eyes. ”It's what they both deserve after treating me like shit--”
The asshat even spoke up in obvious anger. ”All you're doing is adding fuel to the fire,” He scowls. ”Jake wanted to talk to you, Brie. He actually wanted to clear the air. Vivi's just his friend. Why would you do all that shit without even hearing from their side?”
Brie says nothing. She remained her gaze straight ahead and didn't seem to have any plans to talk further.
Laia shook her head but opted to stay silent. Even the asshat looked like he wanted to say something else but stopped and instead settled on looking away, obvious disappointment on his face.
The rest of the hours went by. Brie left in a hurry and didn't even bother saying goodbye to Laia who didn't bother as well. The vultures were still on their phones the entire time and were continuously cackling as if they found it all entertaining.
Ruthless vultures preying on a vulnerable woman with a broken heart. Laia knew better than trust those three women.
Laia decides to leave the room after most of her classmates left. Grabbing her bag, she finally walks out of the room.
”Penny for your thoughts?” The asshat suddenly asks from behind her.
The girl was too lost in her thoughts about the whole Brie situation that she didn't realize that the asshat was actually behind her.
She sighs. ”I'm just,” Her shoulders slumped. ”Jake's my friend too, and Vivi didn't even do anything wrong,”
The asshat clicks his tongue. ”Yeah, Brie's being a bitch,”
”Hey, don't call her that,” Laia scolds him. ”She's just really vulnerable and those vultures took advantage of her weakness. Acting as if they're on her side but they're just there to get some gossip as entertainment,”
He hums in agreement. Laia honestly finds it weird that they weren't arguing for once, and she wanted it to stay that way for a while. The whole day was just exhausting. Especially the whole screaming fest from earlier, which the asshat seemed to have forgotten altogether.
Definitely weird, but Laia's not complaining. She doesn't want another screaming fest. Once a day is enough.
”Is it really a habit of yours to talk to yourself most of the time?”
Laia laughs at the way the asshat looked at her with genuine confusion. ”Yeah, I guess. I think it's because I don't think anyone would really want to listen to what I really think,” Upon realizing that she's actually opening up to the asshat, she immediately turns away. ”Not that you should know that information--”
”Huh,” The boy suddenly stopped in his steps and looked at the girl intently. ”You actually look decent when you laugh.”
”W-what?” Laia's eyes widened at what the asshat said out of blue.
The asshat seemed to realize what he just said and quickly turns away as well. ”I mean you look ugly when you laugh,”
Laia pursued her lips and fought the urge to roll her eyes at how awful the asshat was at changing his sentences. ”Ugly isn't even synonymous with decent,”
”Today is National Compliment Day,” The asshat even grins at her smugly as if it could make Laia believe his words. She doesn't. Not one bit. ”I'm doing charity! Who knows if you had never been called decent before--”
”Has it ever occurred to you that giving out compliments doesn't make you less of a man?”
”I made a mistake, I'm actually part of this new movement called ”Be Charitable Today” and I'm about to get a hundred points for my good deed,”
The asshat had the audacity to start walking faster after his pathetic excuse.
Laia rolled her eyes.. ”Whatever, asshole.”