Chapter 3 Big Bro's Return

The Coles' mansion was beautifully illuminated at night. Every member of the family gathered in the dining room to enjoy the readily served dinner. The room remained silent until Daisy's younger brother Brian broke the silence by informing their parents of Michelle's visit.

"I guess my girl had a lot of fun today," their father said.

"She had more than fun. I was left out and bored." Daisy glared at him to shut him up, but he continued. "I could have joined them, but they were too girlish." Brian whispered to his dad, who choked on his food while laughing at his son's statement.

"Cole, I've always told you to stop indulging these children, yet you keep doing so." Mrs. Cole poured a little water into a glass cup from a jug for her husband.

"I'm sorry, Claire, it was just so funny," he apologized. He then faced Brian and told him not to worry. "You'll be making new friends in school too. I'm sure you'll get yourself a very good one like your sister's," Cole said, more or less comforting his son, and Brian nodded.

They all kept talking except Daisy, who was thinking about what she could do to help Michelle avoid Richard in the new session. Suddenly, she asked a question.

"Mum, what could be the possible reason for a boy bullying a girl? They have the same potential, and they don't know each other before they met in school."

Claire looked up at Cole, surprised by their daughter's question.

"Well, he might have a personal grudge or a reason for that," she answered.

"He might as well be jealous of her," Cole suggested. Daisy nodded her head sideways, doubting her father's suggestion.

"Is anything bothering you?" her parents asked.

"Nothing much. Just wondering," she replied, but they didn't believe her.

Brian stared at his sister for what looked like minutes and then spoke. "He might as well like her."

"What?" Daisy and her parents gasped, each opening their food-filled mouths halfway. They had not expected such a comment from a boy as young as Brian.

*

*

Shortly after dinner, everyone retired to their respective rooms. Michelle lay on her bed, brooding with her pillow in her arms as she recalled the memories of the third and final academic year, the most difficult time for her in junior high school when her relationship with Richard turned for the worst.

Michelle had known Richard at the beginning of her first academic year in junior high. Initially, she wasn't very social, so they didn't get along much. She never associated much with her classmates because of her temper, except for Daisy. She loved being alone in her world of imagination, out of fear that she might offend many people with her seemingly strange actions, which no one would understand. Whenever she had to communicate with anyone not too close to her, she talked less and rather looked away. This made her classmates think she was rude, aggressive, full of herself, and snobbish. Only Daisy understood what she was avoiding and tried to ameliorate the situation, but was never successful.

Richard had joined the school late and, unfortunately, was in her class. As the whiz kid that she was, he tried making friends with her, but she never cared about it. Whenever they argued, it always turned into an altercation, as she never wanted to back down or submit to his ideas, some of which were nasty and naughty.

Slowly, they became acquainted with each other but only in class. He studied her every move and action, then he found out that her likely weakness was her temper. At least, he thought so. He started frustrating her by picking on her every chance he got. Overnight, he turned into her bully. All along, she cared less and tried her best to avoid him, but the last year in junior high was the most torturous for her.

Things only became more complicated. Then, she had a final exam and an entrance exam to write but couldn't concentrate and also had to indulge in aberrant behaviors punishable by the school laws, which unconsciously became her habit.

Richard tormented her in so many ways that she couldn't avoid. It was like a battle she was destined to fight because every time she reported him to the school authority, and he was punished, he would only stop for a while and then devise another method of getting back at her, which hurt her even more, especially emotionally.

Making the whole situation unbearable for her, Richard made every single classmate of theirs speak badly of her to her face and behind her back. Even some crimes she knew nothing of were alleged against her. She became the subject of little gossip, something she dreaded so badly.

She had wanted to tell her mom but couldn't. She knew the lengths her mom would go for her over the matter but was scared it would only make things worse, as Richard was not the type to give up his plans easily. After all, Michelle was the only Arrowhood in the whole country. Just a word and things were done. But Richard was not the type of person that could be controlled by mere orders. Once his mind was set on doing something, he never listened to anyone.

Flashing back to one of the terrible incidents that made her despise Richard, Michelle recalled when he spilled greasy oil on her school uniform. When he soiled her clothes, she reported him to a teacher because she didn't want to portray the image of a nuisance. The teacher followed her to the class to investigate, only to discover that the whole class supported Richard instead of telling the truth.

"Who did this?" the teacher had questioned with rage. Margaret, the leader of the MaVaMi trio, comprising three gossip girls of average height, shouted that no one was responsible for the act.

"How come her uniform is stained?" the teacher questioned again, directing her glare toward everyone except Michelle.

"I think the oil spilled on her dress from her school bag. Maybe when she wanted to take something. Who knows?" Vanessa, the second girl of the gossip group, said to the teacher in pretense.

The teacher moved closer to Michelle's bag and found an open plastic container of oil in it. She looked up at Michelle with an emotion she couldn't decipher, but Michelle could tell the teacher found her at fault. She believed Michelle was a liar.

"What's this?" she asked Michelle with a bit of scorn showing on her face.

"That's the oil pack, ma'am," the other kids said to the teacher.

On getting to the spot, Michelle was shocked to see her school books and jotters heavily soiled with oil.

"It's a lie. It's Richard's doing," she shrieked, even though she knew it wouldn't help matters.

"You crazy bitch! Richard never did a thing. He has been silent the whole time. Why are you bent on implicating him? You must be out of your mind." Miranda, the last member of the gossip girls, yelled at her.

"Who is lying? You or me? Did you just call me a bitch?" Michelle asked angrily as her temper intensified violently.

"Yes! What can you do? It's only a bitch like you that's capable of lying," the MaVaMi trio yelled in unison.

A shouting exchange of words ensued between them as Michelle tried to defend herself in the presence of the teacher.

"Decorum!" the class teacher, Miss Caroline, shouted. "What's wrong with you all? Are you all out of your senses?" she asked.

"We're sorry, ma'am," they all apologized.

"Sorry for yourself. Miss Arrowhood, to my office," she instructed Michelle.

Only then did it dawn on Michelle that Richard had set a trap which she stupidly fell into. What could she have done? He had placed the oil bottle in her bag after spilling it on her, got the other kids on his side, and made it seem like she was the perpetrator of the crime. He planned it well.

Michelle entered the staff office after the teacher, and as punishment, she was told to apologize to the class, serve as the school janitor for two weeks, and, to crown it all, give up her post as the class president.

Then and there, the reputation she had built in the school was soiled as the teacher commented badly about her.

All the memories were still fresh, as if they had happened the day before.

"If Richard could get all the kids to support him, what about the teacher? How did he get her? Is she just being partial and plonky?" These were questions she never had an answer to, to this date.