There was no class today, so Frances came to school very late.
She dragged her feet across the school courtyard with a scowl on her face, her hands stuffed into the pockets of her oversized hoodie. The morning sun had already settled high above the buildings, and the once-bustling campus was now quiet, scattered with only a few students lounging around. Frances didn't really want to be here but she couldn't stop wondering what Rain would bring to school today. Food, sure. But him? She hated to admit it, but maybe… she wanted to see him too.
Just as she approached the classroom block, a book dropped dramatically in front of her. She flinched.
Startled, Frances spun around, ready to yell, but froze when she saw the culprit. Sammy, crouched low and grinning, ran his hand through his hair in the most exaggerated slow-motion gesture she'd ever seen. His fingers lingered in his curls like he was filming a shampoo commercial.
Frances blinked. The absurdity made her lips twitch.
He bent slowly, too slowly to pick up the book, still watching her. Frances clenched her fists, restraining the sudden urge to kick him in the ribs.
Instead, she laughed.
"Sammy, what are you doing?"
"Frances, why are you just coming to school?" he asked, moving closer with a charming tilt of his head, reaching toward her arm.
She jerked back a step, eyeing him with suspicion. "What's your business with that? Why did you drop a book and start acting like a worm while picking it up?"
"Didn't you notice something different about me today?" His smile stretched wider, boyish and hopeful.
Frances almost gagged. "Stop being annoying! What am I supposed to notice about you? What's my business with that?"
"I just pierced my ear yesterday," he said proudly, brushing his finger against the glint of silver on his lobe.
She rolled her eyes so hard her head tilted. "So? What am I supposed to do?"
His smile faltered.
"Frances! Didn't you say that you like a guy with piercing? I got it done for you!"
Her head tilted in disbelief. "Did I send you to do that? Look at yourself. Do you look like someone that I can date?"
He puffed his chest. "Why not? I'm handsome and rich."
"No! No! Hell no! You are handsome I know, right? But you act like a princess. I want a real man, not gay."
"Frances! How could you say that? I'm not gay, I just have feminine traits!"
"You are not my type of man. A friend? Yes. Boyfriend? No! Sorry buddy!" She patted his shoulder as if dismissing a child, and turned to walk away.
Sammy stomped his foot like angrily for being rejected and ran down the hallway dramatically, earning a few giggles from passing students.
Frances entered the classroom, her amusement fading when she realized it was nearly empty. Her friends were likely loitering around campus or goofing off. With no class, everyone was in chill mode.
She put a straw into her cup and took a sip, eyes darting to the back of the classroom. Rain was there, head bent, fingers dancing across his laptop's keyboard like he was composing a symphony of code. He was completely immersed, unaware of her gaze.
Frances quickly looked away, pulling out her phone to scroll through the school site.
Everyone was buzzing about Evie's party.
imyourgirl: Does anybody need a date to Evie's party? I wanna go so bad
@Willow: I have one invite to spare for Evie's party. Hot babes only.
@Simon: Evie didn't invite me to his party I'm so mad!
@myspace: We have more boys than girls this time around. Evie is going all the way out to get Frances a boyfriend.
@Boobooboo: Right? Every year he always shares his invite to girls because of his friends but he invited more boys this time around.
@mybaby: Most of the school boys got their ear pierced because of Frances. This night is to show off lol.
@animefreak: I can't wait to show off mine too. I got a customized jacket from LV just for tonight.
@Imbruno: Y'all are so delusional. Frances wouldn't date any of you.
@Sammy: Frances is mine no words!
@Imbruno: We shall see tonight!
Frances scoffed, snorting into her cup. "Crazy people! Evie is more crazy!" she muttered, shaking her head.
She stood to go talk to Rain when the door flung open and a student walked in.
"Rain Piper is to report to the principal's office!" The messenger turned on her heel and left as fast as she came.
Rain calmly closed his laptop, adjusted his nose mask, and walked out.
Frances dropped into her seat as he passed, ducking slightly to avoid his gaze.
But something tugged at her. Frances wondered why he was summoned
"What am I even thinking?! Rain is such a genius he gets called into the principal's office every now and then!" She whispered to herself.
Still, worry gnawed at her.
She stood, followed him discreetly, and stopped outside the principal's office.
Inside, Rain stiffened as soon as he saw who was waiting.
Delilah.
His aunt.
His least favorite person.
She was perched like a queen on the visitor's couch, her crossed legs revealing red-bottomed heels. Her perfume saturated the room. Thick makeup covered her face like a mask, and her eyes gleamed with judgment. Just like his grandmother.
Lane and Mila sat on either side of her, their faces smug.
"Welcome, Rain! Your aunty is here. Come closer," the principal said with a polite smile.
Rain inched forward reluctantly, fingers twitching nervously.
"The school sent a formal request to parents, and your father made a donation, quite a lot, in fact so your aunty came here to oversee the process," the principal explained.
Rain's shoulders relaxed. Thank God. It's Just a donation.
"Can I have your signature on the documents as well so we can submit it to the board of directors?"
Rain reached for the pen.
Delilah grabbed his wrist.
"Let Lane sign it, sir."
The principal frowned. "Why, ma'am? Rain's father made the donation, and we need to write the student's name and signature for documentation."
"The money came from our family. It doesn't have to be Rain who signs it, right?" Her voice was calm, but laced with arrogance.
The principal's smile faded. He snatched the papers from her hand. "Ms. Piper, that won't be possible. Lane's surname is clearly Brooks, not Piper. We sent a letter to Lane's father too. When he replies or makes his own donation, Lane can sign."
He handed the papers to Rain, who scribbled his name quickly.
"That's all?"
"Yes, that's all. You can go back to class, Rain."
"Thank you, sir."
Rain turned to leave.
"Mum! Are you just letting him leave that way?" Lane's whiny voice piped up.
Delilah's eyes narrowed. "Stop there, Rain! Come back here!"
Rain paused, hesitated, and stepped back, his lips parting slightly in confusion.
"Ms. Piper, Rain is done here. We need to address your children's bullying complaints"
"Don't lecture me, Mr. Principal! They're my kids, not yours. I will deal with them myself!"
She dug into her bag, pulling out a small ointment bottle. Rain's eyes widened.
"You went into my room again?"
"If I didn't, how could I find out you were going astray?"
"I didn't"
"Oh, you didn't?" Her voice rose as she lunged, grabbing his ear with a sharp yank.
Rain screamed. "It hurts! My ear hurts! Please leave my ear!"
"You went ahead to get some ridiculous piercing! Have you forgotten that you're still in high school?"
"Aunty please let go! Let go of me please!" Rain pleaded earnestly, his voice cracking under the weight of panic. His ear throbbed in sharp pain, hot and relentless. Blood trickled down his jawline from the freshly pierced lobe, staining the crisp collar of his shirt. Tears spilled from his wide, glistening eyes, falling in fat drops onto the floor.
Lane threw his head back and burst into loud, mocking laughter, clapping his hands slowly. "He probably wanted to impress Frances too, this idiot!"
Mila snorted, flipping her glossy hair over her shoulder. "You are chasing a girl around at the age of 17? You are so shameless!"
Outside the frosted glass of the office door, Frances stood rigid, her fists clenched tightly by her sides. Her jaw was set, and her eyes were burning holes through the glass. She had seen enough, Rain's pain, his humiliation, the blood. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, heat rushing to her face. Her vision blurred not from tears, but from the fire of rage pulsing behind her eyes. Her heel twitched, itching to kick the door open but she managed to hold herself back, watching with clenched teeth.
"Ms. Piper, can you let go of him first? His ear seems to be bleeding," the principal intervened, his voice laced with unease. He took a hesitant step forward, reaching slightly.
Delilah's head snapped toward him, her perfectly arched brow raised in disdain. Her glare was sharp enough to slice glass. "This is my family matter, not yours!" she fired back with venom.
Then smack! the sound echoed across the room like a thunderclap. Rain's head jerked violently to the side from the sheer force of her slap. A red palm print immediately bloomed across his cheek. He staggered slightly, clutching the edge of a nearby chair for balance. Lane and Mila erupted into silent grins, their eyes gleaming with cruel delight.
Rain's shoulders trembled half from pain, half from the shame washing over him in waves. Delilah towered over him, her tall frame exuding dominance. Her manicured fingers, still glistening from the slap, hovered in the air like a weapon waiting to strike again. This wasn't just punishment. It was spectacle.
Creaaak…
The door opened slowly.
Frances stepped in like a storm on quiet feet.
Her look was dramatically different, oversized glasses shielding her eyes, a tilted beret sitting low on her forehead, but none of that mattered compared to what she held.
A leash.
And on that leash was a large, sleek dog, tall, muscular, a Doberman with a jet-black coat and burning amber eyes. Its ears stood erect, its tongue lolling slightly with anticipation. The moment it stepped into the room, the atmosphere shifted. The tension spiked. The air grew tighter, heavier.
Frances didn't speak. She simply unclipped the leash.
The moment the leash fell from her hand, the dog lunged, its claws skidded against the tiled floor as it sprang forward with a deep growl, heading straight for Delilah.
"AAAAHHHH!!" Delilah screamed, stumbling back as the dog charged. She swatted at the air, her hands flailing wildly. The dog barked viciously, teeth bared as it cornered her against the principal's desk. She tried to shove it away, but it kept snapping near her legs, refusing to let up.
Frances stood calmly in the doorway, arms folded across her chest, her lips curled into a smirk. "Oh my dog! Why are you scaring my dog? Please stop running ma'am!! You are scaring him!" she lamented mockingly.
"Have you gone crazy? Take the damn dog away from me!" Delilah screeched at the top of her lungs, leaping up onto the principal's swivel chair in a panic. Her designer heels slipped off, and her lipstick-slicked mouth trembled.
Lane and Mila had already bolted through the back door of the office, screaming as they fled. The principal ducked behind his desk, eyes wide in terror.
Rain stood frozen at the far end of the room, eyes round as saucers. His lip trembled as he watched the chaos unfold, but a flicker of stunned awe flashed through his wet eyes.
"Take the dog away!" Delilah shrieked, pointing a trembling finger at Frances, her manicured nails chipped from clawing at furniture.
"I can't control it! He is driven crazy by the smell of your perfume ma'am!" Frances said sweetly, her head tilted as if she were helpless.
"You must be crazy! Your dog has run mad!" Delilah's voice cracked, nearly hysterical.
The dog gave one final bark and then…
thump!
With a powerful leap, it jumped out of the open window, its tail whipping behind it as it vanished into the school garden like a shadow in motion.
Delilah collapsed onto the floor in a heap, unconscious, her limbs tangled in her expensive shawl.
Frances didn't hesitate. She marched over, grabbed Rain's hand firmly, his fingers still shaking and pulled him toward the door.
"Come on."
Rain stumbled after her, his steps unsteady but willing. The moment the door shut behind them, the office was left in stunned silence, the scent of Delilah's overpowering perfume lingering in the air like a fading curse.