Painful Smiles

She scanned the hallway for her twin.

Wright was coming out the room they’d been. He was rubbing his reddish ears.Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

He walked faster when he saw her. ‘You’re still here. Looking for Clara?’ he asked. She nodded while her eyes kept trying to filter Clara from the many students walking about.

‘Well, in that case that would take a while’ Wright added.

Claudia smiled at him and went back to searching.

He didn’t expect the smile and became stiff reflecting on it. His hands slowly went to his ears as they burned again.

Suddenly there was a scream. It wasn’t distinct. Some students turned to where the sound was coming from but returned their heads immediately, wearing something that looked like fear.

Claudia frowned, who was the jerk disturbing the peace of the school?

It came again. More louder.

And again, more distinct.

‘Wait, isn’t that Clara shouting your name?’ Wright asked wide eyed.

He looked at Claudia to see her clenching her fists already.

He looked at Claudia to see her clenching her fists already.

Her sister was a curse. As the hallway became more empty. Clara’s voice echoed. She was slamming doors open and peeking in them. With her mini skirt on a pink singlet, she looked like something Claudia could pound to a paste.

A car horned outside. ‘My mom. Claudia bye’ Wright said. He waited to hear a ‘bye’ back but Claudia was busy glaring at Clara. He walked away sadly.

‘Claudia!!’ Clara yelled again.

Like Claudia was standing in front of her at the end of the hallway.

‘Claudia!!’ she screamed at the top of her lungs. She began fanning herself with her hands, acting like she was grasping for breath. If she was, she could kindly shut up.

All the while, Claudia stood quiet. She had promised herself never to respond when Clara was shouting her name like she was some sales. ‘Can’t you hear her?’ Mega asked, walking to Claudia.

‘Oh yes, I can. Who can’t?’ Claudia snapped giving Mega an intimidating look. Mega quietly walked away and went to Clara and called her over.

‘Didn’t you hear me?’ Clara howled while wiping her face with her handkerchief.

She was so dramatic.

Claudia ran to her and stopped with her hands in the air. Mega kept her hands in the mouth and shrieked anticipating the pain Clara would receive.

While Clara covered her face. Trying hard to best to protect her teeth from falling or her face from having a hole.

‘Next time you yell my name. This hand would land’ she patted her hair and walked away.

Mega rushed to her and asked if she was okay. She pushed Mega aside and glared at Claudia’s retreating figure.

She wasn’t even sure why she was afraid of her. Was it because her badass attitude was quiet yet cool? She didn’t really know what to expect next.

She saw Belle running towards her and breathing heavily.

‘News, girls’ Belle announced, her face was red.

‘What? Spit it out. I have a trash to settle?’ Clara demanded rudely.

‘Well… there’s a new guy coming next session. He’s a French guy. My Uncle told me. Even showed me a picture of the guy. He looks rich’ Belle giggled uncontrollably.

Mega couldn’t help but sniffle some laughter, ‘You’d be dating him then. Have fun. French guys are romantic. Be careful not to fall for him’ Mega warned.

Clara smirked, ‘I’ll break my own rules’ she declared, the both girls looked at her.

‘Your Uncle Principal James, tell him to assign the boy to me to show him around. I have a thing for French guys’ she licked her lips.

Belle pouted but gave a slight nod.

‘So, see you girls at the party then in the next two months. Senior year would be maddd’ Clara faked a giggle. She left swinging her hips in a seducing manner.

Belle and Mega watched her. Belle with disappointment, Mega with disgust. Of course, they didn’t like her. But she was popular and they wanted to be too.

Clara bullied everyone. She was just a beautiful bully that seemed harmless but was actually a viper. She bullied with both words, actions and connections.

She had even made her boyfriend, Mark, disgrace her twin sister openly by calling her a ‘sulker’ and ‘nerd’.

Mega was especially furious at that incident. Even more furious that Mark, who she knew as both girl’s friend, would turn against Claudia like that.

But Claudia handed the situation by sighing, saying some words to Mark’s ears that made him instantly nervous and then walking away. No one knew what she said to him but he looked apologetic after that.

No one messed with Claudia after that.

She had been reported to have beaten up a boy who called her ‘sexy’. It was a rumor and wasn’t proven anyway. But it did sound like something she could do.

It seemed like the ‘feeling of superiority’ lurked in the both girls veins, just that Clara’s lurked for attention too.

Belle finally gave Mega a half hug and walked out of the hallway leaving Mega alone with her thoughts.

Mega thought of a way to deal with Clara. She couldn’t join hands with Claudia. Claudia was not interested in anything that her twin did. If not they’re in the same school, she wouldn’t have been interacting with her.

Claudia is also not someone who played nice with people betraying others.

Mega sighed and looked at Belle as she left.

Belle was her best friend, but somehow Belle got them both connected with Clara since grade eight.

If not Belle liked Clara, personally Mega wouldn’t want anything to do with Pro-Boy lover, Beauty for Brains, Champion snob, Crustacean legs girls named Clara Larabee.

A flare of happiness came over Mega when her brain reminded her that she won’t be seeing Clara for two months after the party. She could plan what to do to save herself and Belle before they had an image like Clara’s.

She finally left the school building along with the few last students.