ㅤㅤ𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝙊𝙗𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 (spoiler)
Several students gathered in the hallway, shouting in unison
— Fight! Fight! Fight!
Forming a tight circle, two girls stood in the center. One of them delivered a violent kick to the other’s face. The girl who was hit brought her hands to her face, growling in pain and rage:
— You... bitch!
— EVERYONE BACK TO THE CLASSROOM! NOW!
The principal’s voice cut through the air like a whip. Her face was red with fury, almost purple.
— You two! To my office. Immediately!
The students began to disperse reluctantly, murmuring and glancing back. The two girls were left alone in the middle of the hallway, panting.
In the principal’s office, her shouts could still be heard even with the door closed. She barely paused to breathe:
— I’m calling your parents! You’re both suspended for a month! A whole month!
She dialed the numbers on the old landline phone with fury, her fingers trembling with anger. The two girls remained seated with their heads down, one with a swollen, red face, the other still clenching her fists.
The principal let out a deep sigh of frustration, as if the air in the room had grown heavier. Only one of the parents had answered so far.
— Angela, you can go back to your classroom. Meanwhile, I’ll try calling your father again. Violet, you stay here. Your parents are coming.
Angela slowly lifted her head, a mix of relief and shame on her still-marked face. She shot one last sharp look at Violet before standing up and leaving the room in silence, closing the door behind her.
Violet remained seated, head bowed, fingers tightly intertwined in her lap. The bruise on her face was starting to throb. The silence in the room was uncomfortable, broken only by the sound of the phone being dialed again.
A short while later, the door burst open with force. Violet’s parents rushed in.
— Violet, my darling! Are you okay? — her mother exclaimed, running to her daughter and gently holding her face, examining the bruises.
The principal barely had time to stand up.
— Mr. Egg and Mr. Wifies...
She didn’t get to finish her sentence.
— Why is my daughter like this?! — growled Wifies, Violet’s father, his voice deep and threatening as he stared directly at the principal.
The conversation was long and tense. After a lot of discussion, explanations, and scolding, Violet was finally allowed to leave with her parents.
Back at home, the atmosphere was much calmer, though still heavy. Wifies was preparing dinner in the kitchen while Violet rested her head on the counter, staring into nothing.
— Why did you fight? — Wifies asked, not taking his eyes off the pan.
Violet didn’t know how to answer. Her eyes filled with tears, and within seconds she began to cry softly. Wifies lowered the heat immediately, walked over to her, and pulled her into a tight embrace, kissing the top of her head tenderly.
— Hey... it’s okay.
— Dad... why does love hurt so much?
Wifies stayed silent for a moment, stroking his daughter’s hair. Then he spoke in a low voice:
— You know, love does hurt… but I know how to make the person you love stay with you forever. No one will ever be able to take her away from you. That’s what I did with your mother.
Violet lifted her tear-streaked face, confused.
— You did?
— Yes — he replied, in an eerily calm tone. — But you have to keep quiet about this, okay?
Violet blinked, feeling a chill run down her spine.
