Chapter Forty-Seven – Jennifer, a green snake.
There was exactly thirty seconds silence. Did those words come out from Sheena?
Plus that smirk on Jennifer’s face, it looked like the one she had when Sheena tried but failed to impress Jasper with her Naruto drawing. And I always knew it didn’t have good intentions.
And how was Jasper related to art these again? How was I related?
“Baby girl, I know you are quite confused on what’s happening. But I honestly wanted you to join our reading club. With me, Jasper, Jacob and Reuben. Wouldn’t it be fun…?”
“No, it wouldn’t. No way I’m reading with them” I revolted immediately. Not for any reason but who my brain can’t multitask.
Admiring the boys while getting something into my head is multitasking. One I’m not ready for.
“And weren’t you the one acting possessive with the boys earlier? Why do you want me in the club? Tell me” I demanded sternly.
“Yeah, keep the boys to yourself. You’re the one interested in them” Chloe seconded. Sheena gave her sister a glance but then glared at us.
“A chance for you to study with the toppers and you are gonna turn it down? Not very wise”.
“I have friends I study with. We may not be toppers but I still find it fun” I said honestly. She looked away.
“Whatever Jasper might have said or done doesn’t mean you should hate on anybody, Sheena. You just play the role of a pathetic teenager hating on possible rivals of your crush” Chloe spoke with disdain.
So Sheena's behavior was cos of Jasper. Understandable, though I never imagined she’d become mean as she’s trying to… hate on possible rivals to her crush? Me?
“I second Chloe. I don’t even know why you’re acting all sassy. I hate it” my voice was rising.
Chatting with them in a library was belonging longer than expected. For all I cared, there could be a teacher in our class already.
“It will be great to have you join our reading club…”. Jennifer started.
“But I said I won’t. I don’t know why you’re acting up, Sheena. But I like being your friend and if it’s anything about Jasper then to be clear, I don’t have any interest in him. He’s terribly handsome, I don’t blame him or me. But hitting on guys is not want I do. By the way, we could have a teacher in class now” I pushed Chloe out of the door with me.
“You really won’t tell me what’s wrong with me and Jasper?” I shunned Chloe on the topic again, she shoved me aside and left.
I later found out that she took a sick leave and left the school. Today wasn’t getting at better.
My physics test had came out and they looked exactly like the garbage in garbage out that I had written.
I’d even like to believe that the teacher was less strict with me and appreciated me for my “honesty”.
Chris was called to the teacher’s room. The confidence and unnerving bravery he used to walk in there beat me. He didn’t even feel ashamed one bit that he had a 19%.
I sat down with Nancy during recess. She had a long face. And she was holding a pendant.
“Hey, are you okay?” I asked, taking a seat besides her.
She brightened up with her usual fake smile, “Sure. And you?”.
I didn’t buy it and asked her honestly what her problem was. No matter what, she kept that fake expression of ‘everything's fine'.
I opened up about my own problems then. “Sheena is angry with me about something. Chloe looks done too. I don’t know what Jennifer is spreading about me”.
“Jennifer is a typical green snake. I bet you $1000 bill that whatever she told Sheena to stay away from you for is totally gonna benefit her” Nancy supported.
It was obvious it would, but Sheena wasn’t getting it.
“I’m thinking it is twin telepathy” I mused.
Nancy shook her head. “Sheena sees Jennifer as role model and would never go far. My mom had a sister that acted godlike. It was unbearable and my mom simply walked away from them. Toxic people should be avoided” Nancy said.
Sounded like our English teacher is a bottled badass that didn’t mind walking away from her own family.
“My mom didn’t have anything to lose though. Her mother was dead and their dad stopped taking care of her at twelve” Nancy added.
“So she ran away at twelve?”
Nancy nodded, “She found a job. And lived on her own. She only hoped to avenge her mother’s death”.
So Nancy was telling me their life history now.
“How did the Martinez kill your grandma though. Your mom told me about it but I never really caught how”.
Nancy looked at me suspiciously, “My mom told you about it. Aren’t you an ordinary Martinez? Why would she?”.
I hurriedly answered, “She wasn’t sure if I was so she asked. That how I knew. I don’t know anything about that family. How could they possible cos murder in broad daylight… wait, your mom was twelve and by then her mother had died?”. That’s story was clear.
Nancy said she never met her grandma but believed that she was killed by her then husband’s family, the Martinez.
My heart began racing on this new found revelation.
Nancy's grandma was reportedly killed by her husband’s family. And her mom ran away from home at twelve.
Why was this fitting mom’s story? Mom said her half sister left home at twelve after their mother died.
Could our English teacher be mom’s half sister.
I doubt the Martinez let any other of their children marry foreigners.
So they’d be no interracial marriages and Chloe was completely American.
This was turning to a real Kdrama movie. If my speculations were true.
Then our English teacher would really hate my mom as she’s the ‘unbearable godlike sister' and daughter of the Martinez home who reportedly killed her mother.
Nancy, as good yet crazy as it seems, would be my cousin.
And my identity as a Martinez would be announced causing me to receive more hate than I could handle.
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