CHAPTER 9: Humiliation from Discrimination
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‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵
It was the type of day where a feather would fall and not sway one way or the other. The grass was straight and quiet, and the leaves hanged as though painted there. If one could feel the pounding of the birds' wings, it would have been the only breeze. It was completely silent.
Just as their curiosity broke the silence, never did the two quarrel. Before the two of them moved away from the President's Office, the security cameras' red lights slowly flicked as if they were on since the moment they went inside the office. This made Kenneth question the disappearance of the President, which he thought something was off. Were they being watched? Was this all planned? Or was it just a pure coincidence?
It was the type of day where the banners dropped to the posts and, despite the heat, everything felt a little stuffy inside and out. Kenneth told him everything about what happened since the presence of Mr. Travis, and in exchange, Victor told him all too about the squandered money.
"I see. So that was what happened when I literally swamped my butt off outside the school. Well... " Victor glanced down at Kenneth as they ran noiselessly in the area towards their classroom. "... I think you underestimated him."
With that in mind, gaping straight at the path they took, Kenneth sighed as he clenched his fists. He misunderstood his statement thereby he acted confident. "Yeah, they all underestimated him."
As they crossed at the Sampaloc tree near the fourth building, they saw two teachers (one girl with straight hair and one with short curly hair) chattering while going to the east cafeteria. Both Kenneth and Victor immediately hid quietly behind the walls.
Victor subsequently groaned, pointing his index finger on Kenneth's face, "No, I meant you! You!"
For a brief second, Kenneth's brain stuttered, and his eyes took in more light than he anticipated. Every part of him came to a halt while his thoughts caught up. "What? What do you mean me? I was the one who came up with that perfect scheme," he whispered, almost letting out his anger.
Meanwhile, Victor did not hear what he said since he got so focused on something. They did not even recognize they had been hiding on such surfaces of a remarkable yet biased place. They had no idea they were hiding beside a classroom. Well, of course, places besides Class 11-5 are not suitable for them. This made Victor think about how this school enjoys too much discrimination.
One step sidewards from the walls they were hiding was a literal soundproof classroom whose exterior walls were made from glass exterior. They had this huge wooden ceiling fan with a light at the center, which the Class 11-5 does not have. This could be the reason that made Victor so hell-bent on surveying this classroom. It's just so different compared to their classroom.
They also had an air conditioner, a red carpet in the aisle, an eye-catching locker at the back, a huge projector in the front, and a humidifier in each of their desks. Their seats looked like the seats in a theatre cinema, so comfortable and so sheltered. All in all, really looked like a small auditorium. Even if he did not hear their voices inside, he was able to tell that this class must be treated like princes and princesses both at home and in this school, as if they are in a palace.
All of them are probably born with a silver spoon in their mouths.
After spotting each and every detail inside the classroom, Victor looked secretly at the students and observed them thoroughly through the glassed wall. It's so see-through that there was a probability he might even see their souls, although the filter looked so bothersome. When he took an even short glimpse at their uniforms, he looked away, looking so pissed off. "What a load of crap." As he peered down gritting his teeth, he clenched his fists so hard that his nails cut under his skin.
I will really make sure to get the money back.
Kenneth was so in the grip of the two teachers that he himself too did not notice Victor nor what he saw. He made sure both of them would never get noticed by the passing teachers.
"Hey, they are in the cafeteria now. Let's go," Kenneth called as soon as the teachers went into the east cafeteria.
Following a few seconds, he did not receive any response from Victor. So he decided to turn around and look at him, "Hey, why aren't you answering? Are you listening to me or not?"
Some gazes promise security; Victor's was all of those and more. There was a mountain of pain behind that frigid glare, yet removing it would cause agony and instability. Either it would be born and his soul would be renewed, or he would lash out and it would be finished. Regardless, he was worth a genuine try.
"Ken, let me meet this Mr. Travis you told me about. I finally decided that he will be the adult who will have to participate in tomorrow's event."
As he pushed his eyeglasses up using his middle finger, Kenneth responded, "No." He then looked at him straight in the face and calmly said. "I will not allow you to. And in fact, I bet he will not be there anymore since I told everyone about my decision that HE WILL NEVER BE OUR TEACHER! And yes, I threw the words in front of him." Anger will cost us far more than it earns. The last part he said came from his angered heart.
"I made that money therefore it came from me. I invested and traded it for something we can gain, knowing I was helping the class. As soon as I knew I got deceived by some bankers or gamblers as I say, the money which passed by many hands, I juggled my butt to get them. So don't interfere with my decisions. We live in different worlds, Kenneth. Do what you want and I will do what I want. Don't get in my way," Victor naturally stated.
"It's your fault for being a fool. You traded and invested it? What are you? A merchant?" Kenneth scoffed, smirking and crossing his arms. "Yes, truly we live in different worlds but we are fated to be situated in one place. There must be a reason why we exist in this same modern time. Whatever you do may affect me, whatever I do may affect you as well. Well, go on. Use Travis all you want, I don't care. Just don't involve the class with that foolish decision of yours."
Victor sighed as he face-palmed, "I know you are so eager to get out of that hellhole classroom that's why you decided to conquer the class. But remember, you came from that class. Did you really think that if ever you got out of that class, all of the students and teachers in this campus will treat you equally as others?"
When agitation is controlled by the higher brain's rationality, empathy, and creativity, it becomes an aspect of the hero's personality, as it is with most primordial emotions. Anger in a moment could scar for a lifetime, self-control is worth the time and effort it takes to develop. But the two started to quarrel.
"That's what you think and I don't give a damn. Yes, I've thought about that too, but at least I will be treated almost the same as the students here. I've got to be in a damn glass classroom, got to be treated like a king, got to participate in contests, got to wear the same uniforms as them, and most of all, I will never get discriminated against again."
"What do you think of that money I spent my time sweating with? I made that money for the class. If that's what you want, think about your classmates too. There may be others who wanted to end their lives for it. But first things first, you can't think of others because you're just seeing yourself. But think about it thoroughly. Never get discriminated? Are you sure all of the students, teachers, and other facilitators will treat you like a king after being released in that classroom?"
"Then tell me what's the difference if you spend your money for the class? We will still be treated as pigs even if you're sweating your butt off. This is the reality. Being a coward, weak, and fool matters if you want to escape a hellhole," and with that, Kenneth took the move to run first. He left Victor standing beside the wall.
Of course, Victor would not let it pass just like that. He also ran and went ahead first before Kenneth. "I don't care what others think but if I spent the money for the class, at least the class will not be the same as before. And look who's speaking. You are already a coward yourself."
"And you are a fool," Kenneth answered right away, smirking as if he teased him. After a few moments, he sped up his pace and went after Victor, running still. "So, how do you plan on getting the money?"
"First, I will see this Mr. Travis and I will negotiate with him. I am good with that."
It seemed like the two argued for nothing. They were all blabbering and having different opinions earlier but right now seemed to be not the case. As if they got back in no time, they still seemed to be so close as buddies.
"What a bunch of fools. A fool negotiating with a fool must be a great combination these days," Kenneth shrugged, scoffing at Victor.
They turned left, knowing it must be the last path they would have to take to reach their classroom without bothering the other classes. "What a hypocrite. A coward saying that being a coward is useless must be great hypocrisy of the year."
They went after the window because if they would go after the door, the other classes might see them, and they do not like that. After then, they finally reached Class 11-5 safely. As Kenneth was catching air for him to breathe, he spoke while panting so hard, "You sure know how to talk back."
"You sure know how to pull a trigger," Victor responded, sweating all over his face to his neck, to his shoulders to his chest, and to his stomach up to his knees. Both of them stood in the same shoes.
"Where is Travis?" Not so long after, Kenneth went inside the class by opening the window. He spread his eye on the entire room to search for Mr. Travis.
"Oh my god! Is everything alright?" one of his classmates, a girl, went after Brent looking so concerned. It looked like Brent also just got arrived, although he came in through the door.
"How did the President's Office go?" Glenn anxiously asked, hurriedly going after him.
After that, Brent got surrounded by a bunch of his classmates to ask continuous questions. Not a single classmate went after Kenneth for this matter. But even so, he was used to this since he preferred this way, at least he got to kneel their knees on him.
"Dunno, you punks. If you wanna know the answer, why don't you ask Kenneth instead, huh? Don't bother my ass, you shits," Brent responded after a series of questions. He then went after his seat and sat there like an annoying brat.
"The President was not even there," Victor calmly spoke after he went in.
Kenneth just shrugged his shoulders, wearing his blank facial expression while walking through his seat. After finding his chair, he opened his backpack and looked after his book entitled "Smaller and Smaller Circles". He lifted up his chin to scan the room, searching for some people. So, Mareta, Zeus, and Petra aren't still back. I see. After then, he just sat there, reading his book, silently ignoring the roaring noises which his classmates created.
"Victor! You're here!" Monika exclaimed, running towards him. "Why were you absent for the past days?"
After looking at Victor's state, Monika perceived that something was off. "Don't tell me, you also went to the President's Office? What happened?" she asked with ample concern.
After that reaction, the other classmates also went after him, asking him a string of questions just as what they did to Brent. They just couldn't afford to go to the President's Office. It's not like they don't want to, but they had no guts to. The thought of mentioning the President's name was more terrifying than going there unprepared. That's why these reactions were an exception.
Victor just stared at them, "I just came in late. And yes, I was at the President's office too." He then roamed around his eyes to search for a new person in his eyes. In short, he was searching for Mr. Travis. "So where is this Mr. Mortal you guys having a hard time dealing with?"
"Why? I thought you were with him," answered Kyle, putting his steel pipe on his shoulder again.
"Yes. Right," Ruben spoke, going near to Victor while slightly tilting his head stating that he seemed confused. "After Kenneth, Zeus, Mareta, Brent, and Petra ran to the office, he told us to stay put and then quickly ran outside, I think to catch up with you."
Confusion is not primarily an indicator of intelligence yet of mental health. Rather, the confusion comes as a fog to a once clear and sunny day, and just as in those times they must seek their flashlights and wait for clarity to return.
A lot of questions had come to their minds regarding the sudden disappearance of Mr. Travis. But even so, they still couldn't care less. It's Mr. Travis's decision if he would come back or not. Either way, the student wouldn't give a crap about it.
‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵
TO BE CONTINUED...
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