The Assailant

                                    

                                          
Jasmine
                          
God, I have a massive headache. 

                          
It feels like my skull is being snapped in half.
                          
Thanks to the family jet, I'm able to reach the second half of the school day, and even though I have the worst migraine due to flying to and from Italy in a short span of time, I need to attend my classes lest my academic performance becomes damaged.
                          
When I step into my main building, I see Fauna comforting a crying Vera on the stairs. 

                          
"I can't believe he rejected me.." Vera bawls while burying her face in her hands.
                          
"You're too good for him," Fauna tells her, stroking her back up and down. "He's out of your league."
                          
"What does she have that I don't?" Vera cries. "What does Elliott see in her? She's so plain and boring! And she's already dating Sam!"
                          
"You deserve better," says Fauna soothingly as she hugs her sobbing friend. "Elliott's too stupid to appreciate you anyway."
                          
Vera pulls away and brushes her tears off her cheeks. "You're right. Jolene will never date him since she's too in love with Sam. That bitch is so naive, so gullible. She deserves what she's going to get."
                          
Fauna's eyes light up when she sees me. "Hey, it's Jasmine!" She waves me over and when I'm close enough, she smiles mischievously, leans in conspiratorially and whispers, "Guess what Vera did to Jolene?"
                          
Allan

                          
Seconds after our professor dismisses the class, my close friend/classmate, Tommy, lets out a low whistle, his eyes on his phone.
                          
"Al, I think you need to see this."
                          
I peer at his phone. It's just a text from his cousin, Karina, a culinary arts freshman. 

                          
Another good friend/classmate, Jerry, reads the message. "What's the big deal?" Jerry wonders out loud.
                          
Tommy glares at him. "Karina is Jolene's classmate and she said that Jolene was called to her professor's office just now."
                          
"Why are you fussing? Jolene is one of the smartest and well-behaved students we know."
                          
"The lecturer who called her in is Mr. Pinto, you idiot!"
                          
Jerry's eyes turn wide. "That guy gives me the creeps."
                          
"He gives a lot of girls the creeps--"
                          
I'm in the middle of calling Benny right now. "Jolene is in Mr. Pinto's office," I say into my phone when he answers my call. 

                          
I skip my next class to help Benny, and on my way to the other building, I see three girls in a huddle near the staircase. 
                          
Jasmine is grinning and saying, "You mean Jolene is in his office right now?"
                          
"Yes," says Vera, her eyes twinkling. "She's probably begging for a good grade or something!"
                          
They all giggle. "Girl, you're so evil that I love it," says Fauna, patting Vera's shoulder proudly.
                          
I slow down intentionally, staring at Jasmine as I pass them by. She lifts a brow, as if challenging me to confront her.
                          
Soon enough, I reach the bastard's office, and Benny's face is red with anger as he violently kicks the door down in time to stop the professor from stripping an unconscious Jolene of her uniform.

                          
"ASSHOLE!" Benny yells, punching the old man in the face.
                          
My gaze falls on a broken mug of spilled coffee lying on the floor, right beside Jolene's limp shoe. I bend down and sniff the contents of the chipped mug.