Painful Smiles

Claudia’s phone began ringing while she was still with Michael. She bent her phone towards her and peeked in to see who it was and her face lit up when she saw it was Doni, Wright’s brother.

“Why did you save the number as Doni with a blue heart? Who’s he?” Michael asked wide eyed. He had managed to squeeze his eyes in.

“The handsome older brother of Wright. I think he has news for me” she smiled. Michael gave her a side eye and kept on watching her.

“Hello, you guys are at France already. That’s quick. Could you give Wright the phone?” she spoke brightly. Michael rolled his eyes but then she tapped him.

“How do you say, “Have a happy nice life” in French. I’m losing my French” she asked him.

He pushed her hand aside, “Who do you want to wish all that?”.

Doni began speaking again and she left him to continue the conversation. Michael rolled his eyes. So he was being third wheeled. Even felt like he was being fifth wheeled.

The last time he used to feel this way was when he was with Tom. Though in Tom’s case, he was usually disgusted.

He felt punched on his shoulders suddenly. “What?” he moaned. Did she not know the weight of her punch that she threw it everywhere without thinking. She wasn’t laughing though as she threw he another one on his shoulders.

“You sent Wright to France right? Why? Doni said that it was the man you sent to help Wright that signed Wright for a scholarship. It was you right?”.

Claudia eyes were boring holes in Michael, not literally.

He timidly nodded, “I needs him away from you. Also, he liked Art. I helped him fulfill his dream” Michael defended.

Claudia twisted her face in both disgust and anger, “What you mean? You needed my exclusive punches for yourself only?”.

“I just wanted us to be friends, okay. I didn’t like to be seen as that French guy who committed suicide, that’s all” he replied.

“It is nice to see you back to your old self. It’s been long you punched me” Michael groaned, low key enjoying it.

She withdrew and sat calmly in the car, “This is weird. Why did you turn out to be that boy? He was really special to me” she confessed.

Michael hid his surprise, “Oh, well I can still be special to you”.

Claudia glared at him. He looked away. Was he flirting? Or asking for another punch indirectly?

“You shouldn’t have sent Wright away. He was my only friend. Were you being nice or selfish?” Claudia snuggled back into her bed.

Michael shrugged, “He deserved it. No bullies. Only your achievements will speak for you. He’s my friend after all. And, it did keep him away from you for a while” he winked.

Claudia rolled her eyes. Michael was now sure he was flirting or asking for her exclusive punch, in the most direct manner.

Claudia jumped from her seat. “Want to be my friend?”.

Michael wasn’t sure to nod or shake his head but then she began ordering that he should keep away knives, bullies, kidnappers and danger away from her like it was what friends do.

He was to be her protector as well till she got completely better. She further added that his new role in her life would be to be like a servant.

Michael furrowed his eyebrows and asked if it was Wright was to her, a servant.

Cos all the things he was making her sign up for, Wright never was all that to her. Not that he was trying to replace Wright.

She scoffed and looked him over, “Wright didn’t force a blood donation on me, he didn’t make me bleed, he basically is one of the sweetest beings that existed. You are the opposite sir” she was rather blunt.

To say it didn’t hurt, Michael would be lying but he just gave a brief chuckle and shifted the topic to her health. He’d have to prove to her before she accepted him, being who she is.

“I’d be checking on you from time to time, that’s what you mean, right?” he promised.

“You better” she scoffed and laid her head on the car seat. She turned back to him and caught him staring, “Well, did your mom really get assassinated?” she asked.

He nodded, “By some mafia men. Don’t want to go deeper into it. Okay. Bye. Sleep now.”.

Claudia rolled her eyes and laid back, “Don’t stare so much. I could get a hole. You’ll be expected to report here everyday too. With all my assignments done. Notes copied. Understood?”.

She turned to realize she’d been talking to herself for a the last few seconds.

She stood up to chase after him but dismissed it. Her headache pangs were coming again.

Nevertheless, she was grateful that one of the most terrible things that ever happened to her turned out to have a good ending. She now had a protector, whatever that meant.

Her next few unanswered prayers would be that her father get to love her as his daughter. And that Clara gets better. Really and completely better.

Paul hadn’t been talking about her and she knew it was cos he was scared. She hoped her family would be normal again.

Perhaps more smiles than pain were to come this senior year era.

“Hey, and who would be Mrs. Popular now that Clara is gone?” she asked herself.

Well, it could be whoever, she would aim for topping the class and at least give her father more things to be proud of her about.

Either ways, she shrugged and went to sleep on the car, dreaming of her “protector” protecting her from any kind of painful smiles.

The End

Author’s note:

So this epic story has come to an end.

Whether it ended well or not, I tried my best as a writer to convey my feelings in this book.

Please appreciate my efforts.This is property © of NôvelDrama.Org.

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