Chapter Eight

Merida waited alone for Jacob outside the gymnasium. He told her to wait and that he wouldn't take long. But, he is taking long.

"What is taking him so long?" Merida asked glancing at her wristwatch. It was already seven. Their school closes at nine.

After a while, Merida decided to go back to the gymnasium and look for Jacob.

"Jacob? Is anyone still here?" She shouted but nobody answered. On her way out of the backdoor, she heard people chattering so she went back. The noise came from the players' shower area so she went there.

It seemed quiet.

"Jacob?"

She slowly walks inside.

"Ja—"

She was cut off when somebody hit her hard and she was knocked down. She heard laughers as her vision gets blurry and the next thing was she blacked out.

Candice and her friends laughed at what they did.

"Oh my God! She's so vulnerable, one hit with a tennis racket and poof she's on the ground!"

"Well, she deserves it," Candice mutters with a smirk on her face. "Alright, let's get her tied up."

They then lift Merida and made her sit on a chair. Then they tied her up tightly and blindfolded her.

"You think that'll do?" Lisa asked.

"Of course! We're not going to hurt her more. We just want her scared," Candice replied with an evil grin.

"Alright, let's wake her up with cold water." Candice took a pale of water and pour it on Merida.

The cold water woke Merida and all she could see was darkness. She couldn't even move, all she could do is wiggle. She panicked.

"Help! Is anyone there?" She cried.

Candice looked at the girl who was holding a racket, signalling to hit the lockers. And Sofia, did exactly as she was told.

"Please don't hurt me!" Merida continues to cry.

The room was filled with evil laughs from the girls. "Did you know what you did earlier goldfish?"

"Candice? Is that you? Please let me go," Merida begged. Her tears caught by the fabric blinding her eyes.

Candice hates this girl so much. Merida begging is cringy as fudge to her. She couldn't help but pull Merida's hair. "You look and sounds disgusting," Candice hissed on Merida's ear. She let go with force, making Merida bow down so suddenly.

"Give me another fudging pale of water!" She yells.

"Candice please!" Merida's cries were getting louder and it's making Candice madder.

Mika, another girl gave Candice the pale of water. With no guilt or sympathy, she splashed it on Merida. That's not it, she slapped Merida hard.

"Swim fishy!"

Lisa wanted to slap Merida so she pulled away Candice for her to do it. "You don't belong to be with Jacob! Also, if you want to know where he is, he left."

That made Merida cry even more. Did Jacob leave her? Is this where Jacob finally shows he was just playing with her?

"Awe poor goldfish! You thought he likes you?" Lisa scoffed. "He doesn't! Don't think just because he acknowledged you for a while, he'll do that forever! You're stupid."

"Yep, she is stupid!" Candice agreed and they started laughing again.

Merida was sobbing. Yeah, she figures this was game over. Jacob had her falling for him hard. How could he forget that I was still here waiting? She asked herself.

"Will you let me go now? I swear Jacob was just being nice to me. We weren't anything," Merida told them in between her sobs.

"We knew he was just being nice! We know him!" Lisa yelled.

"Oh shoot! Guys, it's almost eight! Let's go home before we get caught," Mika said, noticing the time.

Merida heard them leaving. "Wait! Aren't you going to—?"

"No, ugly! We won't! That's for daydreaming that Jacob was into you!" Candice said and left with her group laughing.

Lisa moved close to Merida and whispered, "Since I'm nice, Jacob was part of this plan. He was playing with you. Told you to wait but where is he? He left with one of the cheerleaders. You know what that means right?"

The room was finally quiet. Merida couldn't be afraid because she was thinking of Jacob being part of this.

Yeah... in the first place, Jacob has no reason to befriend me. He played the knight that saved me from being blue. For a moment, I felt I wasn't ugly. But nothing beautiful lasts. Beautiful things are either lies or temporary. And beautiful strangers like Jacob, they would just do you wrong.

Merida's sobs were getting louder and louder. The blindfold was soaked with her tears.

I guess I should stop being blind and see that life is hard for ugly people like me... I can never be beautiful.

•••

It was thirty minutes past eight when Leo coincidentally went to the same restaurant where the basketball team was celebrating their win. He "tch" seeing those people. Somewhat, he feels how Merida feels. The only difference is he's not a weakling.

Surprised, he saw Jacob without Merida. And then moments later, Candice and Lisa with their posse came. Isn't Merida supposed to be with Jacob? Leo thought. Something was wrong and his intuition is telling him so.

"Oh, Jacob! Merida couldn't make it. She had a headache so she said she's going home." Leo heard Lisa told Jacob.

He sighed. This shit with Lisa again. Leo waited for Jacob to ask questions about Merida or even go find her but damn! He didn't which made Leo mad.

Leo faced front.

"I changed my mind. Please, I'm going to take it out," he told the person on the counter.

The guy wrapped his food up and gave it to Leo. He told the guy thanks and hurried out.

On his car, he called Merida but she wasn't picking up. "Fudge!" He swore under his breath. He started his car and drove fast to their school.

Leo searched all around and inside open rooms while screaming Merida's name. He was breathing heavily as he runs all over the place. He needs to hurry because it's almost nine. Where could they possibly hide Merida?

He froze when he remembered the gym. He's so stupid! He thought and ran.

It was so dark and quiet. He went inside from the back door and turned on the lights. No miss ugly was there.

He was about to really give up but he tried calling first. Then he heard a cellphone rang. He searched for where it was and it seemed like it's coming from the shower area. He ended the call right away.

"Merida?"

"I'm here! Please! Help me!" Leo heard her cry.

He ran his way there and saw her all tied up and soaked. "Ish! Those bitches!" He grunts as he took off her blindfold.

"Leo..."

"Yeah, how'd you end up here?" He untied her and the rope left prints on her wrist and ankle.

At first, Merida thought it would be Jacob who'll save her. It turns out it was the same person who saved her earlier. She was too scared that she out of nowhere hugged Leo. She cried in his chest unable to say a word.

Leo was a little hesitant to hug her but he did anyway. It would be rude of him to push someone who's scared as Merida away. This is bad, he thought.

When Merida calmed down, she moved away from Leo. "I'm sorry. I was really scared, I thought I'd be spending the night here."

Leo took off his hoodie, leaving his undershirt on, and gave it to Merida. "Go change on one of those cubicles. Hurry up or we'll get locked in school."

Merida doesn't have the energy to argue, so she did what he said.

They walked outside and Merida was still and quiet. Even on the ride to her house, they were still not talking. Each one of them busy with their thoughts.

"I'll return the hoodie after I wash it. I'm sorry your car seat got wet," Merida apologized.

"No worries. I'll call you." Leo said and smiled at her.

Merida flashed a sad smile and went inside her house lifelessly. Leo, on the other hand, thought her house seemed quiet.