Ravine was at it again.
But this time, on her own accord. She had no company and Darla was out of the picture completely.
She began writing threatening notes for a week, building hate for the Johnsons as she stuffed Cassandra’s locker with the notes.
On the Monday, Cassandra was petrified to read such hateful notes. Who possessed such venom in their hearts for the words to flow through their pen like that?
“Johnsons shouldn’t have been made. They are cursed people.” One letter read.
“Family of sinners, a family full of lies and greed.” The next one had read.
Peter looks at the notes as well.
“I can’t recognise the handwriting…” he thinks hard, nothing occurring to his memory. Cassandra tears the papers up, stuffing it into the dustbin as she comes back to her seat.
“I don’t wanna think it could be Ravine. She doesn’t stoop that low. But I’ll ask the discipline head to watch over the corridors. Maybe we can find the culprit tomorrow.” Cassandra says as the worrisome lad pats her shoulder to reassure her. The issue doesn’t spread too far.
Cassandra was the only one in the campus, studying full time while Alex, Nick, Dan and Zayn were in their internships.
“I hope so too.” Peter and Cassandra walk to their next class. However, Darla was chuckling at them as they walked down the hall. Giving her a nasty stare, they enter their next class.
And there, was a crude drawing.
Cassandra was, in an animated drawing, having sex with a fat guy tagged Peter on the board. Peter gasps loudly, dropping his bag to the floor. Cassandra was unwavering, she strides towards the board, grabbing the duster and dusting the board clean before anyone saw it.
“Don’t make me stuff this in your mouth, fuckers! Stop laughing!” Cassandra yells on top of her lungs.
“What’s going on Ms. Cassandra?” Unfortunately, it was their History teacher’s class. He was a major bully, subtly sarcastic while passing crude comments.
“Sir, sir! Look at this!”
“That’s quite a drawing, Charles. I hope it isn’t anywhere close to being real.” The history teacher chuckles as Peter runs out of the class.
Grunting, Cassandra glares at their impossible teacher and runs behind her friend.
“Peter, wait! You’re giving yourself as bait to those fuckers! Peter!” She screams as she runs down the hallway.
“Ms. Cassandra, what’s going on?” The disciplinary incharge follows her and ceases her by her arm.
“No, wait! Peter!” She yells.
“Ms. Cassandra! There’s a class going on! Don’t make me-”
“Leave my hand, Jeez!” Sprinting behind Peter as they halt at the garden of the east, opposite to the primary library, Peter pants as he holds his knees.
“What the fuck…” he moans in pain, lying flat on the sharp grass needles beneath.
“Hey… I’m sorry.” Cassandra was panting as well.
“Why me…? Why am I dragged into this?” Cassandra pauses to look at Peter.
“Peter, I’m sorry I-”
“It’s as if being your friend is a bad thing, Cassie! I- I can’t do this.”
“What do you mean?” And through the conversation, Peter finally opens up about all the bullying he had to go through for an year and a half just because he was the friend of a Johnson.
They say, survival of the fittest.
Maybe Peter wasn’t fit for survival against the poachers who wouldn’t stop plucking out the weakness in him. And his weakness was similar to Ravine’s; a kind heart and a cowardly mind.
“I’m sorry, Cassandra! I’m sorry!” Cassandra slowly rises back to her feet. Suddenly, her bad felt very heavy and her chest seemed to tighten without an external force.
“I understand.” She says, gathering her courage.
“It’s alright, Peter. We don’t know each other. Here,” Cassandra fishes through her bag to hand him the little souvenir back to him.
“Let’s end this… for your sake. Wait for me until I fix this shit. Will you?” Peter looks at her in disbelief.
“You still wanna be my friend?” The male asks her.
“Yes.” She confirms.
But what she doesn’t want to confirm is that by the time she saves everyone in this Era, she will be gone.
Most probably by Christmas.
After saving Framton Johnson.
“Goodbye, Peter. You were a golden friend of mine. Thank you and I’m sorry for everything.” Saying, she turns her back to disappear from the campus.
And at night, she knocks on the door to Zayn’s room as he was yet again preparing all the possibilities for Alex’s survival.
She shares every detail with the man, he felt sorry for her but asks him to keep it a secret from the world.
“I don’t know what to do anymore, Zayn. I’m puzzled as fuck.” She says, her hair being caressed as she laid on her man’s chest.
“Don’t let it bother you, Cassandra. By the end of this year… we will be gone.” He assures her.
“Hmm.”
Cassandra jumps out of his window to sleep in her own room for the night.
And the next day repeats with the same incidents.
However, Peter was replaced with someone else as Cassandra tried her hardest to act normal while everyone pointed fingers at the board and laughed at it. She was trying to wear an invisible armor to protect herself from the harsh world.
She goes to the principal’s office to complain about the recent happenings.
“Sir, you don’t understand. I don’t feel safe in here anymore! They are bullying me and- and the one who fills my locker with hate letters isn’t found yet!? Sir, please do something on your behalf-”
“We’re sorry, Ms. Cassandra. I’m afraid we cannot help you.” Says the Principal as she leaves the office, disappointed.
It was taking a great toll on her mental health.
Suddenly, she hears the gossip from the open window behind her. It was the administration members gossiping behind her as her name being mentioned piques her interest.
“I’m so happy that the last Johnson is getting humbled by the institution! Like come on, she can’t stay protected by her brothers always, right?”
“I know, I know. Also I heard Mr. Louis Johnson wasn’t giving any funds to the campus this year. I think principal is mad at Louis Johnson and taking his revenge from the poor girl.” Cassandra’s ears bled through their conversation.
She felt cheap and rubbish as she continued to hear them talk shit about her family.
About the prestigious Johnson Family.