CHAPTER 8 (1/2)

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"What happened to you?"  Janine asked Erika when she met her at the cafe at 6PM that night.

Erika sat there with her eyes swollen as she looked up to Janine.

"Something happened at school today, the table at my classroom is damaged.  There are a lot of vulgar writings on the board.. I don't know how it happened I was just away for an hour..."  Erika said without stopping when Janine suddenly interrupted her.  She tend to jab whenever she is disappointed or sad.

"Hey, breathe, you are talking too fast.  Why is the room in that condition?  Has someone from outside had done it or what?"  Janine asked her.

"One of my students told the principal that it's me who wrote those things.  But they are not sure who broke the table."  Erika answered and she looked up to stop the tears from flowing but she wasn't successful.  Tears keep rushing down her cheeks.

"You didn't do it, do you?"  Janine asked.

"NO, I didn't, the room is clean when we left it.  Nothing is written on the board.  I don't know who is the student who told that to the principal.  I will do such a thing I'm not yet out of my mind. "  Erika explained.  "When I reach the room, the principal is already there, then he invited me to his office so that we can talk and then I explained my side."  she continued.

"So, what happened when you have spoken with the principal?" Janine asked.

"He..he..suspended me."  she said and wiped the tears off of her face.

"What? Why?  You haven't done anything, how long will you be suspended?"  Janine asked angrily.

"For two weeks.  They will investigate further on what happened and that's the time that I can go back."  Erika further explained.

"Goodness sake, are you being paid for that??"  she asked annoyingly this time.

"Yeah, of course.  But I really don't care,  what hurts me the most is that one of my students told me I'm the one who did it.  I don't even know who he or she is.  All of them a while is so sad that I will not be around for two weeks,  it's hard to tell who is that culprit." Erika muttered.

"The principal didn't tell you?"  Janine said.

"No he didn't, he's not going to say it, knowing Mr. Chen."  she rested her forehead at the table and she let out a heavy sigh.

"I'll be leaving tomorrow, I hope I can stay longer.  I'm really sorry."  Janine offered.

"You don't need to stay, I'm fine, tell Kriselle and the others that I'm fine.  Don't tell them what happened.  Even my parents don't you dare tell them."  she said to Janine.

"Okay, no problem.  Have you eaten?  I'll buy us something to eat."  Janine stood up.

"Iced Americano will do.  I don't have the appetite to eat solid food.  You eat up you had a long day."  Erika laid her head back at the couch.

"Okay sure.  I'll be back."  Janine then proceeded to the counter.

Erika continued to stare at the ceiling when she heard familiar voices.

"Erika!  I've heard what happened.  Are you okay??"  Naotoshi crouched beside her and held her hand.

"How are you??  Have you been crying?  They shouldn't have done that, that is too much.  You are not crazy to destroy the class property."  Leila stood at the other side of Erika's couch since they just settled at a two-chaired table.

"I'm fine guys, you don't need to worry, two weeks will pass by so quickly, come on, let's transfer at the other table."  she stood up and proceeded to the four-seated table.  They sat on the chairs and Naotoshi sat beside Erika.

"Are you sure you are okay?"  Naotoshi asked again.

"Yeah, I'm fine.  Don't worry about me.  Thank you so much for the comfort Nao, Leila, I really appreciate it."  she thanked her two friends.  Janine then appeared bringing their orders.

"Oh, hi, how did you know guys that Erika is here?"  she asked Naotoshi and Leila.

"We tried to ask everyone that may have seen her, then we are directed at this cafe.  By the way, my name is Leila, you are?"  Leila offered her hand.

"Hi, I'm Janine, nice to meet you."  she shook her hand and she sat beside her.  "I'm sure you are Erika's colleague?"  she then asked.

"Yeah, nice to meet you too, wait, I'll just order something for Naotoshi and I or do you still like something??"  Leila asked no one in particular.

"We're fine thank you."  Erika answered.

"What do you want Nao?"  she asked Naotoshi.   "Ah, anything will do thank you."  he responded.

"Okay, I'll go then."  she said and she proceeded to the counter.

"So, you two are together all this time???"  Erika teased her friend.  Janine's eyebrows wiggled.

"Woah.  She wants to see you that's why I took her here."  Naotoshi said annoyingly.