Misleading Kaede

Kaede’s Point of View I took a deep breath before I started walking towards our classroom. I knew who was waiting inside. I knew they were waiting for the prey...They were waiting for me.

Everyone was so quiet when I entered the room—that was new. Maybe it was because soon we would go our separate ways. I would luckily graduate from college.

I cannot wait to leave this campus!

Soon, my suffering would end because I could just get lost, and the bullies wouldn’t be able to find me. Most specially the CINCO, a group consisting of three girls and two boys who were known for their richness and connections.

I immediately sat on my chair without looking on my classmates' faces because I did not want to see how they were looking at me. They seemed disgusted every time they saw me and were constantly bullying me. They had already told me how weak and useless I was, but I did not care at all. They did not know the real me.

"Good morning, class!" Professor Toriko greeted us as she entered our classroom.

"Good morning, Professor Vera Toriko!" we said simultaneously after we all stood up to greet her.

"Sit down, class."

We all sat down after Professor Toriko had told us to do so. She was our English teacher, and she was very fluent in using the English language. Her pronunciation and enunciation were so commendable! Professor Toriko was energetic, as always. I could tell because she always wore her great smile despite the imperfections of the whole class.

"Today, we have an activity, and it will be very exciting—"

"Just make sure we'll enjoy ha!" Zen Lagarde suddenly butted in. She was always like that. Such a disrespectful brat. She did not even know how to respect people and even our teachers were not exempt from her rudeness. But she was extra careful when pestering them. Well, she was still using her pea-sized brain. Our professors did not want to mess with her because they could not afford to lose their jobs. As they say, money is power.

"Don’t worry, Zen, it will be fun!" Ms. Toriko smiled like everything was just okay. "Now, get a paper, a pen, and some adhesive tape. Ask your classmate to put that paper on your back using the tape. Once done, anyone can write the attitude, physical appearance, characteristics, etc. that they have seen or known about you. It can be also their thoughts, suggestions, or messages for you. They can write it on your paper, and you will know what they think of you."

"Professor Toriko, I like it!" exclaimed Lura Nuevo. Just like Zen, she was also a bully.

"Glad you like it, Lura. You can start now. I'll just give you five minutes to do the activity. Tell your classmates your opinions about them in general without stating your name. They won’t know your name unless your writing is so obvious."

"I will do my best to write amazingly just to deceive someone here HAHA!" Marc shouted. He was Zen's boyfriend and an ultimate heartthrob in the university.

"Be kind, Mr. Regal. Don’t deceive anyone. I am encouraging you all to write nothing but the truth about your classmates. And please enjoy the activity."

"I have a question, Professor." Mayb almost raised her hand to get our professor's attention.

"Yes, Miss Maybelle Mortem?

"Is it okay if I don't write anything on my classmates' papers? I mean, is it okay if I don't participate?" Mayb was a member of the CINCO but was kind to me. In fact, she was coming near me whenever Lura, Zen, and Marc were not around. I understood that she did not want to mess with them.

"Everyone is required to participate, Miss Mortem."

"Okay, thanks."

"Any clarification or suggestion? Any violent reaction?" I did not know why our professor suddenly looked at me with a worried face after she asked those questions. I did not have any violent reaction even though I knew what would happen, even though I knew how it would end.

"None," answered the whole class to her.

"Then, you may start now." She sat on her chair in front of our white board after telling us to start the activity. We all knew that she was just observing even though she seemed to be reading her favorite English book.

However, I let my seatmate put a piece of paper on my back, so that they could write anything there as part of the activity. I was aware that there were three people behind me. They were my first customers for the activity, and it was not unpredictable. I had hated them since my first year in Corto University, but I never fought them because I knew who were the real hopeless here. Zen, Lura, and Marc were always trying to make fun of me just to be happy. I would not hinder their happiness, but everything had an end point. The CINCO was composed of Zen, Lura, Mayb, Marc, and Dego. Zen was the meanest of them all. Lura as the girlfriend of the genius. Mayb was the kind one. Marc was the campus heartthrob. Last but not least, Dego was the genius.

"Done! You're so pretty, Kae!" I just closed my eyes after I heard Zen's voice; her voice was full of sarcasm, and it was exasperating! When I opened my eyes, I saw her smirking right in front of me. Then, she walked away and immediately sat on her pink chair. Hers was the only pink chair inside the classroom, ours were blue. For her, pink was life.

"Kaede, be strong. You have my back," whispered Mayb after the three bullies went away.

"Thanks, Mayb!" I whispered. I was the only one in the classroom who called her Mayb. She just passed by and did not write anything on my paper, while the fifth member of the CINCO did not mind me at all.

Professor Toriko suddenly stood up and she got our attention. "Okay, times up! Everyone, sit down and we will start the sharing portion."

"You mean we will read what are written on our papers, professor?" Dego asked casually.

"Correct, Mr. Calleja. But I will just randomly pick the ones who will share."

Our professor showed us a fishbowl with colorful papers inside that were folded neatly. "All of your names are inside this fishbowl, and I will just pick the lucky ones and—"

"Cut the crap, professor. Just start the sharing portion. The time is running for Pete's sake!" Professor Toriko just smiled even when Zen almost shouted at her.

"Okay, let's start!" she declared while trying to flash a great smile as if Zen did not disrespect her. Her hand landed on a piece of pink paper from the fishbowl. "It is you, Ms. Mortem."

"Go, Maybelle!" Lura shouted.

Mayb stood up and went near our white board. "Good morning, everyone." Her voice was giving me some chills; she seemed uninterested in the sharing thing.

"I just got three words from some of you. Those are kind, pretty, and pet. First of all, I'm not kind, and you all don't know me well. You all just know my name but not my story. Secondly, I know I'm pretty, so there's no need to mention it. Lastly, I'm not the pet of anyone here. Just like what I've said, you all just know my name but not my story. That's all. Thanks." She went back to her chair near the door and just crossed her arms. I liked her explanations; she was on fire, yet she sounded very cold.

"Let's give her a round of applause." Some clapped their hands, but I just smiled at Mayb, and she smiled back also.

Professor had picked a black paper and abruptly blushed after she saw the name on it. "Next is...Kaede."

I suddenly shivered after she called my name. The next thing I knew, the bees started buzzing behind me, and they were so irritating. I knew they were waiting for a show. I even heard Zen chuckled. Freak.

I hopelessly read those words written on my paper before I stood up.

Of all people, why me?

"So, what's your plan after college?" my mama asked while she was washing the dishes because we were just done eating. I volunteered to wash the dishes, but she did not let me.

My mama and I were living together in a house near Corto University. Unfortunately, I was just eight when my papa died in Mt. Head. I really felt the pain even though I was just eight years old at that time, and that was one of my nightmares. He was a very supportive father, and he always spoiled me with sweets back then. Mama was always nagging him because he always brought me chocolates and different kinds of candies. But I also knew that mama was just worried about my teeth and health. After all, I was her only child.

They were also a happy couple and both good-looking. I could tell that because I knew how they loved each other way back. Mama never tried to find a new husband again. She told me that I was enough for her, that she did not want to replace papa with someone else. My papa's family was actually wealthy, but mama wanted to raise me alone after papa died. I knew that papa's family did not want us. Living away from them was also a relief because we could move freely without thinking of what they could say about us.

Mama also told me that papa was just looking for logs in Mt. Head one time, but he was not able to go home for days until he was found dead there. He had a normal death, no wounds or anything. The doctor told mama that maybe it was because of a heart attack. But some people said that Mt. Head was a place of demons, that demons lived there. Of course, I did not believe them. That was just hearsay.

"I'll find a job, mama. I'll help you here with everything. We'll live decently and humbly in our own house soon." The house where we were living was not ours. It was a boarding house.

"That's great, De! I'm looking forward to seeing you marching on your graduation day. Your papa will be happy in heaven because his baby will graduate soon!" I could feel how happy mama was. I could not wait to give her my first salary in my first job after college. I really loved her and papa. I always wanted to make them proud.

"Mama, I'm not a baby anymore! But yeah, papa will be happy. I love you, mama!" I stood up from the chair where I was sitting and went near the sink. I hugged mama until she faced me and hugged me too. She is always the best for me!

"De, you're still my baby. My only baby. Don't forget that honey." Mama was so sweet. She was the reason why I never quit at Corto University. My mama was more important than the bullies in the university. They would not defeat me no matter what.

"Ay, ay, captain! I love you always!" We were still hugging each other, and that comfort was so priceless.

"De, I guess you should check the letter near the television. Someone left it inside our mailbox." My eyes widened upon hearing mama. What kind of letter? Love letter? I almost bitterly laughed about what I had thought.

I was not expecting any letter, though.

"Okay, ma!" I immediately went into our living room and picked the letter near the television.

I opened the electric fan first before I sat on our sofa. It was already 8:00 in the evening. Something bothered me after reading the letter. It seemed that the letter sender was a guy.

My dear classmates clapped their hands even I was not starting and sharing what was on my paper yet. They were weird, or maybe they were just making fun of me, as always.

"G-good morning, e-everyone." I did not want to stutter, but I could not help it. I was nervous. "I got five words from some of you. Pretty, genius, kind, humble, and special." Gladly, I did not stutter again.

"Don't fool us about the good words you're saying, Kaede! We know that you just made up those words, and what is written on your paper is its opposite," shouted Miyara Fernandez, our class president.

"C'mon, Miyara. Don't be so salty to Kaede. She's not a liar, right, Kaede?" I never thought Zen would defend me. Wait. Maybe I was just wrong.

"Zen and Miyara, stop it, okay?" Professor Toriko looked to both of them sharply for the first time, and that made them shut their mouths.

"Kaede, show me your paper." I gave her my paper and waited for her signal to continue what I was supposed to do.

After seconds, she gave it back to me. "Kaede is telling the truth. Now, continue sharing."

"Thanks, Professor Toriko." I smiled at her, and she smiled back even I could feel that she was already stressed out.

"Pretty. Everyone is pretty. It's not always about appearance because it's in the heart. If you see me pretty, I hope it's not just because of my appearance. Genius. I can't consider myself a genius. I know within me that I'm just able to use my brain well and prioritize my education. Kind. Kindness is a manifestation of the correct upbringing of our parents. And I thank my mama and papa for that. I wouldn't put their parenting in shame. Humble. I'm not always humble, but I always choose to be humble because it's righteous." I stopped for a while. I needed to decode the last word. It was something. It did not sound right. It seemed to have another meaning or something. "Special. Everyone is special in our own unique ways, so yes, I'm special. That's all. Thanks."

I immediately went back to my chair and sat down. It was done, gladly.

"Very great, Kaede! Let's give her a round of applause!" Almost all of them clapped their hands except Zen, and she seemed irritated or something. Maybe I was not able to make her proud.

I was actually not looking at my classmates' faces nor reactions while sharing what was on my paper. I just looked to Maybe because I was comfortable with her. For me, she was the kindest being in our classroom, and she was a worthy person.

Professor Toriko called my other classmates and let them share until her class ended. I just listened to them carefully with an open heart. Maybe she was the only one from the CINCO who got picked to share what was on her paper, and that was a relief for the rest of the members. I knew they did not want to share something about themselves. They wanted to be mysterious.

The classes were interesting, and another day had passed.

I was still holding the letter, which was from an anonymous being. I felt that he or she was a friend. However, it was surprising that the other members of CINCO did not dare to make my days extra special the past few days. They even wrote good words on my paper, and that was very unexpected. I really never expected those words were coming from them.

I still remember how Zen poured something cold on my head that made me sick for three days during my first day of school at Corto University. She laughed like a psychopath that time, and of course, she had her supportive friends with her except Maybe and Diego. I did not know where they were at that time. I knew Zen, and I knew what she could do just to satisfy herself, just to make herself happy. I was always trying to understand her acts because I knew that she came from a broken family and that she was once a rape victim.

What I could not understand was Miyara. I did not know why her blood was boiling when I was sharing it in front of the class. I was not doing anything bad to her. She was just weird. Or maybe, I just did not know her story yet. I just hoped that she was not a victim of someone else.

I looked at the letter again and read the initials of the one who sent it to me.

"SS? What does SS mean?" I softly whispered and tried to search for possible answers until I could not get answers from my head. I just decided to keep the letter in my treasure box. Then, I went back to the kitchen to have a talk with mama.