Breathe Cafe

by: SiNgUrL


Christel dressed the way she never did before. She wore a black miniskirt which cut above the knee showing her flawless and soft legs she never flaunted before. A tight tank top hugging her perfect breasts and upper body emphasizing her fair and perfect skin. She wore black mascara and eyeliners on her brows and eyes, violet contacts that looked perfect with her curly and long lashes and her lips were colored with crimson red to flaunt her full and kissable lips and lure her victims for revenge.

She walked straight and with full confidence holding her invitation letter to the most popular party of her High school Senior Year.

She wasn’t nervous at all because she felt like another person. She knew no one would realize who she really was especially that she curled her straight hair and colored it silky black with hints of red from its original reddish brown crown to complete her disguise and prank for the night.

Everyone she passed by stared at her even the most popular guy who she wanted her revenge from the most.

Her target was the “Oh-So Glorious Football Team” who played with her feelings because they thought she was dumb. That she was stupid and desperate for attention. All because everyone in school thought she was weird because she was shy and more comfortable when left alone.

But now, she wanted to prove them wrong – Ian, Evan, Lawrence, Tim, Bryan and Brent. They all played with her and hurt her, together with the help of Naiza and three other cheerleaders.

It started when Brent courted her by asking her to the prom and she agreed because he looked sincere with his lines of “All the girls like me but you. Maybe that’s why I like you more than anyone else.” Or “I think I’m falling for you but I’m afraid that I’ll just hurt you in the end.” And the flowers and love notes everyday in her locker. She ended believing and trusting him. But when she dressed for the prom, he never came and when she approached him the day after that in school.

“Y-you… didn’t come,” Christel cleared her throat, all innocent because she believed that there was an acceptable reason behind it.

“What are you talking about?” Naiza asked her and clung to Brent who was hesitant but looked cocky with Naiza in the end.

“The… Prom?” Christel whispered.

“Prom? How foolish! He did come and we enjoyed the night!” she raised a brow on Christel and smiled triumphantly.

“But…”

“I’m sor-” Brent was about to say something but Naiza pulled him away.

“Come on Brent! Let’s leave,” she looked at me from head to toe with disgust.
“We don’t want her weirdness brushing off on us, do we?” she rolled her eyes and groaned.

That afternoon, there was still hope left in Christel that Brent didn’t mean to hurt her but she heard it all from Naiza. Minnie, Dina and Belle who dared Brent to court her if he could.

“He hesitated at first. The idiot! But his team made him,” Naiza giggled and tears rolled down Christel’s cheeks. They all hurt her.

That bight she cried her eyes out in front of the computer while chatting with her online friend Michael- her reliever and confidante even if they’re only chat mates.

Mike_21851420:Maybe he didn’t mean2 hurt u
Yztel :but they already did
Mike_21851420:But maybe Brent didn’t
She felt disappointed because it was like Michael was siding Brent so she didn’t reply back when another IM window appeared. It was her other chat mate Cindy and she told her about what happened.

Cindy_Flirtie:u nid 2 get back at dem, gurl!
Yztel:but im not d kind hu does
Cindy_Flirtie:Well, its abt time 2 change 4 d better

They chatted longer and Christel kept on thinking about what Cindy kept on pushing her to do and when she received the invitation to the party, se decided. It was time.

One by one, she lured the boys in different corners of the venue- seduced them when they were drunk enough and left lipstick marks- that wouldn’t wash off easily- in the perfect shape of her lips on their shirts. She left new bought ladies’ underwear and put them on their pockets for their girlfriends or parents to find out and if they did, it would be a very majestic prank. She wasn’t a good prankstress and it was all she could plan to do. It was her first time anyway in doing such things.

First Ian, then Tim and the other three and at last Brent.

Brent watched her since she arrived at the party but didn’t know what she was up to. Brent was a little drunk but to Christel’s eyes, he already looked drowned in liquor.

They ended up in Brent’s car. It was the first time the whole night that she began to be conscious and nervous but her anger availed and ended up kissing him passionately but she remembered how she hurt her, she slapped him so hard, he passed out.

She left her little signature on his car door window. Her crimson lipstick colored kiss left the mark perfectly with the name “Lady Prankstress”.

It was the talk of the whole school that Monday morning. She felt guilty but proud she did it.

“She’s lady prankstress,” it was Naiza behind Christel while she sat alone in the cafeteria during lunch break.

“No. She couldn’t be,” Brent crossed his brows and shook his head.

“Oh yeah, I forgot. Lady prankstress was sexy, seductive and she-” she raised a brow.

“Chris couldn’t hurt a fly. She couldn’t do that to Ian and the other causing their girlfriends to dump them or their parents to get ballistic,” he looked at Christel in the eye.

“Yeah, she couldn’t-” Naiza was about to continue but they got in her nerves.

“I am Lady prankstress and I did that to defend myself from you!” she pointed a finger at him.

“Stop it, Chris! It couldn’t have been you…” Brent looked around looking worried.

“Wake up Brent! What proof do you want?” she asked seriously.

“I don’t need-” he said when Christel cut him off with the kiss. She knew he wouldn’t forget her kiss that was very passionate that night and the way she pinched his ear as she did.

Brent pushed her away and looked at her with disgust shaking his head.

“So it was…” he said with anger.

“I was wrong about you. I believed that you were pure hearted. I was wrong to have liked you very much! I was WRONG!” he snapped and walked away leaving her and Naiza followed him with a smirk.

Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably while the other students looked at her with shock, fear, anxiety and disgust in their faces. She went home right away crying for what happened. She felt anger, patience, love and hatred all at the same time. She didn’t know what to feel. She opened her IM hoping to find Michael or Cindy online but they weren’t.

Then by ten that night, she woke up and found earlier IMs from Michael.

Michael_21851420:U didn’t listen 2 me
Michael_21851420:Now u did it
Michael_21851420:How cud u? I thot I knew u datz y I liked u
Michael_Brent:Im sorry for hurting u but it wasn’t me that night but naiza came.
Michael_Brent:Dad made me go wid her becoz he’s busness partners wid her parents and I cudnt say no to my dad.
Michael_Brent:Now u made the hurt worse so lets 4get everything
Michael_Brent:Its ALL our faults.No one 2 blame. Bye.

Michael-her reliever, friend and confidante had been Brent all along for almost a year now and she was ignorant of it. Now, everything was spoiled. For the one bad decision she did for herself and he was gone.

She felt her heart break into many pieces like a fragile piece of glass. She threw herself in her bed trembling with the coldness inside her. Tears flooded her cheeks wetting her pillows. She knew she was wrong and lost. She didn’t know what would happen next with hatred from Brent and disgust from the whole school.

For one mistake she did and her world crushed her whole being making her the most unfortunate creature and dirtiest criminal in the world.

One idea from a lipstick, proof from a kiss and everything bad turned worse. And nothing could save her now. Nothing and no one.



A/N:

Necklace which was my entry for Short Story Contest week 39 won. It is posted below.

-SiNgUrL