When the bell rang between classes, the hallway was filled with its usual buzz. The moment Elara saw that slutty girl next to Julian again, her fuse blew. She didn't listen to anyone, pushing through the crowd and lunging at the girl. Without a second thought, she slapped the girl hard; the echo reverberated throughout the hallway. As the girl lost her balance, Elara grabbed her hair and threw her to the ground with fury. Amidst the girl's agonized screams, Elara kicked her on the ground to quell her rage. While the students, shocked, tried to intervene, Elara was blind with fury.
The heavy scent of oak in the principal's office mingled with Elara's sweat from her victorious fight. The principal was red with rage. "I'm trying to reach your family, Elara, but I can't get through!" Elara smoothed her skirt and said the lie coolly: "Sir, my father sometimes turns off his phone for work. My mother also works somewhere outside the coverage area." The principal slammed his fist on the desk: "Look, Elara, if your father doesn't talk to Antonio today, it's only a matter of time before you're expelled from school!" Elara slowly stood up, a sly smile appearing on her face. "Don't worry, sir. When I get home, I'll have my father talk to you. He'll definitely call this evening." As she left the room, she thought of Tommy's distant face upstairs. She would drown him in this lie.