Ivanna steadied her slightly labored breathing. She braced her right hand against the wall to support herself, while her left hand clutched her chest, which felt a little tight.
"One sheep, two sheep, three... sheep, haaah." She let out a long, heavy breath, trying to regain control.
Who knew how long ago it had been, but Ivanna had started using a method she had learned in her original world to ease her tightness: counting sheep. People usually counted sheep when they wanted to fall asleep, but Ivanna did it when her asthma flared up. It was a strange method, but it worked. It was better than having to rely on an inhaler until she became addicted to it.
"Okay, calm down." She slowly breathed in and out several times. Feeling well enough, Ivanna opened the door leading to the school's rooftop. You know why she was out of breath now, right?
"Finally," Ivanna said with a relieved smile after the door opened and she spotted the person she'd been looking for ahead.
Ivanna approached, the sound of her shoes striking the floor disturbing the other person's peace. The girl turned around and stared in shock when she saw Ivanna.
"Vanna?" Ivanna merely smiled in response. She didn't stop walking toward her.
"I found you," Ivanna remarked lightly, making Tiara freeze.
The two of them were now standing face-to-face. Tiara remained silent with her head bowed, her hands nervously clasped together.
"I'm sorry." Ivanna's words made Tiara look up. The regret in Ivanna's expression was plain to see.
"Huh? W-why?"
Ivanna put on a gloomy expression. This time, she was the one to bow her head deeply. "I must've done something wrong. Maybe I said or did something that offended you." Ivanna raised her head and looked at Tiara with deep regret. "That's why you're mad at me and keep avoiding me. Please, if you can, forgive me, Tiara. I admit I was wrong."
Tiara's mouth fell slightly open. She shook her head quickly while gripping Ivanna's hand tightly. "You didn't do anything wrong, Vanna. Why would you think that?"
Ivanna glanced at Tiara with a pout, then forcibly pulled her hand free, startling the girl.
"You don't have to lie. I know you must be mad at me. That's why you've been ignoring me."
*I'm sorry, Tiara. But you need to admit it yourself, and this is the only way I can get you to do that,* Ivanna thought.
She was deliberately blaming herself so Tiara would admit that Angel had threatened her. If she didn't do this, Tiara would never speak honestly.
Tiara shook her head again, her eyes already glistening with tears. She probably felt guilty because Ivanna was blaming herself for something she hadn't done.
"You really didn't do anything wrong, Vanna. I'm the coward. I'm too scared. I-I was too afraid that what Angel said might actually be true." Tiara began to sob. She was very afraid of Angel, but more than that, she was even more afraid of Angel's threat.
Ivanna grabbed Tiara by both shoulders, making her flinch. Tiara was even more startled when she saw Ivanna's sharp gaze. For some reason, she suddenly felt that something was wrong.
"What did Angel say? Be honest, Tiara." To be honest, Ivanna's determined stare was frightening.
Tiara only just realized that she had let slip something she was supposed to keep to herself. "No, I—" The girl tried to come up with an excuse, but Ivanna wouldn't let her.
"Stop lying. If you really consider me your friend, Tiara."
Tiara fell silent, continuing to sob. Ivanna didn't actually have the heart to pressure her like this, but if she didn't, Tiara would keep lying. So Ivanna took both of Tiara's hands and enclosed them in her own.
"I'm on your side. Just tell me." Tiara's expression grew even more miserable, and her lips began to tremble. A moment later, she burst into tears, leaving Ivanna flustered.
"H-huh? Ti-Tiara?!"
"Angel—she's... evil! I-I don't know what I did wrong, b-but she's always mean! I hate her!" Tiara screamed hysterically. Luckily, they were on the rooftop, so no one would hear them.
"Yeah, yeah, calm down first. We'll talk slowly." Ivanna guided Tiara toward the edge, looking for some shade. Their skin could get burned if they stayed out in the midday sun any longer.
The two of them sat on the floor near the door, where it was shadier than the area farther ahead. Ivanna put an arm around Tiara and rested her against her shoulder. She gently patted Tiara's head to calm her down.
Tiara tried to explain, but because she was sobbing, her broken words were difficult to understand.
"It's okay. Cry as much as you need to first. Let all your sadness out. I'll always be here to listen when you're ready to tell me everything. I'm not going anywhere," Ivanna said without stopping her movements.
And sure enough, Tiara spent about ten minutes crying her heart out, until Ivanna's shoulder and arm cramped up. For some reason, Ivanna slightly regretted saying that.
No. She shook her head. It wasn't right to think about herself while her friend was at rock bottom. Tiara had kept her pain to herself for years, and only now could she finally let it all go. It was only natural for her to cry for a long time.
"Sorry, Vanna. Your shirt got wet," Tiara said as she rubbed her red nose.
"It's okay. It'll dry on its own. But how about you? Done crying?" Tiara nodded with an embarrassed smile.
"Sorry. I cried like a little kid. How embarrassing."
Ivanna narrowed her eyes. "Hey, it's okay. We're still kids, too. Fifteen is still a teenager, so it's perfectly normal, Tiara. Adults cry all the time, too," she replied soothingly. Tiara only gave a small giggle in response.
"Are you ready to tell me what happened?" Tiara nodded slowly, and Ivanna smiled eagerly.
"Yesterday, after you went home, Angel and her friends dragged me to the back garden. At first, she told me not to hang out with you. She said that if I dared to hang out with you again, she'd bully you." Ivanna's mouth fell wide open.
"Seriously? She threatened you like that? Does she really think she can bully me?" she asked in disbelief. Tiara merely shrugged, not knowing.
Ivanna wasn't trying to brag, but she came from a wealthy family. Just like Izora, who was famous and fairly respected in their grade, Ivanna held the same kind of power. So if Angel had any common sense, she shouldn't have dared to make a threat like that.
This time, Ivanna stared at Tiara in shock, startling the girl so badly that she shifted backward.
"Don't tell me you believed she could bully me. That's impossible, right?"
It would have been even stranger if Tiara had believed it just like that. Fortunately, the girl immediately shook her head, as if believing Angel's claim were impossible.
"I don't believe her! But she said something that made me hesitate."
Ivanna furrowed her brow in confusion. "What did she say?" she pressed.
Tiara looked hesitant to say it, making Ivanna grow increasingly impatient. "She said you're sickly."
Ivanna's expression changed for a few seconds. She wondered how Angel could have known. Had she left an opening? Was her pale face still noticeable? But then Ivanna remembered who Angel was. She was the daughter of a director at one of Reno's subsidiaries—Reno, Ivanna's father—so it couldn't have been difficult for her to find the information.
"And what does my illness have to do with her?" Tiara's eyes immediately widened as she looked at Ivanna worriedly.
"You're really sick?!" Ivanna bit her tongue. She had let that slip.
"I-it's just a normal illness, nothing serious. She was only exaggerating." Tiara still looked worried. "Forget about that for now. What else did Angel say?" Ivanna pressed.
"She said that because you're sickly... your family doesn't care about you. She said they treat you differently, which is why you don't have any power, and she can bully you if she wants."
Ivanna's jaw dropped. She had never heard such ridiculous nonsense in her life. Ivanna being ignored by her family? Where had that absurd story even come from?! Ivanna was sure that if Izora heard this, she would immediately beat Angel up. Izora was already starved for affection because all of it was lavished on Ivanna, so how could she not lose her temper after hearing such nonsense?
Ivanna let out a long sigh, then looked at Tiara seriously. "You know that Izora and I don't have a good relationship, right?"
Tiara nodded, even though she was confused about why Ivanna had suddenly brought up Izora. But Ivanna's next words only raised more questions in Tiara's mind.
"It's because of my illness."
To be continued....