By EnigmaofSorrow
Anyway, as expected, Charmaine and I did not last. Her insecurities and
infrequent mental breakdowns pushed us apart.
I tried my best to be a caring and understanding boyfriend, but the stress
eventually got to me. I was juggling track and field, studies and Charmaine.
I did manage to get her to see a psychiatrist about her condition, but she
only attended the first session reluctantly, and begged me not to force her
to go for the rest. She feared that she would be labelled as a
“psycho-case”.
It was after my mid-year common tests that the relationship fell apart. I
flunked pretty badly and had to go for numerous remedial lessons. I was even
counselled by my tutors who told me that I needed to focus, otherwise I
might not pass my ‘A’ levels. My track and field performance also suffered,
and I had a falling out with the coach and the team.
While Charmaine was going through a rough time in her life
relationship-wise, I felt my world falling apart as well. I did not know why
I was even in JC, or how I was going to pass my exams. Charmaine did not
seem to understand this and demanded that I spend time with her after
school. She was relatively free at that time as the University intake had
not started yet, and she was not working part-time. It seemed like I was her
only entertainment and she could not live a normal life without me.
I felt myself drifting further apart from her, and she seemed to notice it
too. We quarrelled frequently and she would vent her frustrations on me.
However, every quarrel often ended with sex. I guess she was trying to use
sex to keep me.
It was also around this time that I became closer to one of my classmates,
let’s call her Nicole.
She was a quiet girl, one of those that you would not give a second look.
She was slim, had neck-length hair, and was not one of those JC girls who
would alter their skirts so short that you could get a hard-on just by
walking behind them. In fact, she was so quiet that I never really talked to
her despite sitting next to her for a couple of months.
Nicole noticed that I was constantly falling asleep in class, not handing in
my assignments on time and generally being an ass to the people around me.
Anyway, I fell asleep during a GP lesson one day and was nudged awake by
Nicole.
N: Hey! The teacher is staring at you.
I groggily awoke.
Me: Huh?
N: Don’t sleep.
Me: What ever.
And I placed my head on the desk again but she nudged me again.
Teacher: Enigma and Nicole, get out of my class!
I awoke.
Me: What the fuck is this? Primary school?
A collective gasp was heard around the class. Suddenly, it really felt like
Primary School.
Teacher: What did you say??!
Me: I said fuck. What’s the big deal?
The whiteboard marker flew towards my direction. Somehow I caught it, and
broke it in half on purpose.
Me: What’s your problem?
Teacher: Get out now. Both of you. And Enigma, go straight to the Discipline
Master.
I looked at Nicole. I could tell she was really embarrassed as her face was
reddening. She quietly packed her stuff.
Just as well, I thought. It was the last period anyway. I packed my own
things and walked out. Nicole followed behind me.
I made my way to see the Discipline Master, some short, middle-aged Chinese
guy who thought that his moustache made him look fierce, when it actually
made him look stupid.
Nicole was still behind me. I turned around. I snapped at her.
Me: Why are you following me?
She stopped.
N: Sorry.
She was shocked and a tear rolled down the corner of her eye. Suddenly I
felt bad. I reached out and tried to wipe the tear off. She moved back and
slapped my hand away.
N: Don’t touch me!
Me: Sorry.
I turned around and continued on my way to the office, leaving Nicole there.
Apparently my GP tutor had SMSed the DM about me and he was waiting in his
office.
DM: So what do you have to say for yourself?
Me: Nothing? But leave Nicole out of this, she was just trying to wake me
up.
DM: I will not tolerate rudeness in this college, especially to a teacher.
Furthermore, your usage of vulgarities is unbecoming.
Me: What ever.
DM: Are you not in the least bit remorseful?
Me: Not really. Only that I caused someone else to get chased out of class
as well.
DM: Do you have anything else to say?
Me: Nope. Even if I did you probably wouldn’t understand.
DM: What’s that supposed to mean?
Me: Forget it. Just do what you have to do.
The DM sighed and shook his head. He took out his ‘yellow slips’, otherwise
known as punishment forms and proceeded to fill it up. Then he handed it to
me to fill up my details.
I expected him to pass me a pen but he did not. So I dug into my bag for
one. Dumb luck caused my pack of cigarettes to fall out and onto his table.
DM: YOU SMOKE??!
Me: Yes. So?
DM: Show me your IC.
I showed him.
DM: You are damn lucky you are legal. Otherwise I’m calling the police.
Me: Go ahead.
DM: Don’t try my patience.
Me: Screw you.
The DM was extremely pissed. He grabbed the form once I was done, scribbled
something else and handed it back to me.
DM: Pass this to the general office and get out of here.
Me: Bye.
I took the piece of paper and looked at it.
Two weeks suspension. Wow.
I grabbed my cigarettes and headed next door to the general office to hand
in my form. After that, I headed towards the main gate.
As I exited the school, I saw Nicole standing there, as though she was
waiting for me.