Camie didn't remember how she got home but she did run away from Black Gold very quickly after she had called her cute. She slammed the door behind her and maintained it closed with her back. She closed it so loudly that her father immediately rushed down:
"Camie? Is everything okay?"
The latter looked up at a loss for words:
"I..."
Why would Théa call her cute? Camie preferred to forget about that moment, and she pushed it down as deep as possible.
"I'm okay.
-Are you sure?"
She nodded:
"Yes, yes. Good night."
Her father didn't dare insist anymore and let her go to her room. He did however glance outside to see if what put Camie in such a state was still out there but Black Gold was long gone.
Camie went to sleep without problem but forgetting about that day was harder than she thought. The next day as Camie went to class, she immediately felt that something was different. She tried focusing on her music at first but she couldn't shake that weird feeling off, so she turned down the volume. Were people staring at her or was Camie imagining things? She turned her music off completely and started staring back at people and she was right: people were indeed staring at her.
Camie had no idea why they would look at her and she looked down to check that she was dressed. Her being naked would be a logical reason for people to stare. But it wasn't the case. Camie was dressed and she was wearing a very nice but rather "normal" outfit judging by society. Nothing that would make people stare at her or anything. But then what was it?
"Camie!"
The answer ran up to her in the disguise of Emma:
"How did you get in the middle of a villain attack again?
-How do you?"
Emma didn't give Camie time to ask, and she pulled her phone out:
"Everyone is talking about it. A mysterious woman forced Black Gold to ignore pleading citizens that got hurt by a devastating bomb. I am going to start thinking that you have something to do with all of this. Are you secretly Omen?
-What?"
Camie looked at the article that Emma looked up:
"But that's not what...
-I know that but people don't care."
Camie sighed:
"It's okay. It will calm down eventually.
-Are you sure that you are okay with it? We could skip class together and go to see a film.
-No, thank you. I really don't mind. I don't notice people most of the time anyway."
Emma frowned, not being able to guess if Camie was telling the truth:
"I really don't care.
-Do you want me to stay with you today?
-No.
-But I don't have a lot of classes. I could wait for you, and we could eat together.
-Thank you, Emma. But I really am fine. Don't worry about me.
-Are you sure?
-Yes.
-Okay... Text me if someone bullies you. I don't care about the level of bullying. I will beat them up."
And before she left, she looked up at the crowd staring at them and screamed:
"What are you staring at?"
People immediately looked away and Emma made sure that no one was staring anymore before she left. People really did stare at Camie for the whole day, but it wasn't as bad as she would have thought. She forgot about them quickly and the few people that came up to her were actually rather nice. Some people came up to her to ask how Black Gold was like in real life and they didn't seem to believe the headlines. Or at least they didn't talk about it which was nice.
Camie started feeling as if no one believed what had been written by the journalists and she even thought that the reason why people were staring was because she had made the headlines and nothing else. In fact, people had numerous reasons to stare at her and maybe she shouldn't have immediately imagined the worst. But just as she decided that, someone came to break her assumption.
"Look at who became famous overnight."
Camie jumped hearing Lula's voice. She had completely forgotten that that girl existed, and she didn't hear her come up to her.
"I knew that you were selfish, but this is reaching new heights. How could you force Black Gold to save a random dog over a mother and her child?"
Camie thought back to the attack:
"That's not what happened."
She was going to say that she didn't force anyone but that would be putting the blame on Black Gold and she didn't want that.
"That's what they all say."
Lula rolled her eyes before looking back at the article:
"Is this what you said too after you selfishly stole my best friend?"
Camie was completely lost at this point, and she just raised her eyebrows:
"Who did I steal?
-Don't play dumb. Everything was fine before you showed up. Why did you have to destroy everything?
-With Théa?"
Was that what she meant when she said that Camie didn't have to worry about Lula anymore? She didn't even tell her that Lula was the one who pushed her. Did Théa trust her above Lula? But they had been friends for years... Camie couldn't help feeling touched and she felt her cheeks growing red.
"Of course, with Théa! With whom else? Couldn't you find an available friend to mess with? You destroyed everything."
Camie frowned:
"It's not my fault that she stopped talking to you.
-Then whose is it?
-You brought this upon yourself. You shouldn't have pushed me.
-Oh, grow up! Just because I pushed you once she stops talking to me? You must have told her something. What was it?
-I didn't tell her anything.
-Don't make me laugh. I bet you couldn't wait to tell her all the little lies you came up with."
Lula changed her voice into a very annoying childish one:
"Oh, Théa... Save me from the mean Lula. She is so horrible to me. She pushed me I'm going to cry..."
Camie couldn't help laughing:
"How did you know exactly what happened?"
Lula immediately froze:
"Do you find this funny? You won't be laughing when I'll go stealing your best friends.
-They can't be stolen. They are not objects and I trust them. They can think for themselves.
-Come on. They are so stupid that I bet I could make them doubt you in a day."
Hearing someone call her friends stupid made Camie see red:
"What did you just say?
-You heard me! Your friends are idiots!
-You are an idiot! You are delusional and pitiful! Who would want to be your friend? If I were Théa I wouldn't have held out a week next to you!
-I am the best thing that ever happened to Théa! She will never be happy without me! I can't say the same for your friends. I am sure that when they saw the article, they prayed for you to die in that attack!
-What the hell is wrong with you?"
Lula smirked:
"Or maybe they did feel bad. You may be ugly but even you can make that group look better. If people focus on your big forehead, they won't notice that communication girl's teeth.
-I'm going to rip your head off."
Camie wasn't joking. She pushed Lula with all her strength and the later fell to the ground. Camie wasn't going to stop there. She was ready to get back at Lula for pushing her but just as she was going to jump on her, she felt someone grab her from behind:
"Let me go!
-Calm down. This will only get you on the news again."
Camie was so angry that she wasn't even surprised about Ember's appearance:
"We don't criticize looks! Never! I am going to rip her teeth out! We will see whose teeth she will criticize after that!
-Stop moving for Black Gold's sake!"
Ember had a hard time holding Camie back whose mouth she covered before turning to Lula:
"What the hell are you waiting for? Don't you have somewhere else to be?"
Lula frowned:
"Why should I leave? And why are you meddling? This has nothing to do with you."
Ember slowly nodded:
"Nothing you say? I don't think it will be nothing when I'll show the video, I took to the School committee. I think they will be very interested in my story once they hear you bully another student."
Lula suddenly went pale.
"You can't film me without my consent.
-Did you think that a rich girl like me would get in trouble for such a trivial matter? My mother donates thousands to this school every year. They will certainly let it slide. I don't think that is your case, however.
-You...
-Now that you understand the stakes, get out of my sight.
-I..."
Lula grumbed before almost running away.