"Do you have any idea, what you have done?"

Noah looked startled at his dad, with his face feeling numb than it looks. Not knowing what to say, he just kept quiet.

Guiltily.

"I've had multiple parents, threatening to take their children out of school because of this nonchalant attitude of yours! They would have charged you with public indecency, bullying and abuse if I haven't interfered. How long will I lecture you of this? Don't you have any shame?" He headmaster hit his fist against his desk.

Noah looked at his hands that was and were still bruised and bleeding.

"Detention for the rest of the term."

"What?! Dad, yo-"

"You heard me, Noah! Don't let me repeat myself. Now, get out! You're such  disgrace.... I can't even call you my son." Mr. Coleman hissed underneath his breath. Looking out of the transparent, pane window.

After closing hour, Amber and I were about to walk out of the class when Noah came to block us. I couldn't even look at him twice, I just had to hide behind Amber.

"How can I help you, scumbag?" She folded her hands on her chest, blowing her bubblegum to his sore face.

As if his face was funny to glance at, Amber chuckled softly at him and pushed him away, but he stopped her again.

"I don't fucking care about you, bitch! I hope you're happy with your little friend now. Well, good for you!" He spat at her face as his breath thickened.

About to grab a clump of her hair, she twisted his hand so hand and kicked his left foot, making him fall. With this, she quickly pinned him to the ground.

"Look here Noah, you need to change. It's clear to me that you haven't and you still have no intention of changing. Bullying isn't allowed here. As if it's not enough that you're the fucking head teacher's son. Like seriously, what's your problem?!"

"Just get the fuck out of my face, bitch! I hate you!" He pushed her violently away hand held her purple hair from the back of her head. One could feel the soreness of his muscles, just from his reaction.

Amber tried to pull away. Instead, he jerked her up and pushed her body against the wall. With this, he wickedly squeezed her neck with all the veins in him. With all the strength and anger boiling in him. The both of them stared into each other's eyes, hatefully. Noah had an aggregating look in his eyes while Amber took his issue personal. She already was provoked by his unbearable attitude.

Other students watched earnestly, not knowing what Noah's problem could be. Well, others wanted to know who would win so, they watched interestedly. And in no time, the students formed a circle as they watched. Watching Noah and Amber argue was like watching a fight between a lion and Cheeter. Well, anyone would agree that both of them are bullies. But they are two, different kind of bullies and of course, Amber was the better one I think.

Just then, he suddenly stopped.  He let of of her hair and turned back at me.

"You're definitely going to pay. You and you too! Both of you." He pointed with tears, dripping down his red eyes. His bottom lips quivered ,and his shoulders dropped in resignation to have started the fight.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Noah." I stammered with drippy eyes and shivered in fear of what might happen next. Watching him this way felt so heartbreaking and torturing at the same time.

"No, we're not. We're not sorry." Amber corrected. "We all have pains, Noah! Nobody lives a perfect life. I just want you to admit your mistake and learn from it. End this your cinderella syndrome and act like an actual human being with feelings and thoughts! With perfections and downsides!"

Then he faced Amber.
"I would never forgive you. Never!" He spit out blood out of his mouth, again.

"Stop right there, Noah Coleman!" The headmaster intervened.

Everyone turned to him with a deep sigh as he made his way close to his son. Watching him closely, disappointment clouded his eyes. He felt more pissed seeing Noah in that position and wondered why he didn't go home immediately after closing.
"Get out right now else, you're suspended."

"Then I guess I'm suspended." He answered rudely before walking out of the school.

The loud buzz of the students' chatter filled the room immediately the headmaster walked out of the space. Probably into his office. We all scattered as I walked to check if Amber was alright.

The students hummed in mumblings of confusion. The crowd faded in low murmurs.

"Noah Coleman is one rude badass." I heard a senior student confessed behind me before walking away.

"Are you alright?" I asked, wiping away my tears and sniffing as gently as possible.

"You're such a crybaby, Sylvie." She rolled her eyes and walked to the gym locker room, I just followed.

I took a seat with my bag hugged to my chest.

"Why are we here?" I ask in a shivering voice.

She turned to me, watching me sarcastically. She huffed and sat next to me. "Why did you do that?"

"Do what?" I faced to her in confusion.

"Apologize for someone else's mistake, idiot! Don't think for one second that that motherfucker Noah cares about you! He's a bully and needs to drop that ugly attitude of his!"

"But so are you."

"That's why I know what to do to kill his attitude! I don't care if he does it to every other student but not you at least." her voice gushed.

"But why me?" My breath deeply quivered to her words.

"Because it's you, Sylvie! If we're going to be friends, Noah would have to stop hunting you around. I can simply cut off his balls if I want to, but I need him to learn from his own mistakes." She paused and held my hands into hers. With her hazel eyes staring intensely into mine.
"Look, he needs to understand that not everyone is a weakling. And stop being one." She rolled her eyes at me.

"I'm not a weak-"

She rolled her eyes at me and I was lost of words. "I don't know want to say or do around him. It's been two years now. I'm scared for what he might do next. Just looking at his face is so... It might destroy his social status. He's the headmaster's son."

"Don't pay attention to him, you're not his slave. Okay? Fake people have an image to obtain. Real people don't care. I don't fucking care about Noah right now." She pointed out.

"You're brave so far but... What if he hurts you?" Fear clouded in my eyes.

"Ah! If he's brave, then I'm braver. I don't need a weapon to bring Noah down when I'm one." She said to me with a small smile showing an apparent dimple at the side of her cheek.
"Enough of talk about that good-for-nothing. Thinking about him is not really worth it. Any plans for tonight?" She frowned at me.

"Umm... I'm not sure. He might be coming home late but I'm not sure when exactly. Plus I have a lot of chores to complete. Literally all his clothes are dirty and I'll have to do the laundry." I explain feeling down.

"Wow! Is your uncle mistreating you? I smell a bigger bully here. Does he hurt you?" She squinted at me.

"N..no..no, it's not like that! I mean, he doesn't." I boldly defended but my voice ended up shaky. "He's a good man."

"But you're only ten. Shouldn't he employ a maid if he can't do the chores? I mean, this is so annoying!" She hissed.

I fell speechless. I didn't know when I even told her that. Thinking about Collins, a memory of what happened in the morning swept through my mind.

'No, I shouldn't tell her this. She shouldn't know about this either. Maybe it was just a silly mistake, right?' Thinking about it made me remember the wicked look in his eyes. 'He's not a bully, right?'

"I think I might have a plan for tonight." Amber bursted the silence that took over our conversation.

"Really? What is it?" I asked with seriousness in my eyes.

"What if... What if I make a little sacrifice by helping out."

"Helping out?" My eyebrows pulled up in unison as confusion laced my face. "Are you planning to spend the night with me?"

"Yes. You'll attend the contest and I'll help with whatever work is left." She admitted with sudden excitement

"What if my uncle comes home?"
Another smirk formed on her full lips as she pulled me closer, whispering something in my ears.

***

Minutes later...

Amber waved me goodbye as we parted ways. I felt nervous, what if something goes wrong?" I thought, walking to the bus-stop behind the school. The public bus stopped and I got in, with the box on my hand.

It took a seat and brought out the squeezed poster from the side of my bag. Looking at the beautiful girl in the poster made me wish I was the one. I smiled at it, knowing it is what I want. I opened the box and took a good look at the black platform heels. It looked so expensive.

"Even if I would get caught. I won't miss this for the world." I said to myself with determination.

Getting home, the door was locked. I noticed that Collins wasn't around so, I took the keys by the window and unlocked the door, as usual.

Entering the kitchen to take a cup of water, a heap of dirty plates in the sink stared at me. I wonder how Collins eats. I remember washing a dozen of plates before leaving in the morning, same happened yesterday and the day before. And the day before, the day before yesterday. It's always the same everyday. Well, I should have gotten used to this but I can't. I can't seem to understand who I'm living with. Drinking the water, I noticed the taste of beer in the cup.

"Ughh!" A frustrating sigh escaped my mouth as I went to spit it out.

I'd love to drink beer but I hate the smell. Collins made me hate it. I threw the cup into the sink and went to drop my bag in my room. Northie that was sleeping suddenly work up and yawned at my sight. I entered the toilet to pee and she followed me, staring at me with her wagging tail. As if she wanted me to carry her but I wanted to do all my chores before the end of the day. I couldn't help but to wonder.

***

3 Hours Later

6:00 p.m

As the blazing sun lowered, I held a wooden broom stick with my whole body in pain. A small sigh escaped my lips as I looked at my read hands and broken fingernails. I had just completed the laundry and was about to start cleaning Collins room when I heard the ring if the doorbell.

"Yeah, who's that?" I yelled, hoping it isn't  my uncle at the door.

It's me, Sylvie!" Amber's voice replied mine. I rushed to the door immediately to welcome her.

"Wow! You're here. Come in." I let her in and closed the door behind us. "How did you easily get my address without getting missing?"

"I'm not a baby." She chuckled at me and looked around. The room was a bit messy, I was just about to clean the whole place.

"It's like you live alone. It's a bit quiet, isn't here?" She admitted.

I blushed at her reaction. Just then Northie walked out of my room to me. Her meow interrupted us. "This is my cat." I told her.

"Wow! She's cute. What's her name?" Amber went closer, picking her up and gently brushing her fingers through it's pur.

"Northie."

"That's good. Glad to know that your uncle tolerates cats around." She joked.

"He doesn't mind. She was actually a stray cat until I took her in." I faked a smile.

"So, are you ready? How about your make up and all."

"Oh, I never thought of that." I admitted. It looked so silly.

"What?! Like seriously? From what I know, most parents pay heavily for beauty pageant coaches, makeup artists and even other stuffs like hair extensions, eyelashes, hairsprays and even costumes to make sure their children looks the best and you have... Nothing?!"

I raised my eyes at hers, looking lost. An heavy breath whooshed out of my mouth as my shoulders dropped down, resentfully.

"Or... maybe I shouldn't go. This is just a waste of time anyway."

"Come on, idiot. You're going for a beauty pageant... It's a fucking competition! A contest! You should lack confidence, determination, purpose! Are you good in any sport activity?

"Umm... soccer, I don't know." I rolled my eyes looking up. "I can also swim."

"Ugh! What activities would you engage in. Isn't it on the poster?"

I held it and scrolled through the sheet vividly.
"No it isn't." I replied her in disappointment.

Public speaking would be required. It's going to start in two hours time. Have a good bath, I think I'm having a little makeup stuff here, let's get you ready.

"Okay." I smiled at her and went to have a bath.

Amber started the cleaning while Northie had fun staring at the new stranger. Well, it didn't take long. I took a warm bath and took out the red down from the leather. I had hide it under my bed, I still hold Collins doesn't find out. Amber only had a couple of makeup equipments.

I took a seat as she applied an light amount of her compact powder on my face, sprinkled with rosy blusher on my cheeks and Drew a fine line around my eyes with her eyeliner. It had mascara at the edge of it which as wanded to my eyelashes. As usual, Amber wears a dark red lipstick and only God knows where she got it from. She applied a generous amount on my lips and had me look at the mirror.

"Wow! You're really good at this." I commented, looking at myself in admiration.

"Thank you. I'd have brought my makeup kit if I'd known.

"You have a makeup kit?"

"Yes, sure. My Aunt buys it for me and sometimes, she gives me some of her makeup stuff but... I don't use all. I just go with the red lipstick. I love the way it pops up on my face. She smile and looked at me. It looks good on you too. Do you have a comb or brush?

"Yes, I have one here." I rushed to my room to bring a black, large-toothed comb.

"Here." I handed it to her.

She made fine widow's peak at the left edge of my hairline and brushed my hair carefully.

I had to get to the venue and hour before the event to buy a form and do a registration. I took the last penny in my saving-box. Amber lend me her small hand bag to take along. With her she's on my feet, I was ready to leave.

"What about your earrings?" She jerked at me.

"Umm... I don't-have- one."

"Why don't you, like seriously? Aren't you a girl."

"My earrings got missing and... I couldn't get another." I admitted.

"So what would you use now. Even if it's going to be a natural beauty contest, earrings are important. That's what differentiates you from being a boy." She  frowned at me and suddenly took of one pair of her earrings.

"Oh no! Y..you don't have to." I begged.

She went silent on me, fixing her pearly stud earrings to my earlobes.

"It's my first child beauty pageant and I'm feeling weird and awful..." I gasped with fear burning in my stomach.

"You know, fake people have an image to obtain. Real people just don't care. You have to do this if you really want to be a beauty queen." Amber stated, already tired of my complains.

"Ugh! I'm so nervous. What if my uncle comes and he gets paranoid at times." I shot a startled glance at her.

"Not now, Sylvie! You have to stop thinking about your uncle or anything that might cause you fear. Remember, you're going for a contest. You must be prepared mentally, emotionally and physically else, you'll lose. You need to be confident even if it's just for tonight, don't make all my hard work go in vain." She encouraged.

Her words are so touchy, I felt tears prickling in my eyes. "Thanks for everything, Amber. You're the best friend in the word."
A tear rolled out of my eyes as gently I sniffled and wiped it off.

"Come on, girl. You're mascara would wash off if you keep crying like this. She moved closer to adjust my makeup.

"Stop crying. I believe this would somehow improve your personality and open a way to show yourself to the World. It's time, Sylvie. Have a purpose and have fun" She smiled at me as I held her in a warm hug.

"Good bye now, give it your best." She gently pulled herself from me as I walked to the door step.

I bade her goodbye and motioned towards the gate as she closed the door. It was already 7:05 p.m. I walked to a distance before I stopped a taxi. Settling into the back seat with comfort and confidence, the driver drove across the road swiftly while I prepared myself for whatever comes next.

***
Sorry for the long chapter. I had to divide some chapters just to shorten it. I'm a bit engrossed into this story. I'm lost while explaining but it isn't so bad. Is it? Let me know your peferable word limit in the comment box.

Amber is a good friend which is actually good. What would happen when Collins comes back? Hope the drunk man won't beat her bestie? Lol!

Don't forget to hit the vote button and share your opinion with me on child beauty pageant as it is strongly opposed today as child abuse. The next chapter tells what type of beauty contest it is. Stay tuned.