Rumours

 The rumours started slow but steady, until it came to the point where it blew up. These days as one walks through the hallways, all you could hear were the condescending whispers.

 By the school's lockers, there was a girl standing together with her friend “It was definitely her,” she muttered to the other, “no one else is capable of bullying someone to that point!” 

 In one corner, a hushed but surprised voice sounded “She, she....... she was the cause of Alice's suicide?!” If you were to strain your ears, you would hear similar rumours all over the school.

 It has became so widespread, that not only the students share it amongst themselves. The staff, the teachers, parents, everywhere you go in this rural town, you could never make even half a step before it became a part of your knowledge, rooted in your brain. 

 Naturally, even a stranger would be tired of this, ashamed. The subject of the rumours however, held her head high and strutted all over the school to her classes without the slightest bit of contrite present in her. 

 She was such a disgusting person, to drive someone's until the point they take their own life, but able to absolve herself of guilt. What level of hell has she reached, that she even lost her own humanity? Emotions that make humans, humans. 

 Though vile she might be, one could not deny her beauty. Flowing ebony locks, eyes similar to the shade of the darkest night, hints of blue within the endless black. Her skin resembled the moon, fair but not sickly. 

 “Look at her, so what if she's beautiful? She's as ugly as Cinderella's Stepmother inside!” A high pitched voice exclaimed as she walked past, the owner was obviously seeking a punch in the face. But she ignored it and moved on. 

 “ I'm glad I didn't get entangled with her because of her beauty,” a boy said and shudders, “I won't even know how I die.” It's a pity, he thought to himself, that such a breathtaking person turn out to be the lowest of the rung. 

 No matter what, a beauty is still beautiful. Just that, the ethereal beauty of hers was tainted by filth. Beautiful she may be, but no one would remain transfixed on her appearance once they discovered her inner self, the beast within beauty, the toxic black widow within a clusters of lilies. 

 The rumours died as time went on, as she had never shown a reaction, people have lost interest. But once rumours starts, the doubt can never be vanquished completely. The way people had been treating her had become different. 

 The undeniable disgust, the recognizable wariness, walking around on tip toes around her. She surely should have noticed these, but her facial expression never changed, like a doll. You couldn't help but wonder, what if she really is one? A doll that acted and looked similar to a human, but lacked empathy and humanity. 

 Rumours never truly die, it can always be reignited at any one time. The frustration towards the girl grew and grew until it became physical. A group of girls stepped in front of her, blocking her way. 

 “You should apologise!” One of them shouted at her in a high pitch tone that would make anyone wince. Another follow up “Why is there such a bad person like you on this world?” People's eyebrows raised when they see this, disapproving yet no one stepped up to help. In a way, they are consenting to this. 

 She only blinked her eyes, there were no changes in her expression but one could clearly feel her thoughts, what are this bunch of idiots talking about? 

 This angered the girl, she wasn't an idiot! With rage clouding her mind, she raised her hand and slapped her. “You disgusting thing with no remorse!” The people present at the scene were more surprised at her use of vocabulary than the slap, she deserve it after all. 

 It didn't stop there, the girl gestured, and the rest of the group immediately pounced. She was like a ball of yarn thrown into a group of feral cats. Bruises already started forming on her fair skin, and small cuts from sharp fingernails cause her to bleed. 

 The crowd were already frowning, few muttering insults about the group's behaviour under their breath, still nobody came up to stop them. You could see from their gaze, they're condoning this because they believe it too, that she's a vile and disgusting creature in need of a beating. 

 “Stop it!” A voice cried, it rang so loud that everyone stopped just to look at the source. It was the victim's sister, Alice's sister. The one who got left behind, the one who was hurt most by Alice's parting. 

 Dear Alice, who was so bright, why have you left us all behind? Dear Alice, who was so kind, why couldn't you keep living on? Dear Alice, who was the sun of this school, why had you leave us so soon? It was all because of her! 

 “Why do you want to stop me?” The girl shouted, pointing a finger towards the girl lying on the floor helpless, “She caused your sister's suicide!” Everyone fell to an eerie silence, no one expected her to say out all their thoughts in such a blatant way. 

 “It wasn't her!” Alice's sister, Anna cried out. “It, it,..... It wasn't her fault!” Anyone could tell that Anna was trying to chock back her tears, but she was failing miserably at that as her tears begun pouring out in waves. 

 “It..... It.... it was me.” Anna chocked out after a long period of silence. “Alice never commit suicide, I planned her death.” Her tears never stopped pouring out, “I was jealous of her, and gave her poison.” 

She smiled sarcastically, “I planned it all out, I imitated her writing and made that suicide note.” It was like opening a dam, it could never stopped. Her knees buckled and she kneeled on the ground.

 “She was loved by everyone, while no one would spare a glance at me.” Her tone was lifeless, but streaks of tears were still running down her face, “I realised only after I killed her, that she was the reason why I'm still living.”

“Funny isn't it? To be clouded by a moment of envy and end up killing the one who was the most important to me.”

She then gazed at the other girl who was lying in the floor helplessly, “I'm sorry for implicating you.” 

 At that moment, the whole school was silent. No one could make a sound.